Hatteras yachts began on the barrier
islands of North Carolina. The location has some of the most untamed
waters in the Atlantic and some of the best sportfishing in the
world.
In 1959 at Cape Hatteras,
Willis Slane had a vision of building a boat that could conquer
the waters of Diamond Shoals and survive the weather of Cape Hatteras.
This new boat would have to be rugged and robust to take the pounding
of Hatteras waters. But most importantly, it would have to be a
great sportfishing boat – big enough to handle a group of
avid fishermen and comfortable enough for the family back at the
dock.
Built with fiberglass, Hatteras
produced its first sportfishing yacht on March 22, 1960. The boat
was christened the Knit Wits, and was a 41-foot twin cabin sportfisherman
with a 14-foot beam and a pair of 275-hp Lincoln V-8s. The response
from the public was enthusiastic and the Hatteras legend was born.
In a testament to the ruggedness that has become synonymous with
Hatteras Yachts, the Knit Wits is still in service today after a
fishing career that includes service in the Gulf of Mexico and Piñas
Bay, Panama.
Within two years, Hatteras premiered the 41 Double
Cabin, the first fiberglass motor yacht and the precursor of its
cruising yacht line. More sportfishing models quickly followed.
The market soon demanded bigger boats, and so the
Hatteras sportfishing fleet expanded – first to 50-foot boats
and now up to 90-foot convertibles. Hatteras also began designing
and producing a line of cruising yachts that now ranges from 63
to 100 feet in length.
Thirty years later, the original facility was closed
and all manufacturing was consolidated at the 95-acre waterfront
site in New Bern, where operations still remain today.
Hatteras yachts continue to set the standard for
ruggedness and high performance. Hatteras builds all its boats with
a solid fiberglass hull bottom, and warrants its hull for five years.
