T&T: Active stabilisers

[David Stahl]

Aston John Moorhouse
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 4:38 PM
snip> Here's a question for the list; Do  
active stabilisers require more maintenance than is worth the cost  
and advantage to having them? 

Reply.....
We bought Skooch (42' Hatteras LRC full displacement trawler) in 2001. The
stabilizers worked for the first year then malfunctioned. I do most of my
own work on the boat and thus the admiral will tell you, I had trouble
finding someone to fix them. I knew very little about Niaads, but of course
fooled around with them to no avail for several years. Boat ran fine as far
as I was concerned.

I finally broke down and took her to a Niaad service location here in the
Chesapeake Bay and had them fixed. Our you ready, $10K ouch. Now they work
and are completely re-built. This was two weeks ago.

We took Skooch out of the yard to a three day cruise around the bay but the
weather was good and I told the marina crowd that I was glad the stabilizers
work but if I bought an LRC again I would not get them. 

HOWEVER, this Labor Day weekend we ran to Baltimore Inner harbor, then
Annapolis, then home some 12 hours running with my daughter/son-in-law and
1.5 year old grand-daughter. The weather was great but so many boats were on
the Bay the water was rough. So I take it all back, best $10K spent so far
on the old Hatteras. The roll from Sea Ray wakes specifically off the stern
quarter are reduced 80%. I swear they turn and look at you to see how much
you pitch and roll. They were sorely disappointed, and the kids were not
thrown around, and the admiral was able to make lunch while underway. 

One other tidbit, we ran home from Annapolis (we scored a mooring can you
even dream of that on Labor weekend?) with a 42 GB from Worton. He does not
have stabilizers and mentioned it was the roughest he had ever seen the Bay.
They have been on the Bay and take the ICW to Fla every year for many many
years.

Just my experience, YMMV

Skooch
Worton Creek MD
Hatteras 42 LRC