New guy - 58' Hatteras questions

It is pretty hard to compare an older Hatteras with a newer Carver. The Hatt motoryachts, I think of as gracious older ladies. The newer Carver is going to have new systems with new designs and new parts, but I can not say if those parts are better quality.
Tomorrow I will be out of the office to pick up a 2003 57' Carver in West Palm Beach, FL and bring it to Fort Lauderdale. It is a new listing and I told the owner I would move the boat for him. It will give me a chance to run the boat for most of a day, 40 miles in the ocean, and also some miles on the ICW and the river here. I moved another 56 Carver from Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville last year, conditions were very easy for that trip, the boat was comfortable.

I would rather be out in any boat that has stabilizers than one without. I have gotten spoiled by them!!!

"theoretically the Carver could broach more easily," I think speed and power and the knowledge of the skipper or captain makes a broach less likely. I have been looking at the boating news for many years, and incidents of broaching in modern motoryachts, Carvers or Hatteras, is very rare. In the old days of low power single screw boats a broach was more likely.

Tucker Fallon

Hi Tucker-

Do you have a follow-up on the sea kindliness and quality of the Carver 57?
The lower priced Carvers attract a lot of people that prefer newer boats, instead of never ending projects.

I enjoy your many excellent comments in the Forum.
Thanks, George

The 57 Carver that I moved last July is sold. I did a couple of sea trials for survey, but it was fairly calm both days. Last fall I moved a 53 Carver from Pickwick Lake TN, down the Tennessee River, to the Ohio River, then up the Mississippi River to St Louis, MO. Although it was 500 miles, the biggest waves we ran accross were the wakes of some pushboats!

If I was to do a delivery of a 53 or 57 Carver from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau or New York, or a 53 or 58 Hatteras to do the same trip, I would not hesitate with either. You have to pay attention to the weather and move on the ocean when conditions are right, not on your arbitrary scedule. Having had my captain's license for 34 years, I am "chicken of the sea", I want my yachting to be comfortable and pleasant.

The main advantage of the Carver is for the same money, all of the systems will be newer, and newer means less maintanence. The Hatteras will be heavier built, have stronger hardware, and be more likely to damage the dock in a landing mishap than being damaged.

I suggest that you go on board different boats and get the feel, the ambiance of the boat. Walk up the dock and look at it and then go on board and see which boats make you say " I like this, I can feel good about owning this boat." Somestimes I say that really I just run a dating service for prospective boat buyers, you need to fall in love with the boat.

I just signed up on this forum today, but for the record, Mario found a very nice 58YF, and Carl Guzman recently sold his 67CPMY.

I met Mario and his family at the CDR year before last, and Carl Guzman is a very good friend who I've done quite a bit of boating with. I'll have to ask him why he never told me about this place.

Hi yourself!

I was thinking you picked these boys' pockets and never came back. Maybe I missed it, but I never saw any of the HOF crowd mention this place even though I see several familiar faces here.

Sorry you couldn't make the party in Miami as I was looking forward to taking a dump on your new boat. Maybe next year.