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Model profile · for Great Loop buyers

Hatteras 48' LRC

The published record on this model and what owners report, with the questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page covers the model. Every boat still needs its own homework.

A rugged, slow, seaworthy long-range cruiser whose durable 2-stroke Detroits are reliable but famously loud, and whose air draft varies enough boat-to-boat to make or break Loop eligibility.

The Hatteras 48' LRC is a solid fiberglass long-range cruiser (roughly 53 built), most fitted with twin naturally-aspirated Detroit Diesel 4-53N diesels (~112 HP), with a small number delivered with Ford Lehman 120s. Owners regard it as a durable, economical displacement-speed passagemaker that cruises around 7.7-8 knots at roughly 5 gph. Its two biggest buyer issues for the Loop are the loud 2-stroke exhaust drone and highly variable air draft depending on mast, bimini, and electronics. Some hulls can be lowered enough to clear the Loop's controlling structures and some cannot. Most owner discussion comes from Hatteras-friendly forums, so expect a pro-boat bias.

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How to read the tags on this page. CLAIMstated by one source, not yet confirmed QUESTIONopen, and settled by looking at the boat itself CONTEXTbackground on how this model is built or used Sources are linked where published.

Air draft & bridge clearance

CONTEXT
Air draft varies widely by mast, bimini and electronics, so measure it in segments Brokers list dramatically different heights for individual 48 LRCs depending on solar panels, GPS, anchor light, antennas, mast, and flybridge bimini. Some hulls are marketed as Loop-capable with a hinged/tabernacle mast that folds low; others have fixed flybridge biminis that a buyer noted exceed the height needed. Whether the mast is a true hinged type matters a great deal on this model. src: Curtis Stokes listings ("AfterMath", "Kokomo", "Black Powder"); Trawler Forum
Your move: Measure the actual air draft yourself in segments (waterline to gunnel to bridge top to top of arch/electronics) and identify exactly what folds or removes; confirm whether the mast is a true hinged/tabernacle type.

Fuel & range

QUESTION
Economical displacement cruise around 7.7-8 knots at roughly 5 gph Owner data is consistent: around 2000 RPM gives a little over 8 knots at about 5 gph, and a regular cruise of 1800 RPM gives about 7.7 knots. Efficient fuel burn at displacement speed is one of the model's strong points. Verify actual burn and usable tankage on the specific hull. src: Sam's Marine (owner "Skooch")

Reading the boat

CONTEXT
Owner-forum sources carry a pro-boat bias Most available discussion comes from Hatteras-friendly forums; one owner said plainly that on a Hatteras forum you won't hear many negatives. Weight glowing owner reports accordingly and lean on the survey for condition-specific findings. src: Sam's Marine

From owners

CLAIM
At about 4,000 hours, one owner's 1976 48 LRC still runs her original engines and transmissions An owner of a 1976 48 LRC reports about 4,000 engine hours on the original engines and transmissions, with the starters, freshwater pumps and coolant pumps replaced along the way. The AC units and the generator have been replaced, the waste system was reworked with a Purasan treatment system, and a hydronic diesel heater was added. Most of the electrical system, the Morse shifters and the Hynautic steering are original, and the original Wood Freeman 400 autopilot isn't working. The boat has been in a mix of salt and fresh water, and the owner says the fiberglass hull and deck have held up well. src: Owner report: an owner of a 1976 Hatteras 48 LRC (Oct 2026)
Your move: On a boat this age, ask which systems are still original, and have the surveyor look hardest at the electrical and the steering.

Engines

The engines research is part of the full profile inside the product. It covers factory options, tested performance and the engine-specific questions in our members' dossiers, and it travels with every dossier and survey brief built on this model.

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Spotted something wrong or have first-hand knowledge of this model? Email support@caniloop.net. Corrections are how a profile earns its Facts, and we credit them however you choose. This profile reflects sources opened and verified by a person. It's buyer homework, and it makes no judgment on any particular hull.