Did you see the 460 DA on yachtsalvage?

U

unklbuck

New Member
Mar 4, 2007
211
Pittsburgh - Charleston
Boat Info
2009 Regulator 32
Engines
Yamaha 350s
http://www.yachtsalvage.com/Listings/YS074107.htm

from the listing::

General Description
One of the largest American-built mid-cabin cruisers on the market, the Sea Ray 460 Sundancer is an impressive yacht with a rakish profile and luxurious accommodations. Sea Ray's interiors are among the best in the business and the accommodations of the 460 are impressive in every respect. Hard top mid cabin express is one of Sea Rays best boats ever. Big Cummins Diesels provide the power to cruise 23k!

Actual Condition
This vessel suffered damage to the bulkhead, hull, and hardtop while underway in very large seas. Core samples revealed delamintation and a wet core in several areas of the vessel. Additional description will follow. This vessel should be closely inspected prior to bidding. Quote from the insurance company: "Engines crushed the stringers". "Wet core in several locations-from engine vents back". "Diagram taped and photos available to the buyer", these photos should show known wet core areas.
 
I did.
We have fixed a couple of those in our yard. The core rot issues in these boats are very fixable. The scary part about that one, is that it looks like it may have been fixed once before. That must have been one hell of a storm! The damage on the bottom looks to me like they lifted the boat out of the water while the bilge still had a ton of water in it. The worst of the bottom damage seems to be right below the strap marks.
That boat could be fixed and used again, but it would be hard to have confidence in it on big water unless you not only fixed it but beefed it up.
It's a shame becuse those are really nice boats.
I would be very curious to know what the cirumstances were leading up to the failure and exactly what failed first.
Does anyone on the list know this boat?
 
I did some internet research on it when it first appeared on y-salvage. I couldn't find anything. Since then, they've designated is as their "Featured Boat"!

The arch fell off, the bottom was crushed in the slings and the stringers failed? That's insane!
 
I'll be they removed the arch and hardtop to move it.
I doubt that it fell off.

We acutally have pictures of us fixing one in those same areas in service gallery of our website.

No sure if I can put that link here but it is on my profile.
 
The listing actually specificies that the HT was damaged while underway - this boat flexed something fierce.

So why hasn't SR snatched this thing up? Why let it sit out there for the world to see?

It's a disgrace.
 
we have two travelifts but due to the water level fluctuation we have to trailer launch everything.
as you can see, we had to get pretty creative. Those military truck work great! They are unstoppable.
two years ago we had a drought and had to trailer launch a 540 of the shoreline on 4th of July weekend! that was fun..
 
Also, I agree with you
Sea Ray needs to grab that boat. I don't think they can now that it is on that auction site.
 
A really good surveyor will find this right away and keep you out of trouble.
You can also just rap on the side of the hull with your fist. Start at one end and go to the other. When you hit a rotten spot, there will be a very noticable hollow ring to the sound.

The problem is real but it really was limited to certain models and certain model years and only at certain plants.

Here is the best article on the subject.

http://yachtsurvey.com/searay_balsa_core_bottoms.htm
 
In Sea Ray's defense.
That surveyor is a bit hard on them but they boating magazines will never tell you about something like this. Powerboat reports was the only one that would but they could not survive without advertising. They are gone now.
Also, I have owned three of these boats without any problems.
Also, Sea Ray is not the only one with this issue. We repaired a Bluewater that had the closet door/wall stick through the bottom of the boat when it's rotten core took a pounding.
 
As far as Sea Ray buying the boat to keep it out of the public's view, forget that........the manufacturer doesn't control abuse or guarantee boats for what idiots do in them. The statement that the engines crushed the engine beds tells you the boat was abused or put in conditions it was not designed for. These are coastal cruisers, not high speed blue water wave jumpers.

And, Florida hasn't had a serious storm in 2 years.......

Early 460DA's had a known potential for crushing at the chine near the aft sling mark.
Sea Ray has repaired all I know about and it isn't a big repair. The layup schedule tended to leave a small void which allows the sling to crush the chine.

Someone will buy this one and spend a bunch but will end up with a nice boat on the other end.
 
Yes,
the stringer thing is what has me puzzled too.. I wonder what really happened?
On the 460's the biggest offender was the engine vents on the side of the hull. They were not well sealed and water oured right into the balsa core.
That is just aft of the sling marks.

The ones we fixed were pretty straightforward and turned out great.

I wonder if this boat had been submerged or partially submerged at one time?
When we see that happen on smaller boats. The transom and strigers let go a few years later..
 
Right.

Cored hulls -> Undesirable. Probably worse that Raw water cooled salt water boats.

Not desirable, but not unmanagable.
 
Frank,

I have a problem with the thinking that you can't take a SeaRay into big waves because the stringers might be crushed?!?!?!

We've been in waves that felt like we were dropping off the side of a building. I've stuffed the bow into 5 feet of water (for hours). We've had trips after which we had to SEARCH for the toaster and buy new mirrors and televisions. Screws have come loose, the horn stopped working, water dripped everywhere, the props ventilated.

I've been prepared for the dogs on the fwd hatch to come loose, because that would send us down. This is all stuff that I'm willing to accept in a "coastal cruiser", but AT NO TIME did I consider that the bulkhead would fail, the hardtop would buckle and the stringers would collapse. That is NOT acceptable.

I'm suggesting that SR should hide that boat not for the PO's sake, but for SR's own reputation and the resale value of their current and past products. It's simple damage control, and I've seen them spend much more to avoid LESS bad press.
 
I saw the Yachtworld posting on this vessel earlier today and my first reaction was "What kind of conditions did this boat have to go through?" The general condition of the vessel is poor but much of that could be due to a prolonged period of neglect after its "accident". By the H.I.N. on the posting it is indeed a cored sided boat but perhaps that's not the issue here. The boat simply met with extraordinary conditions and/or neglect and I wonder if it shouldn't be consigned to the scrapyard irregardless of whether it is a Sea Ray, a Hatteras, Carver, or Bayliner. On the other hand it might make a great "project" for someone with skill and patience. (It does look like it was submerged.)

I keep thinking of the "Edmund Fitzgerald".
 
Jaws, you and I have likely looked at more 460DA's than anyone else on this board, so I'm surprised that we saw different things when looking at these pictures.

I see a 7 year old boat with Fla registration that has an admirable shine to her - both hull and topsides. The interior materials look good and not only has someone added a flatscreen TV to the fwd stateroom, this 2001 model is sporting the salon flatscreen and cabinet that SeaRay didn't begin installing until 2003.

I didn't get "neglect" from those pictures.

I DO agree however, that this boat SHOULD NOT be repaired. I refuse to accept that any boat that doesn't have sliding glass doors on all four sides should fall victim to WAVES.
 
RollerCoastr,

I was looking more at the bottom wear & tear, and the engine room with all that damage. You're right, maybe the vessel was well maintained before the accident. Certainly the interior looked great (the '03 cabinet extension with a non-standard flat screen TV in an '01 model). What do you think of the bare spots in the bottom?
Lots of marine growth around the bow thruster (which may not be factory installed, see the helm breaker). It's got the GSH platform, so it's well equipped.
 
Well. . .a cored side hull is not the same as a cored bottom. . but still. . . .

. . .btw, you hit a SeaRay with 40' seas -> I don't think it will last long. Not that you see that abuse every day. . .but get some rogue waves or a Hurricane. . . .

So the question is "what did this vessel see?".
 
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