77 Hatteras Convertible 2007

Source: Capt. Patrick Sciacca, Power & Motoryacht Magazine

I stood awestruck. The mammoth, sun-blocking, Bausch American tuna tower stretched its neck more than 40 feet towards the seemingly endless blue sky. If that’s the tower, I thought, there’s got to be a behemoth big-game boat supporting it. And there was, 77 feet of it.

I turned the corner to the outside slips of Pier 66 Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and next to the Pelican Grill was Hatteras flagship Convertible sitting like a broad-chested bulldog with 22 feet of beam (several similar-size vessels average a foot and a half less), which, to put it into perspective, is nearly the LOA of the first boat I owned. That generous beam helps provide this vessel with 192 square feet of fish-fighting space, and even with the massive, optional Pompanette offset fighting chair, there’s plenty of room for a wireman and gaff man to get to the transom.

But the optional golden teak cockpit (along with teak decks and covering boards), available through a partnership with Jarrett Bay Boatworks, offers more than just space. It features a blue marlin-size transom door, two 5’5”-long macerated fishboxes (one rigged as a livewell) with gas-assist struts, stainless steel-lined tackle drawers, and a ten-cubic-foot bait freezer—everything the traveling angler could want. The 77’s optional 41-foot Rupp hydraulic outriggers and rocket launchers across the flying bridge finish this boat’s mission statement: built to fish, anywhere.

Although she’s tricked out for angling, I wondered if this boat’s size and enclosed flying bridge, which prohibits a clear cockpit view due to the forward helm position, could be an effective fishing platform. For trolling enthusiasts, the ability to see baits and communicate with the crew are essential. That’s why I’m a fan of the open bridge, as it better facilitates contact between the crew and captain and allows the helmsman to watch the spread more easily. To test the boat’s fishability—well, we fished. Setting the hydraulic outriggers was as easy as loosening the tie-down under the gunwale and pushing a button at the helm. I was sure that the enclosed bridge would make trolling difficult and/or inefficient, but Capt. Jeff Donahue simply exited the flying bridge to guide his mate and set lines, and then operated the boat in slow troll mode from the outside helm on the starboard side of the overhang. This second helm offers clean sightlines forward through the enclosed area and provides a great view of the spread. We didn’t catch any sailfish (thank you, east wind), but did get a chance to observe the prowess of this enclosed flying-bridge sportfisherman.

Of course, you can also run the boat from that tall tower, which has a full electronics suite like the main helm, or use one of two auxiliary stations, either the one on the flying bridge or the one in the cockpit behind a flip-down panel. But open-bridge diehards, stay tuned: Hatteras plans to offer a 77 without the enclosed bridge.

Fishability is one part of this boat’s equation, but with destinations like Panama, Venezuela, and Costa Rica becoming staple stopovers for big-game enthusiasts, range is also a must-have. This battlewagon has a 3,000-gallon fuel capacity that’s distributed in four tanks, and with the optional 2,400-hp MTUs’ 2000-rpm, 30-mph slow-cruise speed, those megamotors eat up 182 gph. This still results in 445 miles between fill ups. The powerplants’ true cruise rpm is around 2250, and with that number the 77 easily hits 34 mph at 223 gph, but range drops to 411 miles.

Boat Specifications: 77 Hatteras Convertible 2007

Boat Type: Sportfisherman

Standard Power: 2/1,800-hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesel inboards

Optional Power: 2/1,800-hp 12V 2000 or 2/2,400-hp 16V 2000 MTU diesel inboards

Length Overall (LOA): 76’10”

Beam: 22’0”

Draft: 5’3”

Weight: 157,500 lbs.

Fuel Capacity: 3,000 gal.

Water Capacity: 380 gal.

Standard Equipment: cherrywood, mahogany, or maple bulkheads; chrome-on-brass and s/s hardware throughout; 90-lb. Danforth anchor; Olivari door handles; 2 s/s stern cleats and hawse pipes; powder-coated grabrails; 10/portable dry-chem fire extings.; central vacuum system in saloon and flying bridge; 2/27.5-kW Onan gensets; 118,000-Btu Cruisair reverse-cycle A/C; Ethernet vessel-monitoring system w/ 15-in. display; 37-inch flip-down plasma TV w/ LCD wall-mount keypad audio and video control on flying bridge; transom door; fresh- and saltwater washdowns w/ quick disconnects in cockpit; 2 s/s tackle drawers; 5-cu.-ft. bait freezer; 5-cu.ft. deep stowage tub; 2/65-in. in-sole fishboxes; 50” Panasonic plasma TV in saloon; Boston Acoustics 5.1 surround-sound speakers; Denon DVD player; Xantech AM/FM digital tuner; Amtico vinyl strip flooring in galley/dinette; 15.3.-cu.-ft. Sub-Zero stand-up refrigerator and 2/freezer drawers; Whirlpool Gold ice maker; four-burner Kitchen Aid electric cooktop; Sharp carousel microwave; 37-in. plasma TV in master; Northstar 6100i GPS/ plotter, Icom 602 VHF; Simrad AP26 autopilot, IS15 depth and temp

Test Engines: 2/2,400-hp MTU 16V 2000 diesel inboards

Transmissions / Ratio: ZF 3360/ 4:1

Props: 49×83 8-blade nibral Michigan

Steering: Sea Star hydraulic w/ power assist

Controls: Sturdy electronic

Optional Equipment On Test Boat: Carolina edition w/ teak mezzanine, coaming, and cockpit sole; Eskimo chipped-ice machine; raised-panel cherrywood cabinetry; Alexseal ice blue hull color; granite countertops; pneumatic door for saloon and flying bridge; 2/Underwater Lights underwater lights; Sunbrella carpet runner; freshwater foredeck washdown; 41-ft. Rupp outriggers w/ hydraulics; Whirlpool dishwasher in galley; Pompanette offset fighting chair; Furuno FCV 1200L sounder; Vetus bow thruster

Conditions: temperature: 82º; humidity: 58%; wind: 15-20 mph; seas: 4’-6’; load: 3,000 gal. fuel, 380 gal. water, 6 persons, 1,000 lbs. gear. Speeds are two-way averages measured w/ Stalker radar gun. GPH taken from MTU fuel-monitoring system. Range: 90% of advertised fuel capacity. Decibels measured at helm on A scale. 65 dB is the level of normal conversation.