@markdallman900 absolutely! Email me at [email protected], and we'll set it up

Your email disappeared from my mailbox; how, I have no idea. Can you resend it again and I'll make sure my wife doesn't delete it ... again.

Thank you for the comment. I'll be better next time.

Lol! Yes, these engines are louder than the Cummins, Cat or any 4 cycle engine for that matter, but no, they are no so loud you need ear protection anywhere on the boat but the engine room. The cockpit can be a bit loud, but not horrible. There's nothing like the sound of a Detroit! (Perhaps that's why Hatteras didn't muffle them much). And the reliability is great. These are fully mechanical ststems, no electronics whatsoever, so they are simple, simple, simple. Overhaul both engines where they sit over the weekend. You can't do that with any other engine! On a side note: my 6v92TA on the 48 Motoryacht were much quieter and still had that 2-cycle sound. But that's a completely different setup.

@cruising5to1 Thanks for your timely reply!! Can you offer any words of wisdom on the 4-71 and 6-71? Years ago I had a motor home with a 60 Series...great engine!

@rusty9129 not really, except that so many of these engines were built and they were built for many, many years, that parts are plentiful. Facebook has a couple of DD groups that are very helpful, and I've learned a lot from them. I would keep an eye on these posts if you're considering a purchase.

Absolutely! Our boat came from the factory with raw water toilets, and a previous owner converted the system to fresh water. I would assume most of these boats were converted at some point, but you never know what you'll find out there. One of the best things about the 48' IMHO is the single 80-gallon holding tank with separate access for each head. One tank to empty but two ways to fill it. Boat life! It's odd what we find important 🤔

Thank you. We love our 48' LRC. We think it's the perfect size, quality, and comfort for our planned cruising. Good luck with your search.

Let me start with question number 2: a modified vee hull is a modern version of the deep vee hull designed by Bertram and successfully raced in offshore raced on both the east and west coast and even in Europe. The deep vee hull has a fine entry into the water from the bow and continues to the stern of the boat. This makes for a very comfortable and seaworthy ride. The modified deep vee begins with a fine entry at the bow and begin flattening out toward the stern. While this does not provide for as smooth a ride as the deep vee, it does make for much better fuel economy. Deep vees are hard on the wallet at the fuel pump and most cruiser will never wish to experience the difference between the deep vee and modified vee hulls. Boats can take a lot more beating than your boat's crew. Regarding question number 1, each of the vessels questioned are planing hulls of the modified vee configuration. To be sure, all one need do is look to at the bottom of the boat (even that part of the bow that sits out of the water) and look for hard chines that will run from the bow and usually to the stern. These horizontal runs that look like shelves are a clear indication that the hull is a planing hull because they assist by pushing the bottom of the boat out of the water. The faster the boat travels through the water, the more pressure is created by these "shelves" to eventually get the boat on plane. Keep mind though, the boat is at its least efficiency once it exceeds its hull speed until reaching full plane. This is called plowing and makes enemies from other boaters around you. This is where the semi-displaced hull outshines the planing hull. The semi-displaced hull don't begin planing until the bow wake transfers to the stern of the boat, allowing for a much greater range of efficiency, but at the risk of overall speed. For example, a 45 foot boat has a hull speed of approximately 9 knots (www.omnicalculator.com/sports/hull-speed). This size boat becomes inefficient after this speed, but if its a planing hull attempting to rise above the water, the plowing becomes even more inefficient. The semi-displaced hull, on the other hand, does not waste energy pushing the boat up and out of the water with chines; however, it is inefficient by pushing the boat against the water until it too left onto plane. Lastly, while you can find gas boats of the kind you're interested in above, I would highly discourage a gas boat. These boats should be diesel. Yes, they are more expensive, harder to work on, and require a bit more maintenance, diesel is safer (diesel does not explode and requires high ignition sources to cause fire), they are MUCH more efficient, and have a much longer life expectancy (10,000 hours for a diesel engine as opposed to 1,200 hours for a well maintained gas engine). While friends of mine have argued that for the additional costs of the diesel engine and the saving they may provide in fuel economy, they cannot argue the safety aspect. Gas does not need much to go boom! Just YouTude gas engine explodes vs. diesel. I hope all this rambling is helpful and I'm sorry for any misspelling or grammatical errors, my wife is cooking my dinner. Happy boating and cruising.

You are an artist! There's nothing like the original paint on these boats when paint was meant to last. My '81 Hatteras has the original paint, and it looks fantastic! Paint vs. Gelcoat? I lean toward paint.

I just rewatched the video. It's been a while. The parts of the video where the engines are obnoxiously loud were taken from the cockpit next to the exhaust. In reality, the boat isn't very loud but only because it's well insulated. These are 4-53N and are known as Screaming Jimmy. Thank you for watching; more to come soon!

By the inch it's a sinch, by the yard it's hard. In a beautiful location...well, it's just a little harder.

Thanks! I will get one before heading out into deeper seas. We all can expect the watermaker to give us fits, just like having another teenaged daughter on board.

Thanks so much!

I love talking boats! Send me a quick email at [email protected] and we'll set something up.

Thank you. Let have a great 2024!

Thanks for the support. I have many friends looking for boats now. Though boats are not selling, the prices don't seem to be going down either. It's a strange time right now, but I think you're right. All those people who bought boats to get out of their covid restrictive home now have to pay for maintenance they were not expecting. They will want to get rid of them soon, just like you predict.

That is a great question! 5 blades and above are designed for high-speed and high revolution. 4 blade designed for planing hulls but you'll see them on semi-displaced and fully displaced hulls for smoothness. 3 blade props work well for slow boats like mine but you'll see them also on planing hulls, these props just don't have the same bite in the water. Then there is the cost! 3 blade props are somewhat affordable and 5 blade props cost more than my first NEW car...EACH. Of course, the 4 blade falls in the middle. Then there is the tuning! A 5 blade prop is similar to a Ferrari and needs turning just because it touched the water, the 3 blade is like a VW Bug, run them until they fall off or there is significant damage. The 4 blade will need to be tuned after cuts and dings are worked out. Personally, I run what the manufacturer used. They had the R&D to figure out what was best for that boat. On a side note, I may consider a change to the 48' Viking from 3 blade to 4 blade props. They have big engines and could probably benefit from more bite that 4 blade props provide, but then the issue is what size and pitch. This all goes out the window when considering a single screw. In this case, you're looking at the size and weight of the vessel. Engineering and science is involved to determine the best, most efficient propeller, and hopefully, the R&D of the manufacturer got it right.

Thank you for your prop guidance. It sounds like we will go with the Manufacturer recommended - although I like tge sound of a 4 blade smooth ride (subject to price). Have a Happy New Year!

Welcome aboard! The journey is everything, but try to avoid getting sick and having your dreams delayed. But "delayed" is the key word because we're not giving us!

Thank you for your question and interaction! It makes me feel like I’m exposing a lifestyle to people unware that something so incredible actually exists. Would I consider a 50’ Center Cockpit Hunter a good boat to complete America’s Great Loop? First, let me admit that I am a powerboater; however, we were about to purchase a similar boat in 2006 to sail in the San Francisco Bay on weekends and holidays. But just before pulling the trigger, we found out we would be having yet another child. Children are more expensive than boats. Plus, I am of the opinion that sailboats are more dangerous than powerboats (they heel, have lines to catch little feet, safety lines that children can fall through, and so on); not to say that powerboat aren’t dangerous. It’s all relative. So we postponed our decision until Morgan was old enough to hold lines and not just my beer. While we were waiting for Morgan to grow up and learned to sail with us we realized we were getting old. Sailing is for the young or athletic people, not old fat people who like to drink and eat. We wanted to get out on the water and a powerboat was the ticket for our circumstances. We have fallen in love with this lifestyle and made the big jump to sell everything and move onto our 48’ Hatteras LRC; a fully displaced hull with large fuel, water and waste tanks for long range cruising. So, with that introduction tempering my opinion below, which is only an opinion, here would be my post important considerations: the Hunter 50CC is a beautiful center cockpit sailboat very much ideal for off-shore passages due to the safe and secure cockpit, especially with the lines running aft for safe operation in rough seas. It is the ideal boat for open seas and the only style of boat I would consider for these types of passages. This style of boat would also be good for costal cruising. I believe this style of boat less than ideal for intra-coastal cruising, yet very much capable with some limitations that you can avoid without great difficulty. Boating is a compromise! A couple/family must manage these compromises with an accurate scale. What is important? Is off-shore cruising in safety important or will you only sail from Florida to the Bahamas or Long Beach to Catalina? Will you be buying a boat specifically to cruise the American Loop or is this just one of your planned cruises? Is this your first boat or is this a boat you already own? What is your lifestyle and what makes you and your family comfortable? These flavors to consider are simply the tip of the iceberg. You must get right down into the grass, dirt and weeds to find your best boat. These considerations will be different for everyone contemplating the fairly large investment to enjoy this way of life. Can the Hunter 50CC complete America’s Great Loop; especially with the Wing Keel? NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! But is it as capable as other boats designed for coastal cruising? Not a chance (that said, I have learned that sailors are a different breed than powerboaters, so let me explain statement more fully). Sailboats complete the Loop all the time. They have fully displaced hulls and small efficient engines; however, sailboats have small tanks for water, fuel and waste. This isn’t exactly a deterrent from using a sailboat, just something you’ll need to think about. For example, most sailboat often carry jerrycans for long passages (you’ll probably need some of these for the passage either down the Mississippi or the Tim-Tom as you’ll need a 200 mile range between fuel stops). You’ll also need to step the mast; again, not a deterrent but something to prepare for. There is actually a transportation service that will pick up your mast from the marina stepping the mast and deliver it on the other side (you’ll need to research this). Then there is the obvious consideration; the depth of the keel will affect the available route you can take. For example, if you’re thinking of cruising the Dismal Swamp, one of our buck-list cruises, forget about it. Your keel will be bouncing off the bottom the whole way and likely pick up crap on the wing. But there is a way around it, just like other portions of the Loop that a deep keel must consider. On the other hand, no problem cruising Chicago or the entire Erie Canal with bridge clearances above 17 feet. What are some other considerations? For us, we wanted long range carefree cruising (we have 1400 gal. of fuel, 450 gal. of water and 85 gal. of waste). We can run both our engines and generator for nearly 2000 miles in complete comfort, a concession for the ladies onboard. This boat is highly maneuverable with twin screws and a bow thruster; a flying bridge with outstanding visibility; a comfortable saloon with views out our huge side windows; a nicely sized galley for my wife’s need to make me fatter with unbelievable cuisines; and a fully displaced powerboat hull designed to easily mate with other powerboats when rafting with other powerboats on anchor or a sea wall. So, yes! The Hunter 50CC can complete America’s Great Loop. Is it the ideal boat? Not for my family, but this is a personal question that you will have to explore with your family. It could very well be the ideal for you! Make a list of the things that are important, the places you want to explore, the lifestyle you wish to live and your budget, which I didn’t even attempt to explore in this quick post, but it may limit or expand the available boats for you to investigate. Sorry for the long post. I love talking about boats, so sometimes I get a bit long winded. Take care and good cruising! Matt

Thank you! It will be soon. Come visit us when we're in La Paz! Love ya!

Thank you.

Thank you! An update is upcoming soon and hopefully, I'll get back to regular videos. Thank you for reaching out, I appreciate it.

This boat is fast at over 20 knots and with twin screws, it maneuvers very well, though it may take practice to throw her around small areas. You could always have bow and stern thrusters added, but this would be over-kill. With powerful diesel engines like this boat is equipped with, take time to learn your boat and don't worry about the added costs and maintenance of thrusters.

It's a 40 year old boat and needed some fresh blood to love her enough to spend this kind of money on her. It takes a special type of person to spend this amount of money on a boat nearly as old as the owners, but we think it'll be worth it, at least to us.

Fantastic! Good luck in your plans and your search. Thank you for watching.

Wide open throttle is 2300 RPM and that gets us about 9 knots I've been running her at 1500 RPM and that gets us about 6 to 7 knors. Cruising speed us 1800 RPM where I pick up another 1/2 knot, but the extra fuel cost doesn't support the faster speed IMHO

I have watched your videos ever since Rosy and Jim introduced you on their channel, and I've watched, with some envy, glide through the waters we anticipated cruising not so long ago. I will figure out how to PM you to get your 411 because this GD thing doesn't seem to want to go away. Until then, keep cruising and keep the videos rolling 😎!

Thank you for your comment. We got stalled here in Ensenada, right before continuing our adventure, due to a very serious infection called Valley Fever (one last gift from California). I spent a month in the hospital and will have to be monitored by my doctors for a bit longer (I hope it's only a short bit longer). We plan to start passing water under our keel in October and make way to the East Coast to officially begin AGL in 2025, but the adventure to get there should be incredible. Thanks for watching and participating 😊

Thank you. Do you think it's too long and should be shortened up into several different videos?

Every boat has a specific price point. Bayliner was an important contributor to opening up this hobby to many people who did not have the resources to purchase a Hatteras or Viking. For this undisputed fact, we should never disparage owners of a boat that does live up to your standards but rather celebrate the fact that people are enjoying the water as much as we do.

Thank you!

No, I would not recommend this...at all! We use Scott's RV and Marine and found it doesn't dissolve in our hands; it's kind of like the chocolate in M&M's. A good test for you to see what's happening is to put a legitimate sample size of paper in a bucket and see how long it takes to break down. Another thing to remember is that, unlike an RV, the holding tank is not discharged by gravity. It has to be sucked out, in many boats from the top of the tank. If the TP becomes a ball of fiber, a pumpout will not have enough power to pull it out from the bottom of the holding tank. Hope this helps and good travels!

No, but Biden Economics hasn't helped at all.

Even your's? That's some potent stuff then 😁

It took us about 9 to 10 hours. A long time, but we only burned 70 gallons of fuel.