1981 Hatteras 61 Cockpit Motor Yacht Boat in Little River, SC 29566 US

• Dinghy Not Included

"First Light" is beautifully equipped for extended cruising or liveaboard yachting.

The fully enclosed aft deck has teak wing doors, port and stbd opening windows and aft
curtains with screens to capture the breeze. There is a teak table and chairs for dining and a convenient wet bar. The aft deck has a custom teak sole.
Double teak doors lead to the saloon/deckhouse with a comfortable "L" shaped sofa along with a coffee table, and beautiful bright finished cabinetry. Continuing forward, the pilothouse has a bench seat, complete electronics, and sliding doors on port and starboard.

Down forward to the galley with teak and holly sole, full sized appliances, including a side by side refrigerator, and a comfortable "U" shaped custom dinette. 

Below the sole of the galley is battery storage, two 20 K.W. Northern Lights Gensets, and air conditioning units.

Forward two steps down, the crew quarters have upper and lower twin berths with storage
beneath, a built-in dresser, a cedar-lined hanging locker, and a complete head with stall shower and sink. Divided rope/chain lockers are forward.

Aft from the galley, step down into the companionway with a washer/dryer and storage closet on starboard side. Continuing aft on starboard, the guest head is complete with a stall shower and sink. Across the companionway on the port side, the VIP stateroom has side-by-side twin berths with custom headboards, a centerline nightstand, and a large cedar-lined hanging locker.

Aft mid-ships are port and starboard walk-in engine rooms.

Continuing aft down the companionway, the spacious full beam master suite has a complete head with a stall shower, tub, and sink on port side and an extra wide cedar-lined closet on starboard side. The master stateroom has custom "Shoji" screens, two built-in dressers, a built in desk, a safe, a nightstand, and a true queen sized centerline berth.

The spacious flying bridge has been optimized for entertaining or relaxing. Flybridge equipment includes a built in refrigerator with icemaker, electric Bar-B-Que Grill, Corian counter tops with sink and prep station plus complete helm station forward. The Bimini top extends aft from the radar arch, covering the entire custom seating area. The Bimini frame is overbuilt in 1 1/4" stainless tubing. There is a davit for launching the Vintage Boston Whaler, powered with a new 25 H.P. Yamaha 4 Stroke outboard. 

• GE Profile Refrigerator Freezer
• Miele Electric Cooktop
• Miele Electric Oven
• Miele Dishwaher
• Trash Compactor
• GE Profile Microwave
• Stainless Steel Double Sink
• Corian Solid Surface Countertops
• Teak and Holly Flooring
• Custom Window Treatments
• "U" Shaped Dinette

• Twin GM Detroit Diesel 12v71ti 650 HP Main Engines start instantly with zero smoke. 4500 hours and currently cruising

• Glendinning Syncronizer

• Twin 20kw Northern Lights Gensets

• Naiad Stabilizers - Resealed and Serviced 2026

• Hydraulic Bow Thruster

• CO2 Fire Supression

• Large supply of parts and spares

• Reverse Cycle Digital Air Conditioning

• All Electriconic controld throughout

• Watermaker (Not in service)

• Trace Inverter with very sophisticated automatic operation and dedicated battery bank for extended "Off the grid" cruising
• Twin 20kw Northern Lights Gensets
• 10kw Cruising Alternator off main engine to charge batteries underway
• 12v DC dedicated battery for Electronics
• 32v DC "Rolls" Batteries for House and Engine Start - New in 2023
• 125v/250v Shore Power

PLEASE NOTE: Electronics are dated and Current Owner uses Multiple Tablets for Navigation with the most up to date charts and a NEMA backbone pulling Location, Speed and Depth and AIS from the ships systems for the most user friendly setup available and ease of navigation from anywhere aboard the vessel.

• Furuno 8251 Radar with 8 ft Open Array

• Furuno 24 mi Radar as a back up

• Simrad/Robertson Auto-Pilot

• NorthStar 951GPS

• Garmin GPS

• Furuno FCV 585 Depth/Fish Finder

• DataMarine Speed/Depth/Wind

• Interphase Probe "Forward Looking" Depth Finder

• ICOM VHF

• Standard Hailer

• Ritchie Compass

• SeaTel Sat TV

• KVH Sat Phone

• Galley Maid Windlass

• Bow Pulpit and Rails

• 300 feet 3/8" High Tensile Chain

• 65 lb. CQR anchor

• 50 lb Fortress Anchor

• Auxiliary Fortress Anchor, chain and line for the stern anchor

• Dinghy Butler swim platform davit

• Electric Dinghy Davit

• Radar Arch

• Swim Platform with Ladder

• Transom Door

• Fenders and Fender Racks

• Fresh Water and Raw Water Wash Downs

• Deck Boxes on Bow

• Teak Side Rails

• Cockpit Controls

• Searchlight

Personally having traveled over 1,000 nautical miles aboard First Light, I can confidently say this is one of the finest older Hatteras yachts I’ve had the privilege to represent.

I’ve completed multiple passages with the current owner and have also been involved with the purchase and sale of his previous three vessels. That gives me a unique perspective into how this yacht has been cared for—not just during the listing process, but throughout years of ownership.

The owner is an electrical engineer responsible for designing hospital electrical infrastructure and diesel backup power systems. That same level of precision and preventative thinking is reflected throughout this yacht.

Maintenance has always been proactive rather than reactive.

Systems have been upgraded because they improved reliability—not simply because something failed.

One of the aspects I appreciate most is the owner’s decision to seek out the dependable 650 HP Detroit Diesel 12V71TI engines. Running at conservative horsepower levels and utilizing intercoolers rather than more maintenance-intensive aftercoolers, these engines have earned an outstanding reputation throughout the commercial marine industry for longevity, simplicity, and ease of maintenance.

Equally impressive is the engine room itself. Full walkaround access provides outstanding serviceability to nearly every major mechanical system—something that’s becoming increasingly rare aboard yachts of any era.

This isn’t a yacht that has simply been cleaned up for photographs.

It has been actively cruised, continuously improved, and meticulously maintained by someone who truly understands marine systems.

If you’re looking for an older Hatteras that inspires confidence the moment you step aboard, First Light deserves your attention.

Ask him what he’ll miss most, and the answer comes with a smile.

It’s ending another day of cruising on the raised aft deck just outside the salon, watching the sun set with his wife while she made sure his favorite bar was always fully stocked. No matter where they were—whether tied up in a quiet marina or anchored in a secluded cove—that evening ritual became one of the highlights of every trip.

Of course, he’ll also miss the engines.

As an electrical engineer responsible for designing hospital electrical infrastructure and diesel backup power systems, he specifically sought out the dependable 650 HP Detroit 12V71TI Detroit Diesels. Their conservative horsepower rating, proven reliability, and straightforward maintenance made them the perfect choice for serious cruising.

He’ll miss opening the engine room and having full walkaround access to nearly every major system—a rarity on yachts of this size—and knowing that routine maintenance never meant squeezing into impossible spaces.

More than anything, he’ll miss the confidence this boat inspired. Whether making long passages, easing into unfamiliar marinas, or spending weeks away from home, First Light consistently proved herself to be a dependable cruising companion ready for wherever the next adventure led.

Ask her, and the answer is much easier.

The storage.

So much storage.

Enough room for clothes, shoes, toiletries, extra linens, holiday decorations, galley essentials, spare parts, and all of the little things that make a boat truly feel like home. Living aboard never meant deciding what had to stay behind.

She’ll miss stepping aboard from virtually any dock thanks to the multiple boarding options, enjoying sunset dinners in the cockpit, entertaining friends on the aft deck, and waking up somewhere new without ever giving up the comforts of home.

The walkaround side decks made docking together easy, while the spacious interior meant every rainy day still felt comfortable and relaxing.