sportfish obsession

Should be more than enough,,

http://www.**************/boats/1985/Hatteras-*45-Convertible*-1731077/Wilmington/NC/United-States

http://www.**************/boats/196...storation!-2097336/Lafayette/LA/United-States

http://www.**************/boats/199...ble-2298320/North-Palm-Beach/FL/United-States

44 yrs old and now he cannot sleep at night ... dreaming of a Hatteras sportfish with lots of beautiful wood in the cabin!

Good news is that a bunch of boats can be had for 1/2 (or less) of their asking price these days ... the bad news is that while the price of boats these days is definitely good, the price to fix them is holding firm. Big bucks for parts and labor. The key is to spend so much time on the prepurchase that the seller is ready to send you packing ... and then spend more time. Identify EVERY squawk and get a firm estimate for repair. Then decide whether the price works or not.

(From someone who spent MUCH more fixing them than he paid for them).

Mike

It is definately possible and in your price range. The 36' Hatteras can be had in your price range is a stout boat and roomy in size and can be found with diesels in your price range. Another one to look at are the 43'. What are your intentions with the boat aside from living on it?

Another thing I would research before making the plunge, is the cost of dockage for live-aboard marinas in the area you're planning on living in, as well as annual maintanence costs.

Well said and I agree 100%. What you describe are called "wetheads" and I would never buy a boat with one. They are ridiculous to use and just plain gross.

I was surprised to find one on the v-birth head of my Bertram 54 ... I removed the waterworks from the wall and repaired the wall. Now it's just a head.

I also removed it on the Bertram 28 and that was the only shower on that boat. I would just rather have a towel bath than sit on the head while having a shower and then having soap and water all over my bathroom. Crazy design.

Yachtfish Living?

Bump this thread
I would love to know more about how people view the Hatteras SportFish both as live-aboards and as cruisers?
Seems if you can discipline yourself to run them at trolling speed, you can eek out similar efficiency as one might in a trawler, at nearly same speed no?


Drawback for cruiser- no place for runabout, dinghy, tender, srry not sure which in terminology......?

Operative words: eek (vs eke) and no.

Thanks JWY,
I'm still sold on the trawlers for the most part, so I expect to pose many questions to you in the future, but I'm keeping an open mind at this point as well, want LOTS of info before i buy, or even charter!
BTW- I actually contacted a charter service about the "Commander" which is on the east coast, seems that there are not alot of trawler charters out there are there?

There are several issues related to running a sportfisher at trawler speeds. Aside from the engine life and requisites for not depleting it, and aside from range, and fuel consumption, there is the hull shape. A sportfisherman has a hull that is designed for speed; running at displacement speed is not going to give you the ride for which it was designed.

You're correct in that there aren't many charter companies offering trawler charters, but there are a few. If you want the feel of a displacement hull, be careful not to mistake some of the semi-displacement charter offerings such as Grand Banks - "fast trawlers" are not displacement hulls, although that might be a different option to meet your needs.

Judy

Beneteau and Mainship make a sort of half & half trawler/yacht. I've not been out on one yet but may be worth a look.

Swift Trawler / Motorboats - BENETEAU

Just wanted to post this here as well

Next time you're at a show, you may want to take a closer look at Beneteau's Swift trawler. At that point, I'm reasonably sure you will step back. This is one of those run, don't walk, moments in life. Mainship isn't much better. Both of these boats are ideal trawlers for lakes, but not the Great Lakes!

YF,
Seems that even long term experienced builders have some of the same issues I struggle with, or perhaps they are trying to offer something someone like me would feel is perfect, hence "fast" trawlers.....
Shape and lines are a very small part of the equation when looking for a boat that meets your needs aren't they? Looks like a trawler, smells like a trawler, but is it a trawler?
Not much point to my post I guess, just an observation from the outside looking in.....

JWY & I struggled with this question recently while doing a sea trial on a boat that has a full-displacement, big freeboard hull that looks like a trawler. The company insists it's an exploration yacht, yet it has limited range, limited storage and no provisions for exploration equipment. Basically, it's a motoryacht with an expedition/trawler look. The manufacturer is adamant that we call this an expedition yacht... but it is NOT! The problem that Judy & I face is how to present the boat as an expedition to YF's readers and still save face.

That is an easy one Carl.... Call it an expedition yacht for the non-expeditionary!


It is really a hard thing to save face on this one, many boats as you said about this one, they look like expedition boats but they are not, the only trait they share with expedition yachts is that they can go to high latitudes and not in all cases!

Good luck on that review.

Cheers,

I ran a 48' Swift Trawler from Miami to Stuart a while back......we had 3-4' seas on our beam. The mate nicknamed the boat "The Swifter Wetjet" The boat was very wet and man o man it had a righting motion that would snap your neck........

Title it an expedition yacht for those that expedition less!