460 Sundancer, tell me about them...

Pyrojodge

Pyrojodge

Well-Known Member
TECHNICAL Contributor
May 1, 2011
4,248
Lake Erie Ohio
Boat Info
1989 Sea Ray 340 DA
Engines
twin 454 Mercs
Well, I have been hard at work and have decided that I want to start the process of finding the next boat. I love, love, love my 340 but I want to switch the way I use my boat. I have decided that a 2000's 460 is my next choice. I have a list of features that the 460 meets.
  1. Hardtop
  2. generator
  3. two sleeping quarters
  4. two heads
  5. easily handled by 2 people
  6. great layout
  7. I can squeeze in and do my own maintenance
  8. comfortable cruiser
  9. lots of storage
  10. open cockpit

there are a few more features that are in the list like a hydraulic swim platform and cockpit air/heat.

Can anyone give me any other insight about these boats?

The good the bad and the ugly. I like the styling and the room of the boat.

What else to look at or for as far as features?
 
Jason,

We have had our 460DA for seven seasons now so I think I can speak with some confidence about owning one. We looked at 12 of them before making our choice.

We love the boat and although tempted to progress to a 48DA or bigger, the 460 provides everything we need. It is a natural evolution of the popular 450DA and a friend of mine has a beautiful 1999 version so I know the 450DA quite well. The 450 is faster but the extra beam on the 460 along with the hardtop are nice features. We installed a camper immediately along with cockpit A/C-Heat and that's where we spend a lot of our time.

Don't be dissuaded by the "cave" argument. The 460 has a modern feel to it and Sea Ray styled it beautifully, inside and out. There are a lot of good deals on 460's but be careful of the following:
1) 1999 (early) models had hull coring issues around the thru-hulls
2) a 2000 model will still have balsa in the hull sides. Take a moisture meter around the ports, stanchions and engine vents and check carefully for moisture.
3) Interior choice of "cherry" vs. "maple" is personal. We were told to only look at cherry but when we saw how the lighter maple tone "opened up" the interior, that became our preference.
4) Motors: they started with CAT 3126 as the base motor in 1999 but quickly moved to Cummins 450CTA, CAT 3208 and Volvo power. Cummins is the most popular.
5) Some people knock the engine room. The only tight spot is the raw water pump on the starboard motor. Change the pumps to Seamax and the impeller change (every three years in freshwater) is easy. There's really nothing I cannot get to in the E.R. but I've modified the Isotransformer table (2000 model doesn't have that). It's an easy boat in which to do your own service.
The boat is not fast. I typically cruise at 19-22 knots but the fuel economy is good, generally under 30 gph. It is very easy to dock and handles the big water better than the crew. We take 500-800 mile trips every summer in comfort.
It's a very forgiving boat and you can't go wrong with it as long as you have a good survey and diesel assessment. Plus it still turns heads at the marinas with those nice lines.

Good luck in your search and if you need more information we have a pretty informed 460 group here.

James
 
Great boat that needs a 50' slip. The cockpit is huge and it handles very well. Good luck in your search! We have 2 of them in our club now as a 2005 blue hull was just purchased recently by a club member.
 
Thanks every one. The boat I have a lead on at the moment is freshwater 2002 with the smaller Cummins. I would have liked the larger but think the smaller will be easier to maneuver (maintenance wise). It does not have the hydraulic lift but am working the numbers into the deal. Thank you all for the info and I have read through the entire 460 thread... good info there.
 
Quite a jump there Jason! Congrats. I don't have much to offer in terms of the boat but there is one at MDI and i droll over it often.

Will you have to change Marinas or can your current place accomidate you?
 
The owners of the marina said they will accommodate me since I've been there going on 10 years. Thanks Alex.
 
The difference in Cummins engines in the 460DA is pretty much one of horsepower rating, not physical size since all of them are based on the 6CTA Cummins base engine.

The 460 is a big comfortable boat that is easy to run and handle. It isn't as responsive and a 450 with Cats, but not enough to get you in trouble as long as you keep your mind ahead of the boat. There were some lay-up changes in mis production so later is better than an early production boat. The only quirk in t he 460DA is the bow rise on take off. There is a decent length blind spot as the hull breaks over on plane. I won't plane a 460 until I am in open water well clear of anyone who might run under the bow and out of sight.

Have fun shopping............
 
Last edited:
What's happening Jason??? Footitis is spreading around..... I'm infected too! I just spotted a nice 500 DA at a real bargain price...

The 460 is a great boat! Good luck and have fun with your search!
 
Pietro said:
What's happening Jason??? Footitis is spreading around..... I'm infected too! I just spotted a nice 500 DA at a real bargain price...

The 460 is a great boat! Good luck and have fun with your search!
Click to expand...

Pietro,

The 500DA is a beauty. Beware of CAT 3196s...
 
Jason what switch in style of boating are you making? More cruising, less island time? Or are you going to be a liveaboard like your sailboat buddy at the marina. Whatever you do just don't put in a wood-burner like he does. The chimney would take away from the lines of the boat.

Excited to see where this journey takes you.
 
Hello Jason-
I agree with everything James said on the initial post to this thread. The 460 has been a fantastic boat for our family of 4 over the past 3 years. I searched the Midwest and Pacific Northwest when purchasing and finally decided on a 2003 down by Humph, San Fran area. Frank Webster was a big help when it was determined less than a week from shipping time that the motors were actually 6CTAs modified at the factory to have electronic fuel monitors. The Smartcraft is a nice system to see fuel flow, temps, etc. So far no gremlins. We have a beautiful cockpit with custom sunbrella seating and an extended camper canvas. With the cockpit AC and Heat we boat year round here in Portland, Oregon. Temps may be 30-40 degrees outside and we are in t-shirts inside! I do wish I had the hydraulic swim platform for my dinghy, but all in all, can't complain. This is a very nice boat and easy to operate. Good luck on your search!
 
Pietro, it is infectious. ..lol

Alex, will still do the islands but want to do trips to the north channel and my current boat is not rigged for that. Would also like to do some long cruises to NY and such and I get tired of constantly moving things around in the 340.

Thank you all for the info.

Do you see a problem with adding the sea lift aftermarket to the back of this boat?

What are the benefits for the larger HP in reality?

As with my 340 if I put the tabs down 1st before taking off does that help the bow rise?
 
Pyrojodge said:
Do you see a problem with adding the sea lift aftermarket to the back of this boat?

What are the benefits for the larger HP in reality?

As with my 340 if I put the tabs down 1st before taking off does that help the bow rise?
Click to expand...

I like the Sea Lift on this boat. Have actually checked on adding it and it was around $25k if I'm not mistaken.

I'm sure Frank will chime in about the 450CE motors, but the way he explained it to me was if these were GAS motors you would notice the HP, but in Diesel motors, the extra 33hp is barely noticed, if at all. The true difference is the 6CTAs are a mechanical motor while the 450CE are electronic (If the brain goes out in Lake Michigan-you are limping home in "safe" mode.)

Personally I always put the tabs down and have never noticed the blind spot upon take off as Frank mentioned. Now it could be there, but it has never bothered me. I also don't keep my fenders in a holder on the bow which would add to a blind spot. I also have 250ft of chain in the anchor well and that might keep my nose down a bit, too! :)
 
The 2 460's I run for friends are both loaded, hard tops, aft enclosures, hydraulic platforms and usually an inflatable on the platform. Both also have cchin and rope anchor rodes, not all chain. Both have a noticable bow rise to the point that I have to stand up or am blind for about 10 sec. Could be that a different boat with not as many options wouldn't exhibit that much bow rise.

If you look at the engine specs on the C series engines, the 6CTA is rated at 450hp but nets 430 hp at the shaft; the 480CE is rated at 480hp but it nets 440hp at the shaft. So the difference we are talking about is 40 hp. However that 40 hp is at WOT and we don't run these boats that way. if you run at 70% load, then you only have a net gain in hp of 28 hp. In t he real world, that is going to get you about 1-2 kts more cruise speed and more fuel burned. Additionally, the CE engine is the 6CTA engine with an electronic governor and Cummins electronic fuel distribution system. That means quicker starting and maybe a little less smoke on cold starts.......bit the CE"s around me smoke just as much as the 6CTA's, which I don't find objectional, even though it is more than I am accustomed to with my Caterpillars. SMartcraft is available with CE engines, but not with 6CTA's

Down here in the real world, I wouldn't turn around for the difference between them (but would prefer the mechanical engines) and I certainly wouldn't pass on the right boat because it had one or the other engines in it.
 
Jason, good luck in your search. that would be a great boat for extended weekends and longer cruises. We have a few in our area but it sounds like you want a fresh water boat which makes sense.
 
I own a 2005 460 and it is a great boat! The 480CE engines are fine but I found that Sea Ray overpropped them. I have them now propped like they were the 450 Diamond. Check out Boatdiesel.com for a great deal of information on the engines. The boat itself is great!! From the ride, to ease of handling around the dock. A great value!!

"Crew Lounge"
 
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