Sedan Bridge or Express Bridge?

[BOB TYSON]

Opinions? (year 2000-2004). I like both. I see that the Express Bridge has a shallower deadrise, is a bit wider, typically older and therefore may need to be cautious about the infamous soggy hull issue. That said, I like the interiors, the walk-through bridge, and certainly the prices. Appreciate thoughts.

 

[endless seas]

My neighbor has an Express and its pretty neat especially the walk-through.

 

[Steve S]

Here is comparison info. The Sedan Bridge is straight drives with access to the engines in the salon. Large open engine room to work on the engines. The Express Bridge has V drives with the engine access in the cockpit. I think there is more weight near the back with the Express Bridge. Probably a tight fit in that engine room.

My 2000 Sedan Bridge rides very well and is a breeze to handle with the Cat 3116 engines. Large walkways on either side to reach the bow vs virtually no walkways because of the thru passage.

Steve

 

[BOB TYSON]

thanks Steve.

 

[endless seas]

Look at the size of the waste tanks. We had two 30 gallon on our 450 which worked out perfect with many fewer trips to the ( Honey Sucker ).

 

[RollerCoastr]

Look at the size of the waste tanks. We had two 30 gallon on our 450 which worked out perfect with many fewer trips to the ( Honey Sucker ).

Somehow, SeaRay stats were notoriously innacurate. They claimed the 400DA had a 28 gal waste tank, but it’s actually 40 gallons. Dry weight was another whopper (never accounted for optional engines of hardtops etc). They also were known to get deadrise and beam wrong too.

 

[fwebster]

The 450EB is built on the 450DA hull, which the Sea Ray guys call "the Ice Breaker Hull". While it is a cored hull, the overall design mitigates a lot of the risk of saturation. .......Solid 1-1/2" marine plywood; hull vents above the rub rail (and, therefore above the hull coring); transducers and intakes are located in a portion of the hull that is solid fiberglass and not cored; the 450EB and 45oDA did not come with docking lights mounted in the hull, if there are docking lights, a dealer added them as an option.

We have several EB's in our marina and I have run all of them at one time or another. We are on the Gulf Coast and subject to storms from time to time so when I am on an EB is it usually to get ready for high winds and a strom surge. And t hat gets me to my primary criticism of the Express Bridge design: The side decks are very very narrow so the only safe access to the bow and spring cleats is up and across the bridge and down the center walkway. That means you have to remove the forward and rear canvas and Isinglass curtains, then reinstall them, all in driving rain and tropical storm or hurricne force winds......not fun and dangerous...to set storm lines or to make an adjustment in lines.

The other criticism I have is the engine space is tight and difficuclt to work in.

Give me my trusty old 450DA and Cat engines over the EB any day..............