No stern thruster on Hatteras Sport Decks?

Mostly it's about the cost of the investment versus the market reward of having the feature. Many are very comfortable with twins and a bow thruster. Funny is that when in doubt, I'll actually prefer to spin and transom in with my thruster as a tail. With just a little bit of work you can make a boat do most anything without needing the stern thruster. Not that having one isn't a nice additional hand...

All seriousness, I really don't even feel a temptation to add one, even if for free. It wouldn't be for free, but even if...

Absolutely , don't need no stinkin thrusters

Not all of our members are 'real drivers'. A stern thruster could be a serious ding saver. The OP asked if there is a structural reason why Hatts of this era didn't have perpendicular props?

No. There is no issue with the structure of an old Hatteras. If you have one and want to add a thruster, no reason to not do so. Boats are very solid.

True, that. I generally seem to live in the 70's. Boats, music...

I don't know of ANY manufacturers that put stern thrusters in that ERA. I don't even think stern thrusters were a big thing back then......they seemed to get popular much later in time.

There are areas in the world where stern thrusters are a definite asset, like in the Pacific Northwest. There can be currents of over 4 knots at a dock. Thrusters may not be essential, but they can at least be a comfort, especially to the short-handed operators one often sees in those waters.
The thing about stern thrusters to keep in mind, is that they are virtually useless when moving ahead. Too often, I've heard the terrible racket coming from a stern thruster that's cavitating while the operator is driving around in a marina.
I can't help but be curious about what the boating conditions are on the moon

There are areas in the world where you likely shouldn't be boating without competent help aboard. There are areas of the world where you likely shouldn't be boating without competent people on the dock to help. But in all of these areas you likely shouldn't be boating without a competent ability to manage the conditions regardless of the tools at your disposal.

Not intending to come across as demeaning, but I've watched too many boats pull into docks without understanding and compensating for conditions, be it wind, current, depth, or even conditions of the dock being approached. Nothing beats quality planning and consideration.

A boat moving ahead will find little usefulness from a typical stern thruster. However a boat moving ahead with a little RPM bump on the throttles can see her stern placed wherever it is needed if the captain has carefully considered the details prior to the approach. I fear that these thrusters are often guilty of providing a false sense of security. I've had my own moments of panic when a thruster system has failed for whatever reason. But the panic is part of the thought process that should come into consideration before the engines are ever started.

Ok, end rant. 30 minutes ago I was nearly clipped by one of these situations with a skipper that was trying to show off his new toy in a tight quarter. Perhaps he thought he was immune to windage.

No worries. Didn't mean to take the discussion in the wrong direction. Merely read your question with a different perspective in mind.

Sorry to derail but I see both sides. I often hear after docking in less than perfect conditions "wow, thank god for bow thrusters huh?". My reply of "no bow thruster on my boat" often gets met with puzzled looks and squinted faces saying "....how the hell did you do that"? I believe people often get overly used to thrusters and complacent but when things go bad, dockings can go very bad.
Would I take a stern thruster if you gave one to me? Never. A bow thruster for the same price, I'd consider it but have never been in the situation where I felt I couldn't dock without one.