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      • California Humpbacks Perform Rare 'Triple Breach' (Video)
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      • Circumnavigator Who Eschewed Instruments Dies at 104
      • Maritime Liens: Don't Let Your Boat Get 'Arrested'
      • Gulf Stream Is Slowing Down
      • Attention Cruisers, Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks Next Week
      • Ladies Publish Great Loop Tell-All
      • New NOAA Model Forecasts Another Sahara Dust Cloud Arriving This Week (Animation)
      • TT35 Demonstrations Set for Next Week
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      • Giant Floating Chain Saw To Rip Up Wrecked Car Carrier off ICW
      • Lock Sked Final: Great Loop Doable, But...
      • Georgia Caves, Defangs Draconian Anchoring Law
      • Heads Up, Boaters: Here Comes the Red Dust from Africa
      • Bahamas Changes It's Mind: Keeps Covid Test Requirement
      • Insurance? Tell All or Risk Claim Denial
      • Gulf 'Dead Zone' Bigger Than Connecticut
      • GPS Spoofing Mystery: AIS Crop Circles & Ghost Ships
      • Yanmar To Install Fuel Cell Propulsion in Boats
      • Bahamas To Boaters: Welcome Back, Wear a Mask
      • Covid Concerns Fuel Coast Guard Retention Drive
      • Birthday Gift for Her 70th, a TT35
      • Above Average Hurricane Season Forecast
      • Foreign Boaters Get Some Relief as Restrictions Eased
      • Catalina Island Reopened for Arriving Boats
      • When a Boat Isn't: Supreme Court Decides
      • Coast Guard Adopting 'i911' for Your Location
      • Makeover: Storm Early Warning System Explained (Video)
      • The Reality of Quarantine in Paradise
      • 92-Footer Sinks Off California
      • New York to Loopers: You May Be Out of Luck
      • Badass Origins of Boating Law
      • Can Cannabis Save Florida Waterways?
      • Tale of a Terrible Boat
      • Boating and Social Distancing (Video)
      • Powering Through a Mexican Gale
      • Bahamas Says Stay Away, Get Out
      • Composting Heads Are a Good Option
      • TT35 Ad Campaign: The Un-Tug
      • Coronavirus Song: 'Drone Shot of My Yacht'
      • Smuggler's Run: Florida's Own 'Mini-Loop'
      • Virtual Tours of Old Ironsides
      • BoatUS to Gulfport, Don't Break Law
      • Luperon's Swimming Robber or Maybe Not
      • Georgia Begins Undoing Anchoring Ban
      • Gulfport Joins the War Against Cruisers
      • Video on D.R. Consulting Gig
      • Reward Increased in Hunt for Dolphin Killer
      • Our Favorite Fugitive Arrives in Mexico
      • Humungous Crane To Slice Up Wrecked Car Carrier
      • Avoid Getting Screwed by Georgia; Just Go Around
      • Radar Detects 'Fowl' Weather in Keys
      • Old Abe the Naval Architect
      • $20,000 Reward in Dolphin Killings
      • Great Lakes Search for Sunken Planes
      • Great Harbour Advises D.R. Boatbuilder
      • Despite Sewage Apocalypse, Mayor Blames Boaters
      • Loopers Will Need NY Certificates
      • Dorian Dog Story 'Spiked'
      • $209,000 for 61-Foot Hatteras MY
      • Refloating Effort Progress
      • Free Bahamas Cruising Guide
      • New Florida Anchoring Bans
      • Propane Fire
      • Psychedelic Fibers Advance Knot Theory (Video)
      • Wanted on the Waterways 1/4/2020
    • Ken Fickett's Blogs
    • Cruising in the Time of Covid: Think Outside The Loop
  • Owners
    • Moving Aboard
    • The Odyssey Begins
    • The Search For Adventure
  • Home
  • About
    • A Family Affair >
      • Ken Fickett
      • Becky Fickett
      • Travis Fickett
      • Jessica Fickett
    • Mirage Manufacturing
    • Factory Support
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • Boats
    • TT35 >
      • TT35 Specifications
      • TT35 Key Features
      • TT35 Design Discussions
      • Towing Resources
      • PRESS
    • N37 >
      • N37 Specifications and Layout
      • N37 Photo Gallery
      • N37 Brochure
    • GH37 >
      • GH37 Specifications and Layout
      • GH37 Photo Gallery
      • GH37 Brochure
    • N47 >
      • N47 Specifications and Layout
      • N47 Photo Gallery
      • N47 Brochure
    • GH47 >
      • GH47 Specifications and Layout
      • GH47 Photo Gallery
      • GH47 Brochure
    • GH74
  • Great Design
    • Trawler Truths >
      • Trawler Truth 1
      • Trawler Truth 2
      • Trawler Truth 3
      • Trawler Truth 4
      • Trawler Truth 5
      • Trawler Truth 6
      • Trawler Truth 7
    • Design Discussions >
      • Twins vs Single
      • Shoal vs deep draft
      • Stability vs Ballast
      • Fishtail Rudders
      • Space Age Core
      • Core Materials
      • Unsinkability
    • Economy
    • Our Naval Architect
  • Construction
    • Lamination
    • Interior
    • Rigging
  • Trawler Times
    • News >
      • California Humpbacks Perform Rare 'Triple Breach' (Video)
      • Betrayal in Georgia? Anchoring Rules Appear Worse Than Ever
      • Ga. Wreck Removal Delayed Again: Anchor SNAFU
      • Chesapeake's Tangier Island: Enjoy it While You Can
      • Robert Peek, Beloved Deep Creek Lockmaster, Has Died
      • U.S. Agency Warns of GPS Interference
      • Rudy and Jill's ICW Tips
      • A TT35 Day at the Sausage Factory
      • Cat or Monohull Sailboat Versus a Trawler (Images, Long)
      • Loopers Warned To Linger Post-Sally
      • Coast Guard Shallow Draft Navigation Survey
      • Forget Lithium for a Moment: Why Old-Fashioned Batteries Explode
      • Tracking Hurricane Laura Live (Streaming Video)
      • The Downsides of Cruising (Comprehensive)
      • Circumnavigator Who Eschewed Instruments Dies at 104
      • Maritime Liens: Don't Let Your Boat Get 'Arrested'
      • Gulf Stream Is Slowing Down
      • Attention Cruisers, Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks Next Week
      • Ladies Publish Great Loop Tell-All
      • New NOAA Model Forecasts Another Sahara Dust Cloud Arriving This Week (Animation)
      • TT35 Demonstrations Set for Next Week
      • Prep for a Busy Hurricane Season
      • It's a Marina! It's a Mooring! No, It's a French Design (Video)
      • Giant Floating Chain Saw To Rip Up Wrecked Car Carrier off ICW
      • Lock Sked Final: Great Loop Doable, But...
      • Georgia Caves, Defangs Draconian Anchoring Law
      • Heads Up, Boaters: Here Comes the Red Dust from Africa
      • Bahamas Changes It's Mind: Keeps Covid Test Requirement
      • Insurance? Tell All or Risk Claim Denial
      • Gulf 'Dead Zone' Bigger Than Connecticut
      • GPS Spoofing Mystery: AIS Crop Circles & Ghost Ships
      • Yanmar To Install Fuel Cell Propulsion in Boats
      • Bahamas To Boaters: Welcome Back, Wear a Mask
      • Covid Concerns Fuel Coast Guard Retention Drive
      • Birthday Gift for Her 70th, a TT35
      • Above Average Hurricane Season Forecast
      • Foreign Boaters Get Some Relief as Restrictions Eased
      • Catalina Island Reopened for Arriving Boats
      • When a Boat Isn't: Supreme Court Decides
      • Coast Guard Adopting 'i911' for Your Location
      • Makeover: Storm Early Warning System Explained (Video)
      • The Reality of Quarantine in Paradise
      • 92-Footer Sinks Off California
      • New York to Loopers: You May Be Out of Luck
      • Badass Origins of Boating Law
      • Can Cannabis Save Florida Waterways?
      • Tale of a Terrible Boat
      • Boating and Social Distancing (Video)
      • Powering Through a Mexican Gale
      • Bahamas Says Stay Away, Get Out
      • Composting Heads Are a Good Option
      • TT35 Ad Campaign: The Un-Tug
      • Coronavirus Song: 'Drone Shot of My Yacht'
      • Smuggler's Run: Florida's Own 'Mini-Loop'
      • Virtual Tours of Old Ironsides
      • BoatUS to Gulfport, Don't Break Law
      • Luperon's Swimming Robber or Maybe Not
      • Georgia Begins Undoing Anchoring Ban
      • Gulfport Joins the War Against Cruisers
      • Video on D.R. Consulting Gig
      • Reward Increased in Hunt for Dolphin Killer
      • Our Favorite Fugitive Arrives in Mexico
      • Humungous Crane To Slice Up Wrecked Car Carrier
      • Avoid Getting Screwed by Georgia; Just Go Around
      • Radar Detects 'Fowl' Weather in Keys
      • Old Abe the Naval Architect
      • $20,000 Reward in Dolphin Killings
      • Great Lakes Search for Sunken Planes
      • Great Harbour Advises D.R. Boatbuilder
      • Despite Sewage Apocalypse, Mayor Blames Boaters
      • Loopers Will Need NY Certificates
      • Dorian Dog Story 'Spiked'
      • $209,000 for 61-Foot Hatteras MY
      • Refloating Effort Progress
      • Free Bahamas Cruising Guide
      • New Florida Anchoring Bans
      • Propane Fire
      • Psychedelic Fibers Advance Knot Theory (Video)
      • Wanted on the Waterways 1/4/2020
    • Ken Fickett's Blogs
    • Cruising in the Time of Covid: Think Outside The Loop
  • Owners
    • Moving Aboard
    • The Odyssey Begins
    • The Search For Adventure
An Object Lesson in Buying Fast Vessels
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How To Ensure You're Truly Testing the Boat You Want To Buy
​
 By PETER SWANSON
This is a story about a terrible boat, told to an audience of marine surveyors by the lawyer whose job it was to defend the builder of the terrible boat 14 years ago. The builder of the terrible boat was not a terrible company. Quite the opposite, the builder was Hatteras, a venerable brand in the sportfishing niche, but the model in question was, as Jimmy Buffet once sang, “a big mistake-a.”
 
The boat in question was a 2006 Hatteras 64 convertible, back when Hatteras was owned by Brunswick Corporation. This story, as gleaned from both court documents and the attorney's talk, is worth retelling because it offers an important lesson to anyone looking to buy a “fast trawler.” Plus, it should be noted that other than the original sin of bringing a terrible product to market, Hatteras acted in good faith throughout what turned out to be an ordeal for everyone involved.
 
What was amazing about the story is that the lawyer telling it showed remarkable empathy for the people suing her client. To summarize her talk: The buyers got a raw deal and the defects in the boat they bought were incurable. In the end, the company took the boat back and refunded the $2.7 million purchase price.
 
So what was wrong with the boat? Pull up a chair, my friend.
 
She “porpoised” underway in the slightest chop. A “station wagon effect” pulled fumes and spray over the transom while running in head winds, resulting in a cockpit so wet that anyone sitting in it might as well have been undergoing an ice-bucket challenge. Water somehow got sucked into the engine room and saloon. Bow spray overwhelmed the flybridge, effectively blinding the pilot. And there were other issues as well, including a badly running engine.
​

For six months the builder struggled to find fixes—relocating exhausts, adding strakes, even retrofitting tunnels in the hull ahead of the props.
 
No joy. The owner got fed up, sued, and the company settled. It also settled a separate lawsuit filed by another owner. As I recall, fewer than 20 Terrible 64s were ever built.
 
PUSHING WATER
But what really caught my attention was a disclosure from the lawyer that did not find its way into the court papers. She said the boat would not get up on plane with full fuel and water tanks. The slide show of the boat underway, struggling to plane, was astonishing. The forward half of the vessel was almost completely obscured by a wall of spray.
 
Marine magazine reviewers—of course—had praised the build and performance of the Terrible 64, which is no surprise given Brunswick’s advertising budget back then. As I always like to say, the big boatbuilders did not just purchase ad space, they purchased either our silence or our effusive praise. In the case of the 64, effusive won out.
 
Here is one quote with an oblique—almost Kremlinesque—reference to the boat’s wetness:
 
Punching through 10-foot head seas you can really appreciate the 64's blend of physical mass and deep-reduction muscle. Advance the throttles and she responds steadily, engaging the sea without a hint of hesitation or stagger. Running in a beam sea and bow-quartering sea we managed 27 knots comfortably while the big Cats loafed along at 1900 rpm… Given the weather, I was pleased to find the 64's bridge was protected with a three-sided enclosure fitted to a PipeWelders tower.
 
Here’s another heap of praise:
 
Seas were rolling with 4-foot swells, just enough to make things interesting. They were a fair test of how the Hatteras 64 Convertible can handle rough water. Coming out the Beaufort Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean, Hatterascal’s spray was deflected in enormous white sheets to either side as she cut through the whitecaps. Water droplets sparkled in the sunlight, but none came near us on the flybridge…Hatterascal made small work of the 10-to-12-foot swells while running 28 knots quartering to swells. Don’t try this with an ordinary boat.
 
More absolute bullshit from a third publication:
 
I could get into more funky design details, such as the metacentric height, stagnation lines, and waterplane area, but all that gobbledygook can be summed up as such: This boat kicks ass. I fished on it all day in a steady three-foot chop with a few four-footers and the oddball mega wave mixed in, and there was never a moment of discomfort. We trounced the seas at a 35.3-mph cruising speed, and even running wide open outside the inlet was no problem.
 
I happen to know a couple of these writers, and neither is an imbecile, but I can almost guarantee that neither was experiencing the vessel with a full fuel load of 2,000 gallons and 400 gallons of water—more than 15,200 pounds. Standard practice is to conduct sea trials with tanks nearly empty, which doesn’t matter if someone is testing a full-displacement boat like a Great Harbour, Nordhavn or Selene. Not so on a craft that’s designed to get up and go.
 
MORAL OF THE STORY
If you’re looking to buy a “fast trawler” and intend to go cruising, which means getting underway with full tanks, it would behoove you to ask that any sea trial be conducted fully loaded. If that’s not practical, include a clause in the contract that specifies performance goals with full tanks. Either could save you from making a big mistake-a.
Picture
A Hatteras 64 running, probably near empty.
COURT EXHIBIT 9: "The wetness issue has been subject to more theories than Global Warming." READ IT.
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©Mirage Manufacturing, 2015
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