55 Convertible

The Hatteras 55 Convertible replaced the iconic (but aging) 53 Convertible in the Hatteras fleet for 1980. Marketed as an offshore battlewagon with luxurious accommodations, the modified-V hull of the Hatteras 55 has a solid fiberglass bottom with cored hullsides and broad 17'6" beam. Most were delivered with a three-stateroom teak (or oak) interior with the galley and dinette forward in the salon. The master stateroom is amidships to starboard with island queen bed (or twin berths that convert to a double bed) and en suite head. A port guest stateroom opposite the master has over/under bunks, and the forward guest stateroom also has over/under berths. All three heads have shower stalls. An alternate two-stateroom layout has the galley and dinette down and a much larger salon. The cockpit has a molded tackle center, transom door and gate, in-deck livewell, and direct access to the 55’s standup engine room. The flybridge has two captain’s chairs and port/starboard seating forward of the console. No lightweight, standard 650hp 12V71TIs cruise at 18–20 knots (low 20s top), and 870hp high-performance versions—available from 1982—cruise at 22 knots (mid 20s top).