410 Sundancer/Express Cruiser and 400 Sundancer/Express Cruiser **Official Thread**

I fully intend to use a bridle, so the 50’ of line is not for that. I was going to splice the 50’of line to the chain, in case I need extra scope or my anchor gets stuck and I have to cut it loose. I would just tie a few fenders to the line, cut it and go back and get it at another time. Based on the input so far, it sounds like I should just get 250’ of chain and have a few feet of line connecting the chain to the anchor locker, which would resolve the need for a splice to the chain and it sounds like there is plenty of space in my anchor locker for 250’ of chain. Can’t wait to get rid of that damn windlass finger.
 
Jeff, I’ve got a 200’ all chain rode and it piles nicely in the anchor locker with room to spare. I could easily fit 50’ of rope in there with it.
Honestly though, if you are replacing the whole thing you may want to just go with 250’ of chain instead of a rope/chain combo?
I think it would fit nicely!

Thanks John. Ordering 250’ of acco G4 chain now.
 
Thanks John. Ordering 250’ of acco G4 chain now.
Great choice. I wish I had the extra 50’. My boat had the 200’ when I got it and not worth messing with it now.
Cheap and easy way I marked mine when I got the boat home last year was with 3 spray cans of Rustoleum from Home Depot. I used red, yellow, and blue and sprayed about a 3’ section a different color every 30’. It held up well last season and this season. I’ll probably touch it up again next Spring with the same spray cans that still have plenty of paint left in them.
BTW: What pitch are your props? Thinking of pulling mine this winter and bringing them to Bossler & Sweezey.
 
Great choice. I wish I had the extra 50’. My boat had the 200’ when I got it and not worth messing with it now.
Cheap and easy way I marked mine when I got the boat home last year was with 3 spray cans of Rustoleum from Home Depot. I used red, yellow, and blue and sprayed about a 3’ section a different color every 30’. It held up well last season and this season. I’ll probably touch it up again next Spring with the same spray cans that still have plenty of paint left in them.
BTW: What pitch are your props? Thinking of pulling mine this winter and bringing them to Bossler & Sweezey.
What
Thanks John. Ordering 250’ of acco G4 chain now.

What size and are you getting it from Defender? It is on sale now. I might do the same but not sure of the size of the link.
 
I may get from Defender. Can’t beat the current price per foot, even with $170 shipping. Trying to figure out where to have it shipped. Getting Acco 5/16 G4 galvanized HT. I believe this is the size the Progress 1 windlass requires.
 
I may get from Defender. Can’t beat the current price per foot, even with $170 shipping. Trying to figure out where to have it shipped. Getting Acco 5/16 G4 galvanized HT. I believe this is the size the Progress 1 windlass requires.
I have a Lewmar windlass with an 002 gypsy which takes 3/8”. I am about 20 minutes from Defender so that is what I will do. They have some nice “scratch and dent” stainless lewmar anchors very low price. I just bought one. $1400 anchor for $500.
 
Jeff,

Where you are moving, the bottom is mostly sand.......take a look at a Fortress aluminum anchor. They don't rust, they don't add weight, and ,best of all, then hold like they are hooked to the backbone of the earth.

I have used a Fortress FX-37 on the bow and FX-11's for stern anchors for at least 10 years and have never had one fail to set or pull out.
 
Re: 410 Sundancer/Express Cruiser and 400 Sundancer/Express Cruiser **Official Thread

Has anyone added cockpit ac? I was considering removing the ice maker to add a large unit there and wanted feedback from you guys. On a side note I have the shorter version of the bimini top and would like to add the top that is between the short factory one and a camper back. Has any company started producing canvas for this boat or are they all custom? The shops in my area are so busy no one has been able to even come give me a price in the 3 weeks I have been calling.

Look to right of captains chair and remove storage compartment, great place to install cockpit ac.
 
Jeff,

Where you are moving, the bottom is mostly sand.......take a look at a Fortress aluminum anchor. They don't rust, they don't add weight, and ,best of all, then hold like they are hooked to the backbone of the earth.

I have used a Fortress FX-37 on the bow and FX-11's for stern anchors for at least 10 years and have never had one fail to set or pull out.


Frank,

Would the Fortress be the best anchor for the keys and bahamas as well?

I currently have a plow anchor and it works great in the northeast. Our bottom is usually a heavy muddy sand, probably more mud than sand. We like sleeping on the hook, so I want to make sure the anchor holds, especially when we anchor in a shallow sandy patch, not far from some coral heads.

I had the boat down here approx 7 years ago, but only anchored a handful of times, mostly to scuba dive reefs and wrecks in 30’ to 80’ in the ocean. So no experience having the plow hold over night or in a changing tide, etc..

Jeff
 
The Bahamas have varied bottom structures; from pure deep sand to grass to rock to coral to thick muck. I have been awakened more than once with obnoxious alarms from my Drag Queen application telling me the boat is moving as a result of wind or current. Be aware though that anchoring in the Bahamas is fraught with changing currents and in some cases very strong currents (inside of Double Breasted Cay as an example); it's not unusual for the boat to rotate completely around the anchor. More insidious are those grassy sand bottoms that have hard pack just below the sand which most anchors simply skip across. With all that said we never throw an anchor atop coral or other complex structures; instead we find white sand and usually achieve good holding. Ok, so what anchors do I depend upon? My primary is a Delta plow style with a sharp digging spike on the point; it is in my opinion the best all around anchor for the bow of my boat and has served the most confidence in the Bahamas and East Florida. My second anchor is a Fortress FX-37 which I have 150' of 3/4" double braid affixed; This anchor I keep in the lazarette and use it either for a double bow or stern / bow anchoring system which is required in some anchorages in the Bahamas. The Fortress has yet to give up holding but it requires deep sand or mud to hold well. The down side as I see with the Fortress is it seems to not tolerate the boat rotating about it and has released when I have used it as the sole anchor in dedicated aft anchoring.
 
I have the same issue with drag queen. It seems they stopped updating for IOS. I deleted it last year. Too bad, it was an easy to use app that worked well.
 
Just checked it; still works. Ipad IOS 9.3.5
Seems if you are at IOS 11 then it is no longer supported. There is some discussion on THT regarding that.
From what I can determine as Drag Queen was originally freeware then a product supported by Active Captain and Garmin acquired Active Captain the legal aspects and liability of the application is now under the control of the Garmin process. From simple freeware or $1 application to corporate lawyer quagmire.... Quite possibly ruined.
 
From simple freeware or $1 application to corporate lawyer quagmire.... Quite possibly ruined.

Yeah, losing Drag Queen was a drag. The radar sentry feature of my Garmins could be a decent replacement. It can detect changes in proximity of the shoreline and surrounding boats, which is nice. (let's face it, the risk right after dragging your own anchor is the moron who shows up and anchors on top of you)

The problem is, it's more time consuming/complex to setup than a simple app like DQ, but more troublesome is the fact that there's a good chance that I won't hear the alarm at the dash from the fwd stateroom. In a 52DB, there's almost no chance of hearing it...? As far as I know, AC doesn't address that, but I haven't tried any of this since having AC.
 
Yeah, losing Drag Queen was a drag. The radar sentry feature of my Garmins could be a decent replacement. It can detect changes in proximity of the shoreline and surrounding boats, which is nice. (let's face it, the risk right after dragging your own anchor is the moron who shows up and anchors on top of you)

The problem is, it's more time consuming/complex to setup than a simple app like DQ, but more troublesome is the fact that there's a good chance that I won't hear the alarm at the dash from the fwd stateroom. In a 52DB, there's almost no chance of hearing it...? As far as I know, AC doesn't address that, but I haven't tried any of this since having AC.
And you have to leave the radar running all night - big battery drain.
There is no way an alarm on the bridge of my boat can be heard below.
 
edit: Garmin seems to be moving away from "sentry". My 5212 had it, my 741 has it, but the 8212 and 742 instead refer to Guard Zones. (as does the 76XX series)

I wonder if this would be a worthwhile feature request: an "anchor monitor" group of settings to include radar guard zone, intermittent transmit and GPS boundary, all tied to AC for the alarm.
 
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Got her all cleaned up, fluids changed, and put the old girl away for the winter. Another long winter unfortunately.
IMG_1325.JPG cat engines.JPG
 

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