420/44 DB Owners Club

Robf said:
Follow up question, Tomco, can you tell me if the hydraulic swim platform degraded performance or not? What size tender do you put on the platform? I am considering either a platform or Freedom lift to haul a 500 RIB.
Rob
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Ours came with the hydraulic platform. Don’t have anything to compare against but nothing noticeable in loss of performance. We carry an ab 10vsx with 30 hp Tohatsu. Setup is about 450lbs.
 
Robf said:
Follow up question, Tomco, can you tell me if the hydraulic swim platform degraded performance or not? What size tender do you put on the platform? I am considering either a platform or Freedom lift to haul a 500 RIB.
Rob
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Well, that is a good question that I'm not able to answer definitively. I have the 6CTA mechanical engines (which I'm very happy with) and comparing performance with others on this forum I seem to be right there in the lower RPM range but see a big difference at cruising/WOT. I'm confident that engines are working properly (i.e. I reach a WOT of 2700RPM, boost pressure from the survey was right on) but I don't seem to get the top end speed. Can't be sure that the hydraulic lift/dinghy/outboard weight is the reason … just don't know yet. For our cruising, we don't run on plane that often so it is really not much of a problem. We have 200' of all chain in the front and with the lift/dinghy the boat seems well balanced.

One thing we have noticed with the platform is the increased 'deck' space. With the dinghy off or course, it adds a nice amount of space when entertaining. Ours is a Walker Bay Odyssey365 console that is about 11.5' if I remember, pushed by a 30hp Tohatsu. We are super pleased with this combination! Big enough to handle the chop and scoots along very nicely.
upload_2019-10-23_8-19-58.png
 
craigswardmtb said:
That's wild. I'm looking at a receipt from the previous owner and he paid 20k for Nuteak for the cockpit, swim platform and stairs to the bridge for my 420. Seems outrageous.
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It is my understanding that with PlasDeck you can order it pre-assembled (to a template) - which is what I believe Carpe did - and glue the mat down yourself. Nuteak doesn't look like they offer the pre-assembled mat and recommends a custom build on-site. Suspect the installed cost for the Nuteak would be significantly higher as a result.

What is your impression of the Nuteak product?
 
Well guys, made the plunge. Looks like I'm no longer a 44DB owner, and now a 2017 460 DA owner. (I will post this in both the 460DA and 44DB forum pages, so please forgive the redundancy.)

We loved the 44DB, but we made the move for a couple of reasons:

1. we love the layout of the newer 460. We really wanted two usable staterooms, and the 460 checks that box very well.

2. we love having a salon for entertaining that is separate from sleeping area and the newer 460 has a great salon with excellent flow from the aft deck (44DB has a great salon too).

3. we loved most things about a bridge boat, except having people on 2 levels when entertaining. We also recently got a new lab puppy, and we feared she'd end up falling down the stairs while underway (yes I know you can shut the hatch).

4. I did not like all the canvas and isinglass on the 44. Newer 460 is hard top with real glass with a giant retractable roof to let air in.

5. Everything is 11 years newer. The electronics are much better throughout.

I will miss driving from above, I think the visibility forward is awesome on bridge boats. I will miss the bow thruster coupled with the big wheels - with a little practice the handling on the 44DB is unbelievable and I was constantly amazing friends with how I could drop that big boat into small spaces.

I'm rolling the dice on pods, having read a lot of the negative comments here and elsewhere on early generations of the Zeus Pods. I believe if they are properly maintained they are reliable and efficient. The new boat came with 4 years of warranty remaining, so this helped my comfort level.

Now I've just got to get the boat back from Grand Haven before the lakes turn into a skating rink.

Comment to my 420/44 brethren: Thank you for all the help you've given me over the years, and I wish you all the best.

Here are a couple of pics of the new baby:
2017 460DA (0).jpg
2017 460DA (3).jpg
2017 460DA (5).jpg


Scott
 
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Tomco said:
It is my understanding that with PlasDeck you can order it pre-assembled (to a template) - which is what I believe Carpe did - and glue the mat down yourself. Nuteak doesn't look like they offer the pre-assembled mat and recommends a custom build on-site. Suspect the installed cost for the Nuteak would be significantly higher as a result.

What is your impression of the Nuteak product?
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Its a beautiful product and seems pretty durable. I do have one decent sized rub mark i'm hoping i can somehow get out. It looks like the PO dragged something across the platform area. Outside of that, it seems of high quality, pretty durable and very aesthetic. Albeit i have only had the boat for a month now.
 
craigswardmtb said:
Its a beautiful product and seems pretty durable. I do have one decent sized rub mark i'm hoping i can somehow get out. It looks like the PO dragged something across the platform area. Outside of that, it seems of high quality, pretty durable and very aesthetic. Albeit i have only had the boat for a month now.
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I've read that you can use a sanding block to remove the mark. Don't remember if it was on the Nuteak or Plasdeck web site.
 
60 grit sandpaper with the grain on Plasdeck. Haven't had to try it yet.
Don't know about Nuteak.
 
sb in gp said:
Well guys, made the plunge. Looks like I'm no longer a 44DB owner, and now a 2017 460 DA owner. (I will post this in both the 460DA and 44DB forum pages, so please forgive the redundancy.)

We loved the 44DB, but we made the move for a couple of reasons:

1. we love the layout of the newer 460. We really wanted two usable staterooms, and the 460 checks that box very well.

2. we love having a salon for entertaining that is separate from sleeping area and the newer 460 has a great salon with excellent flow from the aft deck (44DB has a great salon too).

3. we loved most things about a bridge boat, except having people on 2 levels when entertaining. We also recently got a new lab puppy, and we feared she'd end up falling down the stairs while underway (yes I know you can shut the hatch).

4. I did not like all the canvas and isinglass on the 44. Newer 460 is hard top with real glass with a giant retractable roof to let air in.

5. Everything is 11 years newer. The electronics are much better throughout.

I will miss driving from above, I think the visibility forward is awesome on bridge boats. I will miss the bow thruster coupled with the big wheels - with a little practice the handling on the 44DB is unbelievable and I was constantly amazing friends with how I could drop that big boat into small spaces.

I'm rolling the dice on pods, having read a lot of the negative comments here and elsewhere on early generations of the Zeus Pods. I believe if they are properly maintained they are reliable and efficient. The new boat came with 4 years of warranty remaining, so this helped my comfort level.

Now I've just got to get the boat back from Grand Haven before the lakes turn into a skating rink.

Comment to my 420/44 brethren: Thank you for all the help you've given me over the years, and I wish you all the best.

Here are a couple of pics of the new baby:
View attachment 76143 View attachment 76144 View attachment 76145

Scott
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Congratulations! Beautiful boat. Good luck with the pods. I couldn’t bring myself to risk the exposure. Love the cabin layout though.
Carpe Diem
 
Tomco said:
It is my understanding that with PlasDeck you can order it pre-assembled (to a template) - which is what I believe Carpe did - and glue the mat down yourself. Nuteak doesn't look like they offer the pre-assembled mat and recommends a custom build on-site. Suspect the installed cost for the Nuteak would be significantly higher as a result.

What is your impression of the Nuteak product?
Click to expand...
I almost went for the buying the material and doing a custom install but the job would have been ten fold more time consuming and the out side boarders would be difficult to cut and install. The plasdeck folks scan in your template and the CNC machine cuts the pattern. I could see charging $80/ft for a custom laid floor but not to have the custom mats clued down.
 
JoAna said:
I like the wood for inside the showers (would you make a couple on the side)??
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Joana and Irie, thanks for the inquiry, would love to help out but I just don't have the time right now ... been doing woodworking as a hobby for 30 yrs, maybe when I retire ...

My wife and I were talking about these mats when we saw one on a cruise last winter - it was made by a company in the USA called Teakworks4u (https://www.teakworks4u.com/collections/mats). Looks like they will make a custom one from a template.
 
Not my favorite project, but the engine and genny winterization system is built. For the engine I adapted my shop vac with some flexible couplings to 1.5" spa tubing and some pvc valves and fittings. The 3" fitting on the end will thread right into the strainer. For the genny I'll just use the flush caps that came with the boat for winterization. Sad day. It will be the last weekend on the boat before she goes to sleep
1572394058907403592891482908929.jpg
 
On our boats windlass, is there a built in chain stop to use when under anchor? Or do most of you have a separate stop installed somewhere on the bow? Or use a bridle?
 
I don't believe my 44 had a chain stop other than the clip-and-cable which could be used for that purpose under certain conditions. I think in windy conditions a bridle of some kind would be more secure.

Scott
 
Mine has the chain stop - I don't use it except under the calmest conditions and never overnight. I use a bridle if there are any conditions (wind or current) and/or if we are staying overnight. I don't think the chain stop is strong enough to be counted on.

The bridle has a second benefit that it takes the load off the chain at the anchor rollers so there is no movement and much quieter overnight.
 
Tomco said:
Mine has the chain stop - I don't use it except under the calmest conditions and never overnight. I use a bridle if there are any conditions (wind or current) and/or if we are staying overnight. I don't think the chain stop is strong enough to be counted on.

The bridle has a second benefit that it takes the load off the chain at the anchor rollers so there is no movement and much quieter overnight.
Click to expand...


I do the exact same....

Bennett
 
Tomco said:
Mine has the chain stop - I don't use it except under the calmest conditions and never overnight. I use a bridle if there are any conditions (wind or current) and/or if we are staying overnight. I don't think the chain stop is strong enough to be counted on.

The bridle has a second benefit that it takes the load off the chain at the anchor rollers so there is no movement and much quieter overnight.
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the cable as a chain stop? Mine did not have a real chain stop. I think the cable is simply a safety strap to prevent anchor from deploying unintentionally. A real chain stop looks like this:

chainstop.jpg
 
sb in gp said:
Are you referring to the cable as a chain stop? Mine did not have a real chain stop. I think the cable is simply a safety strap to prevent anchor from deploying unintentionally. A real chain stop looks like this:

View attachment 76427
Click to expand...
I'm referring to the chain stop as per your picture.
 
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