2007 36 Sedan Bridge

M

mjmason1

New Member
Oct 19, 2013
533
Fall River, MA
Boat Info
1996 400 Sedan Bridge
Engines
3116ta Cats
A friend of mine is looking at a 2007 36 Sedan Bridge. I was wondering if anyone has any thought or comments on this model? It has 8.1 horizons for engines. We have heard it may be top heavy, don't know if it is true. It is far away so we are looking for info before making a trip. The boat is in Charleston, SC. Maybe someone migt know that boat and have intimate knowlege.:huh:
 
I looked at the 36 and ended up going with the 400. The 36 felt top heavy to me although I never did a sea trial. In my case the 400 was almost the same price as the 36 and it has diesels. I think he would be better off with an older 400. .
 
Wetpaint had one before he went to a large Sailing Cat.......he liked it. P.M. him.
 
Not sure what price range you're looking at but a freind of mine is selling his. It's in pristine condition. Look it up on boattrader. It's called Smile Maker and I think it's listed for $159k.
 
You wanna talk to Joe (Havana Shamrock) - he has the same boat/same power and has outlined a lot of his thoughts here and can probably direct you to some threads.....John's was diesel - the only thing I would add is that some people have had massive problems with the e-plex system (and some have had no problems at all) searay stopped using it in '09.
 
We had just a couple problems with E-Plex modules going out, but they all occurred in the first year warranty period. No problems with them since. I still like the E-Plex, but it's understandable why they quit using it. I could see the problems being expensive for the unlucky. As far as top heavy, it feels like it in 10-12' swells, which is why I stay out of them now. We spend most of our time in the Big Bay of San Diego (and it's fine for us). So, I can't really offer as good of an opinion as the more adventurous. The 8.1's seem to be bulletproof and provide plenty of power, but suck gas like mad.
 
I agree on most points. Gas on the 8.1s on this boat is :3400 rpm's = 18 mph and 37-39GPH so at current NY gas prices it costs around $180 per hour to run this boat. The 8.1's are monsters and will jump this boat up no matter the load. Top heavy? I've never felt that in 6' ers. My Eplex system is quirky but if you learn the bugs it's tolerable mostly it's fine. The boat maneuvers nicely around the dock and I believe standard is the bow thruster. Mine has both. It's a great entry level bridge boat if you don't plan on long hauls with more than 5 people. The seperate shower is a great addition and the storage isn't bad.as far as 36DB vs 400DB it's not apples to apples. Different boat but for the price, you'd have to get a 1999-2000's 400 vs a 2007 36. I don't know if it makes sense to run this boat up from SC at $180 per hour. And it's prob $10k or more to remove the hardtop and electronics for over the road. Hope this helps. Keep us informed there's not many 36DB owners here so its interesting to learn from others.
 
I have an observation re: heavy gas boats that burn a lot of fuel..............

If you can afford the cost of a boat like this, then you can afford the fuel to run it, however, you will find that you make the choice not to.

Here is an example: I came from a gas 390EC that burned 36 gph if you ran at reduced speeds like 18 kts; my current boat a 450DA has Caterpillar diesels and cruises easily at 18 gph running 21-22 kts. I find myself a lot more likely to spend the day in a quaint coastal village 35 miles away now than when we had the old boat:

Gas - 70 miles round-trip / 18 kt = 3.9 hours X 36 gph = 140 gal X 4.59 = $642
Diesel - 70 / 22kt = 3.2 X 18 gph = 57 gal X 4.19 = $240


Sure, you can afford the trip, but you will opt not to. Why saddle yourself with a boat you won't use to its fullest?

One other point is that gas 36DB don't sell well for the above reason. The terms "quality of investment" and "buying a boat" may be mutually exclusive terms, but there is no doubt that a gas 36DB locks you into a slow sell or lower trade-in value in the future. For example, our dealer sold 5-6 diesel 36DB's but only stocked one gas boat, never ordered a second and that one is now on its 4th owner.

Good luck with whatever you decide............
 
They must be selling somewhere we now have 3 at our marina I was the only one for 3 years. Granted the fuel economy is not great but what 8.1s arent ?That's really the only negative thing about the boat. We love it and get compliments all the time. She's just thirsty but what big heavy girls aren't???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
What diesel engine came in this boat? I can't find any diesels for sale.
 
CAMELLA said:
Frank, not to change the topic but you are only burning 18 GPH for both engines at 22 kts?
Click to expand...


Jon,

That is correct. The 450DA with Cat 3116's burns 22.6 gal at rated cruise which is 85% power. Pull the throttles back to 75% and the fuel burn drops to 18gph. This is also a sweet spot for these engines....they are quiet, no turbo noise and just loaf along at a speed that is a very comfortable ride for passengers. The trade off for fuel efficiency is the speed. The 45 isn't a fast boat.....at 75% power settings, I'm running 20-21 kts; at rated cruise, she only runs 22-23 kts.

Just one more reason the '95-'98 remains one of the more popular boats in Sea Ray's history.
 
fwebster said:
Jon,

That is correct. The 450DA with Cat 3116's burns 22.6 gal at rated cruise which is 85% power. Pull the throttles back to 75% and the fuel burn drops to 18gph. This is also a sweet spot for these engines....they are quiet, no turbo noise and just loaf along at a speed that is a very comfortable ride for passengers. The trade off for fuel efficiency is the speed. The 45 isn't a fast boat.....at 75% power settings, I'm running 20-21 kts; at rated cruise, she only runs 22-23 kts.

Just one more reason the '95-'98 remains one of the more popular boats in Sea Ray's history.
Click to expand...


Those are amazing numbers for a boat that size and weight. When I look at the numbers of a more modern 48 Sundancer with Cummins power they're a fraction of that even though it's just 5K lbs more. Something like 36GPH @ 2150RPM @ 21knots. or .7 mpg compared to your 1.25 mpg.

Are CATS that much more efficient?
 
copb8tx said:
Those are amazing numbers for a boat that size and weight. When I look at the numbers of a more modern 48 Sundancer with Cummins power they're a fraction of that even though it's just 5K lbs more. Something like 36GPH @ 2150RPM @ 21knots. or .7 mpg compared to your 1.25 mpg.

Are CATS that much more efficient?
Click to expand...

I am shocked, like stated above at 21kts I am burning 35-36 gph.
 
The best I can squeeze out is just under 0.7 MPG. I cruise at 80% load, 2250 RPM, 23.5 knots burning 42 GPH. Pulling back to 2100 RPM or up to 2350 RPM doesn't change the MPG. Each common rail engine is burning 21 GPH at cruise. It seems otherworldly that Frank's old tech diesel 450 is burning 9 GPH per side at the same speed. He must be using one of those cetane boosters, magnets on the fuel lines, and teflon on the hull. I know my displacement may be a little more with the kids stuff on board, but 50% less efficient?
 
I hit 20-21kts once and I was burning 49 GPH!!! I learned to pull back and go slow at 9kts 2000 Rpm's is 9.34GPH. I'll just get to the party later. :(


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
Havana Shamrock said:
I hit 20-21kts once and I was burning 49 GPH!!! I learned to pull back and go slow at 9kts 2000 Rpm's is 9.34GPH. I'll just get to the party later. :(


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

We're 65 GPH at WOT. That's why it only happens once/year for a couple minutes. We spend a lot of time in the slow lane also. It's not a dock queen, like most of them in the neighborhood. We still take it out quite often. but when we do it's most often around 1400 RPM's. We love the boat, as it's perfect for our family of four. Or course, a little more room would be nice, but for an exponential cost. Someday a 44DB or a 47DB in the same vintage would be nice.
 
My opinion: I had a 2007 36 DB Diesel boat. It is really a 39 LOA. I loved the boat overall. I had the e-plex system and loved it and had to reset the system once which is no big deal. I know people have had modular problems but once replaced, I did not hear of any other problems. Again I may not be a good source on that info. I had one Raymarine E120 and one Searay Navigator. I loved the Navigator overall, but when I sold it in 2012 it was finicky so I swapped it out for another E120 just prior to selling. I loved having the two (2) staterooms and the master was comfortable and the second cabin my two kids slept in so that worked out good for my family.Having the elevated dinette was nice and could seat 3 comfortably and that is where I did my work from with computer. I added an outlet at the dinette so I did not have to run a cord from the galley. Galley was ample and storage was never an issue. I had a hurly davit system installed with a tender (soft bottom) and 8 or 9 HP on it and worked good. I did have stern and bow thruster but really used it (ego thing). A short correction and they worked great. As far a top heavy, I would say it was proportional to any bridge boat of this size. Your friend needs to determine how he/she is going to use the boat; floating condo, weekend retreat, go away every weekend, etc. I will say that from an entertainment point of view, a sun dancer is a better choice, but I don't like people so I cruised mostly with myself or myself and my two kids and an occasional hooker aboard. Because the boat is out of production is not a concern to me. Hope this helps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,263
Messages
1,429,614
Members
61,140
Latest member
Terminator04
Back
Top