420/44 DB Owners Club

AEO said:
Does anyone know why SR put slots below the draw in the master cabin on the 09’ model?
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Assuming its the return for the AC? On our model the inlets are under the rim of the bed.
 
Irie308 said:
Assuming its the return for the AC? On our model the inlets are under the rim of the bed.
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Be interesting to know why they changed it
 
Irie308 said:
I recently purchased from their template. To be honest if I had it to do again I would make my own template. Not 100% loving mine as its not as accurate as it could be.
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I’ll just wait then and make my own template to be sure fit I’ve never been impressed with the fit of the factory set anyway thank
 
Does anyone have a source for Vetus bow thruster parts? My drive unit (officially the tailpiece) failed and my dealer, New England Bow Thrusters said it's back ordered and expect 3-4 weeks. Obviously I am on the hard and I would really like to find a new one and get the season started.

Most dealers and one wholesaler also said they stock very few Vetus parts and all but the normal consumables must be ordered.

Thanks for the help.

Chip
 
With so many 42/44 owners here, I was hoping I could get a handful of suggestions/comments on what to look for when selecting a pre-owner 42/44. My idea would be a punch list of things that would pass, fail or be reasonably repaired. An example might be a preferred powerplant for this boat is the xyz123 engine. I heard someone say some of the first boats off the line had been over-propped and caused some issues.

I am sure there are a lot of other things that may wear out prematurely or just areas of the boat I should pay close attention to. All of this would be done early on in the sales cycle prior to hiring a marine surveyor to do the deep dive into the boat & powerplant.

So I would like to create this list and when I am done, I will post it for anyone else looking to get into a 42/44.

Also, if you know of someone selling one, please hit me up with a message as boat buying is beyond frustrating. Our 02 380DA sold in 4 hours...literally.

I welcome any input I can use to put this valuable list together.

Thank you for your input,
Vince Caruso
 
Vince, I just sold my 2006 44DB after enjoying it for 5 years. I would only buy a 44 DB and stay away from the 480CE and stay with the QSC 500 HD. If I did find the perfect 420 I would make sure that it had the latest head revisions.
Happy Hunting
Carpe Diem
 
Hi Rusty,
This is in response to a topic you posted a while ago.I’m finally in the water and after my test run the zinks on the heat exchangers leak.I had to put teflon tape on the threads.I used a small amount on half the threads, reinstalled and checked continuity between the stud and the block.No leak . Maybe that is what they had to do on yours.
 
Mark.60 said:
Hi Rusty,
This is in response to a topic you posted a while ago.I’m finally in the water and after my test run the zinks on the heat exchangers leak.I had to put teflon tape on the threads.I used a small amount on half the threads, reinstalled and checked continuity between the stud and the block.No leak . Maybe that is what they had to do on yours.
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That is very possible. After reading more on the subject I’ve determined, just like the News, most times there are several factors to an issue and one truth may not be the only. It stands to reason that with a tapered brass plug being torqued into a bronze or aluminum threaded casting or fitting that the threads would form a seal especially for water under relatively low pressure. For an initial fitting that probably holds true but for marine heat exchangers that have zincs replaced regularly the treaded boss likely wears so that a new plug won’t seal in the worn threads so sealant becomes necessary.
It also stands to reason for those that just look at it on the surface, that putting Teflon tape on a plug that is supposed to have electrical continuity is counter intuitive. Of course it turns out that the treads do make plenty of contact and the Teflon tape merely fills what ever minor gap there is due to the worn boss.
The marine mechanic that pointed out the “error” on my zincs having Teflon tape on them likely just gets a bigger wrench and over tightens plugs on his customer’s boats and then gets to sell them a new heat exchanger someday when the boss cracks or the new zinc just threads all the way through the boss. It’s simply a question of education.
I put Teflon tape on all of mine just like I always did in the past. I should have done a little research before making that post but it did spark a little educational debate on the subject.
Cheers
Carpe Diem
 
AEO said:
Be interesting to know why they changed it
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That's the first I have seen like that. I spend a couple of years looking at every '08 and '09 44DB I could find. I only found 4 for sale that I could bring home by water over that time period, but I scoured pictures of all of them. Mine has two drawer there...although it is an early '08 that is built closer to an '07 spec.
 
bajturner said:
That's the first I have seen like that. I spend a couple of years looking at every '08 and '09 44DB I could find. I only found 4 for sale that I could bring home by water over that time period, but I scoured pictures of all of them. Mine has two drawer there...although it is an early '08 that is built closer to an '07 spec.
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I’m scratching my head too. To lose a drawer to a vent grille is a big sacrifice that must’ve been made for a good reason.

Was wondering if it’s an outlet or inlet ..

Mine has two drawers too.
 
AEO said:
I’m scratching my head too. To lose a drawer to a vent grille is a big sacrifice that must’ve been made for a good reason.

Was wondering if it’s an outlet or inlet ..

Mine has two drawers too.
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So two drawers that are a little less deep than with out the vent?

My guess would be inlet...
 
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Carpediem44DB said:
Vince, I just sold my 2006 44DB after enjoying it for 5 years. I would only buy a 44 DB and stay away from the 480CE and stay with the QSC 500 HD. If I did find the perfect 420 I would make sure that it had the latest head revisions.
Happy Hunting
Carpe Diem
Click to expand...

Thank you for your quick reply. Why only consider the 44DB? We were also looking at a 480 Sedan Bridge as well. I welcome any help you can offer.
 
I would say do your research when looking at the 480CE however the 450C is a rock solid power package as well so I wouldn’t exclude a 42/44 that has that power plant.
 
Thank you for your input Irie. That seems to be the common advice I have received on the engines. We will just have to be more patient and wait for a boat to come along that checks as many boxes as possible. The 480CE vs. the 450 seems to be one of the more popular topics when I talk to someone about the 44.

I appreciate your advice Irie.
Vince
 
LattitudeAdjustment said:
Thank you for your input Irie. That seems to be the common advice I have received on the engines. We will just have to be more patient and wait for a boat to come along that checks as many boxes as possible. The 480CE vs. the 450 seems to be one of the more popular topics when I talk to someone about the 44.
Hi Vince,


I appreciate your advice Irie.
Vince
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LattitudeAdjustment said:
Thank you for your input Irie. That seems to be the common advice I have received on the engines. We will just have to be more patient and wait for a boat to come along that checks as many boxes as possible. The 480CE vs. the 450 seems to be one of the more popular topics when I talk to someone about the 44.

I appreciate your advice Irie.
Vince
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Hi Vince, I was in your position a few years ago. I knew the 44DB was the boat for me but in the end it all came down to the hydraulic swim platform and the structural and Gelcoat condition. The rest was superfluous. I have since spent a small fortune bringing it back to its former glory and updating it to make it almost new which was mostly cosmetic. My reasoning is, I could not find anything similar off the shelf that looked as good or was as honest and solid as the 44 so I was going to have to do it the long way. I now have a boat that is perfect in every way and relevant.

There were no expensive surprises or disappointing experiences during this process by the way. The 44 is a solid boat with some great inclusions and in many ways they were ahead of their time and even now do not look dated.

One thing I will say that I do find unusual is that all 44’s appear to be low hours so engine condition will be fine, as long as the maintenance was done on time and correctly. A diesel is a diesel...

Don’t overthink it too much. Awesome boat.
 
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Has anyone a "line drawing" side view of our model boats to use for making shirts that I can just add my boat's name to? Looking to do a more simple design than previous boats we've had. Thanks
 
AEO said:
Hi Vince, I was in your position a few years ago. I knew the 44DB was the boat for me but in the end it all came down to the hydraulic swim platform and the structural and Gelcoat condition. The rest was superfluous. I have since spent a small fortune bringing it back to its former glory and updating it to make it almost new which was mostly cosmetic. My reasoning is, I could not find anything similar off the shelf that looked as good or was as honest and solid as the 44 so I was going to have to do it the long way. I now have a boat that is perfect in every way and relevant.

There were no expensive surprises or disappointing experiences during this process by the way. The 44 is a solid boat with some great inclusions and in many ways they were ahead of their time and even now do not look dated.

One thing I will say that I do find unusual is that all 44’s appear to be low hours so engine condition will be fine, as long as the maintenance was done on time and correctly. A diesel is a diesel...

Don’t overthink it too much. Awesome boat.
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Slightly off topic, but AEO would love to see some more photos of your upgrades. Its like you've created your own model :). From the looks of it you added a hard top to the bridge? I've often wondered about how that would look. Do you also have bridge air?
 
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