Hatteras 37 Convertible
Built 1977–1982 by Hatteras Yachts
About the Hatteras 37 Convertible
Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.
- Built
- 1977–1982
- Builder
- Hatteras Yachts
- Length
- 37 ft
- Beam
- 14 ft
- Draft
- 3.25 ft
- Displacement
- 29,000 lb
- Hull
- fiberglass
- Hull / keel
- planing
- Propulsion
- inboard
- Fuel
- 330 gal
- Water
- 135 gal
- Holding
- 60 gal
- Water heater
- AC · standard
- Generator
- standard
- Bow thruster
- not fitted
- Stern thruster
- not fitted
- Steering
- hydraulic · Hynautic
Tank capacities — where the figures come from
-
Fuel 330 gal
“330 gal fuel” — search excerpt (1978), samsmarine.comAn owner's for-sale post on the Hatteras owners' forum agrees with 330 gal. No builder document was found (the Hatteras owners' archive has no 37 Convertible brochure).
-
Water 135 gal
“130gal water” — search excerpt (1978), samsmarine.comOne owner's sale post says 130 gal against our earlier 135 (from a spec guide); a single listing can't correct it, and no builder source was found.
-
Holding 60 gal
“70 gal fuel/waste” — search excerpt (1978), samsmarine.comOne owner's sale post gives 70 gal of waste (the wording is garbled) against our earlier 60; not enough to correct it.
-
Water heater AC · standard
“Base price (FOB High Point, NC, July 1, 1977) $103,200 includes: ... Pressure water system, Electric water heater” — review (1977), hatterasowners.com · “the head ... Stall shower with door ... Electric toilet. Hot and cold water. ... all accounted for in a long list of sta” — brochure (1980), hatterasowners.comA 1977 Sea magazine test, reprinted by Hatteras, lists an electric water heater in the base price; the 1980 Hatteras brochure describes hot and cold water in the head as standard without naming the heater. Capacity not given; 136 gal fresh water.
Tanks are often replaced or added on older boats — check the tank labels or a survey for yours.
Thrusters and steering — where this comes from
-
Bow thruster not fitted
Our earlier figure of none has no source. The 1980 builder brochure and the 1977 Sea magazine boat test (base-price inclusions and as-tested options) mention no thruster, but neither is a full option list.
-
Stern thruster not fitted
Our earlier figure of none has no source, and nothing was found either way.
-
Steering hydraulic · Hynautic
“Base price (FOB High Point, NC, July 1, 1977) ... Includes: ... Hynautics hydraulic steering” — review (1977), hatterasowners.com · “Steering is almost effortless through the Hynautics manual-hydraulic steering system” — review (1977), hatterasowners.com · “Late 70's is probably a Hynautic system. Check the resovoir tank by the steering ram. ... It is hydraulic steering. ...” — owners' association (1978), samsmarine.comSea magazine's 1977 boat test (reprinted by Hatteras) lists Hynautic manual hydraulic steering in the base price, and a 1978 37 Convertible owner on the Sam's Marine Hatteras owners' forum confirms a pressurized hydraulic system. A lower (salon) helm was optional.
Thrusters and steering are often replaced — check the units on your boat before ordering parts.
Replaced the Hatteras 36 Convertible. Solid fiberglass twin-chine hull with long keel. Two staterooms, galley up; lower helm optional. Limited 330-gal fuel for its weight.
Engines fitted
-
Detroit Diesel 6-71N — 310 hp, diesel, twin
standard
HMY: GM 310 hp 6-71N standard; a 1980 boat on the Hatteras owners' forum has twin 6-71Ns.Sources: hmy.com · samsmarine.com
-
Detroit Diesel 6-71TI — 390 hp, diesel, twin
factory option
HMY: optional 390 hp 6-71TI.Sources: hmy.com
Boats of the same model can differ — check which engines yours actually has before ordering parts.
Generator
standard
The builder's 1980 brochure counts a generator as standard equipment (size not given), and the 1977 Sea magazine test lists an Onan 7.5 kW diesel in the base price for the diesel-engine boat. Twin 330 hp gas engines were the base power in 1977, so the generator fuel on gas boats isn't confirmed.
-
Onan — 7.5 kW, diesel
The test boat's Onan had no sound shield and was noticeably loud at anchor.“Onan 7.5-kw diesel generator (included in base price); 'power is derived from the 7.5-kw Onan diesel generator'” — review (1977), hatterasowners.com
Generators are often replaced or added — check the unit's own plate before ordering parts.
Manuals and brochures online
- Document Sea magazine Seatrials: The Hatteras 37 (1977 boat test with base-price inclusions, Hatteras reprint) (1977) — hatterasowners.com
Hosted by the builder or an owners' association; they own the copyright.
Known problems for this model
No well-sourced problem reports found yet.
Engines & parts
Detroit Diesel 6-71 (inline, N / T / TI) parts: good
Factory standard engine — you entered “Detroit Diesel 6-71N”
Two-stroke 71-series engine with a huge commercial, bus and marine population; basic engine parts and complete overhaul kits (liners, pistons, injectors, blowers, bearings, gaskets) are cheap and widely available from Diesel Pro Power, Highway and Heavy Parts and others. Some marine-specific parts (coolers, manifolds) are harder to find. Designed to be rebuilt in-frame repeatedly; naturally aspirated engines with good care have been reported past 15,000 hours, turbo versions more like 3,000–5,000.
Parts sources: Diesel Pro Power (Detroit Diesel parts), Highway and Heavy Parts (Series 71)
Common problems (2)
-
Oil leaks engine
Owners describe 71-series Detroits as habitual oil leakers; chasing leaks with the right gaskets and sealants is a routine topic even on freshly rebuilt engines.trawlerforum.com · cruisersforum.com
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Noise and smoke exhaust
Injector and exhaust noise is loud unless mufflers are well designed, and some smoke is typical of the two-stroke design.trawlerforum.com
Maker’s service schedule (18)
| Engine oil & filter change | 150 hrs | “Industrial & Marine 150 Hours (max. engine oil change interval, fuel sulfur 0 to .50%)” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Fuel filters & water separator | 300 hrs | “Install new elements every 300 hours or when plugging is indicated (Item 13 fuel strainer and filter)” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Coolant replacement & freeze-point test | 1,000 hrs | “Clean the cooling system every 1,000 hours using a good radiator cleaning compound” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Engine pencil zincs | 500 hrs | “Every 500 hours ... remove the zinc electrodes from the inlet side of the raw water pump and the heat exchanger” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Heat exchanger & oil cooler cleaning | 1,000 hrs | “remove the retaining cover every 1,000 hours and inspect the heat exchanger core” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Drive belts inspect / replace | 200 hrs | “check the tension of the drive belts every 200 hours” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Air filter / intake silencer dry-type air cleaner | 1 yr | “Dry type elements should be discarded and replaced with new elements after one year of service or when the maximum allow” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Transmission fluid change Allison Torqmatic M / MH marine gear | 200 hrs | “Drain the oil every 200 hours and flush the gear with light engine oil (Item 41 Torqmatic marine gear)” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Clean crankcase breather | 1,000 hrs | “Remove the externally mounted crankcase breather assembly every 1,000 hours and wash the steel mesh pad” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Inspect blower screen | 1,000 hrs | “Inspect the blower screen and gasket assembly every 1,000 hours” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Check / clean air box drain tubes | 1,000 hrs | “check for flow of air from the air box drain tubes every 1,000 hours” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Check thermostats and seals | 5,000 hrs or 1 yr | “Check the thermostats and seals at 5,000 hours or once a year” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Inspect all hoses | 500 hrs or 1 yr | “all hoses should be thoroughly inspected at least every 500 operating hours ... and/or annually” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Drain water/sediment from fuel tank | 500 hrs | “Open the drain at the bottom of the fuel tank every 500 hours to drain off any water and/or sediment” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Coolant filter/conditioner element (if fitted) | 500 hrs | “the filter element should be changed every 500” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Check emergency (air) shutdown | 700 hrs | “check the operation of the emergency shutdown every 700 hours” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Check engine and transmission mounts | 2,000 hrs | “Check the engine and transmission mounting bolts and the condition of the mounting pads every 2,000 hours” — manufacturer, archive.org |
| Replace fresh-water pump seal | 6,000 hrs | “Replace the water pump seal after it has been in service for 6,000 hours” — manufacturer, archive.org |
Service part numbers (7)
| Raw-water impeller Detroit raw-water pump with 2 1/2 in. impeller (pumps 5115396 / 23507971) |
Detroit Diesel 5193602 | “Impeller for Detroit Diesel and Volvo Penta Marine Water Pumps 5193602 Impeller with 10 Blades and 12 Spline Drive” — dealer, dieselpro.com · “Detroit Diesel Series 71 Raw Water Pump Impeller, New (5193602)” — dealer, highwayandheavyparts.com |
| Raw-water pump kit pumps 5115396 / 23507971 (2 1/2 in. impeller) |
Detroit Diesel 5197224 | “Detroit Diesel Marine Water Pump repair kit 6V53, 6V71, 6-71, 6V92 5197224P For 2 1/2" impeller height” — dealer, dieselpro.com · “A-5197224 1 1 1 Reconditioning Kit ... Pumps #5115396,#23507971” — dealer, interstate-mcbee.com |
| Raw-water pump kit pumps 5122599 / 23507972 (3 1/2 in. impeller) |
Detroit Diesel 5197222 | “Detroit Diesel Marine Water Pump repair kit for 6-71, 8V71, 8V53, 12V71, 6V92, 8V92 5197222” — dealer, dieselpro.com · “A-5197222 1 1 1 Reconditioning Kit Pumps #5122599,#23507972” — dealer, interstate-mcbee.com |
| Zinc / anode electrode assembly, 2 1/8 in., at raw-water pump inlet |
Detroit Diesel 8517479 | “A-8517479 1 1 1 Electrode Assembly - 2 1/8" L At pump inlet” — dealer, interstate-mcbee.com · “Detroit Diesel Electrode, 2.125" Long (8517479) - In-Line 71 Series Heat Exchangers” — dealer, powerlinecomponents.com |
| Zinc / anode electrode assembly, 3 3/8 in., in heat exchanger |
Detroit Diesel 8515850 | “A-8515850 1 1 1 Electrode Assembly - 3 3/8" L In exchanger” — dealer, interstate-mcbee.com · “Detroit Diesel Zinc Electrode, 3.375" Long (8515850) - In-Line 71 Series Heat Exchangers” — dealer, powerlinecomponents.com |
| Thermostat 173 F non-blocking type |
Detroit Diesel 5172141 | “57 5.2050 5172141 Thermostat Assy.” — manufacturer, tractorparts.com · “Detroit Diesel Thermostat for 371, 471, 671 5172141” — dealer, dieselpro.com |
| Thermostat 170 F full-blocking type (needs seal 5132155) |
Detroit Diesel 23503826 | “A-23503826 1 1 Thermostat 170° F Full blocking use seal” — dealer, interstate-mcbee.com · “Detroit Diesel Thermostat, 170 Deg. (23503826)” — dealer, powerlinecomponents.com |
From the engine maker’s parts lists, or two independent parts dealers. Numbers change with serial number and get superseded — check yours before ordering.
Steering
Hynautic — K-series pressurized hydraulic steering (H-series helms, K-series cylinders) parts: obsolete
SeaStar bought Hynautic and kept making components and rebuild kits for years; after Dometic bought SeaStar, Hynautic pages and parts were removed from Dometic's site. Helms H-21 through H-52 and cylinders K-6 through K-31 are discontinued. Seatech Marine Products publishes SeaStar direct-replacement equivalents (e.g., H-50/H-52 replacement kits usable in the pressurized system with a non-vented fill plug) and offers rebuild services; independent hydraulic shops rebuild helms and cylinders for roughly $250–350 each. Kobelt/Accu-Steer also supply steering and power-assist equipment used on larger boats.
Parts sources: Seatech Marine Products (Hynautic alternatives & rebuilds), Kobelt (marine steering systems)
Common problems (3)
-
Helm pump shaft seal leaks steering
The upper helm shaft seal deteriorates from sun, salt and dirt and weeps oil; raising system pressure is only a stopgap, and the helm must be removed and resealed.samsmarine.com · trawlerforum.com · youtube.com
-
Cylinder rod seal leaks steering
Damaged wiper/rod seals let fluid out the end of K-6 type cylinders.facebook.com
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Olive-type tubing fittings leak steering
Some owners dislike Hynautic's olive compression fittings on plastic tubing because they are prone to leaks.trawlerforum.com
Model sources (5)
hmy.com · samsmarine.com · hatterasowners.com · hatterasowners.com · samsmarine.com
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Other Hatteras models
- Hatteras 40 Double Cabin 1987–1996
- Hatteras 43 Double Cabin 1971–1984
- Hatteras 48 Motor Yacht (1981-84) 1981–1984
Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.