I just finished removing another half foot of snow from the driveway and the temperature started as a balmy -13C or 8.6F, so I think it's a good time to talk boating.
In November '07 I joined CSR and started a thread "Choices 460DA vs 480DB". I received a lot of ideas and support from the members at that time and it helped with purchasing the Sundancer pictured below. At the time I had no bias either for or against Sea Ray but they were essentially the only players in the game at that price and model choice. We looked at Carver, Tiara, Cruisers, Regal,... After having operated the boat for a season I now appreciate the quality, value and popularity of the brand along with the support, knowledge, and enthusiasm of CSR members, a number of whom we have had the pleasure of meeting during our travels in '08.
I should state that my wife and I would have been happy with the Sedan Bridge as well but did not require the extra room since we boat alone mostly. If our children were at home still it would probably be different. The factors in swaying us away from the bridge boat were two: Our marina in Georgian Bay could not handle the size of the 480DB (and there are very few choices in facilities up there) and the CAT 3196 motor issue.
I could not afford the upgrade to a newer 480DB with the Cummins QSM-11 motors and as it turned out, the 480 that we almost bought did in fact have further motor problems. The first issue of boating location was a non event. We relocated our boating to Lake St. Clair where marine facilities abound and storage is not an issue. The dealer there has been fantastic and we continue to expect and receive a great level of service along with social functions.
During our search of Sea Rays we looked at a dozen 460DA models with Cummins, Cat 3208 and Volvo motors. We also checked a similar number of Sedan Bridges 1998 through 2002 and all had the CAT 3196s.
The performance of this boat has been excellent. Docking is easy and the cruise is a comfortable 22 knots with top end around 28 kn. I could use just a bit more speed. Fuel burn is mid to low 30's GPH. The Cummins motors are almost bullet proof except for a starter motor in August and the starter solenoid in September on the same port engine. Maintenance is a breeze. I've done all the fluid and filter changes myself and will tend to the Racors twice per season.
I snapped a sheer pin in the Vetus bow thruster early on but now I hardly ever use it except in windy docking situations because I have a very tight dock with a couple of million dollar plus boats as neighbours. The new style Vetus propeller is quiet and powerful.
The hydraulic platform is wonderful but the 460 is already a tail heavy boat. So, in selecting a dinghy I went for a light one, the Walker Bay Genesis console (10'8") with a 30hp Nissan four stroke. It's a blast and easy to load.
"Improvements" are more a personalization of your boat to fit your own needs and budget. The best one, by far, is our camper. It has virtually doubled our living space and allows us out of the "cave" below, which BTW has an open and airy feel with the "maple" cabinetry. The enclosed cockpit can easily be opened up and the addition of a 16,000 BTU air/heat unit and an LCD television complete the package. Oh, we also added a couple of higher capacity NiChro solar powered vents to the hardtop to counter the heat build up of the black camper canvas. It seems to work.
Underwater lights have been carefully added to the cored transom with proper materials and method. Most electronics have been upgraded to Raymarine E120 and E80 screens with digital depth and radar. I have had zero problems with the Raymarine units and Platinum charts. This winter we are stripping multiple layers of bottom paint and giving it an epoxy barrier protection for safety's sake. I think we might pick up a bit of hull speed as we will aim for a WOT rpm of 75 to 100 over the 2600 rating.
I hope to get some discussion going that is boating related because it appears that we are getting away from that. Thanks again for all the previous ideas and support.
James
In November '07 I joined CSR and started a thread "Choices 460DA vs 480DB". I received a lot of ideas and support from the members at that time and it helped with purchasing the Sundancer pictured below. At the time I had no bias either for or against Sea Ray but they were essentially the only players in the game at that price and model choice. We looked at Carver, Tiara, Cruisers, Regal,... After having operated the boat for a season I now appreciate the quality, value and popularity of the brand along with the support, knowledge, and enthusiasm of CSR members, a number of whom we have had the pleasure of meeting during our travels in '08.
I should state that my wife and I would have been happy with the Sedan Bridge as well but did not require the extra room since we boat alone mostly. If our children were at home still it would probably be different. The factors in swaying us away from the bridge boat were two: Our marina in Georgian Bay could not handle the size of the 480DB (and there are very few choices in facilities up there) and the CAT 3196 motor issue.
I could not afford the upgrade to a newer 480DB with the Cummins QSM-11 motors and as it turned out, the 480 that we almost bought did in fact have further motor problems. The first issue of boating location was a non event. We relocated our boating to Lake St. Clair where marine facilities abound and storage is not an issue. The dealer there has been fantastic and we continue to expect and receive a great level of service along with social functions.
During our search of Sea Rays we looked at a dozen 460DA models with Cummins, Cat 3208 and Volvo motors. We also checked a similar number of Sedan Bridges 1998 through 2002 and all had the CAT 3196s.
The performance of this boat has been excellent. Docking is easy and the cruise is a comfortable 22 knots with top end around 28 kn. I could use just a bit more speed. Fuel burn is mid to low 30's GPH. The Cummins motors are almost bullet proof except for a starter motor in August and the starter solenoid in September on the same port engine. Maintenance is a breeze. I've done all the fluid and filter changes myself and will tend to the Racors twice per season.
I snapped a sheer pin in the Vetus bow thruster early on but now I hardly ever use it except in windy docking situations because I have a very tight dock with a couple of million dollar plus boats as neighbours. The new style Vetus propeller is quiet and powerful.
The hydraulic platform is wonderful but the 460 is already a tail heavy boat. So, in selecting a dinghy I went for a light one, the Walker Bay Genesis console (10'8") with a 30hp Nissan four stroke. It's a blast and easy to load.
"Improvements" are more a personalization of your boat to fit your own needs and budget. The best one, by far, is our camper. It has virtually doubled our living space and allows us out of the "cave" below, which BTW has an open and airy feel with the "maple" cabinetry. The enclosed cockpit can easily be opened up and the addition of a 16,000 BTU air/heat unit and an LCD television complete the package. Oh, we also added a couple of higher capacity NiChro solar powered vents to the hardtop to counter the heat build up of the black camper canvas. It seems to work.
Underwater lights have been carefully added to the cored transom with proper materials and method. Most electronics have been upgraded to Raymarine E120 and E80 screens with digital depth and radar. I have had zero problems with the Raymarine units and Platinum charts. This winter we are stripping multiple layers of bottom paint and giving it an epoxy barrier protection for safety's sake. I think we might pick up a bit of hull speed as we will aim for a WOT rpm of 75 to 100 over the 2600 rating.
I hope to get some discussion going that is boating related because it appears that we are getting away from that. Thanks again for all the previous ideas and support.
James
