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Our survey model was a 1986 model with half tower and
3208 Cat 320's which didn't exactly make for a hot item on the market.
Top speed was 20 down wind and 18 upwind! Fortunately, the new owner
wasn't interested in going fast, but if you are you'll need more
than 320's. And at 26,000 lbs. she's not real heavy and will do
just fine with 375's. With 450 gallons of fuel, you've got plenty
of range.
First thing you notice about this boat is that
it is big for a 36 footer, seemingly even bigger than the Bertram
37 which is narrower by 3". What makes it seem bigger is the
shorter cockpit and foredeck, thereby giving it more cabin space.
Compare this with the 38 Convertible and you'll see that its
nearly the same size. The main difference is that you're not
going to fit a coffee table in there. And with big windows all around,
the interior is light and airy. The salon is big and so is the bridge.
This model had the galley up with a large sofa and just one chair;
no room for a second.
Aside from styling, another difference is the backwards
vee berth cabin that's definitely not easy to get in and out of.
The head space is okay with an adequate shower . . . actually not
bad for a 36 footer. As for the bridge, the layout is about as good
as you're going to get on this size boat.
We found only a few complaints with this one, the
first of which is that she had blisters on the bottom. The deck
is glassed to hull but the rub rail is screwed on and was very loose
in several places, and that's not easy to fix. The tower wasn't
grounded but it was an add-on so we can't blame Hatteras. The removable
fish box in the cockpit is the usual klutzy arrangement and takes
two people to get it out of the hole, and with the large fuel tank,
there's no lazarette storage. The tanks are fiberglass, so you don't
have to worry about aluminum tanks corroding and leaking.
The generator is mercifully not under the cockpit
deck but in the engine room which is a lot more cramped than we'd
like, but most stuff is reachable with only minor pain. Everything
down there is pretty neat and orderly. As usual, you have the good
quality systems and hardware; no junky stuff here.
The interior has held up very well with all original
decor and no window or other leaks at all.
Her sea keeping abilities are nearly as good as
it gets, with a low profile bridge that keeps the center of gravity
low. With the typical Hatteras warped plane underbody she is efficient
while sacrificing a bit of the smoother ride of the deep vee. With
a fairly full bow, she's rather wet but none of the windows leaked
on this ten year old boat. With good maintenance, you couldn't tell
this boats age by looking at it because it looked no more than about
4 years old. Ten years in Florida and the paint still had a shine;
no crapola aluminum hardware to corrode, no leaking portholes or
hatches, no hardware falling off, and no blankety blank teak. This
had the optional tackle center and the inner plywood cabinets and
drawers left a lot to be desired. We just can't figure out why Hatteras
uses a junky plastic name plate on the side of the house. Its the
only piece of junk on the whole boat.
Selling at $130k this was a good buy for a slow
boat. With the 375 Cats she is a decent performer, and a very good
looking boat too. If you had to choose between the 38 and the 36
and money was the question, no doubt about it, the 36 is the better
buy.
Base 1986 price:
$212,000
W/usual equipment $250,000
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are "reviews", not surveys, and bear no resemblance
to our survey reports.
We do not publish the results of the surveys that we perform.
Please note that the purpose of these reviews is educational,
to help you discern the differences in quality among boats generally.
They are not offered as a means to help you evaluate any particular
boat builder. We have no other reviews than those posted. |
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