Boat test for the 2004 Hatteras 80 with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2004 Hatteras 80.

Other features here would also appeal to both smaller- and larger-boat owners. The first is a pair of pantographic doors to either side and, to port of where I sat, a pair of elevated seating areas with tables, one forward and the other along the aft bulkhead. Both had granite tops and a pair of stools and offered excellent views, again reminding me of the pilothouses on larger vessels. (Opt for the enclosed-bridge version, and the lower pilothouse becomes the galley, creating a larger dining room.)

The rest of my self-guided tour would have to wait, however, as we were ready to shove off. As Stansel and I planned our departure on the expansive bridge deck, we noticed that the “active station” lights on the Study electronic controls were so small that they were virtually invisible in the sunlight.

We were in a tight corner of the marina, and with so much boat behind us and a fairly bothersome current abeam, I positioned myself aft on the edge of the bridge as an extra pair of eyes, just in case things went south. As it turned out, Stansel performed a seamless maneuver by utilizing the wing stations on each side of the forward bridge helm. “Looks like a short learning curve on this boat,” he smiled. With almost three hours of cruising time to Key Largo, I could continue looking through the boat.

Up on the bridge deck I found a wet bar with three stools just aft and to port of the helm. Aft of that is a seating area with stowage below, and opposite the wet bar is another seating area, this one with a table. A Gaggenau electric double grill sits in a cabinet with a large stowage compartment beneath, and the sunpad to starboard can be fitted with a hot tub. A tender and Marquipt 1500 davit are fully aft. It was easy to see how, with this kind of equipment and space, the bridge deck could serve the needs of owners accustomed to larger spaces and those looking for more.

There are two stairways down to the main deck, one aft and one forward. I took the latter and made my way into the main-deck space that encompasses the dining area, galley, and saloon. This, I discovered, is where the 80 shows her megayacht-class nature.

There are fine woods, like the Java and mahogany dining table and the African mahogany cabinetry, plus butter-soft leather on the expansive port-side saloon couch. Other touches include sculpted valences and soft wall coverings. All this should make the interior of the Hatteras 80 familiar to a big-boat owner used to a high level of luxury and enticing to an owner looking for more luxury.

Regardless of whether you’re on a 40-footer or a 140-footer, entertaining is a favorite pastime. On the 80, there’s space aplenty. There’s a wine cooler in the dining room, while the saloon has a wet bar with bottle and glass stowage, a Whirlpool ice maker, and a 42-inch Sony plasma TV in a beautiful cabinet. But while watching big-screen, hi-def TV and listening to music through a killer sound system will keep you and your guests occupied for a time, someone is inevitably going to get hungry. And that’s when they’ll head for the galley. As my 80 did not have the optional enclosed bridge, the galley was to port and through the hallway separating the lower station from the main deck. Big-boat owners and up-and-comers will find this space well equipped for preparing anything from finger food to a sumptuous sit-down dinner in the adjoining dining space, directly to starboard. Three granite countertops provide acres of workspace, and appliances include a Sub-Zero 650 upright refrigerator with freezer, ice maker, full size Whirlpool self-cleaning oven, four-burner electric stove top, trash compactor, and dishwasher. The Sharp microwave/convection oven is in its own cabinet on the bulkhead, and there are a number of cabinets above and below, as well as plenty of drawer space for provisioning.

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