If you had to rank your boat upgrades - what would be your top two or three???

I'll try to stay on point. This will be our 4th season with this boat, and our list of upgrades and replacements would probably be 50 lines long quite frankly. I think the best upgrades we've made have been:

Replaced helm seat pedestal with a new Garelick that's taller, and no longer wobbles.
Custom mattress.
Replaced all the electronics-everything.
Replaced every light with LED's.
Had custom stainless extensions made for the AC cooling outlets, as I couldn't stand the crap that ran down the side of the hull.
PlasDeck in the cockpit, and swimform. No more carpet to clean!

-Tom
 
Thanks frank! Any idea what the ID is on the ac through hills? I'm doing this one for sure! I have the clear hoses but they get crud in them and these look much nicer.


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I've made several of these for guys here and found that Sea Ray used several vendors for the thru hull fittings. They are spec'd for the hose barb size inside the boat and not much attention is paid to the ID. I know my size and can make them in my shop easily, but I've had to measure the ID on every other one I make. Mine just happen to be a common size for agricultural spray equipment, so I just get a fitting at TSC and turn the taper, the shoulder and the bell end in my lathe. Make 'em too big and they have to be driven in which means you may never get them out in case one gets broken; make 'em too small and the silicone is all that holds them in. When you get them made, get 2-3 extras….the idiot yard monkey at the boat yard will smack the crap out of them with a boat wash brush unless you threaten to scalp him if he breaks one…..and then he will forget before he gets to the other side of the boat.
 
1. "Camper" canvas for entire cockpit.
2. Garmin 7212, sonar and radar
3. Stereo upgrade (common for many) with LEDs
4. Cabin hardwood flooring
 
Does just going from a 1998 Silverton 360 Express to a 2002 Sea Ray 410 Sundancer count as an upgrade?

The only other thing we did was change out the crusty cockpit berber for the vinyl teak, and change out the tube tv's for flat screens and DVD players.

On the list for the future:

Canvas with camper back full enclosure
Custom Mattress for the Master Stateroom

Honestly think that's about it for now.
 
1. Stereo upgrade, mine is still original, I need something I can plug my iPod (non Bluetooth) into at the helm
2. inverter system, at minimum for the ice maker in the cockpit, I don't really need it for anything else except maybe a galley outlet for coffee maker
3. Electric winch for my davit system, got a new dinghy this year and it's too heavy to pull up by hand
4. WiFi antenna
 
Going from my old 300 Sundancer to my 410 was the best upgrade.
I've only gotten to a few on the 410 so far, but love them:
Stainless Cockpit Faucet
Stainless Ccokpit Sink
Working on Cockpit Flooring
Fed Satellite output to Glomex switch in place of Dockside cable so I could get Satellite on all 3 TV's
Installed 12 volt USB charging receptacle.
Working on getting an AM/FM antenna hooked up to stereo

Short list of near future projects:
Get power back to Glomex Amp and replace missing Glomex antenna on arch.
Replace master and aft stateroom TV's with flat panels.
Thinking of running 12 volt to all TV's to avoid having to run genny if I want to watch the Giants on the hook this fall. Presently, there are no 12 volt lines running to any of them.
Most importantly: Thank you to all on this forum who have given me valuable information, insight, and ideas to make my boat even better than it is already. I hope I can pay it forward some day soon.
 
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hakunamatata said:
Does just going from a 1998 Silverton 360 Express to a 2002 Sea Ray 410 Sundancer count as an upgrade?

The only other thing we did was change out the crusty cockpit berber for the vinyl teak, and change out the tube tv's for flat screens and DVD players.

On the list for the future:

Canvas with camper back full enclosure
Custom Mattress for the Master Stateroom

Honestly think that's about it for now.
Click to expand...

What TV's and brackets did you go with for the Master and Aft berths? I've already got a flat panel in the salon, but still have the old tube TV's in the two staterooms.
 
I would say:

extended swim platform, it's like a deck on the house.
new "teak" in salon
stereo JL
windlass
4 blade props really helped planing.
 
One thing I forgot to put on my list, and a comment on Frank's nylon extenders:

I had a new swim platform built and installed last summer. I still need to put the rub rail on, but we're waiting for warmer weather to install it. Photos to come when I have time.

I did the same thing NotHerDecision did on the extensions: I bought some clear vinyl tubing at Lowe's and cut them to fit the holes. I cut the outlet end at an angle so it ends in a tip where the water collects and drips off. No fuss, no muss.
 
I have to give props (pun intended) to PropMD.com. I had my props reconditioned and they do phenomenal work.

In the picture below, I ground off about 3/4" off the blades of my 4-blade prop as I stupidly rocked my boat off a sandbar after running aground 2 summers ago. My 3-blade had minor dings and needed polishing. I thought the 4-blade was un-repairable but they quoted $250 to fix it and $115 for the 3-blade. When I picked up them up a few weeks ago, the total bill was $225 for both props!!! They welded on 3/4" of stainless to each of the 4 blades, polished and balanced. I have no affiliation with them but I'm lucky that their shop is only about 7 miles from house. First class operation all the way.

props.jpg
 
The short list:

Camper Canvas
Stereo upgrade
ACME Props
Raymarine Quantum radar and 2 MFD's
Vessel View 4
Infinity Carpet
 
I haven't done much:
Lake water wash down
All LED lighting
Upgraded stereo
All chain anchor line

Future:
Custom camper canvas
Hardwood cabin flooring
 
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Not too much done but I did get the Infinity Flooring for the cockpit and really like it.
This weekend, I am taking delivery of a new RIB. A local company was willing to take in my 2004, Zodiac 310 RIB as a trade and I'm getting a brand new RIB. Different brand, not Zodiac but I am really looking forward to receiving it.
 
Swim platform
Magma Grill with pole mounted to new swim platform
Switching dealers/service shops.
 
This will be our 4th season with our 320 and we're still loving it though the kids are slowly pushing us into a bigger boat (really my wife is..lol). Since having the boat we've done the following upgrades ranked in order of usability and comfort:

Completed:
1. Dinghy and Davits
2. 40" Cabin TV
3. Shower teak grate
4. KVH (2 TV install)
5. Extended Cockpit Canvas shade
6. Larger Cockpit Table
7. Led spreader light
8. New Cockpit Carpet
9. Led lighting (cabin and cockpit)
10. Isinglass upgrade to polycarbonate
11. Quieter Genny Muffler

To do:
1. Small inverter
2. Cabin Carpet replacement
3. Would like to mount the grill by the transom (on a table type platform)
4. Get bigger boat with all upgrades listed above ;-)
 
Last edited:
JVM225 said:
What TV's and brackets did you go with for the Master and Aft berths? I've already got a flat panel in the salon, but still have the old tube TV's in the two staterooms.
Click to expand...
I went with this TV in the master: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BEJQBAE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It came with a 12v lighter plug, I just had to extend an existing 12v power source through the closet and into the master berth. I actually put a double outlet so I could run a Sony Blu Ray player (similar to this one: https://www.costco.com/Sony-BDP-BX370-Streaming-Blu-ray-Player.product.100281961.html) as well, both run on 12v and use very little power. I have an external hard drive with loads of HD movies that I can plug in to the USB port on the BR player, and watch directly from the hard drive through the player. Very convenient setup, and I don't have to run the genny to watch TV or movies.
 
1)Honda generator on swim platform
2) 7 zillion candlepower LED light bar on arch
 
We've had ten years to make upgrades, so some of the earlier ones are due for renewal.

A teak grate table and cup holders,
B teak deck grates for cabin step well and head,
C teak helm panels,
D cherry table for galley,
E SmartCraft gauge conversion with SC5000 SystemView display,
F complete Raymarine C80 setup: radar, depth, heading sensor, GPS & AIS tied to SmartCraft display,
G Standard Horizon 2150 with AIS, MMI & DSC tied to RM/SC,
H LCD 12 volt tv with amplified antenna,
I pedestal grill mount on swim platform,
J forward and side clear pieces converted to Strataglass,
K window on transom camper back enlarged with Strataglass w/ zip out and screen.

For this year we are kind of on the fence. Now that we have moved from using our dock at the house into a marina, upsizing becomes possible. So do we carry one with upgrades; full electronics suite upgrade, genset, or, just move on to bigger and greener pastures.

Henry


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