48 vs. 53

[la maison blanche]

Am looking at both a 1981 48 and a 1979 53---any suggestions on why one is better than the other...I love the 53 and would buy it if I could afford it, but right now, the 48 is more in my price range. What is GOOD or BAD about a 48 (no cockpit)....any help would be greatly appreciated! Also, they quote 48 with having a FULL bed (what exactly does that mean?) Is it a double or a queen??

 

[MikeP]

I suggest that if you "love" the 53 you will be dissatisfied if you buy something else. My experience is that it is never worth it to buy an item that is not what you really want. You will be unhappy with the decision and, in this case, it won't be an easy one to undo.

Wait a while until you save what you need and buy the boat you want. I'm not saying that the 48 is not a nice boat but it sounds to me like you would really prefer the 53. If that's the case and you buy the 48, you will spend your entire time with it saying, "I wish I had bought a 53..." It's not worth it.

 

[JoJoDiver]

I have to agree with Mike.

We were looking to buy the 48' when we wanted to upgrade from a 35'. In hindsight, we are thankful that there were not many options for good, used 48' Hats when we were looking because we have never regretted our decision. The 48' is a wonderful yacht but the additional space aboard a 53' is so worth the extra money. It's like having almost three stories worth of living space and it's so easy to handle. As a matter-of-fact, if we had to do it all over again, we would have purchased the 58YF for the extra 5 feet. It is really amazing how much more room you have on all levels.

I remember one of the reasons why we liked the 53 over the 48 was because of engine access. Also, once you are in the engine room/compartment, you can still stand up in the 53! A big plus for the person who will end up crawling around in there.

Cheers,

 

[SeaEric]

You asked what is good about the 48. I will tell you that the 48 has a WONDERFUL large aft deck. Its much bigger and better than the 53.

In my past experience, the aft deck is where I spent 90% of my time aboard the boat (awake anyway). On that count alone, I would give the 48 a big thumbs up.

 

[REBrueckner]

Quite different boats. What's your planned use? what are the pros and cons of each boat as you see them?

As noted, you should go with your gut instinct even if it means waiting....unlikely the boat market will not get markedly more pricey in the next year....jobs are still being lost and unemployment is rising

on the other hand, don't buy a boat you will not be able to afford to upgrade for your purposes...and don't go for a junker unless you like that kind of work....a clean and well kept 48 might really outdo a worn out and ragged 53 in both cost and pleasure....

When I looked at a 48 YF and a 53MY the 48 was an easy choice as the 53 was just much bigger than I could utilize....and for my frequent dinghy and exploring a cockpit was reallynice....but if I were to have lived aboard permanently likely I would have picked the 53 in a heartbeat....that's when another stateroom instead of cockpit space might be best utilized....

 

[la maison blanche]

You are are great for responding....thanks for your input. Does anyone know, tho, about the Master Stateroom BED?? What does their description of "FULL" mean....is it a double...? I think the beam is 15', whereas the 53 beam is 15' 10" and I think I had a queen on my 53---any help here? thanks again

 

[Fanfare]

Don't overlook the 50MY. It is the same layout as the 53MY inside. The extra length seems to all be in the clipper bow and flare, all designed for a failed hope of a drier ride.

 

[SeaEric]

You are are great for responding....thanks for your input. Does anyone know, tho, about the Master Stateroom BED?? What does their description of "FULL" mean....is it a double...? I think the beam is 15', whereas the 53 beam is 15' 10" and I think I had a queen on my 53---any help here? thanks again

Member "bobk" is a regular participant here and he owns a 48 in the vintage you're asking about. Hopefully he will see this and respond re: the aft berth.

 

[bobk]

As a happy owner of a 1981 48 MY and as one who has been aboard 53's owned by friends, I'll still cast my vote for a 48, especially if you do a lot of cruising and live aboard. Eric mentioned the aft deck. It is a great feature. large enough for a party, and super comfortable as a 'sun room' if it is enclosed. I spend the best part of my days on that aft deck when in port. The other feature that I really appreciate is I can move from level to level by just climbing a few steps...... no ladders. Waltp has also come to appreciate that feature. And the series I 48 MY has plenty of storage for a liveaboard and the ER head room is about 5'10".

My dinner is ready so I need to end. PM me if you would like to discuss the boat further. Also, I have pictures on the gallery if interested.

Bob

 

[Robby]

You are are great for responding....thanks for your input. Does anyone know, tho, about the Master Stateroom BED?? What does their description of "FULL" mean....is it a double...? I think the beam is 15', whereas the 53 beam is 15' 10" and I think I had a queen on my 53---any help here? thanks again

Brenda and I are in the same Hatt(boat) as you are .We looked at a 43my and it lacked the full time liveabord storage we wanted.We have been married for 38 years and I love sleeping with her.The twin beds(ozzie and harriet they are called) will just not work for us.I love her touch.So we started looking at the other Hatts and although if you find an older boat with the split beds in the master dont give up.They can be modified to a full queen bed.We recently saw Big Bills 53 YF and he had done just that.I think the difference for us outside the bed issue between the 48 and 53MYs is the Gally.The 53 has a more or less full kitchen with full size appliances and I'm the cook so thats what I want. The salon also has double doors to the aft deck that we really like also.Also some of the 50's we have seen have no flybridge so I would be stuck in the house all day.I love Bren and she as well as I can be a PITA sometimes so we need our space,being an airplane person all of my life theres a saying about buying an airplane that we have found fits boats also.Match the airplane or boat to the mission.Today I'm leaning towards a 53MY because we plan on it being our house for 3 or more years but as always the Almighty Dollar always has its say.Robby and Bren Bendall, Mobile Al HufffnPufff@msn.com

 

[bobk]

The bed in the master on the 48 is a modified queen. I use queen sheets, the head area is as wide as a queen but it tapers a little toward the foot. No problem for two people.

I'm in Baltimore and you are welcome to stop by to see Chateau de Mer if you wish.

Bob

 

[REBrueckner]

A "full" berth refers to it's width and I believe is standard in aft cabins in 48 Hatts from the 1970's//don't know about other models and years nor the exact measure...its wider than a single, narrower than a queen....

its PLENTY wide for one, ok for two kids, small for two adults...and also note the lengths OF BOAT BUNKS...they are often a few inches shorter than equivalent size landlubber beds....so if you are around 5'-11" or 6 ft or larger, you can't stretch out unless you lay diagonally....

On my 1972 48 YF the forward statetrrom berths, while narrow, were actually longer than the much wider aft stateroom berths....also a standard size QUEEN or double landlubber mattress would NOT have fit in the aft stateroom queen berth locations....I bought a queen size uncovered foam mattress and cut about two or three inches from the length for a decent fit....

 

[Walter P]

My 2 cents.......

As bobk said, I also have a 48' series I MY (1982) which is a sistership to his. I love the layout of the boat and the space and considering that I am not a little guy, (i'm 6'6" and 250 lbs) these boats fit me well. Engine room head room is ok for me since it's better than most boats. I can stand in it as long as I hunch over some. The Queen bed in the master is somewhat modified from a standard off the shelf queen bed in that it tapers a little on the foot end. As Bob said the top half is absolutely queen width and off the shelf queen linens fit fine.

There is a substantial difference between the early 48 YF's like Robby had and the newer Series I such as bobk and I have. Most of the earlier Hatteras' had less headroom than later on. Matter of fact I believe the Series I (81 - 84) had more interior space than the still newer 48's that replaced them. The 41 DC's from mid 60's until they stopped making it and introduced the 43 had less head room than the 43 DC which replaced them. Likewise with the 44 MY. All great boats but if you are over 6 feet plus it becomes an important factor. The 53's had good headroom as well but I can't say how it compares with the older 50' MY (65 - 69). The 53 MY from 69 onward was not a "stretched mold" boat. The 53 was a total new hull design with a wider beam as well as more length. The interior layout is similiar, but then the interior layout of most of the 50 thru 60 ft models was pretty similiar. Traditionally Hatteras MY's had more headroom than other brands of similiar design and size.

Walt

 

[la maison blanche]

thanks for the replies...appreciate it....anyone know of any good 48 or 53's in the great lakes area that are on the market???

 

[bobk]

Not to start a controversy, but I have heard stories over the years that the 53's are rolly boats. Last week I was on a cruise with eight other boats ranging from a new 34 Mainship to a late 70's 53MY. We left Oxford MD for Cambridge MD and as the group passed the Choptank light we had 15 kt winds gusting to 20 from behind. The 53 was in front of a 44 Marine Trader and took a roll bad enough to toss everything around. The guy (engineer) on the 44MT reported the roll was 30 degrees. A strange combination of circumstances perhaps, but no one else had a problem with the 2' quartering seas.

I'd like to offer one suggestion as you check out the Hatts. Buy or borrow a moisture meter to do a quick check on problem areas. On the 48's, some that I looked at had large areas of water intrusion in the cores in the deck by the pulpit, front window corners and hard top. I would imagine some 53's also have such problems and these are expensive problems to fix.

Good luck,
Bob
1981 48MY

Bob