44 48 56 DB Owners

[boltman]

Ok Show me your boats, tell me what you don't like about them, tell me what you like the most about them, I'm considering several different DB"s right now from a 2001 48 to a 2001 56 and even a 2008 44 DB....Lot's to chose from but I'm coming from a 32 Dancer, what am I not going to like about these DB's....Tell me the goods and the Bads.. all of it.

 

[HUMPH]

All great boats but burn a lot of fuel! I like the 480DB myself even though the 2008 44 would be the sexiest choice.

 

[bmac]

Robert (or Bob?)

We made the jump from a 320 to a 44DB (with a short stop on a 40DA). There is a world of difference going from a DA to DB and an even bigger difference when you go up 10' on length and 3' on beam. We're debating moving up to a 52 or 58DB as we could often use the 3rd stateroom. There is very little I don't like about the 44DB but here is a list of things I'd change (or already have)....in the DA's (especially the 40) there were plenty of easily accesible AC outlets in the galley area, not so in the 44DB, so I added a duplex outlet using matching outlets and plates from the Sea Ray OEM supplier. The A/C system gets overloaded with ambient temps over 90. Amongst other fixes, the easiest is a solid canvas windshield cover. I love the third helm chair but would give it up for bridge AC. I like the glendenning cablemaster but would like to have a single 50A/250V rather than the dual 30A/125V cables I have. I added Sat TV, which was not a Sea Ray option on the 44DB's until they added the partial hard top. One of the things I hate is the 2 engine zincs on the outboard side of each engine, though the port is worse than the stbd. (I have one of my daughters do those 4). That's about it for things I don't like, if I think of more I'll post those too.

 

[indecision]

i have the 2008 44 dancer with cummins and came from a 400 ( 1999)with 3116 cats.the 44 is a huge diffirence as far as handling , and ability to take waves > easily takes threes and ride is nice > pretty good on fuel with >8miles per gallon no matter what you travel . Typically travel at 28 knots and get .8/gallon> handles very nic easy take it out by myself alot > love the boat

 

[bmac]

i have the 2008 44 dancer with cummins and came from a 400 ( 1999)with 3116 cats.the 44 is a huge diffirence as far as handling , and ability to take waves > easily takes threes and ride is nice > pretty good on fuel with >8miles per gallon no matter what you travel . Typically travel at 28 knots and get .8/gallon> handles very nic easy take it out by myself alot > love the boat

The 44DA dry weighs approximately 7,000 lbs less than a 44DB, though they both have the same QSC 500's. 44DB's are straight drives while the 44DA has V drives. The weight difference alone probably contributes to th slightly lower mileage I see on my 44DB. I typically cruise at 23 knots and consistently see .65 to .7 mpg over the course of a season. Not bad for a 30,000 lb. boat

 

[Jackie J V]

I love our 560DB. It has proven to be a great boat for my family, after extensive research of my options - but that doesn't mean it's the ideal choice for everyone. When I was looking, I was looking for two things - three staterooms and CAT 3406E engines. My kids had grown-up with boating and we use ours extensively - pretty much every weekend for half the year and three weeks of vacation, it's our cottage. When I did my research, I narrowed down three options: the 560DB, a Sunseeker Manhattan 58 and an Azimut 55 or 58. I never really considered the other Sea Ray DBs - which is not a statement of disapproval, simply that they did not quite have the size I was looking for (again - this doesn't mean that I believe the size to be right for everyone - and bigger isn't always better, more on that later). Versus the alternatives, I chose the 560 due to several factors including price, availability of the right boat (hours, fresh water and condition) and some specific features. The features we really liked included the galley-up design (ie, same level as the salon versus the others which were down a half level) which is phenomenal for entertaining, and the pull out couch in the salon which extends sleeping capacity to an easy eight (we like to bring family along for weekend excursions).

I have been significantly impressed by the handling for a boat it's size - in fact better than our previous 44' express cruiser (not a Sea Ray). It gets on plane quickly, cruises at 29 to 30 mph and tops out at 36 mph. It is well balanced and handles choppy seas well. View from the helm is good, with excellent view of the bow from the helm, decent view of the starboard port aft when backing in to the slip, but limited view of the aftward sides and aft port corner. Oh well.

If you're considering a range of sizes also know that bigger also comes with costs and limitations. All costs of boating seem to go up substantially (somewhat exponentially) as you get to the upper end of that range. And that's everything - slips, maintenance, haulage, fuel, fuel and did I mention fuel? The complexity of systems seems to go up substantially (definitely versus my 44' express. There is a flip side to this though - I love to bring guys down to the engine room for the "man part of the tour". You see the jaws drop when they look around the real engine room which is the same size as the combined salon and galley upstairs). Also, depending on where you boat, you might encounter limitations with respect to draft (52") limiting access to certain anchorages or transient slip availability. Having said all that, I love my boat and don't regret my choice.

Hope this is somewhat helpful. Please let me know if you have any specific questions.

Paul

 

[boltman]

What do the 44db'S DRAFT, I see some owners here on the thread let me know it's good answer to know when looking for a Boat.

 

[Carver370]

Sea Ray says a 44 DB drafts 44"

 

[wetpaint]

Good assessment Jackie.........I went from a 41 dancer to the 2007 36 Sedan so I went in the opposite direction and so did my overall boating costs (about 20%). Go as big as you can afford......One day you will end up at that boat anyway!!! They are all great boats!!

 

[HUMPH]

Good assessment Jackie.........I went from a 41 dancer to the 2007 36 Sedan so I went in the opposite direction and so did my overall boating costs (about 20%). Go as big as you can afford......One day you will end up at that boat anyway!!! They are all great boats!!

Can I ask why you went from a 410DA to a 36DB? Just curious...

 

[wetpaint]

wanted a bridge boat and I could not make the numbers work on the 44 Sedan.....I traded a 2001 41 and 2005 23 Seacracft center console and the cash difference did not work on the 44.....it is funny....a buddy has the same boat but it says 390 and my says 36......i pay for 36 feet when away from my marina and he gets nailed for 39....at our marina we both pay 39

 

[HUMPH]

wanted a bridge boat and I could not make the numbers work on the 44 Sedan.....I traded a 2001 41 and 2005 23 Seacracft center console and the cash difference did not work on the 44.....it is funny....a buddy has the same boat but it says 390 and my says 36......i pay for 36 feet when away from my marina and he gets nailed for 39....at our marina we both pay 39

Do you enjoy the bridge boat that much better?

 

[wetpaint]

Both boats offer something different........The bridge is better at the dock and I enjoy the visibility while under way. The dancer was a bit better for entertaining and rode a tad better.......

The score is 2-2 TIE

Know how you will use the boat before buying any boat.

 

[Jackie J V]

Man-o-man, please don't turn this into another bridge vs. express thread! Take it outside boys!:smt043

Paul

 

[boltman]

Yeah I'm not asking about Dancers I 've got one and I want answers about Db's so Please stick to the threads topic and don't highjack this thread..... it's 2011 man don't do it!! Ok? Good now lets continue the thread please... let me know what you guys like and don't like about your DB's...

 

[Gofirstclass]

I was kind of in the same boat you are now in (pun intended). I went from a 330 Dancer to a 550 Sedan Bridge.

Our reason for wanting a bridge boat was to get up out of the cave. We're both retired now and want to be able to spend a lot of time aboard. The express cruisers have plenty of room but lack a view of what's going on around you. We also wanted the galley and salon on the same level, and a dual helm boat.

Jackie alluded to several things I was going to mention so I won't repeat what he said. My boat has the 580hp Cat 3406C's and there's plenty of power. It cruises at displacement speed at about 9kts at 900rpm's. It planes out around 1750rpm's at 22kts, and at WOT it's doing 30kts at 2150 rpm's.

Jackie mentioned the pride in giving a "man's tour" and here's why. The usual comment is "Wow, those engines are huge".

Another fun part of the tour is in "my office", the flybridge....

The boat handles better than my 330 did and does very well in a heavy chop. Here are some 3'-4' waves we ran into when bringing her home. The boat was rock steady, but one would expect that out of a boat that weighs around 60-65,000 pounds loaded with fuel and water.

I haven't had mine long enough to give you an accurate fuel consumption amount, but I'd guess it's going to be around .8mpg.

If you have any specific questions fire away. If you want to see the threads I posted about our experience in buying the boat and bringing her home, do a search using the term "Beachcomber".

 

[Converse48]

I'll add to bmac's accurate comments on the 44DB. I'm 400 hours in to my 2007 which I bought new. I absolutely love the boat, it runs and handles great as is really sharp. Once on plane the fuel consumption is pretty much linear from a NMPG standpoint, so you can pick your speed based on your time constraints, conditions, and your comfort level with loading the engines. Expect a cruise speed up to 27-28 knots of you're ok running at 85% load. That's a whole other debate...

I can confirm that the boat draws 44" which allows us to get into some pretty tight spots.

On the downside: The salon A/C can be a problem in extreme heat, you can find my diatribe about that here. The sinks in the heads are foolishly small. You can put a/c on the bridge with the third helm seat, but it is a pain in the ass. The tankage (mainly fuel and water) leaves something to be desired if you're going to do any serious cruising or extended gunkholing.

 

[First_Mate]

We are really happy with our 420DB so far. Agree with most of the earlier comments on the 44's except for perhaps the liquid capacities comment. More than adequate for our needs.

Love the pantry and linen closet (in day head). Also love the bridge layout (great forward and side visibility) and space. We've had 7-8 adults up there several times.

My favorite feature is the elevated dinette with almost 360 degree view. We call it the catbird seat...

Wish the galley had more storage space. The only real cabinet is under the sink. Also not much space that is appropriate for storing cups/glasses. We do like the galley being down a level - keeping the clutter out of the entertaining area.

The cockpit is fairly well laid out, but somehow the movable table always seems to be in the way.

The swim ladder is not very user-friendly - kind of a steep climb and doesn't extend far enough into the water for our tastes. Plus there is no hand hold to grab at the top.

I also wish the breaker panel was not right next to the sofa as I am constantly asking someone to move in order to access it. Speaking of the sofa, the foldout sleeper is great, but it requires you to move the salon table down into the galley or out into the cockpit to have enough room to open it.

Overall we thoroughly enjoy the boat. Traded to it from a 35' express and haven't looked back for a minute...