Article Courtesy: anglersjournal.com | Originally Published: 2/17/20 | Click here for original article
New Boat Report: Hatteras Yachts GT45X
Hatteras Yachts offers the new GT45X in four configurations, each with handsome lines and North Carolina sportfishing roots. The boat is available as an enclosed express, an enclosed express with a tower, an open express with a tower and as a flybridge model.
All GT45X models share the same resin-infused, foam-cored fiberglass hull and bottom, with prop tunnels to reduce draft and improve performance. Hatteras powers the boats with Caterpillar diesels ranging from a pair of C12.9s rated at 850 hp each to C18s rated at 1,150 hp each.
“One thing we’ve found with today’s buyers is when you offer a choice of engines, most will opt for the most horsepower available,” says Jeff Donahue, Hatteras Yachts director of sportfishing and team captain. “Everyone wants to go fast, but it’s also a decision that positively impacts the boat’s performance and value at resale. Out of the 36 boats we’ve sold, only four didn’t have the C18 option.
“The boat runs and fishes like a much larger yacht,” he adds. “It has the feel and the type of performance you expect from a 50-plus-footer but in a package that makes it an ideal boat for an owner/operator to be able to cruise, fish and care for.”
The 138-square-foot cockpit includes two large insulated fishboxes and an access hatch for the lazarette in the sole. A live well with a viewing port is in the transom.
The mezzanine area is two steps up from the cockpit and includes two insulated storage compartments and a lounge. A tackle and rigging station to starboard is augmented by additional tackle stowage in the bridge deck area. At the helm are three chairs and an L-shaped settee.
A section of the mezzanine lounge lifts to access the engine room. The remainder of the lounge contains another insulated stowage compartment that can be fitted with a Dometic Eskimo Ice icemaker.
The bridge deck is offset to port, and the companionway to the galley and stateroom is to starboard. The view forward is unobstructed, thanks to a single-panel windshield.
The flybridge model has two offset helm chairs to port and a starboard walkthrough that leads to a starboard bench seat and a lounge.
The GT45X is available with a full complement of fishing features — from teaser reels to outrigger packages.
“We are just finishing up one for a customer who wanted a hard-core blue marlin boat to tow behind a mothership to distant ports of call,” Donahue said. “That one will have a simpler below-deck layout and will be rigged with the best of everything for it’s intended purpose.”
The C18-powered model has a top end of 43 knots and cruises at 36 knots at 2,000 rpm burning 82 gallons per hour. The standard 800-gallon fuel tank gives the boat a 334-mile range, with reserve.
For more information on this and other Hatteras builds, go to hatterasyachts.com.
