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

It would be a great place to start with practice - I can't think of a project more forgiving than a helm cover.

I'd give it a shot myself if I had a machine, and if I weren't so convinced that sewing machines were placed on this earth to destroy me...
 
Ezsteps said:
That is definitely on my list and I would be interested in one. I just don't know if I want to match my canvas or my dash. I'm leaning towards matching the canvas. I have already talked to the guy that does my canvas stuff about it. Just haven't discussed price yet.
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I’ve got one that matches my blue canvas but I think I may try to make one that matches the dash.
I bought a used 1970’s heavy duty Kenmore machine off of Craigslist for $40.00 after seeing a bunch of them on EBay advertised as being capable of doing canvas and vinyl.
The plan is to try to make some new vinyl cushions for my kids 18’ Bowrider over the long cold winter.
If that works out then my next project will be a new helm cover.
Never used a sewing machine before and will be looking to YouTube for guidance.
Didn’t want to spend a lot of money in case I wind up not being able to do it, or just hate it.
 
FWIW I made my helm cover to match the flooring in the cockpit. It ties the cockpit together quite nicely when it's all covered up...
 
JVM225 said:
I’ve got one that matches my blue canvas but I think I may try to make one that matches the dash.
I bought a used 1970’s heavy duty Kenmore machine off of Craigslist for $40.00 after seeing a bunch of them on EBay advertised as being capable of doing canvas and vinyl.
The plan is to try to make some new vinyl cushions for my kids 18’ Bowrider over the long cold winter.
If that works out then my next project will be a new helm cover.
Never used a sewing machine before and will be looking to YouTube for guidance.
Didn’t want to spend a lot of money in case I wind up not being able to do it, or just hate it.
Click to expand...

john,

I have been talking about buying a sewing machine for years. Let us know how it goes. This may go on my Santa wish list.
 
Dani-Lu said:
john,

I have been talking about buying a sewing machine for years. Let us know how it goes. This may go on my Santa wish list.
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Will do!
If it works out, I’ll invest in a new machine made for this kind of work.
If it doesn’t, I’m only out $40.00 and the cost of materials.
 
How did you get your coffee maker out? I’ve pulled and prodded on mine without success.

Dani-Lu said:
Did the same thing. Now that coffee maker cabinet is where I keep coffee pods, sweetners, napkins, etc. The best improvements on our boats are ones that create additional functional storage space.

My next new storage space will be the cabinet where the Clarion stuff used to be. All I have there is a little Fusion 400, so all that space behind there is now useable. I have many design ideas in my head, but lets see how long it takes for an idea to become reality.
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There are a couple screws (2 or 3) under cabinet. Unscrew them and the coffee maker slides out. Once you slide it out a bit, you will see a hole in the back where you can reach the electric plug. Unplug it and remove coffee maker. Very easy removal. Good luck.
 
Kinda quite around here, 400/410 owners!

Anyone have any cool projects planned for the off season (for those of us who don't deal with hurricanes but do have an off-season :))?

I will probably be sticking to some low cost projects this season since I feel like I went a little overboard getting ready for 2019, being our first full year on the 400. Electronics, a Sailrite machine and new canvas have left me broke.

On my short list for this winter:
Sew new windlass and spot light covers
Run NMEA cable from helm to Fusion head unit to finish the electronics connections (leftover from this past year)
Fix or repair the ice maker (it has a slipping belt, hoping for easy fix)
Typical wash/wax while inside
Maybe....maybe a new fridge

One other item I may undertake this year is a bit of engine room upgrade action. I need to get in there and clean it out for sure. But I have also thought about installing some cheapo Seadek (off brand) flooring between the motors, adding more lighting and also installing a permanent ladder. I may also install a more permanent engine room cover "holding pole" rather than using PVC piping to hold the door up when the ram is disconnected. I'd spend a lot more time behind the engines if it wasn't such a PITA to deal with the lift (or squeeze around it).

What do you guys have planned?
 
I think I have one more heavy MX off season but my list

1 Redoing the generator isolators, injectors and valve lash/possibly add sound sheild.
2. New Tachometers
3. Bottom wash retouch paint.
4. Tune the props.
5. Wash Polish and wax...continuous process.
6. Other knick knack stuff...
 
I'm proud to say I don't have anything major to do either(knocking on wood).
1. Clean the engine room really good
2. Have the canvas cleaned and waterproofed
3. Recaulk the hatches
4. Touch up the bottom paint
5. Have it wheeled out and waxed like every year
6. Install the new holding tank filter
7. And whatever else I think of
Man that list is getting longer than I thought, I have to quit thinking of things.
 
My spotlight took a dump late in the season so I’ve got to order a new control module for it and get that installed.
The usual polish and wax below the rubrails when the shrinkwrap comes off in mid March followed by fresh bottoms paint and zincs.
Might put the 3” drop fins on the tabs but still debating that in my mind.
Doing the impellers in the motors and genny.
Cleaning the walker air seps, vacuum vents and breathers.
Change the zincs in the motors.
Thinking about doing some cleaning and touch up on the motors and around the bilge but not sure I want to be doing that under the shrinkwrap.
 
Not trying to piss you guys off, since no winterizing for me this year :).

To make you feel a little better, this was my first entire summer in Florida, and holy crap, it was way too frigging hot for this Yankee!!!!! I wound up hiring a mechanic to do many things for me that I normally do myself. All we did was use the boat, nothing else!! And there were some days it was to hot to go thru the process of getting the boat ready to head out. I learned a lesson - all boating maintenance and projects get done in the winter down here! The weather finally broke a couple weeks ago.

1. Remove the dead, twice repaired ice maker and install a fridge in its place - I think I will do AC only, which is what the old ice maker is. So figure I can get any small frig that fits, rather than one of the $1,000+ AC/DC marine ones. If anyone has done this and knows a brand/model that fits, please let me know - much appreciated.

2. Sand and paint some small rust spots on engine. John, you definitely don’t want to do any painting under shrink wrap.

3. Move the head filter to a location easily reached by me.

4. Replace light bulb in spot light that burned out at least 4 years ago, maybe longer. I never use it, but just one less thing to repair if and when I ever get an express trawler.

5. Go to the Bahamas and Keys before spring comes - sorry, couldn’t resist :).

I pray for a warm fast winter for all my friends up north, with plenty of snow in the mountains for skiing and plenty of winter fun.

Jeff
 
Jeff...

Feel your pain..taken me 2 + years to get on top of all the deferred MX from being in salt . If I move back to salt I need to retire and find a really good mechanic.
 
Stee6043 said:
Of course one year too late for me. I went the DIY route this past spring to get away from the 3 beach towels I was using....

I'd be interested to hear what a real pro charges for a helm cover, but don't want to pry..:) Using Sunbrella Seamark total cost of materials for me was around $75, $10 +/- of which was the patterning material. You could do it for sub $50 with lower-end canvas.

This was my very first time sewing...ever....its functional but has to be removed before any friends who notice straight lines would board my boat.
48060847416_21d238de05_c.jpg


WAIT...Roller, I have a deal for you. Come over to West Michigan this winter and show me how to change my seawater impellers in under 10 hours and I'll trade you for a custom, not very straightly sewn, helm cover that is guaranteed to almost perfectly fit your helm :):)
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I was lucky enough to have the factory canvas dash cover on my 410DA when we bought it. On to- of that we are in a covered shed so the dash is well protected.
 
Dani-Lu said:
Not trying to piss you guys off, since no winterizing for me this year :).

To make you feel a little better, this was my first entire summer in Florida, and holy crap, it was way too frigging hot for this Yankee!!!!! I wound up hiring a mechanic to do many things for me that I normally do myself. All we did was use the boat, nothing else!! And there were some days it was to hot to go thru the process of getting the boat ready to head out. I learned a lesson - all boating maintenance and projects get done in the winter down here! The weather finally broke a couple weeks ago.

1. Remove the dead, twice repaired ice maker and install a fridge in its place - I think I will do AC only, which is what the old ice maker is. So figure I can get any small frig that fits, rather than one of the $1,000+ AC/DC marine ones. If anyone has done this and knows a brand/model that fits, please let me know - much appreciated.

2. Sand and paint some small rust spots on engine. John, you definitely don’t want to do any painting under shrink wrap.

3. Move the head filter to a location easily reached by me.

4. Replace light bulb in spot light that burned out at least 4 years ago, maybe longer. I never use it, but just one less thing to repair if and when I ever get an express trawler.

5. Go to the Bahamas and Keys before spring comes - sorry, couldn’t resist :).

I pray for a warm fast winter for all my friends up north, with plenty of snow in the mountains for skiing and plenty of winter fun.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Jeff,
I’ve got siblings nieces, nephews and cousins who are long time Florida residents and know how brutal it can get down there in the summer. Don’t think I could ever get used to it.
If I do any cleaning at all on my motors under the shrinkwrap it will be with a combination of warm soapy water, some brushes and some rags. It would be nice to get them prepped for touch up paint when I get back in the water but we’re already feeling the bitter cold here so not sure a I’ll get to it.
Before investing (like I did) in an expensive bulb for your spotlight, make sure it’s not the control module. Turned out that my control module is bad, but at least now I have an extra bulb.....
If it’s an ACR 100: You can google a “troubleshooting and parts replacement manual” for it.
The cockpit fridge is great to have. Keeping beverages cold in there frees up valuable real estate in the cabin fridge. The AC/DC version is a big hit but IMHO is worth it unless you constantly run the genny away from the dock. The model number of my original is DE 0041. The newer one looks different than mine but I think the dimensions are the same so you can use them as a guideline.
I’m always working around not having an ice maker. It can be a PIA at times but since we never had one we know to deal with it. We only use ice for mixed drinks and we’re not really big drinkers. I keep 10 ice cube trays going in the freezer at all times for our cocktails. We’ve gotten used to filling a small lunch size cooler up with cubes from home before taking the boat out for the day, on overnight trips or if we expect guests at the dock.
 
John,

Right now my parents need me. Hoping to get things under control so we can head north in summers in the future.

My spot light still rotates from remote. Did your’s? I will google the ACR troubleshooting as you suggested.

My geni gets started before we leave and gets turned off just before I dock. They are built to be run and don’t eat much fuel. Gotta have my AC in cabin. Wish I had it in cockpit here, but not sure how much it would help in the summer months down here, even with a hard top. Like you I keep trays of ice in salon fridge and also bring bags of ice from home frig ice maker. Even when the boat ice maker worked I never used it in drinks. Just don’t trust the tank, especially when the water sits for a few weeks.

Stay warm!
 
My generator only has around 100 hours on it and towards end of the season I started having trouble with it. It would just turn over and never start. My mechanic that's working on it said the biggest problem with generators is people never use them. They are made to run, so use it. One of the main reason I didn't use mine that often was the noise. Has anyone made any improvements to help with the noise (exhaust, surround, etc.) It's a Westerbeke gas engine. TIA
 
Ezsteps said:
My generator only has around 100 hours on it and towards end of the season I started having trouble with it. It would just turn over and never start. My mechanic that's working on it said the biggest problem with generators is people never use them. They are made to run, so use it. One of the main reason I didn't use mine that often was the noise. Has anyone made any improvements to help with the noise (exhaust, surround, etc.) It's a Westerbeke gas engine. TIA
Click to expand...

Mine is diesel, but all this should apply...

I made 2 big changes on mine...first I replaced the single stage muffler with a dual stage. It was around $300 and made a huge difference outside the boat Thats on Page 97 of this thread. Secondly this year, I'm replacing the isolation mounts/rails and getting a full tune up on mine. I am considering a soft enclosure, but am going to see how the new isolators and tune up perform before making that investment.

http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/westerbeke-7-6-btd-vibration-noise-reduction.95727/
 
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