Second Encore! 1986 Hatteras 58’ Motor Yacht

Thankfully, the search for a new boat did not last very long. We knew we wanted a Hatteras Motor Yacht in the 53’ – 58’ range. Three or four staterooms was a must. Spacious exterior entertaining areas was also high on the wishlist.

The Search – Part One

The search began in April 2024 as soon as Encore departed with her new owner. Several Hatteras Motor Yachts were on the market in the desired size range. Yachtworld and Boat Trader were used to weed through some of the inventory to create a list of potential options to view in person.

After a thorough search, four contenders were chosen to take a closer look at. A 53’ Extended Deck Motor Yacht, a 54’ Motor Yacht, both near Savannah, Georgia, and a 53’ and a 54’ Motor Yacht both located in Florida.

Prior to beginning the search, the 53’ Extended Deck Motor Yacht was largely unknown to me. I had never been on one before, and I had never really considered it. After seeing the one available in Savannah, it became the favorite. I loved the layout with the full beam salon and interior access to the fly bridge.

After a few attempts to work out a deal, we just could not come to a final agreement. Once the sale price was agreed, the broker/owner wanted a substantial non-refundable deposit transferred prior to the survey. They would not entertain addressing any issues found during the survey. Needless to say that created a very uneasy feeling, and the decision was made to walk away.

The Search – Part 2

The deal falling through for the 53’ in Savannah was discouraging, but the search continued on. This time there were only two boats chosen to view in person. A 53’ Extended Deck Motor Yacht near Memphis, Tennessee and a 58’ Motor Yacht near Iuka, Mississippi on Pickwick Lake.

After viewing the 53’ in person, it was easy to see that the boat was going to need more work than we were willing to commit to. It was in good condition overall, but the interior really needed a full update.

The 58’ was in excellent shape. One of the engines had been recently rebuilt with supporting documentation. The other engine had relatively low hours. The interior had been updated over the years. All wood work was in great condition. This boat checked all of the boxes on the wishlist. After some back and forth during the negotiation stage, a deal was reached and we took possession of Aegis in July 2024.

The Boat

Mostly due to the 18’+ beam, the 58 felt substantially larger than the previous boats we had looked at. The layout is ideal. It has a very large back deck and fly bridge, interior access to the fly bridge, large salon, exterior passageways, three staterooms, and three heads.

Machinery includes two Detroit Diesel 650hp 8V92 engines and two Onan generators, one 20kw and one 21.5kw. Neither generator was original to the boat and both had low hours. Another plus was the tender. It is a 2021 Highfield cl380fct with almost no hours on it.

The exterior paint and finishes were in good condition. Interior wise, the galley and heads had been updated through the years, all wood paneling looked great, and all of the furnishings were in good shape with no need of replacement. Compared to Encore, this boat needed very little work. Aegis was ready to start using immediately.

A few pictures below from when the survey was completed.

Getting Aegis Home

Now we had to figure out how to get Aegis to her new homeport of Pass Christian, MS. That is a 550nm voyage, taking the Great Loop Route down the Tenn-Tom Waterway, then into the Mobile River, finished off with a coastal run west through the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

The voyage spanned six days and required passing through 12 locks. We decided to make a family trip out of it. The next two blog posts will document the voyage, sights, and challenges we experienced along the way.