42' Hatteras LRC vs 42' Grand Banks

I have been boat shopping for a while and this spring we are buying a boat. I am in the 100k range and do a lot of ICW cruising in the Carolina's/SE Virginia. I would love to do a cruise to Bermuda one day and eventually move up to a Nordhavn to do some real passage making.

I would love to hear some opinions on GB 42's (1974-1985-ish) and the Hatteras LRC 42 MKII.

These two boats seem to stand out as great options for my wife and I, hosting the occasional friends on day trips and weekend cruises. We live in Norfolk, VA.

Those two boats are very similar in build quality, layout, etc. The main difference is the engines. I am not a big fan of the DD 453s on the Hatteras, so I would lean towards the Grand Banks which usually has solid Lehmans.

David

kurt.reynolds said:

I have been boat shopping for a while and this spring we are buying a boat. I am in the 100k range and do a lot of ICW cruising in the Carolina's/SE Virginia. I would love to do a cruise to Bermuda one day and eventually move up to a Nordhavn to do some real passage making.

I would love to hear some opinions on GB 42's (1974-1985-ish) and the Hatteras LRC 42 MKII.

These two boats seem to stand out as great options for my wife and I, hosting the occasional friends on day trips and weekend cruises. We live in Norfolk, VA.

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The old Hatts are excellent built boats; solid glass hulls, glass stringers, decks and cabins - no wood in the layup. Excellent rough water full displacement hulls, but can be rolly in beam seas. Hatt LRC's have a cult following lots of info on the SAMSmarine Hatt owners site.

djmarchand said:

T... I would lean towards the Grand Banks which usually has solid Lehmans..

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Thanks David, we are looking at Lehman GB's for now. I hear good things about the lehmans, and on the GB's I have visited, the room around the 6 cyl's seems very nice.

mike50 said:

The old Hatts are excellent built boats; solid glass hulls, glass stringers, decks and cabins - no wood in the layup. ...

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Thanks Mike, you point out one of the biggest positives I hear of the Hatteras LRC's. I have seen quite a bit of water intrusion on the Grand Banks I have visited. Resale is a concern of mine, as I intend to move up to a Nordhavn in hopefully 5 years.

Both are well - built boats and you couldn't go wrong either way. I have been refurbishing my Hatteras for the last 12 years. Having it torn apart from stem to stern, the quality was evident. I'd buy another tomorrow.

Ken E. said:

.... I'd buy another tomorrow.

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Thanks so much Ken, appears I have landed on two great boats, you are not the first person to speak well of the Hatteras.

Not to be a smart ass Ken but if it's such a high quality build why did you need to spend 12 years refurbishing.
We all do improvements, but 12 years ?
Sorry if I caused offence.

Irish Rambler said:

Not to be a smart ass Ken but if it's such a high quality build why did you need to spend 12 years refurbishing.
We all do improvements, but 12 years ?
Sorry if I caused offence.

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A fair point, but this boat is a hobby as well as a cruising platform. I'm retired so I have all winter to work on it before I take it to Alaska for the summer. By repowering it and putting in all new subsystems, I have an old hull with about everything in it new. The goal is to provide safe, trouble-free, long distance transit while I chase salmon and halibut. I didn't have to do all this work, but I wanted to. I'm presently redoing the galley and heads...countertops, appliances, toilets. Not sure if I answered the question to your satisfaction. ?....

Ken E. said:

Both are well - built boats and you couldn't go wrong either way. I have been refurbishing my Hatteras for the last 12 years. Having it torn apart from stem to stern, the quality was evident. I'd buy another tomorrow.

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I agree; in 2001 we purchased a 53' Hatt MY, a great all around family boat, esp for coastal cruising. The only drawback is limited fuel capacity, which is not a problem on the LRC versions. The Hatt hardware and systems have been bullet proof.

I walked onto an older Hatt last time I was home and was blown away by the fit and finish. They really are great boats. With that said, I've never been on a GB, but I understand they are well built as well. You cruise at 10 kt on a Hatt then you can keep the fuel burn down, but you'll never get down to them old Ford's level. Both boats have a solid following so resale will be easy as long as you keep the boat up to par.

Hi Ken E.
Gotcha, I misunderstood I thought you bought it and had to do all the work after purchase.
It's a great hobby, when your retired I think it's very important for us to stay active and keep the brain problem solving. I think I'd go stir crazy if I'd nothing to keep me on the go.
Good luck with the refurb.

We owned a 41 hat, it was our first boat. The GM engines early 53 series, are 2 stroke. They are known as bleeders, and blow by, producers, but run good. They create a sloppy engine room and bilge in my opinion, but run good.
The grand banks in my opinion, early years can be nightmares. The fuel fills were know to leak, and ruin the fuel tanks, which were iron. I would be very nervous, of an early GB, also for the teak decks. And you might want to staple some sand paper to your hand, due to all that teak trim on the early GB, mountains of maintenance. I would highly recommend going to a GB owners site, and question them, about the many problems with early GB 's.
My wife just walked in and said Hat , hands down, without even thinking, about it.
Hope it helps,

Kurt,
We live in Camden NC not far from you.
We bought a 89 42 ft GB and love it. We just purchased it about a month ago. I have ours in SouthPort NC now but bringing it back up to Camden NC in May.
Yep the window are on the GB are their weak point for keeping water out.
I looked for about 5 yrs before I bought this one and we looked at several Hatteras and loved them also.

Ours has the Cat 3208TA it will run about 22mph the GB with Lemans normally can only run about 12-14mph.

We rented a GB with Lehmans and had a following sea that was running faster than the boat would go so we surfed all the way from Shark River Fla to Key west, that's when we decided that if we got a GB it would have larger engines in it just for things like that or bad weather. We like going slow but we have the power if we need it.

When we get the boat back home you're welcome to look.

Kurt

On a 30+ year old boat prior maintenance plays a huge role. Window leaks, old teak decks and leaky fuel tanks make the GBs a "watch out." The 4-53s in the Hatt are a counter argument. Fixing the 4-53s to pristine condition is easily achieved in comparison.

You mentioned Nordhavn. If it were me I'd spend the money on a good resale able Bayliner or similar now that is not a project boat like an old tired Hatt or GB. Then start shopping for that perfect Nordhavn.

Interesting comment on Bermuda, you don't hear much in the way of these types of boats going there, not sure why not as you could find a descent weather window to do it, anyone else know of a basic trawler going there?

Kurt,

Some of the best advice, I think, is buy your last boat now. Boats are generally loosing propositions, regardless of what you buy. Even if you buy a perfect used boat, it will depreciate and will require maintenance of some sort. Take all the money and potential repairs you will make to your new boat and spend it on your dream boat now.

You will get more use and enjoyment in the long run. In a few years your are going to sell your boat for probably much less than you pay for it now and on top of that, will give 10% to a broker for advertising your boat on yacht world.

It would not be unusual for your to "invest" $20K - $30K in your $100K boat over the next five years, most going in the first couple, getting it just the way you like. Think about putting that money toward your dream boat. If your dream boat is more than 7 - 8 years old, chances are good you will also need to "invest" boat bucks in that one as well.

Of course there are exceptions and several on here might tell you that they bought a older boat and have put nothing into it. If you are particular about your boat, that will probably not hold for you. Or, you could get lucky and find a perfect boat. BUT, you won't know that until will after you have bought it.

A former girl friend once joked that in her circle, they used to tease each other when in the bars about not waiting for the perfect guy, but going ugly early. In the end it saved time and the cost of buying drinks. Might apply to boating too. Just say'n...

Gordon

Sunchaser, in my opinion, makes an interesting point, in regard to a newer Bayliner, for appox same money, newer systems etc, than an old GB or old Hat. But I disagree with him on making a 453 Detroit perfect, due to the fact that the engine design is 2 stroke. In my opinion, you will never stop the 453, from leaking, bleeding oil, due to its design. Nor the blow by, problem. It's just because of the engine design, being 2 stroke, that being said , they do run good.
On the other point of buying now, something you really don't want, could be a potential nightmare, when's it time to get rid of it. Experienced boaters know the maintenence of old boats is enormous, and selling any of them could be a major headache, when your ready to move on. And if you decide on a Bayliner, it's going to take a special buyer there also, their reputation is not stellar for quality, with many in the business, even though for coastal cruising, there is a lot of them around. You have a lot to think about, just remember your odds of getting your money back at the end is never going to happen in my opinion, when it's time for your dream boat. I say keep saving and forget the interim boat.
Sorry for blabbing, just been through, having 2 boats at the same time, not FUN. Also did not mean to offend anyone in regard to Bayliner, just heard it over and over from boat yard owners, etc, etc.

From a distance...

Think I'd choose best layout for our purposes.

I might not favor 2-stroke DDs if that were the only remaining decision factor... but the only thing about the Hatts that might cause (me) pause is the 32VDC electrics. Whatever they are. I don't really know, just from reading I see that older Hatt's have mixed voltage systems. Far as I know, most actual owners haven't encountered any problem with that, so this is more about me not knowing/understanding details than it is about the boats themselves.

-Chris

On the 2-cycle Detroits, the above comments on them are accurate. I had Detroit 8v71n's in this boat before I repowered. These engines were designed in the 1930s and the fact that there are still lots of them around is a statement in itelf. Leaky, noisy, primative, but.......Tough as hell, very long service life, and good parts availability. When I repowered, my Detroits were functional. I just got to the point that the many oil leaks and very loud mechanical noise from the injectors was too much to take for months at a time while we were out. I sold them as running takeouts and they're now in another boat after major overhauls. Long and short, 453 or 471 Detroits needn't be a deal breaker in buying a Hatteras. Just realize what you're in for.

Hotrod said:

The GM engines early 53 series, are 2 stroke. They are known as bleeders, and blow by, producers, but run good. They create a sloppy engine room and bilge in my opinion, but run good.

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I don't understand the multiple negative remarks about DD's here. My 6-71s were built in 1939-ish (as I recall) and were fantastic. Perhaps the '53 series aren't as tight, or your experience may with worn out engines or those not maintained properly?

Almost all the DD leaking came from using DD goop to re assemble an engine.

They stuck with their garbage for decades.

In my "dream ocean boat" it would have a pair of 3-71 mounted on a tandem LST style tranny.

Scavenging a part to keep one running is a job most anyone can do, with a few DD tools.

Thee trannies are OTS.

In regard to 671 versus 453 , they are two very different style engines. Two strokes by nature, have high level of blow by, due to being a 2 stroke engine, compared to a 4 stroke engine. It is not a engine ring problem so much as pressure buildup. Internal pressure , causes the seals to leak, no matter if rebuilt or not. The 671 and sister 871, have there own bleeding issues. That is how the term "bleeder" came about, Detroit engines. But like I mentioned earlier, they run and run, and the best part is they are WET SLEEVED, so you can tear down and rebuild in the boat , over and over, again, as long as you do not throw a rod out the side. I personally think they sound cool out the exhaust, especially the 1271's . They have an excellent reputation, but all engines have their issues, I would take take a Detroit any day, if I was not anal in the engine room, and bilge. If you are determined to still get a long range Hatteras, or a early GB, as a interim boat, my opinion is go with the Hatteras.The only reason, I responded to your post, was because we also wanted a interim boat till we could find a 44 Defever, and we picked an old 41 Hatteras, with 853's.

71 series detroits are dry sleeved, the 92 series are wet sleeved. Wet sleeved 92's are exposed to the water jacket and are very sensitive to cooling system over temps. Natural (non-turbo) motors will have less issues with leaks, esp if you keep the air box drain ports cleaned and empted into a container. Currently have 2 8v71's and 2 671's all naturals, in 2 boats that continue to run trouble free. The leaks are fixable if you use the latest sealants and pay attention to cleaning surfaces and sealing threads on fasteners that are open to the interior of the block. Our Defever has 671's and 3:1 gears, and 2 271 25kw gens, she has been to Japan, Vietnam, Hawaii and Alaska and they are all still running strong. I think about re-powering, but the detroits just keep running. They will out live me.

I stand corrected, the 71series are sleeved, not wet but dry, it must be my age showing. But in all honesty, no matter what we did to seal them, THEY LEAKED. I am glad someone else found something that worked, to seal them. By the way, the term, BLEEDERS, came from Detroits..

Hotrod said:

I stand corrected, the 71series are sleeved, not wet but dry, it must be my age showing. But in all honesty, no matter what we did to seal them, THEY LEAKED. I am glad someone else found something that worked, to seal them. By the way, the term, BLEEDERS, came from Detroits..

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Hotrod, this surprised me on DD leaks......a friend had 8v71n's identical to mine and about 10 years ago decided to do an in - frame major overhaul on them. The shop that did the work told him that modern DD gaskets and seals were now much better at keeping the oil where it belonged, in the engine. Anyway, they were right and those engines were much tighter after the OH, not leak free but hugely improved. So, it is possible to clean them up somewhat.

Ken E,
I have been retired for years now, just remember , the complaints. But ironically, they leaked like hell from the factory. But they do run, and , run. Also easy rebuild. We would put the new guys on them, for rebuilds.

I run 6-71's in the Viking that I've owned for 17 years. Just finished rebuilding the Port engine for the second time. One other time in 04 due to a dropped valve. This time because a "professional" plugged one of my crankcase breather vents. These engines have been rock solid with no issues. Zero engine leaks. (Until the"professional" touched it .)
I'm sure I'm not the only one that has dry Detroit's.

Nice to hear, people with success , in curing a problem, that drove us nuts. For years we thought maybe a blow by problem, even if they were tight, when rebuilt, since compared to today, were sloppy. Blow by a big deal back then, blow out rear main seals, common. But they ran and ran, just keep a case of oil in the truck.

Wouldn`t a Bayliner 4788 with Hinos avoid a lot of these issues? Newer/younger usually means more life left in the boat and longer away from major work.