Calling all 360 DA owners

@Tripsdad this was also our first boat with separate shifters/throttles. We came from a 30' twin screw boat and find the 360DA MUCH easier to dock. As someone earlier said, only go as fast as you are willing to bump into something. And early on, make sure your line handlers always have a tight hand on the line because at sometime you will hit the throttle when you meant to shift from reverse to forward. Ask me how I know (or ask my wife who was tending the stern line on the swim platform).

Thanks for the reply. My first boat was a 30' twin sterndrive and I learned to dock on that. Even now with my 27' Grady with twin outboards I still only use the shifters to dock. I know there will be a learning curve and the example you gave is exactly what I am worried about! :)

Rob
 
Thanks Chris
It's going to be a long winter!
Hi Rob. We bought our first boat this time last year! (1980 360 Express Cruiser). It was definitely a long winter last year! I'll agree that the dual throttles & shifters are great for maneuvering. Having never piloted anything like this before, it was a learning curve. Nothing like going through a lock with big, beautiful boats surrounding me and a strong breeze insisting that my boat slide up one of those brand new 50' loopers! Slow is the key!
 
Thanks for the reply. My first boat was a 30' twin sterndrive and I learned to dock on that. Even now with my 27' Grady with twin outboards I still only use the shifters to dock. I know there will be a learning curve and the example you gave is exactly what I am worried about! :)

Rob
The v drives sit a little forward and will be easier to dock, imo. They may be spread out a little more (beam wise)


We agreed to terms on my 380 mid January, which seemed like forever til summer. The boat before was purchased sept 30.... THAT WAS A LONG WINTER, but I had fun opening compartments and removing stuff to find every nook and cranny I could, enjoy!
 
Hi Rob. We bought our first boat this time last year! (1980 360 Express Cruiser). It was definitely a long winter last year! I'll agree that the dual throttles & shifters are great for maneuvering. Having never piloted anything like this before, it was a learning curve. Nothing like going through a lock with big, beautiful boats surrounding me and a strong breeze insisting that my boat slide up one of those brand new 50' loopers! Slow is the key!
Hi Robb - I've been looking for the right boat all season and this one just became available the beginning of Sept. All the responses I've received along with the posts I've read are very encouraging. I'm looking forward to actually getting on the boat to practice a little before pulling her for the season. Will let you know how it goes.
Thanks,
Rob
 
The v drives sit a little forward and will be easier to dock, imo. They may be spread out a little more (beam wise)


We agreed to terms on my 380 mid January, which seemed like forever til summer. The boat before was purchased sept 30.... THAT WAS A LONG WINTER, but I had fun opening compartments and removing stuff to find every nook and cranny I could, enjoy!
Hi Chris,
Everyone's been telling me that the inboards and beam will make it easier to dock and the boat has a bow thruster which some have said will help keep me out of trouble. I know I need to learn to use the controls and not depend on the thruster so that is my intention.
I'm putting a door on the shrink wrap so I can do the same and go through the boat over the winter. Excited to finally pick her up next Tuesday and start going through everything.
Thanks,
Rob
 
Rob
So excited for you, that bow thruster will be a good friend, in times of need

When I get down to no wake speed, I make sure I am headed straight (with the steering wheel) and then do all maneuvering with the shifters, use a little throttle when needed. So simple. You are going to love it!
Congrats!
 
IMG_3683 (2).JPG

Finally picked up the new (to me) boat today. Turned out to be a beautiful fall day, winds 5 to 10 knots and the bay was flat. Went to the gas dock to fill the tanks and take the opportunity to back into a slip to get the feel of the boat. Happily I quickly got the hang of the separate throttles and shifters and was able to get into the slip at my marina without issue. The only issue was a STBD Engine Low Power Warning which the PO said was due to a bad sensor on the gas tank. I brought the throttles back down idle, reset the alarm and was able to get up on plane and cruise with no issues. Anyone else experience this issue?

Rob
 
Does anyone here know if there are any structural differences between a 2002 360 and a 2003-5 360? Seems like the 2002 model is always significantly cheaper and I wonder why?
 
Does anyone here know if there are any structural differences between a 2002 360 and a 2003-5 360? Seems like the 2002 model is always significantly cheaper and I wonder why?
The only difference i'm aware of is the 2002 doesn't have smartcraft gauges although the engines are set up for it
 
The only difference i'm aware of is the 2002 doesn't have smartcraft gauges although the engines are set up for it


I’ve never had Smartcraft and not sure I would necessarily miss it either?
 
Is SmartCraft able to be added on afterwards? Is it difficult to do? SeadawgVB, where is yours located on helm?
 
Mine is on the lower dash panel, centered behind the steering wheel. And I believe the answer to your question about adding on afterwards is "yes" due to the 8.1 engines being properly "sensored up". BUT, you may want to look at adding on the VesselView Mobile kit which sends all the same information (actually even more information i.e. fault codes) to your smartphone or tablet via bluetooth.

I don't know exactly what would be needed to bridge the gap between having no VesselView and the bluetooth kit but sounds like a good and fairly simple winter project.

https://www.mercruiserparts.com/8m0115080-vv-mobile-kit
 
Is SmartCraft able to be added on afterwards? Is it difficult to do? SeadawgVB, where is yours located on helm?
Pretty easy to do. You need a gateway for each engine (Fox gateways are about $300 each), you will need to run NEMA 2000 line from you engine room to your backbone. If you don't have a NEMA backbone it will probably cost you around $100 to put one in. Then your data will be available on your chart plotter. They don't give you as much data as the smartcraft but you get all the important stuff.
 
Sounds fairly easy then. I'll add it to my winter project list.
Thanks for the info.
 
The 360 I’m looking at the owner says the bow thruster motor is broken. Is this a big pain to fix? Figured I would have to replace the motor and batteries. How much would this cost in parts alone?
 
Looking for a replacement windshield actuator cover. Part number is 1409911.
I’ve tried the local Skipper Buds, and they state they are not available anymore. I’ve searched the internet as well, to no avail. Any suggestions?
 
There was also talk of a stockpile of new/old parts in Florida. Contact Captain Rusty
 

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