Hatteras Announces a Bold Return and Three New Models

After months of speculation following the Ft. Lauderdale show, Hatteras has announced a major resurgence and THREE new models in 2024.

At last fall’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the most talked about boats was not a new build, but rather, the gorgeous restoration of the iconic Hatteras sportfisher Knit Wits. Hatteras has been awfully quiet since being acquired by well-known conservationist angler Johnny Morris back in 2021—so why was Knit Wits there? What did her appearance portend? Well, it turns out that the boat’s appearance was lining us up to learn that Hatteras now has plans for not one, but three new models.

The smallest of their boats will be the Bimini Run 48’. We don’t have much detail yet— just a single image. But the illustration, and her obvious fishability, makes for compelling viewing. She looks to be a hybrid of sorts, with the classic lines of Knit Wits and elements of a trick offshore-ready center console and a traditional cabin sportfisher. She’s surrounded by walkaround decks and boasts a nice rear mezzanine and quad-outboard power (manufacturer and power as yet unknown, but the rendering looks Mercury-ish).

Next in the roster will be the Cat Cay 66. We’re only seeing a silhouette image of this model, but she looks to be a beautifully sleek, well-Carolina flared mid-sized sportfisher.

Then there’s the Chub Cay 77’. Here, Hatteras has revealed the most detail on what looks to be a shot across the bow of every serious North Carolina sportfish builder. She’ll have four staterooms with a massive owner’s cabin set not in the bow, but amidships. By placing it there, the cabin will not only be at the most stable part of the hull, but it looks like it will offer enough space for a good sized head, closet and an actual sofa.

When we first learned Morris had bought Hatteras, we suspected he had big plans. Morris is not only the founder of Bass Pro Shops, but White River Marine Group, which also builds Tracker, Tahoe, Mako, Triton and Nitro boats. But very few had any idea just how big Morris’s plans were until his announcement hit our inboxes today. White River moved Mako and Ranger to New Bern, North Carolina a couple of years ago, so adding the 60-year-old Hatteras brand and a new state-of-the-art Hatteras factory to New Bern’s already deep boatbuilding base will only increase the town’s visibility and viability as a hub of southeastern—and North American—boatbuilding. Also in today’s Hatteras release came the news that the company has welcomed Guy Roberts as the manager of the plant. Roberts’ job handling the nuts, bolts and resin pours of a resurrected Hatteras is a big one. “Guy has a passion for his people, and his experience in the manufacturing industry is a perfect fit for this position as we prepare to introduce the all new Hatteras, high-performance sportfishing boats,” Morris said in a statement.

We’re looking forward to finding out more—so watch this space. In the meantime, have a look at Dan Harding’s walkthrough of the resurrected Knit Wits. She’s a beauty.

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Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boats/hatteras-announces-a-bold-return-and-three-new-models