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I never got the chance to talk to Lane Scelzi, owner of All Wet, the Hampton 580 Pilothouse I tested in early November, but I wish I had. I'd love to have heard him tell me why, among all the many motoryacht candidates in this size range, foreign and domestic, he picked this boat. But even without talking to him, I think I can figure out the reason. There's a war going on in the 50- to 70-foot-motoryacht range for the hearts and minds of boaters like Scelzi, and the combatants are boatbuilders in China (where Hamptons are built) and Taiwan versus those in North America. Far East-built boats' ace in the hole is generally considered price—the boat you see here carried a list price of less than $1.6 million—particularly in the lower end of that size range. Those who build and sell boats from this side of the Pacific counter that you get what you pay for, that Asian-built boats lack the quality of their (choose one or more) laminate schedule, exterior finish, hull design, systems engineering, or creativity.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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So do you pay a penalty when you buy a boat made in China or Taiwan? That question is simply too general to answer in a meaningful way and certainly not based upon a single boat like the Hampton 580. But I can say this: The boat I tested is as well-designed, well-engineered, and well-executed as any comparable boat I've been aboard regardless of her origin. I couldn't find a major flaw, anywhere, and believe me, I looked. And I'll bet that, more than price, is what ultimately made an experienced boater like Scelzi choose Hampton.
Notice that in making that statement, I did not mention seakeeping. Our test boat was moored at the dealer who sold her, Adventure Yachts, on Seattle's Lake Union, and the only sizeable body of water available to us for a sea trial within a reasonable distance was nearby Lake Washington, which was as flat as the page these words are printed on. I can't even show you an acceleration curve because of a radar-gun glitch, although I was able to get data on speed (courtesy of the onboard GPS), fuel burn, decibel readings, and running angles. The first two I'd judge to be average or above for the class. Running angles were moderate, sound levels (taken at the pilothouse) were low, and helm response was sharp, with a turning radius at cruising speed of little more than two boat lengths. Our 580 did roll slightly to outboard in hard turns, regardless of whether the standard Wesmar RS600 stabilizers were on or off, a characteristic not unusual in vessels with large, lengthy keels like this one.
Speaking of hull design, the 580's is the product of a collaboration between Hampton's in-house team and Howard Apollonio, who, as he often does, called in hydrodynamicist Ed Hagemann. In his design notes Apollonio says he began with an existing Hampton hull, sharpening up the entry and flattening the aftersections to add buoyancy; the bottom transitions from a deadrise of 19 degrees amidships to 14 degrees at the transom. He also says he altered the keel to help resist broaching in a following sea and, interestingly, to "resist roll-out in turns."
Hampton has executed this design with a thoroughly modern laminate schedule. The hull is, of course, hand-laid, using either Knytex or Cymax fabric, two layers of Kevlar that run chine to chine, and vinylester resin on the first five layers for blister resistance. An additional layer of Kevlar provides impact resistance forward of the collision bulkhead, while Divinycell foam core stiffens and insulates above-decks structures. The hull-to-deck joint is also serious: through-bolted every six inches, sealed with 3M 5200, and bonded with three layers of fiberglass. All major interior components such as bulkheads and soles are bonded to the hull and/or deck. Additional structural rigidity is provided by a grid-type stringer-transverse member matrix whose intersections are overlapped, not butted, and which, like every other interior area, is finished in gleaming white gelcoat.
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