72 Hatteras Motoryacht 2010

Boat Review

Source: Power & Motoryacht Magazine

The first time we saw the Hatteras 72 was when she was introduced at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show in October of 2007. Since that time this model has proven to be popular, and little wonder since she hits the “sweet spot” of room, utility, versatility and price. The buyer pool for a boat like the Hatteras 72 is a diverse one, and that is why Hatteras as a number of different layout configurations and engine options. This week we are going to take a close look at this fine motoryacht and make a few recommendations of our own for people considering a serious motoryacht.

The boat that started it all was Knit Wits, this 41-foot sportfisherman launched in March, 1960. Designed by Jack Hargrave and built by Willis Slane, Knit Wits was the first pleasureboat of this size built in fiberglass. Slane, whose family business was textiles, wanted a boat tough enough to fight its way out Hatteras Inlet during stiff nor’easters. Knit Wits was powered by twin 275-hp Lincoln V-8 gas engines which pushed her over 30 knots. Slane didn’t build just a boat – he built a company: The day Knit Wits was launched, Slane took orders for seven more just like her.

Construction

When Willis Slane and his crew built the first Hatteras yacht, they “tested” laminates by kicking and stomping on sample panels. If in doubt, Slane made them thicker, which is why early Hatterases are tough enough to break ice – but heavier than they needed to be. Things are a bit higher-tech today: Hatteras builds the 72 Motor Yacht using resin infusion to maximize laminate properties and hull stiffness but trim excess weight. Resin infusion almost completely eliminates styrene fumes and other fiberglass-related airborne pollutants, too.

Hatteras hulls are gelcoated, like all production fiberglass boats, but the glossy finish comes from linear polyurethane paint. Modern LP lasts a long time, and demands only minimal maintenance – basically just cleaning. No wax, please. And it’s easier to repair than gelcoat.

Base price of the Hatteras 72 MY is $4,300,000 with twin Caterpillar C-32 diesels. That price is competitive with any top-quality yacht built in Europe or America. Importantly, that price delivers a well-equipped boat and one where many of the more subtle aspects of the boat are done right.

Important Differences

For example, all boats in this class come with an anchor windlass. But most come with an electric one. These can be problematical, particularly when you are having trouble getting the anchor unhooked from the bottom. The windlass can overheat and throw the breaker. Electric windlasses are also susceptible to the corrosion aspects of the harsh saltwater environment. You only have to have a problem once weighing anchor — it usually happens when you are in a jam for some reason — and you will become a believer in a hydraulic windlass system.

It is one thing to run a pair of electrical wires to the windlass, but it is quite another to run hydraulic hoses there. Plus you need a power takeoff (PTO) from one of your engines or generator to power it. That is why a hydraulic windlass system costs a lot more. The Hatteras 72 Motor Yacht has a 4,000-lb hydraulic windlass, 90-lb anchor and 300’ of chain. If you are going to be doing any serious cruising, this is the only way to go.

Hydraulic Bow Thruster

For many of the same reasons, Hatteras has also installed a dual-prop hydraulic bow thruster. Again, most builders install only an electric-powered bow thruster. These become hot very quickly and automatically shut off after about three minutes of continuous use. Three minutes is usually enough to move the bow one way or another, and we recommend that you use an electric thruster in short bursts, both to take advantage of momentum, and also to keep it from over heating.

However, there are times when you must traverse a narrow area in a marina or in a canal with a strong current or wind against the beam of your vessel. It is at times like these when you will be happy you have a hydraulic bow thruster, because you can run it for as long as needed without worry. Of course it is far more expensive.

Air Conditioning, But Where?

The Hatteras 72 comes standard with a 90,000-BTU air conditioning system, with controls in each compartment. Again, Hatteras has gone to the beefy side of things because they know the difficulties of cooling in the tropics. One of the problems with cooling that people often forget about is the ambient temperature of the water they are cruising in. There is a big difference between the temperature of the water in the Med, and that of, say, the waters of the Bahamas in August. The warmer the sea water is, the harder the air conditioning system must work to cool the boat. So, what may work well in the Med, may not pass muster in the warm waters of Florida or the Bahamas, to say nothing of Central and South America and northern Australia and in the Middle East.

More Details

Hatteras has equipped the yacht with two 27.5-kW Onan generators in sound-limiting enclosures. In most situations, either generator will be able to handle the loads required by itself, so the second genset is an important redundancy. However, there may be times in the tropics when all of the a/c units are going full blast, the galley cook tops are all on, the washer and dryer are working, and the queen of the yacht is running her air dryer. For times like those, you may need to have both generators on line, and you will be glad to have them.

The yacht is propelled with twin 8-blade Nibral propellers to handle the high output of the Cats and to maximize efficiency. (Hatteras claims they were the first yacht builder to use many-bladed props to reduce vibration and increase efficiency. The first were 5-bladed; now they’re up to 8.) Like everything else that is done right on a motoryacht in this class, the 8-bladed props are far more expensive than standard four-bladed ones.

Main Deck

As you’d expect with a price tag of $4.3 million, the 72 MY has a galley to rival the one most of us have at home. Countertops are granite, the deck is easy-on-the-feet cork and the joinery is cherry, African mahogany or maple. The stove has a ceramic cooktop, with a microwave oven above it; an undercounter oven is optional. Behind the camera there’s a 42” upright refrigerator/freezer and a walk-in pantry. A dishwasher and trash compactor are both options, as is a 20” TV.

The saloon looks bigger from this angle, which shows the large dining area. We like the separation between galley and saloon; many builders incorporate a breakfast bar instead of a bulkhead between the two. We prefer a bulkhead; we don’t need to watch the cook work, or be watched when we’re cooking. The optional bar just takes up space, in our opinion.

Lower Deck

The standard accommodations plan shows three staterooms, each with a double berth. There’s a sitting area en suite in the master stateroom amidships, and a single head and walk-in closet, too. Note the his and hers sinks in the head. We like the sitting area, but would prefer one guest stateroom with single berths, for kids or folks who don’t want to get that cozy. Hatteras will build whatever you need. You can get this layout with crew’s quarters aft of the engine room, too.

Three hullside windows port and starboard provide light and fresh air to the full-beam master stateroom during the day, moon- and starlight at night. The valances hide the black-out curtains. If you don’t feel like sleeping, there’s an entertainment center with stereo and CD/DVD changer, connected to a 27” flat-screen TV. The wood soffit over the king-sized berth hides the A/C vents. There’s a washer/dryer in the adjacent companionway.

We prefer the portside guest stateroom with its rectangular, easy-to-make, easy-to-get-into queen-sized berth. Note the nightstands with drawers on both sides, too. There’s a cedar-lined hanging locker and full-length mirror. Both guest cabins have audio systems with Boston Acoustics speakers, CO and smoke detectors and indirect A/C airflow. All you need is some artwork on the bulkheads.

Mechanicals

Standard power for the 72 MY is a pair of Caterpillar C32 diesels, but you can have them in three ways: 1550-hp, 1650-hp and 1800-hp. If for some reason you don’t like Cats, you can opt for twin 1500-hp MTUs. We haven’t tested the boat, so can’t publish accurate speeds, but based on similar boats with similar horsepower, we’d guess-timate the 72 will cruise in the mid-20-knot range with the 1550-hp Cats without much trouble. Don’t hold us to it, though, as we would love to test this yacht and find out.

When it comes to mechanicals, nobody beats Hatteras. The 72 MY has an engine room to make any wrench-head drool. There’s good d.c. and a.c. fluorescent lighting and plenty of ventilation, so spending time here isn’t a trial. All systems are easy to access, nicely laid out and labeled.

A 110-volt oil-change system means you won’t have to stand around all day while a puny 12-volt pump drains the Cats’ bottomless oil sumps; the hoses are fitted with Hatteras’s patented quick-disconnects, making it painless to switch from engines to gearboxes to generators. There’s a compressed-air system with air hose and regulator – it will come in handy more often than you think.

Stabilizers are optional, but folks planning to make frequent open-water passages will probably want them, especially if the distances are long enough to require displacement-speed running to maximize range. The bow thruster is standard, stern thruster optional. And there’s no watermaker, but Hatteras will install through-hulls and wiring so you can add one later on. They will also plumb and wire back-up A/C water pumps, so if one fails switching over will be easy. And yes, pumps all fail eventually, and when it’s least convenient.

Recommendation

We’re glad you asked. Simply put, you will not go wrong buying a Hatteras 72, in our opinion. Of all brands available in the world, certainly Hatteras is one of the most reliable. The 72 is set-up for an owner/operator, but if you want to have a captain or a mate aboard, you can have crew quarters.

If you are ready for a 72 but you are not confident in your knowledge of what equipment you should have, then we suggest you sit down with the folks at Hatteras and tell them how you plan to use the boat, and they will tell you what you need, or don’t need. For example, if you just want the boat for evening cruises from your Palm Beach house, they can save you a lot of money.

Speaking of saving money, Hatteras is having a sale on selected boats this month, one of which is the 72 MY with the integrated hardtop. The deal, which ends July 5, 2010, includes reduced prices, an extended 2-year limited warranty, a 10-year limited structural hull warranty and a 5-year extended warranty on Caterpillar diesels. The special applies only to boats in inventory. Don’t say we didn’t tell you about it.

Boat Specifications: 72 Hatteras Motoryacht 2010

Length Overall: 72′ 0” / 21. 94 m

Dry Weight: 162,250 lbs. / 73, 595 kg

Beam: 20′ 2” / 6.14 m

Fuel Cap: 2,200 gal. / 8,325.5 L

Draft: 5′ 6” / 1.67 m

Water Cap: 350 gal. / 1,324.5 L

Deadrise/Transom: N/A

Bridge Clearance: 17′ 9” / 5.41 m

Max Headroom: 6′ 8” / 2.03 m