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Hatteras 53 motor yacht

Discussion in 'Hatteras Yacht' started by Stevep5050, Oct 14, 2014.

  1. Stevep5050

    Stevep5050 New Member

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    I have been looking for a 56 Hatteras Motor Yacht and now am considering a 53 Hatteras Motor Yacht due to a lot of conversation regarding the 56 and 54 be slower yachts and and there were less of those two models then the 53 or 58 can anyone give me any insight as to the difference in performance and opinions on the 4 sizes mention 53,54 56, and 58.
  2. RB480

    RB480 Senior Member

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    I think you have that backwards. The 56 is generally the same as a 53 speed wise, however I think the 56' in good running condition is a slightly faster boat.

    I am in the process of taking a 56 to Florida as I write this.
  3. Stevep5050

    Stevep5050 New Member

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    Sounds like you know these boats well what is your opinion on these models
  4. Stevep5050

    Stevep5050 New Member

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    What the name of the boat your taking to florida I am really confused I have a broker and some previous owners who stated that the 56 Hatteras is a slow boat to china and uses more fuel then the 58 so I looked at the 54 because it is a wider boat then the 53 and then was told that it was not as fast as the 53 or as efficient. So really confused was told the 56 and the 54 would not cruise more then 10 knots. To me it seems a little slow and was told the 53 and 58 would cruise at 15 knots
  5. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Performance is similar for the 4 models, although some have tweeked it a bit with things like 5 blade props. (RB480's is tweeked). Generally on the stock boat cruise is about 12 to 13 kts. The 56 has the widest beam at 18'2". For us that was the biggest selling point. The 58's that we looked at had a wall behind the lower helm which we didn't like. The layout on the 54 we looked at was completely different. The 53, 56 & 58 were similar except in size. I was talking with a fellow in Canada recently who completely redid the galley and lower helm. He pushed the helm forward, which allowed him to put in a helmseat. The lower helms on these boats were designed to have the helmsman standing.
    Here's the specs on the 56 I run. Hopefully it helps.
    Dimensions :

    LOA: 60’
    LWL: 56’ 3”

    Beam: 18 ft 2 in Minimum 19 ft. minimum slip
    Draft: 4 ft 11 in
    Bridge Clearance:
    37 ft. to tallest mast
    26 ft. to masthead light
    18 ft 10 in to windshield
    Dry Weight: 74,000 lbs
    Headroom: 6 ft 8 in
    Engines: Engine Brand: Detroit Engine(s) Total Power: 1300 HP
    Engine Model: 892 TI Engine Type: Inboard Drive Type: Direct Drive

    Rpm Speed Knots Fuel Cons. Fuel Cons. Range NM Range NM
    Engines Engines & Engines Eng& Gen
    550 Idle
    1200 9.3 12.5 14.0 707 631 economy
    1500 11 21.7 23.2 536 501
    1800 12.1 35.0 36.5 385 369 cruise
    2100 14.6 53.5 55.0 322 313
    2300 17.1 70.6 72.1 283 277 WOT
  6. Stevep5050

    Stevep5050 New Member

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    Your information is very helpful and really appreciated I missed out on a 56 named solitude base on miss information a great boat alway in fresh water 1900 hours now I am back to the drawing board. One last question was also told not to get involved with a 32 volt system and it seems like all the boats prior to 87 are 32 volt your opinion.
  7. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I've run a lot of older Hatteras and cut my teeth on a 58' YF. I wouldn't dismiss a 32 volt boat, but it is harder and harder to find parts these days. For example Rule only makes a 2000gph bilge pump, no other sizes in 32 volts. Lightbulbs are getting harder and harder to find etc. etc. You're right they changed over to 24 volts in 1988.

    The 53' is a roomy boat and is faster, for example one's with TI's will do around 17-18 knot cruise. However, it's beam is too narrow for it's height at 15'10, it origionally was designed without a flybridge. While it's fine in inland water and a calm sea. It's not good at all in a 3-5' beam sea. The 58' is a beamier boat and gains a 4th stateroom and does ride better because of that. I'm not too familiar with the 56' and the 54's, but for speed, none of them are speed demons. If you run them around hull speed mostly you can get pretty good efficiency. It all comes down to what your intended use is going to be. I would go with the one that meets your needs the best, personally, and run it accordingly for fuel burn.
  8. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    There are many different models which can lead to confusion, as above.

    Especially when it comes to the 58 which came as the earlier 58TC (not the hargrave flush deck hatteras became known for), the 58 YF which is basically a 53 MY with a cockpit and the 58 MY which is is indeed a 4 stateroom boat with galley up and extended deck house.

    All 3 are the original narrow 15'10 beam. I do not recall a wider beam 58 (but could be wrong)

    The 56 though is a wider beam hull, just like the latter 54 (late 80s) which may result in a slightly higher fuel burn but offering so much more room that the fuel burn really doesn't matter.

    I think the 56 MY is probably the best one, being pretty much a 53 with more beam, side decks and a big aft deck.

    Personally I don't like the 58MY, it s too enclosed and not as well proportioned as the other ones.
  9. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    32 volt is a great system, but it does take some adjusting to. You'll need step-down transformers for your 12v and 24v items (electronics, etc., and some light bulbs are getting a bit hard to find and costly, but I wouldn't shy away because of that. I've been hearing lately that 34v is an acceptible substitute. If we were planning to keep Valhalla more than another year or so we'd definitely consider rewiring the DC side to 24v. These boats are worth the investment.
    To me that extra beam in the 56 is worth it's weight in gold (or diesel). It's a great boat. She's a gentleman's cruiser though, not a speed demon. For living aboard or doing extended cruising I'd definitely vote for the 56 over the other models mentioned.
    Don't be disheartened with your search. When we shopped for Valhalla we looked at several 53's, 54's and 58's (plus some 58 Bertrams) and then checked out about a dozen 56's. We whittled that list down to 4 that were in acceptible condition, then 2 and finally one based on price vs what we'd want to do to them. So far we've cruised over 3,000 miles on her over the past year or so, from NY to Charleston, back up and now out to Michigan. We did extensive refits and upgrades to the mechanical systems along the way, but I think (if the economy continues to improve) that the boss will see or come very close to seeing a profit on her when he sells. Good boats.
  10. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Please do searches on a lot of past threads of 32Vdc systems. I have been a great fan as the searches will prove.
    Feel free to post or ask me directly on ant 32Vdc issue.
  11. Caltexflanc

    Caltexflanc Senior Member

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    I owned, lived on and cruised a 1981 56MY full time for almost 7 years. We shopped virtually all the flavors of Hatt MYs and the 56 was the "goldilocks" boat for us.

    If speed is your big concern, the real answer to your question is "none of the above" for any of these MYs in OEM configuration.

    There is an excellent Hatteras Owners Forum online if you want to explore the subject in depth with a host of owners of all the flavors.
  12. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Now, If your real serious about a fat 58, find an ole Bertram 58 MY. Been onboard for 10+ years and logged some miles.
  13. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    That was in definite consideration on paper for us. Nice boats. The engine room was a big decider though. The Hatt's split, stand-up engine rooms are great. Also a lot more living space.
  14. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I'm 6'8" and was 300lbs. Not to bad down there for light work and checks. We majored our Stb 12v71 a few ago. pulled up the salon deck plates and had plenty head room. Watched TV, A/C was running, fresh beers from da boss while we worked. Those stand up Hat rooms are rather cramped so naw, Hat has nothing over Berts in ER space.
    You can't get to (or see) the bottoms of your 8s in a Hat. I works on Hats up here and bang my head on everything, 7' headroom in most locations in our Bert.
    We had a 4 stateroom setup. Took out the dividing wall in the rear. Full width stateroom with his/hers heads (one with tub), desk, hanging closets, drawers, 2 A/Cs (was 2 cabins) and queen bed, soon king next summer.
    There was a deal in PortWashington NY last year on a good looking 58 Bert.
  15. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Yeah you can get and see to the bottom of the 8v71's or 8v92's in the Hatt's. The hallway has a very large removable section on the wall. I find the engine rooms on the Hatt's have plenty of room and are pretty much standup. Downside is you get a lot of engine room smell in the boat because of the split engine rooms and 4 doors.
  16. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Those 12v71s (and the maintenance costs) were another thing that took them off the list for us. The engine room in the bert is a crawl-in. Once inside there is a good deal of room, especially once you step down to where the motors are, but these old bones don't like crawling and crouching. The salon is nice, the master is huge, the galley not bad, but the forward area didn't do much for me.
    Different tastes.

    We checked out the one in Pt. Washington while we were shopping for Valhalla. So it's been on the market for a long time. Nice owners. Real boaters. The admiral is also the mechanic. She was in very nice shape when we saw her. Surpised she hasn't sokd.

    Oh, and you can see 360 throughout the Hatt enginerooms. As mentioned, there's a panel in the hall that gives you total access to the inboard side. Then you have the doors fore and aft. The 56 Hatt was a very well thought out boat.