Reviews of different Hatteras yachts for live aboard?

About a year ago I represented the sale of a 1991 Hatteras 52' Cockpit Motor Yacht. She was powered with the same 8v92's. The seller of that boat had cruised her extensively in the Bahamas and had the fuel burn down to a science. He would occasionally slow cruise her on one engine at 9 knots and burn 12 GPH. Slow cruise on 2 engines was 10 knots and 20 GPH.

When we did the sea trial for the survey we ran her up and she was doing 18 knots. Not sure of the RPM but the flow scans said we were burning 65 GPH. Yikes.

I hope this info helps, and as always - Your mileage may vary.

Need advice on Hatteras 61 MY

I have a purchase agreement countersigned by the seller, subject to sea trial and survey on 61 Hatteras MY. It has 12V71s. It has Sidepower SP 125T bow thruster. The largest powerboat I have handled before is 46 feet. This is going to be a live aboard boat for me, but I am a little intimidated by the size of the boat. I'm concerned about backing into slips, the size of the bow thruster, and of course the fuel burn of these engines. Hard to find a fuel sipping trawler with the living accomodations of this boat. Any thoughts about this boat.

Liveaboard

I jumped from 36 to 70 in one leap, the bigger the boat, usually the easier to handle, take your time and enjoy the learning curve, won't take long.

Same with me. I went from a 33 Egg Harbor to a 50 Post. The Post backs itself in!

In my estimation 46' brings you into a different class; more complicated systems, more responsible operation and maintenance. 70' is towards the top end of that class. So it's not such a big jump. I consider 30' to 46' a bigger leap. The fact is that the larger vessel has more predictable handling characteristics. The size is just an intimidation factor. You'll get past that fast enough.

Yachtcontroller now has capability to handle hynautic and other mechanical controls. I was looking at it for my 1989 Hatteras 60MY

Costs to own a 58-75' Hatteras MY

A friend recently took us out on his 60' Hatteras MY. It was sweet! In my opinion it's ultimate toy that brings family and friends together. Since then, I've been doing a lot of research on them.

From what I can gather, unless you have millions to spend, it's probably best to go with a really well built older model such as 80's era Hatteras. They seem to have the best reputation in this category for their quality construction, and ease to locate parts.

I'm curious what it will cost to own and properly maintain one of these boats. On yachtworld.com there seems to be some great ones in the $200-$400k range. So, after the initial expense, we'll obviously have to maintain the boat, and I'm curious what that will cost. Obviously, this could vary greatly depending on the actual boat chosen.

From what I've read, a good unbiased surveyor report is an absolute must before making this decision, and I've read some great articles on how to properly do that. How much does the survey cost? Then negotiating the deal, and getting everything in writing, and closing the deal comes next. If service needs to be done, make sure it's at a reputable place that does the job right.

Gas:
9 knots = about 10-15 Gallons/Hr
Every 4.5 hrs = 18 knots for 30 minutes = 65 gallons
Conclusion = approximately 130 gallons every 5 hours of running.
I read somewhere that overhauling each diesel motor will be required every 1500 hours or so costing approximately $12,000 per motor.
Norwalk, CT docking fees???

What else can I expect to have thrown at me?
I'm 30 years old, with two young boys, so I'm not in a big hurry. But, I've been fairly successful in my career, and want a Hatteras one day to relax with famly and friends in the summer on Long Island Sound.
Any insight would be appreciated......Thanks!

Patch,it being 2014, don't know if you have bought anything yet, but there is a Hatt on the market in your price range, (and no, I'm not a broker) it's an 80 foot cockpit....I wanna say a 98? vintage that's been completely redone bow to stern, and it's offered in your price range. It's been listed by a couple of different brokers, but her name is "Bama Breeze" I looked long and hard at it and would be a great "turn key" boat for someone like you. Best of Luck.

I looked online for Bama Breeze and could only find charter sites for the boat. Do you know is this is the same boat? Do you know of a website where it is listed for sale or what brokerage is handling the sale and the price? Thanks for you help.

Hi wazoo...Yep...that's her...and she really is for sale. She originally was offered with a 25 foot center console, with a factory installed tow ring. I know that it's being offered on a Charter basis. But contact the Broker and let them know your intentions. I took a long hard look at her and she is the best Hatt of that vintage on the market....the Owner has spent a LOT of money on her over the last year to bring her up to date.