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52 Hatteras Convertible

Another old hat proves it's worth, by david pascoe.

Rock solid, heavy and a great sea boat are the superlatives I'll use for this one. When you say the name "Hatteras," it is everything you'd expect it to be. A product of the AMF era of quality minded ownership, there is the obvious disregard for

The most obvious and first question that any knowledgeable yachtsman is going to ask is, "How does she perform?"

Actually, not bad, not bad, all things considered. Since there was not a professional engine survey done in this case, I spend most of my time in the engine room and doing general testing, so there was no opportunity for speed trials and, frankly, I don't know what her top speed was. All I got was a GPS reading at 2000 RPM of 20.0 knots and a WOT engine speed of 2250 via the engine tachs, the accuracy of which was not determined. Even so, 20 knots at 2000 is not shabby for this tank of a yacht.

One of the earlier of the Hargrave redesign of Hatteras hull forms, it performed beautifully, rising up out of the water graceful from a dead start acceleration run without significant squatting. Giving her a full go to WOT and then throttling back, she'd remain on a comfortable 1600 RPM cruise, proving that she's nicely balanced. It should be noted here that we don't know what the original horse power is/was, or whether she's been over-tuned with the likes of larger injectors, etc., so we can't say that this is typical performance, although the lack of higher speeds suggests that it is. It's a good bet that these engines are set up at their original 750 hp as they had reportedly just been overhauled less than 4 months prior. We were handed invoices in proof of same.

The original 1990 brochure.

We had a bit of wave action -- about three feet, and a bit more in a tide rip -- to get a feel for how she'd do in the typical nastiness of the Gulf Stream at the Florida Straights, proving that the combination of her great mass and hull form make for a real wave smasher. She flattened out these three footer with little more effort than stepping on a column of ants. No bucking, no shuddering, just parting the seas like a master of the ocean. Coming to a stop and letting the water move us around, she rolled with a nice, easy motion without the tendency to throw you off your feet, just about what we'd expect, and much the way most all Hatterases perform, being a yacht with a substantial keel to dampen the motion quite a bit. Note the 5 FOOT draft.

Sport fishing is what she's designed for, but she'd make for a great cruising boat but for one thing: The two staterooms are undersized for the length of the vessel. Stateroom space has been sacrificed for salon and cockpit space here, basically giving you two staterooms that are, at best, adequate, but no great shakes. There are nice size heads with stall showers, but you get just enough floor space to crawl into bed at night, so that moma isn't exactly

This example had an altered salon layout with the dinette having been removed and replaced with a L-shaped settee and pedestal table. While it makes the salon spacier, it is less practical. Also, this boat has no partition between the U-shaped galley and salon other than the counter space. Some models have an upright reefer and a bulkhead that divides the salon. Having seen the models with the galley partition, personally, I like the openness of this layout, for the partition makes the salon seem quite small, which it actually is.

The cockpit is humongous. Bigger than it needs to be it is, perhaps, one explanation for why this model was not a bigger seller. It appeals very well to the serious tournament man, but to the less avid who have other ideas in mind such as social occasions, he's likely to turn elsewhere. Even so, for a combined use boat, it still has a lot to offer, not the least of which is the usual good bridge layout. In this case, a bench seat forward of the helm, and another larger seat along the length of the starboard side. Comfortable seating is for 7-8 without crowding. Pipe frame tops are the usual, and in this case they fit very well, allowing for easy install soft enclosures without a lot of contortions. Another notable feature is the amount of unobstructed deck space available for moving around easily. Typical of most social occasions, many people choose to stand rather than sit, and there is plenty of room for that here without putting your butt in the face of someone sitting. The tubular stainless hand rail around the windshield is one of the usual features of a better quality yacht that allows people to hang on without grabbing onto the Plexiglas windscreen and breaking it.

Did any water come over the bow? I was amazed to find that hardly a drop did, despite heading out Port Everglades inlet in a tide rip. She was very dry, even with the wind on the forward quarter.

The engine room layout, in my view, is a real flop. It is packed tight and cramped, making things a bit tough for doityourselfers. At least the put the batteries along the centerline where you can reach them, though they certainly impede movement here. Within the engine room, they did the best they could with the space at hand. But with the cockpit entrance way, the design fails badly since it is very difficult to get in and out, requiring considerable body contortions to pass through this peculiar hole. This, however, seems to be more the norm for cockpit entrances in most boats this size. Even so, they could have made it a few inches wider at the expense of tackle center niceties. Speaking of which, this model still has the wooden interior elements and doors that are subject to deterioration.

As stated in the opening, the balsa cored hull (above W/L only) and superstructure are rock solid. No spongy decks or stress cracks anywhere. Consider too, that we know this boat was a survivor of hurricane Andrew plus, being a local boat, we know that it has been fished hard for a decade, and still there is not a trace of a structural problem. The struts, running gear and engine bed stringers are massive, so that it has not had alignment or transmission damage problems resulting from a weak drive system or mounting platform. No problems with rapid bearing wear, vibration or gear boxes crapping out because the engines and shafts can't be kept in line.

This yacht is one of the finer examples of a dying breed of well-engineered boats that place structural strength ahead of palatial interiors. It was not designed to go places fast, but retains the virtue of getting there when the guys with the fancier looking boats remain bolted to the dock because four foot seas stop them cold. And that's the truth. This one will go when the flat bottomed Viking, Post and Ocean owners are hold up in a bar somewhere, or have hopped the earliest flight home, leaving the captain to wait it out. And this Old Hat will do it comfortably.

Her greatest appeal will be to customers exactly like the one who purchased this yacht. He lives on a Caribbean island where the seas are rarely calm, and where he'd get very little use from a boat that can't handle five footers with ease.

Another question that would be purchasers will ask is, "What about the engines?" Despite the relatively low speed (assuming a 21 kt. cruise), we're still dealing with high performance diesels. One engine was overhauled in 1/98 and the other in 1/99. That should tell you something about trying to get away with overhauling one engine at a time -- twice the mess and downtime at a higher cost. The later engine was done at 1900 hours, with the hours on the former unknown because the hour meter was malfunctioning. Numerous people have questioned and argued with our statements that the average time between overhauls is usually less than 2,000 hours. This is one of the means by which we find out just how long most engines really last between overhauls. When people talk of three to four thousand hours from an engine, that is just blue sky exaggeration. Cost per overhaul? About $26,000. When you're talking hi performance diesels, you can forget about that "$1,000 per hole" nonsense. Maybe for a sailboat auxiliary, but not for a 25 ton yacht. Divide 8 into $26k and you get a bit over $3,000 per hole with all the coolers, turbos, blowers and other auxiliary components thrown in.

How does she stack up price wise? With fresh engines and a recent remodeling, she sold on the high end of her class at around $450k, though we don't know the exact amount. The original list price was $717,500 she holds up well in an era of steeply escalating prices where new replacement cost is nearly double. Altogether, it is a lot of high quality boat for the money.

Posted August 25, 1999

David Pascoe - Biography

David Pascoe is a second generation marine surveyor in his family who began his surveying career at age 16 as an apprentice in 1965 as the era of wooden boats was drawing to a close.

Certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors in 1972, he has conducted over 5,000 pre purchase surveys in addition to having conducted hundreds of boating accident investigations, including fires, sinkings, hull failures and machinery failure analysis.

Over forty years of knowledge and experience are brought to bear in following books. David Pascoe is the author of:

• " Mid Size Power Boats " (2003)
• " Buyers’ Guide to Outboard Boats " (2002)
• " Surveying Fiberglass Power Boats " (2001, 2nd Edition - 2005)
• " Marine Investigations " (2004).

In addition to readers in the United States, boaters and boat industry professionals worldwide from nearly 80 countries have purchased David Pascoe's books, since introduction of his first book in 2001.

In 2012, David Pascoe has retired from marine surveying business at age 65.

On November 23rd, 2018, David Pascoe has passed away at age 71.

Biography - Long version

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Published by: D. H. Pascoe & Co., Inc. Articles, Images: Copyright © 1997 - 2018 David H. Pascoe All rights reserved. Articles, Images: Copyright © 2019-2022 Junko A. Pascoe All rights reserved. Web site design & developement: Copyright © 1997 - 2023 Junko A. Pascoe All rights reserved. Web site: Maintained by Junko A. Pascoe

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Hatteras Yachts GT65 Carolina Review

• By Tom Serio
• Updated: August 2, 2021

The Hatteras Yachts GT65 Carolina has some design changes from its GT siblings. The flybridge is pushed back a little, in a design nod to earlier Hatteras sport-fish yachts. There are newly designed side windows, and the engine-room side vents are longer. But the GT65 retains the series’ trademarks, such as generous bow flare, seakeeping ability and fish-raising muscle.

The owner of our test boat, Rascal , is a seasoned yachtsman, angler and family man who considered all of these attributes in his purchase. He worked as a mate on fishing boats when he was younger and has always been around boats with his family. Having owned several Hatteras sport-fish yachts, he decided the GT65 Carolina was the next logical move.

Rascal’s captain, Nick Millsap, has worked with the owner for five years and says the GT65 Carolina exceeded expectations. On the initial cruise to meet the owner, Millsap says, the GT65 had “a great dry ride, even into the head seas. It was rough, but the ride was awesome.”

The GT65 has a 194-square-foot cockpit, and there is room to swivel the combination fighting chair/rocket launcher in any direction on a frenetic marlin. Mezzanine seating to port has air conditioning to keep guests and line watchers cool. A stainless-steel freezer box is under the seat. Beneath the footrests are chilled boxes for refreshments.

To starboard is a tackle center with a prep station and eight drawers. The drawers have stainless-steel bottoms with holes for drainage and ventilation. An electric grill can be installed on top of the unit.

An in-deck ice maker produces not cubes but cylindrical ice, so it lasts longer and can touch more surfaces, keeping the catch fresher. The in-transom livewell can be fitted out with tuna tubes. Teak coaming boards add panache, while the lack of teak in the cockpit eases cleanup and maintenance.

For all its angling focus in the cockpit, the GT65 has yacht-level elegance inside. High-gloss teak is used for the cabinets and furnishings. Complementing the wood are light fabric headliners with teak accents, as well as a vinyl-plank sole for durability. An L-shaped sofa to port is plush and has stowage below each section.

Rascal’s layout has a galley island with two bar stools, a setup that creates multiple ways to move in and around the galley, and that makes more space for several folks to enjoy meals. The standard galley layout is a peninsula form, creating a U-shaped countertop with room for one more bar stool. Either way, the galley has fridge and freezer drawers; a microwave; a four-burner electric cooktop; stowage for pots, pans and dishes; and pantries and cabinets with matching grain. An elevated U-shaped dinette to port has underseat stowage and a teak table.

Belowdecks is a four-stateroom, three-head layout. All spaces have 6-foot-8-inch to 7-foot-1-inch headroom. The amidships en suite stateroom has a queen walk-around berth, nightstands, a full-size closet and drawers. The forward VIP can have a queen-size centerline berth or a 60/40 split berth. The two remaining staterooms have upper and lower berths.

Owners can convert one of the staterooms to a Hatteras Integrated Tackle Storage room, with gear cabinets and rig-prepping counter space. For the competing crew, the washer and dryer in the companionway should come in handy during tournament season.

To minimize maintenance, most all of the high-gloss teak finishes on the exterior can be painted in a faux-teak finish. It looks as close to real as you’ll get, without the need for varnishing.

Sporting a style that blends a little bit of yesterday with a lot of today, the Hatteras Yachts GT65 Carolina is built for running to blue water—and is designed to look good doing it.

Take the next step: hatterasyachts.com

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Boat Review: Hatteras 65

• By Dean Travis Clarke
• Updated: October 12, 2001

I’m sure you’ve seen a commercial like this: The camera focuses on a well-dressed gentleman who exits a building and walks to a shiny luxury vehicle. In the background, workmen break up pavement with jackhammers. The ambient noise hits the pain threshold. The gentleman opens the car door, sits in the driver’s seat and closes the door. All noise ceases, replaced by overwhelming quiet. Pulling back, the camera sees the luxury vehicle drive away through large potholes. The camera pans to wheels bouncing dramatically with each bump and hole in the road. Cut to driver. Soft classical music playing and no noticeable transfer of road surface to vehicle interior.

That’s exactly the feeling I get climbing into the enclosed flybridge on the new Hatteras 65 while running out Palm Beach Inlet in a stiff southeast wind against the tide. You see the spray and feel the boat moving, but all apparently from a soundproof booth. For all those (like me) who claim to prefer an open bridge, one trip in really nasty weather will convince you of the efficacy of an enclosed bridge.

Performance In reasonable seas, normal cruising speed proved to be about 28 knots at 1,900 rpm using 112 gph. Top speed touched 35 knots at 2,360 rpm – faster than any Hatteras 65 I’ve ever run.

We ran the speed tests in a 5-foot beam sea first thing in the morning, but winds increased to 20 knots, and seas were running 8 to 10 feet by the time we headed home. Running south with the wind and seas from the southeast required us to drop back speed to 18 to 20 knots. This is when an enclosed bridge truly shines! We plowed through, taking it virtually on the nose for 30 miles back to Palm Beach with absolute impunity.

Fishability Working our way north, up Sailfish Alley, we stopped and fished whenever we found bait on the fish finder. But it wasn’t until we reached Stuart, Florida, that we found the hot sailfish bite. We first flew kites, with the kite rods on the flybridge. But the current ran so strong, we ended up joining the fleet in slow-trolling our live goggle-eyes and threadfin herring. Either way, the 65 proved steady as a rock, whether heading down, up or beam-to the seas. I can’t imagine a boat being more comfortable sitting in a trough while live baiting.

** Cockpit** As you’d expect from a 65-foot boat, the huge cockpit provides more than enough space for a whole team of anglers and mates to work simultaneously. The cockpit gunwale, situated 3 feet above the waterline, means reviving a fish is a bit of a stretch, but it’s doable.

A large baitwell in the transom can double as a fish box if you aren’t fishing live bait. In the deck, a split hatch hides a very large athwartship fish box. Augmenting the fighting chair or rocket launcher, you’ll find storage space for two rods in each gunwale and three more in each cabin coaming. My pet peeve on large sport-fishing boats has to be dead space. There’s no need for a portable cooler in the cockpit of any boat over 35 or 40 feet. For that reason, I’d like to see an integrated drink cooler in this 65’s cockpit. It would be easy enough to put one under the steps.

One thing common to fishing sailfish in prime conditions at Sailfish Alley is getting wet when backing down into the big seas. Sure, you try to avoid it, but sometimes you just can’t. Fortunately, the 65 has a terrific scupper system. Despite seas occasionally coming over the caprail, water never covered the cockpit sole. Side exhausts also help keep the cockpit quiet and cut down on exhaust fumes coming back into the cockpit. Flybridge You won’t likely run out of space for guests on this flybridge, thanks to long settees on each side in addition to the two comfortable Pompanette helm chairs. Whether you’re entertaining or not, an icemaker and a refrigerator assure refreshments are never out of reach. Every creature comfort has been thought of on this bridge, right down to the settee’s beautiful pullout wooden footrests.

Since you can’t see the cockpit from the enclosed flybridge, Hatteras puts a remote helm station outside on the aft end of the bridge for driving while fighting fish or docking. It’s one of the small sacrifices required by all enclosed flybridge fishing boats.

** Interior** As you’d expect on a boat such as this, the interior can be customized. Most owners will select a three-sided settee for the portside so several people can sleep there on the way to the fishing grounds. Having tried it out, I assure you that the salon boasts an extremely comfortable noise level, with the most prominent sound under way being the muted turbo whistle. I also appreciate the fact that Hatteras placed the entertainment center and TV on the aft end of the salon for better privacy when sitting at the dock.

Hatteras joiner work has never been better, showcasing a high-gloss finish on all wood. (Our test boat was optional cherry. Maple comes standard.) The 65 also provides indirect and aircraft lighting absolutely everywhere, offering superb illumination.

Galley counters capped in marble form almost a 360-degree enclosure, but being only waist-high, they never cut the chef off from the rest of the guests. The counters also work exceptionally well for presenting hors d’oeuvres and buffets. A four-burner electric cooktop, along with convection/microwave oven, makes gourmet cooking quick and fuss-free. Another interesting feature is that the sink is positioned along the portside. I’d never considered it before, but I discovered I really like being able to work at the sink washing dishes while looking out the huge side window.

Belowdecks, Hatteras offers one four-cabin and two three-cabin configurations. The four-stateroom model has two over/under berth cabins to starboard, a double in the bow and an oblique double to port. Both three-stateroom layouts provide only one over/under amidships (under the dinette). All provide access through the midcabin to a utility room with pumps and air-conditioning units. Future models should have a transverse bulkhead door through to the engine room as well.

Our test boat provided flybridge access only from the cockpit, but you can order access from the salon if you wish. It will take some of the unusually comfortable apostrophe-shaped dinette space to do it, though. About the only change I’d like to see in the salon is to affix a long, overhead handhold running from the cockpit door to the stateroom stairway for safety.

Engine Room Cresting at well over 6 feet tall, I can really appreciate a big engine room. Not only does this 65 have a well-laid-out space, but also I can stand upright with room to spare. Hatterascal had been fitted with big iron – a pair of 16-cylinder MTUs (1,800 hp each) representing close to a $300,000 upgrade over the standard CAT 12-cylinder diesels of 1,400 hp each.

Of course, all valves and maintenance points can be easily accessed on or near centerline, and generators sit on the aft end of the compartment to keep them away from living quarters.

It’s obvious that Hatteras wants you to be able to keep track of conditions in the engine compartment. The Hatterascal had engine control panels on the aft end so you can easily peek at them as soon as you stick your head in, and sports TV cameras that allow you to zoom in on a number of areas of the engine room for display on the flybridge.

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