Hull opinions

Hello Steven
Welcome to Yacht Forums.

There is a wonderful Volvo powered 46 Post around Cocoa FL that will be on the market any minute now.
I could be great to avoid a broker if I can get you kids together.

Lots of Post kids here on our forum.
Post kids are cool...

I think Capt Ralph is talking about my boat, which is a 2000 42’ with Volvos and will be for sale in a couple of months.

The Gen 2 post 42 was a big improvement below the water line from the gen 1. It has a bit more deadrise and handles following seas a bit better than the gen 1. There are some other improvements that you can find with a quick internet or AI search. You’ll also get 4 stroke power with a gen 2 - either Volvos or Cummins.

All that said - I don’t know any people who have owned a post of any generation that would consider them “very bad in bad weather.” Posts generally have a flatter bottom than Bertrams or Vikings and aren’t as heavy as Hatteras. That means the posts tend to be much more stable on the drift or trolling (at least more stable than the Bertrams and Vikings). My post 42 is a much better quartering or beam sea boat than my 38 Bertram was - at least on par if not better than my 58 Viking. These hulls are also very efficient, burning less fuel with smaller engines to reach pretty good cruise speeds. That said, you need to slow down a bit to avoid slamming in head seas and you need to mind the wheel and throttles and keep the tabs all the way up in following seas. They are also wet on the helm on windy days but so are all the boats on your list and that’s what enclosures are for. Russell Post never built a boat he wouldn’t personally run the manasquan inlet in on a nasty day - in fact he did run almost all of them - and they carried that design and build philosophy forward even after he left. Posts and other Jersey boats have been battling the seas in that area for 60 years and the boats rarely lose.

comparing some of the boats on your list -
-the 42 post and 46 post have the same 16’ beam and a lot of commonality. They even share the same manual. I like the 42 because it is very beamy for its length and thus feel like a very big boat but fuel burn and speed are both still really good (24 kt at 35 gph)
-The Hatteras 45 and Bertram 46 are both beasts. Hatteras and Bertram have different hull philosophies. Lots of opinions comparing these boats on the internet. Occasionally you can find one that has been repowered. There was a 45 hatt for sale a while back that had Cummins QSC’s that i kicked myself for not going after.
-The oceans provide a lot of value. The older (80’s) boats were very light and flat bottomed making them fast and earning them a reputation for being less stoutly built than their competitors. Later designs improved but they never really shook that reputation. I just vastly prefer the design and construction of posts to oceans and they are usually similarly priced, but some people like the oceans.

If you are interested in the 46 post, I believe there are a couple available for very reasonable prices on the post owners fb group.

The last thing I’ll say is any of these boats from the 80’s will have detroits unless they’ve been repowered. Make sure you have a plan for how you are going to maintain them and where you’ll get parts from, and understand that Detroit powered boats are quite cheap to buy but quite hard to sell. If you can find a re-powered boat, especially one that has been comprehensively re-fit, you might consider jumping on it because they can be diamonds in the rough.

all good choices for your intended use.

I currently own a 46 Post (gen2) overall very happy with the boat. Overall, It is a very safe and stable platform.

The Post can tend to bow steer in following sea, but you learn to keep the bow light and stern heavy which helps. Dont put an oversized inflatable up on the bow. Keep it light up front.

Some of the other options with much more deadrise handle following seas better, but the Post is substantially more comfortable and stable at anchor or drifting.

I would not to hesitate to take my Post anywhere I would take any of the other boats mentioned.

best of luck with your search.

100% Agreement!

One other thing I’ll add - when you come across opinions of these boats - pay attention to whether the opinion is coming from someone who’s actually owned one or at least spent a lot of time running one and maintaining it. There’s some people who hate a brand or love a brand they have no actual experience with and/or just repeat stuff they hear others say.

and one last thing - I’m only selling my 42 post because I want a 50 post, if that tells you anything