60’ lien hwa flush deck trawler

Hi
I am new to the forum, I have been looking at a 1980 60’ Lien Hwa flush deck trawler on and off for a couple of years , the boat has the typical teak deck issues/dryrot and problems with the tanks and is in desperate need a cosmetic remodel,has the 8v92 with a dry stack,I an not crazy about the dry stack system and would want to run under water exhaust ,I really like the lines on the Lien Hwa, more so than a hatteras, my concerns are even if I can buy the lien hwa For substantially less would I better off paying more for a comparable Hatteras being that the cost to renovate is basically the same ? It seems the hatteras yachts are built like tanks and just have a better resale value , I guess what I am trying to get advice on is am I better off having $200k into a 60’ lien hwa refit the way I want or $300k into a 60’ hatteras refit the way I want ,both being the same power,vintage and style of yacht...which really is a better investment?

Right off the bat, a Hatteras has fiberglass fuel tanks, doesn't have teak deck issues, and isn't dry stack. How is the electrical system on the Lien Hwa?

And as you already mentioned, the Hats hold their resale value greater than a Taiwanese Tub.

Sounds like an easy decision to make but not spending my boat bucks on either. Good luck on your decision and purchase.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. "...which really is a better investment? " Any boat is NOT an investment.

Go with the Hatt, for all the reasons already mentioned. Most of their older models have sold glass hulls. We have 1971 53 MY, with twin DD 871's, not fast but built like a tank. Ran her in the Bahamas for few years out of Ft Lauderdale, then shipped her to Vancouver BC, and took her down to SF Bay Area on her own bottom. Just make sure you get one with active stabilizers. They can be a wet boat in rough seas, can take more of a beating than us and they won't let you down.

Based on experience, as part of your survey do an incline test on that boat.

zhyachts said:

Based on experience, as part of your survey do an incline test on that boat.

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Ok, I'll bite. Why? Which boat are you talking about?

McGillicuddy said:

Ok, I'll bite. Why? Which boat are you talking about?

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There were several 50' + - sedans made in Taiwan around this time. Sold under different names, which I can't remember. There were stability issues on some and one capsized entering a Northern California port.

Not sure about Lien Hwa, but an incline test might be a good idea for peace of mind.

I brokered one and told the buyer's surveyor to note that it was a "fair weather" vessel. He noticed several degrees of tilt when he stepped aboard and said he agreed with me.

If the boat in question is tender lead shot can be poured into the hollow keel. Using the incline test a naval architect can suggest an amount.

Wow. I did not know that. I would have not guessed that by looking at the beam, freeboard and top hamper of the boat. I wonder why they would be so tender?
Is there enough engineering information available on the boat to be able to do an inclining experiment or do they just guess on the LCb, CbT, LCf VCf and VCG? I would imagine they could get the displacement from a travel lift and could install temporary draft marks while the boat was hauled out. Without all of that info I'm not at all sure that an inclining experiment would provide a lot of useful info. Do you think it's possible that Lien Hwa might have made the calculations to provide a stability booklet?
One of the positive things I see about having a boat built under certification process of ABS, LR, BV, or any other of the IACS is the requirement to do the information studies and provide them to the Classification Society for approval. I see more and more builders doing that these days, especially in Europe and now spreading to the Far East.
It used to be that ABS would not do this for vessels under 100GRT or 90' length. That's the minimum threshold for issuance of a load line. Since the newish requirement of yacht classification requirements I see they now do it for smaller vessels. Does anyone know what the minimum size vessel is now that can be classified?

At the price that they are asking, you cannot complain. The interior has been poorly done. but could be improved with effort. I'd check the stability etc that other members have suggested. Thought about it myself having just lost my boat in "Hurricane Irma" . Needs a rewire and proper distribution boards etc in fact a full mod of all systems. I'd just finished a full upgrade of mine prior to it's loss and don't feel like doing it again. Also the location was a put off. I like the warmth of the Caribbean.
Good luck with it , definetly a project, but the price is right.

Martin J said:

At the price that they are asking, you cannot complain. The interior has been poorly done. but could be improved with effort. I'd check the stability etc that other members have suggested. Thought about it myself having just lost my boat in "Hurricane Irma" . Needs a rewire and proper distribution boards etc in fact a full mod of all systems. I'd just finished a full upgrade of mine prior to it's loss and don't feel like doing it again. Also the location was a put off. I like the warmth of the Caribbean.
Good luck with it , definetly a project, but the price is right.

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Sorry wrong boat I thought it was the one for 75K in Seattle.

Martin, did you lose your Cheoy Lee during Irma? [emoji33]

Thanks for all the input guys. I looked this boat and its funny there is lead bars in the aft stateroom cabinets to left and right of the birth ,the water tank is under the aft berth ,king bed with full size large water tank under it ,stainless steel looks new ,I really don’t know what a incline test is and how you go about it The boat has niad stabilizers on it,it has a dry stack which would be nice to replace with side dry exhaust or side wet or under water exhaust

Donsan said:

Right off the bat, a Hatteras has fiberglass fuel tanks, doesn't have teak deck issues, and isn't dry stack. How is the electrical system on the Lien Hwa?

And as you already mentioned, the Hats hold their resale value greater than a Taiwanese Tub.

Sounds like an easy decision to make but not spending my boat bucks on either. Good luck on your decision and purchase.

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Electrical system has been redone, but is a can of worms

Mattie69 said:

The boat has niad stabilizers on it,it has a dry stack which would be nice to replace with side dry exhaust or side wet or under water exhaust

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mattie, there have been lots of issues mentioned to consider about this boat, but dry stack should not be one of them. If the system is in good condition (no gas leaks, corrosion, flexible expansion bellows, etc.) then it is much preferred over wet exhaust. The only mod I might suggest is remove the raw water cooling circuit and add grid "keel coolers." But even that is not necessary if the boat is well built.

I've done the 65ft project boat thing, and you just upgrade what is important to you, because few boats are an investment, just sunk cost.

makobuilders said:

mattie, there have been lots of issues mentioned to consider about this boat, but dry stack should not be one of them. If the system is in good condition (no gas leaks, corrosion, flexible expansion bellows, etc.) then it is much preferred over wet exhaust. The only mod I might suggest is remove the raw water cooling circuit and add grid "keel coolers." But even that is not necessary if the boat is well built.

I've done the 65ft project boat thing, and you just upgrade what is important to you, because few boats are an investment, just sunk cost.

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Thanks for the info mako,I did 60’ riva about ten years ago,I can’t believe the quality difference of those boats compared to this lien hwa .... I don’t like the space the drystack eats up in the main salon and the bridge,it’s like a elephant in the middle of the room,I want to open the boat up from the windshield to the salon doors,remove all the walls like a grand Alaskan and outer reef flush deck yacht, that’s why I a looking at this project, this lien hwa cheap,but it cost the same to do this to a hatteras,I like the Portuguese bridge and the full width flybridge on lien hwa ,but after looking at the boat you can really see the quality difference compared to a hatteras , and the hatteras has flat soles where the trawler are not,nice thing about this lien hwa most of the teak deck were only screwed on the boarders and the majority of the decking is glued down, the previous owner spent a lot of $$ fixing a lot of the dry rot.....I am courious how this boat will handle ,it seems a little top heavy, but it will spend most of time as condo on the water

Yes MCgillicuddy sadly, in a hell of a state. Once everythings settled legally I'll post some pictures. Still horrendous down there, residents in dire straits, and probably out of the 200 + yachts in the yard 90% seriously damaged. Huge amounts CTL's. Virtually no repair facilities. We've had a awesome time the last 5 years speding 6 months a year cruising the eastern caribbean. Just got the boat how I wanted it mechanically etc. Still one foot in front of the other and move on.

Sorry about your lose.

I went the Hatteras route myself and as each year went by I was more grateful I did. In addition to the great build quality and ergonomics, there is tremendous support of the old models, from the factory itself, Sam's Marine the spin off of the parts department and a an excellent owner's forum. Many of the people involved in building those boats are still around and active. One thing you will notice is that vintage Hatts of all shapes and sizes share common parts and design elements. Plus there are a lot of these boats still out there doing it. All of those factors are worth a huge premium in my experience, and thus my strong opinion.

Martin J said:

Yes MCgillicuddy sadly, in a hell of a state. Once everythings settled legally I'll post some pictures. Still horrendous down there, residents in dire straits, and probably out of the 200 + yachts in the yard 90% seriously damaged. Huge amounts CTL's. Virtually no repair facilities. We've had a awesome time the last 5 years speding 6 months a year cruising the eastern caribbean. Just got the boat how I wanted it mechanically etc. Still one foot in front of the other and move on.

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I am so sorry about the boat. Another classic gone. I hope you are able to find another boat to love.

Martin J said:

Yes MCgillicuddy sadly, in a hell of a state. Once everythings settled legally I'll post some pictures. Still horrendous down there, residents in dire straits, and probably out of the 200 + yachts in the yard 90% seriously damaged. Huge amounts CTL's. Virtually no repair facilities. We've had a awesome time the last 5 years speding 6 months a year cruising the eastern caribbean. Just got the boat how I wanted it mechanically etc. Still one foot in front of the other and move on.

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Wow, that just sucks Martin! Hopefully you'll find a suitable replacement.

There is a 65 Hatt LRC in Seattle listed on YWorld that's been on the market for over a year. She's in great shape, well outfitted and worth checking out. Wish I could buy her, but the resulting divorce would be too expensive.

Sailor of Fortune said:

Wow, that just sucks Martin! Hopefully you'll find a suitable replacement.

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I've been 'there' and it took about 3 years to settle. 2 lawyers happy, not me.

Welcome to the Hatteras Long Range Cruiser Club

Emerald Lady