58 Hatteras LRC

[DougD]

New to the forum. My wife and I are recently retired - looking for a project and a return to the water. Plan is coastal cruising and winter months down south. Our last boat was a 48 Albin North Sea Cutter that we ran mostly in the eastern parts of Long Island Sound. Despite a trawler profile that boat had a deep V Ray Hunt-designed hull (24 deg deadrise I believe) and amazing seakeeping abilities. Wonderful boat with some notable problem areas - I learned a lot. Lack of time due to work demands led us to sell about 6 years ago.

One of my favorite boats is the 58 LRC, which checks most of our boxes - size, build quality, layout, style and price point. A couple of gray areas I hope some folks here can offer advice:

Electrical - I know these systems are large and very complex. 32V with multiple panels and switching configurations, isolations transformers, and multiple shore power inlets exposed to the elements. At 45 years or so I'm wondering if these systems are still serviceable or have they reached their design life? I suspect cable replacement would be prohibitively expensive, if even feasible without a major interior refit due to access issues.

Flybridge access - the single ladder doesn't work for the dog or the old farts.
Are there any owners who have managed to configure a stairway from the pilothouse, or perhaps from the aft deck? We like the floorplan with the day head, but this would probably be compromised too much by a stairway - perhaps a boat without the day head would be a better choice?

Pilothouse sound levels - we've never run in a 58. Our old Albin's lower helm was directly above the engine room, and despite ER soundproofing and carpet insulation was very noisy at cruising speeds (270hp 4-stroke Volvo turbodiesels @ 2400 rpm). I'm thinking with the physical separation and lower rpm the 58 LRC should offer a quieter ride from the pilothouse.

4-71's or 6-71's? I don't see any consensus on this.

Appreciate any thoughts out there.

 

[Comodave]

A while back we looked at a 58LRC. I loved it but my wife thought the boat was way to dirty, it was but I didn’t care about that.

We have a 90 pound Lab that goes everywhere, including the flybridge. I designed a 12 volt crane to pick him up the ladder. But my wife still said no.

I loved the engine room. That boat had been rewired to remove the 32 volt systems. It still had 12 and 24 volts. Lots of electrical panels, it would take some time to learn it all.

FYI, I took a photo of the fuel consumption table that was on the boat. I will upload it here in case you are interested.

 

[READY]

Regarding electrical unless it was submerged or otherwise compromised the wiring will outlive us all. Of course some upgrades might be in order to electronics, genset(s) but the wiring was built nearly or to military specs in those days. Very heavy duty and well marked. Make sure you get the blueprints with all the details if you buy one.

I don't have any factual basis but thinking the 6-71s might be the better choice. But it is full displacement so maybe the 4-71s might be OK. They used the 4-71s in the 48 LRC.

58 LRC is a great ship!

 

[tiltrider1]

At 45 years you are entering the unknown zone. What is unknown is what will break next. What is known is that at 45 years something is going to break. Everything is serviceable but the cost is unknown.

Now if you are like Comodave then it’s just another enjoyable adventure. If you don’t know the difference between 50a 125v and 50a 125/250v then a 45 year old 58’ boat could become expensive.

Now if you happen to come across one that just came out of a major $250,000 refit, snag it, it’s probably the best of all worlds.

 

[Comodave]

Personally I would like the 4-71s. They have enough power and are huge enough. The 6es will just take up more room.

 

[DougD]

The hope is to find a mostly original, unmolested example and spend the first year or two on the hard near home upgrading everything. The wife is pretty particular when it comes to the interior, and I'm worse when it comes to helm designs and equipment. I'd do most of the work save any needed engine or genset overhauls - enjoy that part of the process as much as the cruising.

Thanks for the note regarding wiring - I assumed these systems would be pre-tinning and therefore toast, so your info is reassuring. Now to find a beast that hasn't been compromised with patches and the like.

I'm assuming fuel burn somewhere in the gal per mile range approaching hull speed. Definitely interested in actual figures if any higher as I don't see fuel cost getting better any time soon.

Flybridge access is key, so hopefully there are some active owners here who will comment. Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

 

[Taras]

I see a lot of 4-53's used in the 48 LRC as well. About 100 shaft HP with that set-up.

 

[Cold Duck]

I feel your pain about the ladder. We sold our Willard Vega with a ladder and got the MS350 with a spiral staircase for just that reason. The MS is probably too small for your needs, but it's our solution to the ladder. Dogs and old people have no problems now getting to the flybridge LOL. Funny, the brokers in Fl are against the 2 cycle Jimmy's. I don't know why. They are very inexpensive to repair and keep running. An exhaust manifold for my MTU costs $4000, one for a 4V71 costs $400. You can get a lot of boat for the money in a Hatteras 58.

 

[Cold Duck]

Oops, those were 8V71s that were in my buddies 58

 

[READY]

I see a lot of 4-53's used in the 48 LRC as well. About 100 shaft HP with that set-up.

Yes, about 50 of the total 53 of the 48LRCs had the 4-53 rated at 112 HP. Mine is one of the few with Ford Lehman 120s.

 

[Juliet 15]

I've had an 58LRC for coming up on 4 yrs. it's a 4-71 version, 1975. It's our 4th boat. It'll be our last. We LOVE it. I researched boats and 58 LRCs for 3 yrs before we settled on a 58LRC. I flew back and forth across the US and Canada, inspecting a bunch of 58LRCs in 2017,2018, and 2019, even made a couple offers before settling on this one. I'd love to talk with you about them - give me a call. For the record - go with 4-71s (IMHO). They push it to hull speed and still have some power left. Dunno why you'd want 6-71s. The 4-71s sip gas, and at 1300 rpm I have a theoretical range of 3300nm. I havent gone that far, and yes, real world currents and winds will change that. I don't care. I only need to go about 2000 miles between fill ups. Also, electrical - it works great. Some systems have been converted to 12v. The engines and one of my 2 house banks are 32v (the 2nd house bank is 12v). Age: Mines a 1975 boat. Fantastic shape, in and out. These things were built like tanks. Not all are in great shape. I can tell you what to look for. Send me a PM if you'd like to talk.

Neil

 

[tiltrider1]

I like the 4-71. It is cheap to maintain and has all the power you realistically need for a long range cruise. On a 58LRC you could literally carry all the parts needed for a total engine overhaul.

 

[ranger58sb]

Flybridge access - the single ladder doesn't work for the dog or the old farts.
Are there any owners who have managed to configure a stairway from the pilothouse, or perhaps from the aft deck?

We've defaulted to stairs to our flybridge, previous boat, this boat.

I've wondered for years whether a circular staircase of some sort could be configured to improve flybridge access on those. Haven't seen where anyone has adopted that in a Hatt, but that's likely due to haphazard research.

-Chris

 

[DougD]

Wondering if anyone knows anything about a new listing in NYC - SnapDragon (sorry, can't figure out how to attach YW link). Bottom (paint anyway) and running gear look fresh, topsides are rough, and interior - I'm not sure what to think (hopefully the pic attached). The wood looks like a combination of solid teak trim, afromosia veneer and birdseye maple veneer, along with what appear to be a lot of paper or vinyl coverings. Any insights appreciated.

 

[READY]

Looking at it now but the claim of 1GPH at cruise of 8.5kts looks way off the mark. Maybe it was supposed to be 10 gph?

 

[tiltrider1]

I am making educated guesses from looking at the listing. The first issue with this is I have no idea how old the pictures are but let’s assume they are current.

This boat was either custom ordered from the factory or some one has spent a ton of dough doing a refit. I am guessing it was a custom order. Either way level of finish is better than you would normally find on a LRC 58.

It appears the original owner bought the best equipment at that time. It does appear that the last owner took care of the boat but the real updating looks like it stopped 15 years ago.

It appears to be one of the nicest examples of a 58 LRC that I have seen in a long time. However, pictures have a way of making every thing look better than reality.

If I was in the market for a 58 LRC I would be on the plane to see if this one is for real. It’s priced higher than the usual specimen but I think it’s actually cheaper due to its condition.

 

[DougD]

Appreciate the thoughts. I'll have to give the broker a call tomorrow - it always bothers me when they don't cite engine or generator hours. I've looked at a lot of old boats and it's amazing how many have non-functioning hour meters. Hopefully there are maintenance records.
READY, it think the listing was intended to say 1 gpm vs 1 gph.

 

[KnotYet]

Certainly no less than 5-6 gph at cruise speed and a generator running.
10 gph is a very reasonable number for those 6-71's and a generator.
The listing says they are just 170 hp each, the most modest of that 6 cyl engine line.

 

[fgarriso]

We have a 1981 58LRC and it was converted from 32V to 24V before we bought it, but all of the wiring is numbered and done correctly as per the build sheets. The wires are very easily to trace as per the drawings, and you should not have any problems with that. We have done several upgrades such as alternators and inverters.

It has 6-71N engines that we prefer over the 4-53 DD. They do use slightly more fuel than the four cylinders, but if you are in open water with big swells, they will hold the boat speed better due to the increased power and torque. The torque makes a bigger difference to me. We still have 3000-mile range at hull speed. It runs 9.5 knots at 1600 RPM.

The DD engines are louder than some others it depends on what you are comparing to. In the cockpit it is loud but in the pilot house it is very easy to hold a conversation with two or three other people.

AS far as the stairways the flybridge is a little steep, but we do not have pets now, so it isn't a problem for us.

 

[PierreR]

We are in the situation where my wife has no proprioception and has had nearly 60 hours of orthopedic surgery. We ended up with the 42 LRC to minimize steps and get into a boat size that I can handle myself.
I am in the process now of replacing steep stairs with more flights. Maximum step will now be just under 7" and even width. We also purchased a set of self leveling boarding stairs to get on an off the boat. I think my 93 year old mother can now handle the steps as well.
We did buy pretty much the kind of boat you are after Doug. An unmolested boat in need of updating. When I get done it will be a fine example of a grandpa/grandma boat.

 

[tiltrider1]

Appreciate the thoughts. I'll have to give the broker a call tomorrow - it always bothers me when they don't cite engine or generator hours. I've looked at a lot of old boats and it's amazing how many have non-functioning hour meters. Hopefully there are maintenance records.
READY, it think the listing was intended to say 1 gpm vs 1 gph.

I bet the hour meters work and they don’t want to list them with out explaining why the hours are not as high as they appear. With DD 6-71’s it’s not how many hours are on it but how long since major over haul. Of course many 671’s go 10,000 hours with out an overhaul.

 

[DougD]

Captain - thanks for the specifics.. Do you happen to know if the larger engines are propped differently? The 3 bladed props look tiny on these large beasts, so I imagine things respond more slowly around the dock compared to what I'm used to.

 

[Jeff F]

Captain - thanks for the specifics.. Do you happen to know if the larger engines are propped differently? The 3 bladed props look tiny on these large beasts, so I imagine things respond more slowly around the dock compared to what I'm used to.

I'd rather dock an underpowered boat. You've got better low speed control. Goose the throttle and things will respond as fast as you want

 

[zigzag930]

We have owned our 58LRC for about 3 years now, so maybe I can add some insight.

Much our 32V system was converted over to 24V by a previous owner, but we do still have 32/24/12vdc systems on board. No issues at all with the wiring, etc during the time we have owned her.

I installed a Victron inverter (24v) and new house bank about 1.5 years ago, so for the time being we have adequate 110v power to run for about 12hrs (full size refer, ice maker, beverage cooler and misc appliances) before recharging. I went with lead acid batteries as I personally am not comfortable with the safety of Lithium on board (not to start another long thread, just my opinion)

We have a bow thruster, which is helpful in certain very tight situations, but it's electric so I limit the use to 20-30 second bursts as necessary. Would prefer hydraulic for continuous duty - but the electric is functional.

I belive all of the 58LRC's were stabilized, but maybe I'm wrong on that. If you plan to use your LRC (offshore, passages, etc) you will want stabilizers. Our fins were replaced with oversized fins at some point by a previous owner. THEY WORK.

Regarding the "day head", I wouldn't be without it. I can't imaging having to run down the stairs to use the head. I don't like to leave the PH for long periods of time when under way, so having the head a few steps away is important to me. Also, when at the dock and entertaining - you will want the head on the main level for guests, etc.

Access to the FB is the only real issue with the design. It's not a problem for us, but it would be nicer to have a better arrangement. I've seen a few LRC's where the owner has added a ladder from the cockpit/aft deck area. It's a ladder so doesn't make things any better. On a 61 MY, a friend of mine has a metal spiral staircase. I'm not a fan, but for some, this may be helpful.

Regarding 471's vs 671's, I can't imagine needing 671's or that they would offer much benefit. Perhaps in a gale, with winds and seas on the nose - the 671's would offer a bit more performance, but hopefully that will be a rare situation and even then - not sure how much of a difference it will make. I do like the idea that when it's time to rebuild - the 471's will cost quite a bit less. Hopefully, there won't be a rebuild in my ownership....

I will admit that learning all the systems, location of components, etc will take quite a while. After almost 3 years of crawling through every space on board, I'm still figuring things out. There are a lot of systems on the LRC, but fortunately for us, most of the repairs I have been able to do myself and have been minor in nature. For example, a water pipe leak here or there, bad float switches (happens on all boats with the crappy float switches they make today), lubricating latches, battery replacement, hour meter replacement, etc, HEADS - that's one you will have to deal with (32v Galleymade).

Most of the electronic systems on board were older, so I have upgraded much of that stuff. Easy to do (not cheap though).

If you find a LRC you like, make sure all the factory blueprints and schematics are on board. YOU WILL NEED THEM. All wiring is well labeled from the factory, but without the schematics, it will take forever to find things.

Make sure you register on Sam's where all the Hatteras guys hang out. Sam's is a tremendous source of information and assistance for these older Hatteras yachts. Those guys can pretty much answer anything you need to know.

I'm happy to talk with you about the LRC any time. Like other LRC owners, we have all looked at many of them and have a pretty good understanding of what's been for sale or sold in the last couple of years.