390 - Diesel vs Gas

Before we bought our 44 we were in the market for a Diesel 390\40. What we found that in New England they were so rare that the TWO available were nearly the same price as a 420. We almost bought a 390 out of Florida but between not having a bow thruster and need 12,000-15,000 in transport costs we backed out. In the end we increased our budget slightly higher to get the 44DA because we liked some of the interior updates in 2006+.

Best parts of the 420 over 390\40 is a real second cabin with a door and the second head.

Now that we have a full year under our belts we are so happy we went with the 420\44 hull over the 390\40, it rides so nice and the interior layout is so very comfortable.
 
Is your 2007 44DA essentially the same boat/hull (but newer version) as our 2004 420DA?
 
A few years ago someone posted a comment that summed it up pretty good.
"Never heard a Diesel Boat owner say they wished they had purchased a Gas Boat instead".
 
Dean,

I think you've posted the wrong question. It should be not "diesel vs. gas", but rather "how big should my next vessel be"?.....:lol:

Have you checked the crew count lately.....LOL.......

On the serious note, I'm almost positive that you plan on keeping the next boat for a while, let's realistically say 5-7 years. Kids grow way too fast and the "looks like can do for us now" nicely equipped 390DB will become small a lot faster than you think. If it was just two of you, it would be a different story, but for the crew of 5 and travelling you do, I would suggest waiting an extra season (if need to stretch the budget) and go for nothing less than 45'er.
 
Alex F said:
Dean,

I think you've posted the wrong question. It should be not "diesel vs. gas", but rather "how big should my next vessel be"?.....:lol:

Have you checked the crew count lately.....LOL.......

On the serious note, I'm almost positive that you plan on keeping the next boat for a while, let's realistically say 5-7 years. Kids grow way too fast and the "looks like can do for us now" nicely equipped 390DB will become small a lot faster than you think. If it was just two of you, it would be a different story, but for the crew of 5 and travelling you do, I would suggest waiting an extra season (if need to stretch the budget) and go for nothing less than 45'er.
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Well it seems overwhelmingly diesel is the way to go. I figured this would be the case I was just curious why there are so many 390s out there with gas. From what I can see the cost of diesels in a 390 puts us in the the neighborhood of a 44/420. And yes the next one we'll be keeping for a while.
 
^^^^^. Statistically, considering fuel comprises 5% of the TCOA, one would have to perform a break even analysis dependent on usage, fuel availability in the boating area, insurance differentials, anticipated length of ownership, etc...... to ascertain proper engine choice. Again....Owners usage, owners pockets.

Nothing personal. My mind breaks big things I cannot fathom into manageable bits and bytes. It tends to take the emotion out of the decision making process.
 
Agreed. When I was looking for 2006+ 38s, I came across a 2008 395 (same boat as the 38) with yanmars and zeus - admittedly propulsion package is far better but at a $125k premium, i wasn't interested. Fast forward 15 months and that boat is still on the market with a price drop so far of $56k and still no takers.

In our market gas boats seem to set the base price point and from there it just depends on how much of a premium you are willing to pay above that base price point for the unicorn in that crossover gas vs diesel model. Sometimes it just makes more financial sense to go to a larger boat where diesels are prevelant and you have more choice and bargaining power for a diesel powered boat.

I would far prefer diesel, but not at any cost in a gas or diesel model. Gas motors are cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain and cheaper to replace if they go bang compared to diesels. However, if you need range then there is no choice but to go diesel.
 
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La Maddalena said:
Is your 2007 44DA essentially the same boat/hull (but newer version) as our 2004 420DA?
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The 420 was rebadged to 44 in 2006, the Hull and deck are essentially the same. Cant remember all the changes but in 2005 they made the TV flip down from the ceiling, and in 2006 they made the windows in the main salon larger. Although the hardtop was still an option in 2006+, it seems like most if not all boats have the hardtop, where in 2004 and 2005 there is more of a mix. The other option available in 2006+ is Helm AC/Heat which we love!

The other major change in 2006 was swapping the Cummins 480CE for the Cummins QSC. The 480CE is mostly mechanical control with electronic fuel management, the QSC is fully electronic controlled.
 
One more thing to consider that no one has mentioned yet is the "sale-ability" of the two (is that even a word?). At least in our area, they both seem to move equally well (or equally poorly depending on your perspective) because we have buyers interested in both. But since you're on the coast, you might find that the gas boat is considerably more difficult to find a buyer for (which means less resale value). If you were on an inland lake or river, you might have a very difficult time selling the diesel boat. IMO, the diesel powered boat will always have more potential buyers on the used market and will always sell either quicker or for a higher price, making it a smarter purchase if you know you want to sell it someday.
 
Irie308 said:
So we’re not there yet (maybe 2 seasons) but we are looking at what would be our next boat. Based on budget and the amount of time we would spend aboard we are considering a 380/390 or a 420 if the price is right. More realistic would be the 390. Aside from the still up in the air option of going from a DA to DB I would like to hear some feedback from those who own the diesel version of the 390 vs the gas version. Besides the obvious advantages of gas over diesel I would literally sleep better at night knowing my genny is running off of diesel vs gas. Not to mention the volatile nature of gasoline. So I would really like to hear some feedback /pros cons of owning either versions of the 390 particularly cost to maintain and run.
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Our 2005 390DA may be going up for sale soon. 400 hours on QSB-380's. PM me if you have any interest and I'll give you the details...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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