Classic Motor Yachts

[Open-d]

Hello,

I am curious as to whether the forum things that boats such as the Hatteras Classic Motor Yacht in the 50'+ range would be seaworthy enough to make trans-Atlantic or Pacific (West Coast to HI, or HI to Tahiti) passages, assuming engines and fuel capacity of sufficient.

I am not asking if it is the best choice, but merely is that class of vessel capable of a safe passage of that nature.
Here is a link to an example of the sort of vessel I refer to.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/197...dard%20listing

[denverd0n]

The Atlantic has been crossed, more than once, in open boats of less than 20 feet. So obviously it's possible. Is it "safe?" Well, what one considers "safe" another might consider extremely risky. "Safe" is a very subjective term, so it really depends on what you mean by that. And in the end, your safety has much more to do with your seamanship than it does with the design of the boat you choose.



I will say these boats were not designed with the idea that they would be making routine trans-oceanic journeys. That doesn't mean that you can't take one across an ocean relatively safely, but that's going to depend on your seamanship skills. In the end, there's no simple "yes" or "no" answer to a question like yours.


Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[ranger58sb]

Hatteras motor yachts have a great rep for build quality.

OTOH, they're not (that I know of) specifically designed for ocean crossings -- large unprotected windows, for example might be a risk compared to some purpose-built vessels like more recent Nordhavn models... or another example, inside spaces might be large and airy but without sufficient handholds to keep people and furniture from flying around in really ugly sea states...

Might be possible to mitigate some of that...

But then it also seems like fuel tankage would be the first thing to check. You can find Cummins fuel consumption curves for those engines to learn predicted burn rate at that hull length's likely "most economic" speed of about 7-7.5 kts, then compare that to 600 gallons of stated tankage, see how far that could go. There are ways to carry additional fuel, but that gets into "where?" and center of gravity issues, so having to do that is usually not a good first choice.

-Chris

[CaptaindeJong]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

The Atlantic has been crossed, more than once, in open boats of less than 20 feet. So obviously it's possible. Is it "safe?" Well, what one considers "safe" another might consider extremely risky. "Safe" is a very subjective term, so it really depends on what you mean by that. And in the end, your safety has much more to do with your seamanship than it does with the design of the boat you choose.



I will say these boats were not designed with the idea that they would be making routine trans-oceanic journeys. That doesn't mean that you can't take one across an ocean relatively safely, but that's going to depend on your seamanship skills. In the end, there's no simple "yes" or "no" answer to a question like yours.


Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Spot on. I would add that weather is going to decide what your voyage looks like and you won't know what the weather will be until you're out in it. Forecasts are getting more accurate with age but the wind and waves can be much stronger and larger than predicted.

[Lepke]

I've made the trip to Hawaii (and beyond) several times. At 7 knots it will take 2 weeks from S. Cal. You should carry enough additional fuel to dodge really bad weather. And in 2 weeks the weather can change a lot.
Your Hatteras isn't made to cross oceans. But it can be done, weather permitting. Commercial fishermen usually carry plywood to cover broken windows, Usually precut with hardware necessary to close a window. In really bad weather you can loose all the front windows and a sliding glass door at the cabin back is a liability. You'll be in big swells at least part of the time. Last trip I made I had big swells on the beam for the first several days. Not very comfortable.

In 1921 a navy tug, 170' x 29' was lost going from San Francisco to Hawaii with all hands. Found a couple years ago just past the Farallone Islands, it didn't get too far.