Hatteras GT-54 Sportfish or Viking?

(Admin Edit: Be Advised Gmayer Works for Viking!)

I run a 50 Viking and do the winter sailfish circuit out of Palm Beach. We typically encounter nasty conditions when north winds blow against the Gulf Stream. It’s Grundens and boots weather, but the sails love it and the boss doesn’t mind so we are out there when they’re chewing.

The 1360 MANs are quiet and I get a 35 knot cruise at 2000 rpm and I have seen the GPS lock on 41 knots coming back with 2/3 fuel (I have the optional 1,200 gallon capacity) with four people, fishing gear, ice, bait wells full, etc. Fuel consumption at cruise is about 95 GPH and that is good for 400 nautical miles. If I run at 1750 rpm, I make 30 knots with a range of 500 nautical miles. This boat maneuvers like a skateboard and just as much fun. The boss loves it.

At last year’s Viking VIP at their boat yard in Riviera Beach, Florida, I ran a 54 Convertible with 1550 MANs. There’s a difference between the two boats. The 54 has almost a full foot of extra beam and 11,000 pounds more weight. In my experience, there is no substitute for weight in a rough sea, yet the 54 I sea trialed was almost as quick as the 50, without burning much more fuel. There is no doubt in my opinion that the MANs are quiet, powerful and fuel efficient

Cat boats I have run are definitely louder than MANs. No argument there. But even if you don’t mind putting up with the racket, don’t forget the engine room vents are in the cockpit which makes it louder still and gives saltwater a direct route into the engine room through these vents with the station wagon effect. Back down hard on a Hatteras and you’ll be cleaning salt off every bit of machinery in there, until it rusts and then you’ll be repainting. Watch one of those Hatts back down and you will be amazed at how deep they dig in reverse. It looks like the transom will go right under. Offshore in a big sea, no thanks. Your angler and crew will need masks and snorkels.

Look at a Viking and you will see that the vents are built into the hull sides and with Delta T intake and discharge fans that also include a water supression system, the engine room is cleaner with no comparison. Go outboard the engines in any Hatt GT and see for yourself.

All Vikings have a better helm than any Hatteras for this type of fishing with a fixed, raised electronics pod that seals out spray to keep my equipment dry. Although I have never fished Australian waters, if it’s as rough as you say, I don’t understand why you would accept the Hatteras helm with an electrically raised electronic box that exposes your valuable equipment to salt water spray. With the Hatteras helm you cannot partially drop the lid: it’s all or nothing. Not to mention the room the Viking helm has inside the console for a life raft valise. You raised some concern about room for a dinghy on the bow, so I bring the raft up only because this could be another issue with the Hatteras.

Not trying to knock Hatteras. I have a friend with a 54. That’s how I know about the rust in the engine room and the way it backs down. I believe the Viking is a better choice because the company is privately owned, and family operated. They have excellent support. When you go to a tournament, at least the ones I’ve been to in the United States, the Bahamas and Mexico, Viking is the single largest brand of boat there. Viking has been on a roll for sometime now because they introduce new models regularly. The Hatteras GT series is old, 54 and 60 hulls restyled, nothing new really. Viking has big engineering and design groups. They fish their demos constantly, and from what I see on the water outsell Hatteras, Bertram and all of the custom boat builders combined. That’s a tough combination to beat. It’s why my boss is on his second Viking.

Capt. Garrett

You mean "MAN Grenades"?

The 54' is a GREAT riding hull, why mess with it. Vikings are good too, but not as great in a head sea. I used to run a 2004' 54'Hatteras with a Tuna Tower. I had that boat at 32 knots cruise coming out of Government Cut with 6-8's on the nose, and it parted the sea like Moses and was totally comfortable.

As for getting salt air into the engine room, the 54's had the engine room vents on the side of the hull. If the new ones are in the cockpit, they are underneath the gunnels, and if you fill a cockpit up to the covering boards you're going to get loads of salt into the engine room through the door and everything else. I can tell you that the old 54' will backdown at 8 knots without water even coming halfway up the transom, as for faster than that I have no idea.

I'm guessing it wasn't a new car!

Admin Edit: Be Advised Gmayer Works for Viking

Capt J I do not doubt your 54 Hatt was a good running boat but I am sure a true 6-8' head sea at 32 kts in a 54' boat is a bit of an exageration. And for the "Man grenade's", the newer motors are definitely much improved over the older 600 and 800 Man's that had these issues.

I have sea trialed the 54 Hatt and 54 Viking and in my opinion the ride is very comparable in a head sea, and the Viking was a bit dryer. As for performace, the 54 Viking with 1550's will make way better fuel burn numbers then the 54 Hatt with the big CAT's installed. As I said earlier, they are both very nice boats and I do not want to bad mouth anybody else's ride, but being you are using the boat outside the US I would also really look into service. I know my boat has been serviced perfectly, but again I live in the US so its an unfair comparison.

I hope I am being helpful

Capt. Garret,

In our rules, noted several times during the registration process, we advise that if you pose as an unbiased 3rd party endorsing a product, this is FRAUD and we will expose you. So, I ran a check...

We take a zero-tolerance approach to internet insurgency. It's truly sad when a reputable builder has to resort to clandestine promotional tactics. It raises serious questions of integrity.

I have noted each of your posts with warnings.

details

Hatteras 54 Cat's C-32 1550 HP

Cruise 1990 RPM 29.0 kn 69% load 54 GPH
Cruise 2111 RPM 31.1 kn 76% load 62 GPH
Max 2340 RPM 34.2 kn 99% load 80 GPH

Hatteras 60 Cat's C-32 1800 HP

Cruise 2020 RPM 34.2 kn 72% load 61 GPH
Cruise 2210 RPM 37.9 kn 92% load 85 GPH
Max 2317 RPM 39.3 kn 100% load 95 GPH

Viking 56 MTU 12v2000

Cruise 2140 RPM 35.7 kn 86% load 64 GPH
Cruise 2265 RPM 38.1 kn 90% load 71 GPH
Max 2352 RPm 39.7 kn 100% load 78 GPH

Viking 56 Man 1550 Common Rail

Cruise 1800 RPM 28.3 kn 72% load 44 GPH
Cruise 2150 RPM 35.1 kn 82% load 62 GPH
Max 2362 RPM 38.8 kn 100% load 82 GPH

Hope this helps

Yacht "Heelly" Jocky
New Gretna.

PS. anybody want to compare a 77 Hatteras or a 82 Viking, interesting underwater hull areas on a Hatteras especially around the tunnels

HATT vee VKY

77 Hatteras 145,000 lbs (posted dry weight) MTU 16v2000 CR 2400 Hp

Cruise 1954 RPM 24.5 kn 83% load 88 GPH
Cruise 2102 RPM 31.7 kn 88% load 100 GPH
Max 2437 RPm 33.0 kn 100% load 122 GPH

82 Viking 162,250 lbs (posted dry weight) MTU 16v2000 CR 2400 HP

Cruise 1851 RPM 25.1 kn 71% load 61 GPH
Cruise 2201 RPM 32.0 kn 88% load 98 GPH
Max. 2496 RPm 36.4 kn 100% load 121 GPH

3.5 Knots quicker at max RPM's with close to the same fuel burn yet the Viking is a heavier and a bigger boat.

Some of the 77's came with spray rails and some without. Some had to have stainless steel plates inside the tunnels to protect the hull from cavitation.

54 hat

I took those figures from a 2010 54 GT which had a loose strut when we hauled it out !.

2004 Hatteras 54 Cat's C-30 1500 HP

Cruise 1939 RPM 31.7 kn 58% load 48 GPH
Cruise 2096 RPM 35.1 kn 72% load 60 GPH
Max 2320 RPM 37.1 kn 95% load 81 GPH

All of the fuel consumption figures in my last few posts have been PER ENGINE

It depends on hull design in addition to weight. I worked on a 75' Jim Smith Sf with a tuna tower several years ago. It's speed at 1950 rpms was 35 knots, fuel was 75gph (per engine), load was 80% heavy (full fuel/water) with 16v2000's 2000hp. It topped out at 43knots and I think fuel burn was 110gph each engine.

The figures are accurate for the 2004' as I ran one with a Tuna Tower and the same engines and that's what she did speed and fuel burn. Speed at 80% load or close to it or somewhere around 2050 rpms was 33 knots, fuel burn was around 110 gph both engines. The older style 54's also had 2 different fuel tank setups as well and this effected speed a little bit also.

Congratulations

Viking and Hatteras both build great boats and I don't think you could have gone wrong with either one. I personally would have gone with the Hatteras also because of the solid hull below the waterline. Enjoy your new dreamboat.

Hatteras forever!

Congrats Liberty! I hope you can let us know what options you chose as well as some pics when you receive her since we all have been following this thread very closely.

Boat safe and boat fun!

As said before, congrats!
What colour for the hull?