2000 410 Sundnacer

Bryank

Member
Jul 3, 2008
455
Catawba Island, OH
Boat Info
2001 410DA
Engines
Mercruiser 8.1S Horizons
Happy Holidays! I am looking at a 2000 Sea Ray 410 Sundancer and wanted to see if anyone who owns one (or is just familiar with the boat) has any advice on things to look out for. The boat has the 7.4L gas engines. I boat about 35 hours per year on Lake Erie, so I don't think diesels are a must have for me.

One concern is the aft cabin... I have two kids and would likely use the pull down berth. How comfortable do users of that berth find it to be?

Your feedback is appreciated!


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We have never used the pull down bunk in the mid cabin except to use it to store supplies on long trips. I think it all depends on the size of the critter that would sleep up there. If they are small enough to sleep there they would not really care how much comfort they have, they are sleeping on a boat! I have not seen a 410DA with 7.4 Mercs but I have a friend with the same boat with 8.1's. He gets along just fine with that setup.
 
My kids always slept in the aft cabin........Our boat had a sliding door for the aft cabin and a small head/shower....I assume your set up is the same......My kids were 12 and 10 so they did not mind sleeping together.....i just put a king sheet down and tucked all around and had a comforter and they were great........I love the layout of this boat....I had diesels with no bow thruster
 
Thanks, guys. I have a boy and a girl, so sleeping separately is important. I've been looking at a Regal 4260 as well--it offers separate twin berths, but Sea Ray doesn't offer this. I like some other things on the Sea Ray more than the Regal, though. The 7.4's do make me a bit nervous--I'd feel better if it had the 8.1s.
 
My 11 yr old son regularly sleeps on the pull down bed. He refuses to give it up to his 7 yr old brother. 7.4 gas engines would concern me too... they are gonna be working very hard to move this boat at any reasonable speed...
 
Thanks, guys. I have a boy and a girl, so sleeping separately is important. I've been looking at a Regal 4260 as well--it offers separate twin berths, but Sea Ray doesn't offer this. I like some other things on the Sea Ray more than the Regal, though. The 7.4's do make me a bit nervous--I'd feel better if it had the 8.1s.


Look at the Cruisers 3870.
 
7.4's in a 370DA moved the boat fine but lacked sufficient torque for manuevering and docking in current / wind. I don't think that they would be the preferred option for a 410DA
 
Check out the 3 stateroom layout on the 45 EB. I have never had a problem with the 7.4 (MPI) at any speed, including at the dock in the 370 but I would definitely not buy anything bigger with a 7.4.
 
I just recently had this conversation with a member here, shadow9999. He has a 41 DA with Cat's. I found a 41 with the gassers pretty cheap and bounced it off of him. He stated they would be terrible in docking situations and pigs on fuel at cruise. He strongly warned me away from this set-up. FWIW
 
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I was gonna stay out of this...

I have a 2001 410 DA that came with 7.4s when I purchased it in 2007. I bought it that way because I didn't know about a wise old sage named Frank W or this forum and the 3126 CAT motor scared me because of early manufacturing problems. The 7.4s were replaced in 2009 with 8.1s.

That said, the boat has always handled perfectly fine around the dock. I have put 200+ hours a year on the boat and never had a problem docking or operating the vessel. It handles well in all situations. I can turn the boat around in a little over its length, I can slip it into a tight fuel dock without scraping any gelcoat off the 480DB who is hogging the fuel dock and generally put the boat anywhere it will fit.

I posted the fuel burn a little while back in another thread. Leave it suffice to say that you will never get the 1.1 mpg the CAT powered boats can get with a gas version. I always have the boat loaded with full fuel, full water, a spare everything and it gets about .6 mpg maybe .7 mpg.

If I lightened the load and ran around without any fuel, any water or any spare parts, I am sure that I could drive that number higher, but, that is not the goal of my boating. I am going to experiment with the Prop Scan guy in our area to add some cup to the wheels to see if we can get the cruise speed rpms lowered to save a few $$$ on fuel, but, if it happens it happens.

Before all the diesel snobs jump in here (you know who you are!), my next purchase will most certainly be a diesel boat. If I had the knowledge about the 3126 motors that I have now, I would have felt safer in the purchase of a diesel boat with those motors.

However, I am quite happy with the boat and the power plants even if it does cost me a few more $$$ per year in fuel costs. Such is life.

Depending on the type, style, nature and amount of boating you do, the cost difference in the gas versus diesel might be an issue to you. The other thing is resale value. It is certainly going to be easier to get out of a diesel boat than a gasser when that time comes.
 
I was wondering when Rick was going to chime in....

He stated quite well his own personal experience with owning a gas powered 410DA.

...The 7.4s were replaced in 2009 with 8.1s.....

At the risk of being badged a diesel snob,.....I thought the 7.4s were replaced with another set of 7.4s before being replaced with the 8.1s?
 
I was wondering when Rick was going to chime in....

He stated quite well his own personal experience with owning a gas powered 410DA.



At the risk of being badged a diesel snob,.....I thought the 7.4s were replaced with another set of 7.4s before being replaced with the 8.1s?

Your math is off...

the 7.4s were replaced with 7.4s which were replaced with 7.4s which were replaced with 7.4s which were replaced with 8.1s.
 
Sounds more like a new aftershave?
 
"......Old Sage"? Does that mean I have to grow a long white beard?

No, but you do have to find a mountain top, and how to utter these words..."grasshopper when you can take this peeble from my hand..."
 
I was gonna stay out of this...

I have a 2001 410 DA that came with 7.4s when I purchased it in 2007. I bought it that way because I didn't know about a wise old sage named Frank W or this forum and the 3126 CAT motor scared me because of early manufacturing problems. The 7.4s were replaced in 2009 with 8.1s.

I'm curious Rick, how much, if any, difference did the 8.1's make over the 7.4's?
 

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