A Local Success Story:
Hatteras
Yachts
Hatteras Yachts, one of the best known names in the yachting world, is located in New Bern. Lauded the world over for its distinctive designs and high quality construction, Hatteras Yachts has sparked a revolution in boat design and elevated the expectations of boat owners worldwide since its inception in the 1950s.
The story of Hatteras Yachts started in 1959 when Willis Slane, unable to go fishing because of treacherous seas, decided to build a better boat. The result? The sleek, 41-foot Knit Wits, capable of taking on the fierce waters off Cape Hatteras. Knit Wits was one of the first boats of its size to be constructed from fiberglass. And the rest is, as they say, history.
Hatteras Yachts, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2000, was originally based in High Point, North Carolina. Its first manufacturing facility was located in an old Pontiac dealership on Wrenn Street. Building boats in High Point had its drawbacks — one of those being its location 200 miles from the ocean — and the decision was made to move the “launch and make ready” operations to New Bern in 1969. By 1997 the entire Hatteras Yachts manufacturing operation had relocated to New Bern.
Hatteras Yachts' 95-acre, state-of-the-art production and in-water facility is located on N. Glenburnie Drive on the banks of the Neuse River. The company's impact on the New Bern economy is immeasurable — Hatteras Yachts employs more than 1,300 local residents at an annual payroll approaching $30 million.
Best known for its distinctive modified V-hull, Hatteras Yachts produces 15 different models, ranging from 54-foot sport-fishing convertibles to cruising yachts in excess of 100 feet. Annual sales of watercraft made by Hatteras Yachts averages more than $100 million.
Tours of the Hatteras Yachts facilities can be arranged by
calling (252) 634-4873.