40 sedan bridge forum

[On the Reel]

Great! It’s still annoying because you have to decipher the code the hoses are written in. But the detail is there!

I think I found the issue with the exhaust hose!!

 

[CaptRonn]

I think I found the issue with the exhaust hose!!

So what are we looking at?

 

[On the Reel]

Sorry, I thought I was sending directly to Scooper.
That is my 4” ID exhaust hose from starboard motor, hose next to gas tank.
Delaminating from inside.

 

[douglee25]

It looks like you lost a mop down there!

 

[Bartlett Bob]

Hi all - Looking at purchasing a 2001 400 DB with Cat 3126 diesel power. It does not have a bow thruster, which I think would be a big benefit in this vessel. No chance these boats are pre-wired for one, is there? (It might sound silly, but I remember looking at a Monterey that did not have a windlass, but was factory pre-wired for one. Thought that was nice touch).

I have been parking a new to me 1997 40 DB with 3116 Cats in a slip for about a year with out the aid of bow thrusters, both backing in and putting the pointy end in first. The pointy end is no issue what so ever and bow thrusters would in my mind be a waste. Backing in is a little more of a challenge but easily doable, just remember, don't approach anything faster than you want to hit it.

 

[Tom Coombs]

Hi all - Looking at purchasing a 2001 400 DB with Cat 3126 diesel power. It does not have a bow thruster, which I think would be a big benefit in this vessel. No chance these boats are pre-wired for one, is there? (It might sound silly, but I remember looking at a Monterey that did not have a windlass, but was factory pre-wired for one. Thought that was nice touch).

We have a 99' with twin 3126's. No bow-thruster and I haven't missed it either. If you have a stiff crosswind, it can make docking in reverse a little tricky, but the trick with that is to not be afraid of coming in a little more quickly than you otherwise would.

 

[Steve S]

How many of you have canvas enclosing the cockpit? The design of my canvas has snaps along the transom and sides, down the curved portion to the steps and then inside the upright on the top side step to the walkway. This design allows water to come inside and pool on the that step.

Anyone else have that issue? And how did you solve it?

 

[my3sons]

How many of you have canvas enclosing the cockpit? The design of my canvas has snaps along the transom and sides, down the curved portion to the steps and then inside the upright on the top side step to the walkway. This design allows water to come inside and pool on the that step.

Anyone else have that issue? And how did you solve it?

Yep, sounds right. It doesn’t bother me that it pools up there a little, when it’s done raining I mop it up.
We remove the cockpit canvas entirely when down south as it doesn’t rain much there in the winter. Had a seat cover made for the sun and salt.
Up north we use the cockpit canvas to create a mud room when heavy rains come when spending time on the boat. We just roll it up on nice days. Spend our “outside time” on the bridge.
What I didn’t like was the water would pool up on that step and then run down over the side edge of the stairs, down the face of the ice maker cabinet door. Some water would get into the cabinet by leaking down the inside of the door. I replaced the rubber seal on the door frame which did not make a difference. Then I routed a beveled lip on the door top edge. That worked, no more water in the cabinet.

 

[oceanpearl]

Has anyone solved the air flow from the vent on the salon port side? When sitting on the rear bench of the salon table, the air hits you on your back.
Appreciate any findings.

 

[Tigger]

Hi all - Looking at purchasing a 2001 400 DB with Cat 3126 diesel power. It does not have a bow thruster, which I think would be a big benefit in this vessel. No chance these boats are pre-wired for one, is there? (It might sound silly, but I remember looking at a Monterey that did not have a windlass, but was factory pre-wired for one. Thought that was nice touch).

My 2003 SB400 had a Vetus bow thruster retro-fitted... battery was located under the floor of the master stateroom (from memory) with an isolator and controller on the flybridge (all retro-fitted by previous owner without too much drama)... like others have said, seldom needed, but a real “get out of jail free card” when called in to action... that and the back up camera were two of the nicest “nice to haves” on the boat... good luck!

 

[Arickosmo]

Ok, I don't blast a company unless they deserve it. These guys DESERVE it!

I bought a vitrifrigo (vf) DP2600i fridge to replace the norcold on our new to us 400 Sedan Bridge. It fit well, worked well and was a full 1 cu. ft. bigger. Two years later it bit the dust. I decided to just replace it figuring that I couldn't possibly get another lemon. (leave the judgement about buying another for another day, it's boating season.) I did get another lemon, it died last weekend. Here's where it gets good.

Today I called vf to raise holy hell as I'm now sitting on $3400 worth of crap refrigerators and a few pounds of rotten meat and shrimp. They offered to replace the parts that were bad immediately. I thought it was interesting that they already knew which parts I would need.

After many phone calls to a few distributors and vf I learned that vf had a HUGE quality control issue. Basically the supplier of the AC/DC controller, SECOP, made a huge batch of faulty controllers. Secop won't step up and replace them, vf won't let you know that they're basically ALL a time bomb and they're hoping you make it past the two year warranty. My first fridge made it BARELY past two years. The second one only two months. Here's the rub, they never bothered to recall or let distributors know that they were selling a giant POS!

Rant over! Be sure you don't buy anything from secop if possible. The fridge on my yacht is broken! (first world problems)

 

[TotallyGross]

I have a 2002 400 Sedan Bridge with the Cummins 6CTA 8.3's.
Does anyone have a flush kit for the engines (and the gen)? If I venture into salt water next year I would like to have the ability to run fresh water through the system instead of the saltwater. Also my goal is to install it before the winterizing season here in Maryland and use it for running the antifreeze through it. Has anyone bought one or made something they could share what worked well? TIA!

 

[ZZ13]

I have a 2002 400 Sedan Bridge with the Cummins 6CTA 8.3's.
Does anyone have a flush kit for the engines (and the gen)? If I venture into salt water next year I would like to have the ability to run fresh water through the system instead of the saltwater. Also my goal is to install it before the winterizing season here in Maryland and use it for running the antifreeze through it. Has anyone bought one or made something they could share what worked well? TIA!

I made one up using 3" threaded pvc cap and a hose adapter I screwed into it. I had to leave the Seacock open during flushing as a street water hose just isn't enough volume. That affected the effectiveness of the flush. So I stopped doing it. I find it better just to use the boat a lot. All the salt water drains out of everything except the aftercooler, so it's probably the potential problem area and I pull and clean it every two years.

 

[TotallyGross]

I made one up using 3" threaded pvc cap and a hose adapter I screwed into it. I had to leave the Seacock open during flushing as a street water hose just isn't enough volume. That affected the effectiveness of the flush. So I stopped doing it. I find it better just to use the boat a lot. All the salt water drains out of everything except the aftercooler, so it's probably the potential problem area and I pull and clean it every two years.

Thanks for the reply. My issue is I plan on heading south and leaving the boat, for a few weeks at a time over the winter months next season, if all works well. I'd like to give the engines a good internal rinse if I know its not getting used for a few weeks.

 

[ZZ13]

Thanks for the reply. My issue is I plan on heading south and leaving the boat, for a few weeks at a time over the winter months next season, if all works well. I'd like to give the engines a good internal rinse if I know its not getting used for a few weeks.

I wish I had "issues" like that. Ha! I'd throw a party if my boat saw salt only a few weeks a year.

That said, my3sons has been through that routine for the last few years. He may post with how it went and what he did.

 

[TotallyGross]

Well the goal is to head south in Nov. Leave the boat til April and then cruise back in the spring. I want to fly down monthly and enjoy the boat in Florida winter. The weeks I am not there may crush my soul. (First world problems right?)

 

[scooper321]

Well the goal is to head south in Nov. Leave the boat til April and then cruise back in the spring. I want to fly down monthly and enjoy the boat in Florida winter. The weeks I am not there may crush my soul. (First world problems right?)

Where are we parking them???

 

[scooper321]

Finally got the new horn in. Had a slight delay, getting married in between. Old compressor. Old hose. New horns. They work well!

 

[my3sons]

Thanks for the reply. My issue is I plan on heading south and leaving the boat, for a few weeks at a time over the winter months next season, if all works well. I'd like to give the engines a good internal rinse if I know its not getting used for a few weeks.

I wish I had "issues" like that. Ha! I'd throw a party if my boat saw salt only a few weeks a year.

That said, my3sons has been through that routine for the last few years. He may post with how it went and what he did.

What I did was get 3 new strainer lids and some hardware to make up fittings that I attach a 1" diameter hardwall hose (spa hose) to and draw out of a 15 gallon bucket that I prefill and then run the dock hose and the engine room fresh water hose (tank water) into while the engine sucks it out. If the marina has good water pressure, between that and the ER hose running wide open off the water tank, and the 15 gallon full bucket to begin with, each main would suck it all dry in about 1 1/2 minutes. I figure I was flushing through about 40 - 50 gallons. Good enough.
I have read that buying one of the available flush kits and just attaching a garden hose to it will not harm anything so long as it is kept at idle speed. people who do this usually flush for 10 or 15 minutes. (same as rack stored boats are flushed on muffs off a garden hose)
Note that the generator would only consume water at a rate of about one garden hose at about 2/3rds available volume. Which to me meant that just hooking up a garden hose to the gen fitting and letting it run while flushing might put pressure somewhere it didn't belong or flood the exhaust.
I flush when the boat is going to sit a few days or longer and of course when water is readily available.
I looked quickly through my pictures and could only come up with this one from a couple years ago showing the strainer cap, I drilled and tapped them 3/4" pipe thread and this is what it looked like. The spa hose was adapted to the garden hose fitting on top using a 1" cam-loc coupler.
When back here in fresh water, I just switch back to the original lids.

 

[my3sons]

Ok, I don't blast a company unless they deserve it. These guys DESERVE it!

I bought a vitrifrigo (vf) DP2600i fridge to replace the norcold on our new to us 400 Sedan Bridge. It fit well, worked well and was a full 1 cu. ft. bigger. Two years later it bit the dust. I decided to just replace it figuring that I couldn't possibly get another lemon. (leave the judgement about buying another for another day, it's boating season.) I did get another lemon, it died last weekend. Here's where it gets good.

Today I called vf to raise holy hell as I'm now sitting on $3400 worth of crap refrigerators and a few pounds of rotten meat and shrimp. They offered to replace the parts that were bad immediately. I thought it was interesting that they already knew which parts I would need.

After many phone calls to a few distributors and vf I learned that vf had a HUGE quality control issue. Basically the supplier of the AC/DC controller, SECOP, made a huge batch of faulty controllers. Secop won't step up and replace them, vf won't let you know that they're basically ALL a time bomb and they're hoping you make it past the two year warranty. My first fridge made it BARELY past two years. The second one only two months. Here's the rub, they never bothered to recall or let distributors know that they were selling a giant POS!

Rant over! Be sure you don't buy anything from secop if possible. The fridge on my yacht is broken! (first world problems)

By chance do you know when they started using the bad parts? My VF fridge is 4 years old.
Wondering if I should be adding another spare part to the locker before taking off somewhere.