480 DB Owners Club

[Jacob]

Go out one day in rough water in a 480 and experience the difference between a 32 and a 48.

 

[Boatingfool]

[deleted]Woops, didn't realize which thread this was in...

 

[rondds]

Tell her your goomah likes the idea.

 

[Alex F]

Calling all 48 DB owner, I need help....
I am trying to get the wife on board with my Dream Boat, what's the best way to convince her right NOW...that a 500,000 boat is worth it, and we need this boat!!!!!! She is still in LOVE with our 320, but I'm ready to move up.....She thinks its arrogant to spend this kind iof money on a boat...Yet she's seen higher priced boats out there....How did you guys get your wives to just fall in LOVE with these 48 monsters...??

Signed Need your Help on getting her to switch..

Robert,

Honestly, IMO the true selling point is your balance in the savings/checking account and/or financial strategy paying for the 480 monster (unless you're paying cash). Also, on the pessimistic note, you have to account not only for purchase price, but a huge difference on operational and maintenance cost comparing to your 320. Try selling to your wife running this monster at $200-$250 per hour (I'm using $4 p/g and ~55GPH cruising burn rate for this baby).

Sorry for not being too much of a help.

 

[bmac]

Robert,

Honestly, IMO the true selling point is your balance in the savings/checking account and/or financial strategy paying for the 480 monster (unless you're paying cash). Also, on the pessimistic note, you have to account not only for purchase price, but a huge difference on operational and maintenance cost comparing to your 320. Try selling to your wife running this monster at $200-$250 per hour (I'm using $4 p/g and ~55GPH cruising burn rate for this baby).

Sorry for not being too much of a help.

Ok, Alex. You're not allowed to discuss my 52DB desires with my wife....especially using the term "monster"....that wouldn't be helpful.:smt043

 

[Alex F]

Ok, Alex. You're not allowed to discuss my 52DB desires with my wife....especially using the term "monster"....that wouldn't be helpful.:smt043

No..no..no...this conversation is exclusivelly for big boys. :grin:

On the serious note, when moving up to our new 420DB we had exactly the same situation where we needed to justify and have a plan on how we're going to handle the financial part of it. The primary driver was that we're still young and ready to continue working hard to maintain desired life style and things we want in this life. As with anything, we're making compromizes to the point what makes sense to us as a family.

Everyone's situation is different and all things considered like age, account balances, assets and future plans (including retirement) make a huge different in decision when moving to anything like 480 or 52.

 

[boltman]

Alex I'd have to agree with you about making sure your assests can handle this boat, But I will tell you, my 320 burns 49GPH at 27.7 cruise, much like the 48 I'm looking at with MANN's, he burns 54 GPH at 28 MPH Almost the same burn rate, and we really never hit that pseed much in our 320, We like to slow it down to about 8 mph.....Love it actually and I can slip this boat iin West Michigan for 3100.00 for the summer with a 7200.00 yearly cost for slippage and inside heated storage, just 500.00 more then my 320.... It's crasey.... But i know it's alot to own and diesels are so uch more expensive to maintain.... I've had a diesel truck all my life and I still have them... I want to thank you though, your the only one whose pointed out the cost of running these MONSTERS>... Lolo

 

[Alex F]

..... But I will tell you, my 320 burns 49GPH at 27.7 cruise, much like the 48 I'm looking at with MANN's, he burns 54 GPH at 28 MPH Almost the same burn rate, and we really never hit that pseed much in our 320.....

Robert,

This reply scares me. If I read this correctly, it means that your 320 is so unique to burn X2 compair to most 320s out there. You have outdrives and that makes it even scarier as this configuration should provide most economy comaring to v-drives config. I'm burning 25-26GPH cruising at 25-27MPH, this is for both sides. To be precise, according to SmartCraft one side shows 13.2 and the other 12.3 (it's usually 1 GPH off).

Realistically, I just think you made a typo or did something wrong calculating to get 49GPH at 27.7 cruise for your 320.

I'm sure that majority will confirm that my #s are closer to the reality and 480 would burn about double of what your 320 burns.

If my statement came us a true surprize, than my friend you just hit the "face the reality" button.:wow: I'm sorry if I'm spoiling this move for you. But, could you imagin if you going in to this thinking that you'll be spending as much as on 320 and find very soon that you under estimated by 100%?

I hope this helps in some way.

 

[Carver370]

The main factor that has kept me from moving up to a 480 DB is the fuel and extra slip costs. My Carver with twin big block Crusaders burns about 36 GPH at 22 MPH. Theres no way that your 320 burned 49 GPH at 27 mph.

-The 480 burns close to double at cruise and holds double the amount of fuel. Lets break it down - 54 GPH at $3.26 which is my local price equates to just under $200.00 per hour, give or take depending on conditions and use. A fill up will cost you $1,630.00. Gotta pay to play!
-Storage goes from $2800 to over 5K for me per season.
-Slip goes from $2900 to over 5K again per season.
-Oil changes and filters goes from just over $200 to over 1K.
-Insurance triples.
-Not to mention payments.

Thats just off the bat, everything else is minimal compared to the every year costs.

I know Grand Haven has some cheap storage and cheap slips compared to where I am at. My slip neighbor relocated last season from New Buffalo to Grand Haven. Where I am its just too much to swallow and I will not relocate to another harbor since my home and office is within 5 minutes of the boat.

Just my point of view from somebody who would probably have a 480 in their slip but just can't afford the extra costs at this time or in this economy. My move to a 410 is actually a downsize in many ways with a lateral move in expenses for how I currently use my boat.

 

[Boatingfool]

My Carver with twin big block Crusaders burns about 36 GPH at 22 MPH. Theres no way that your 320 burned 49 GPH at 27 mph.

-The 480 burns close to double at cruise and holds double the amount of fuel. Lets break it down - 54 GPH at $3.26 which is my local price equates to just under $200.00 per hour...

I know it is hard to understand if you haven't had the opportunity to go form a larger V8 big block gas powered boat to a 8-15ft or so larger diesel powered boat. But don't write off an upgrade to the 480 just yet!!!!

The reality is that I'd bet the 480 burns no more than most 38ft - 42ft power boat with V8 gasoline engines.

I found some information to back this up on boatest website. According to their test results, the 480 w/ Cats burns 32 GPH at 25mph. Back her down to 22mph and I bet she would sip between 25-28 GPH.

Here is what they said:

Sea Ray 480 Sedan Bridge Test Result Highlights

• Top speed for the Sea Ray 480 Sedan Bridge is 35.6 mph (57.3 kph), burning 58.0 gallons per hour (gph) or 219.53 liters per hour (lph).
• Best cruise for the Sea Ray 480 Sedan Bridge is 19.8 MPH (31.9 kph), and the boat gets 0.82 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.35 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 370 miles (595.46 kilometers).
• Tested power is 2 x 640-hp Caterpiller diesel Inboards.

 

[Alex F]

....I found some information to back this up on boatest website. According to their test results, the 480 w/ Cats burns 32 GPH at 25mph. Back her down to 22mph and I bet she would sip between 25-28 GPH.
.....

Mike, as far as I recall 480 burns very close to 50GPH at cruising speed. Granted that backing off a bit will save a few, but Gary and Greg can give us the true numbers.

I personally think that when upgrading to something like 480DB it's important to be ready to pay for higher burn rate over the lower. Don't forget that fuel prices are only going up, so if $1K-$2K extra per season is hard to deal with, then 480 is not the boat one should own.

 

[Carver370]

With my typical use, fuel alone goes up about 4-5K. This really shouldn't be a huge concern when buying a boat of this caliber but the smaller Sundancer fuel burn is hard to ignore and is very attractive for how I use the boat.

 

[Greg]

Alex, those numbers sound about right. I just looked at what I burned last year, 5200 gallons and 170 hours, which works out to an average burn of 30.6 gal/hr.

I think what Robert is saying is correct, not the 49GPH in the 320, but if he backs it down and doesn't need to get any where fast, you can save a bunch of fuel.

I wasn't too concerned about fuel burn last year, and I think I did ok at an average of just over 30 GPH. (although now looking at these numbers, I may be more careful :grin.

I did some experimenting when I first got the boat, with the fuel burn numbers. I lost the paper so I don't have the exact numbers, but what I recall is that at idle the MPG was the best (by quite a bit). It then drops a bit up to about 1200 or so, where you are not quite on plane.

Once on plane the MPG is pretty linear, so the cruise speed doesn't affect the MPG by all that much.

As for maintenance cost, yeah that goes up...

 

[boltman]

Maybe I'm calculating the numbers on My smartcraft worng, but when I'm at 27-29 MPH I'm burning 21GPH per side and this flucuates between 21.9 and 22.5 GPH, and I could be wrong, I'm usually the first to admit it, but this figure is to be x2 when your calculating your total burn rate per hour. Please anyone correct me if I'm wrong, I do know I have 2 100 gallon tanks, one on each side and they empty mighty quick when I'm up on plane.

 

[Alex F]

Robert,

All I can say at this point is that something doesn't add up in your data. One of the best helpers for you would be your cruising log. If you track miles, time and fuel usage, then you can easily get the more accurate picture.

Here're the numbers from my performance test, which I do twice or three times per season just to make sure all is fine.

Performance test run (South wind ~10+mph, 1-2' chops). Full fuel, full water, full gear.
Port=427hrs, Strbd=423hrs,

WOT=34.7MPH (against the wind),
Port=4900RPM, Strbd=4800RPM burning 21GPH on each engine.

Regular cruising numbers test:
Port side 3720RPM using 12.3GPH,
Starboard side 3710RPM using 13.2GPH.



I suggest to post your numbers and questions in 320 thread to get more responses from 320 owners.

 

[Carver370]

Maybe I'm calculating the numbers on My smartcraft worng, but when I'm at 27-29 MPH I'm burning 21GPH per side and this flucuates between 21.9 and 22.5 GPH, and I could be wrong, I'm usually the first to admit it, but this figure is to be x2 when your calculating your total burn rate per hour. Please anyone correct me if I'm wrong, I do know I have 2 100 gallon tanks, one on each side and they empty mighty quick when I'm up on plane.

If thats true you're almost running on fumes after 2 hours of run time? That can't be. I think your smartcraft is giving you total fuel burn, not per side.

 

[Alex F]

Robert, I can also add that at very high level you should be able to gat 160-170mils out of your 200gal tank. This is a low number for your 320 with BIIIs, meaning that you should be able to get close to 200 miles on the full tanks (mine does ~160-170nm). If your boat does less, then you've got a issue that has to be addressed ASAP.

 

[CAMELLA]

If thats true you're almost running on fumes after 2 hours of run time? That can't be. I think your smartcraft is giving you total fuel burn, not per side.

Agree, I had a 340 with 496 Bravo III's and I would get 1 MPG.

 

[boltman]

Ok Well I may have a chance to study this , this spring, But I'm thinking I'm dead on, Took a two hour ride at cruising speed and burnt 100 gallons...Seems about right, but I'll let you guys know when I can get in the boat and drive it....Yeah know.

 

[Alex F]

....Took a two hour ride at cruising speed and burnt 100 gallons........

Sorry my firend, but you've got a big problem right there. It's possible that your gauges are bad but if you know for a fact that you've burned 100gal in 2hrs you need to address this ASAP. Perhaps, trade your 320 and get 480 is your interesting way out...LOL.