Looking for a nice used 50-54 SFMY

Well, if the higher cruise speed is not a concern then there are a lot of pluses. Getting around the engine room is easier. The 50' Hatteras SF I ran from New Bern to here had C18's and a hardtop I believe. It cruised right around 30 knots, if I remember right. It really rode best, the lighter it got. When the boat was full of fuel, it pounded a little in the bow. Once you dumped the 200 gallon fuel tank into the main it did ride much better and continued to ride better from there. Still not the ride of the 54' by any means. Maintanence is less by a decent amount. The C18 is near bulletproof as well and just runs better at cold startup than the C32's that run in closed loop till they reach 160F. Controlling the boat in regards to docking is much easier with the c18's as well. Resale, I don't know about.

The Hatteras 50 was stopped in production (may be available only on order?) when the Cabo 52 Flybridge started production in 2009. I think the Cabo though measuring over 54 feet was more a competitor to the Hatteras 54 Convertible as it has a similar size, may be an even nicer interior.
But I think Brunswick also introduced that Cabo is the open express style sport fisher, and Hatteras equals flybridge. Since when the 52 was stopped last year all Cabo flybridges seemed to have been stopped in production.

Still I think Cabo was a bit more expensive the Hatteras 54 Conv new if I remember well. It would be interesting to know which rides the better of the two though....

They both ride good, but totally different rides. I'd give the slight nod to the Cabo in a beam sea, but the Hatteras overall has a better ride or at least in a head sea. The Cabo handled more like a Viking in ride and on the troll, it was also a lot more nimble turning than the Hatteras. I hate the rudder size Hatteras uses, I feel that almost every Hatteras needs one size larger rudders. The Cabo had a much better cockpit layout and finish IMO. Both are good running boats. Yes, Cabo continued to make several 52' expresses after they stopped production on the Flybridge. Cabo is still making 40' FB's but I think the rest were put on the back burner. I think it was a real shame that Cabo was moved to Hatteras and the two were branded a little more alike. Also with the sale, they each (company) could've been sold much much easier if they were seperate.

I hope Versa is able to turn both Hatteras and Cabo around. Hatteras is the one that really has had it's line reduced. This year they only have four convertibles and three motor yachts. The sportsfishing line went by the wayside. A lot of work ahead and a lot of investment or borrowing.

There problem is not economies of scale, it's getting the boats done in a timely manner. Labor hours is their problem. Before Cabo moved to New Bern it took 7200 man hours to build their 40' express at the factory in Adelanto. The best the boys at New Bern got to was 11,000 man hours.....They have too many engineers involved and cannot get changes done or upgrades to their boats easy or quick enough.....They also do too many things the redneck way, like trial and error.

Well, to many Sportfishermen, Convertibles don't fit the bill and that's what Hatteras has left. Of course Cabo has the rest. That brings out the question as to whether they're treating this like one brand or two. I think in thinning the Hatteras line they're giving up a lot of accumulated goodwill. As to money, they need to invest in inventory. They need to turn boats out more timely. If you're producing non-custom or semi-custom, you can't take the time of custom manufacturers. In fact, you should have some boats in production that are not yet sold, maybe even some finished. The time taken to deliver their first 100 was absurd. There are perhaps many reasons they aren't as efficient as they should be, but some of that is attributable to finances. One production area is waiting for another. Also, expenditures need to be made on equipment that was deferred.

I certainly don't know the specifics of all going on at Hatteras. However, I've been involved in turning around enough companies that were previously operating under very restricted cash. A cash infusion is almost always necessary and often it is more than anyone projects. They've contracted the business a lot to a level that isn't likely to be profitable. Expanding back takes money. Achieving profitability often means a negative cash flow for a couple of years.

Needless to say when you read all this one can see how Viking was always spot on in improving its line since the nineties. No wonder Viking dominates the Sportfish market for over a decade.
It will be a competitive time for Hatteras not cause of Viking, Bertram with Hendon and Ullberg is also trying to turn its ship around, add this a new factory and investment, and you see they went to take there game up top.
I was also seeing the video of the 60 from Ullberg last week and it seems they will take a very custom approach to this excluding the shell.

But I do agree with Capt.J, Cabo for the buyer and sportfishing was better off separate. It is a distinct brand from Hatteras, with its Adelanto heritage.....