I wish my 40 Dancer ___________?

Boy I am a thinking if the survey passed on the 2006 44 I would go with a deal on it over the 2007 40.:huh:

Remember these are typically asking prices, and the 2006 also has a lift platform and water maker installed.

So which one?


tobnpr said:
Here's a point- I know nothing about this boat, just pulled it up on YW. But if it checked out clean, I'd much rather have this year-or-two old diesel with 45 hours for about the same money as the new one with gassers. Better equipped (even has cockpit air). Just my $.02

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Sea-Ray-40-Sundancer-1937375/Panama-City-Beach/FL/United-States
Click to expand...


Pseudomind said:
I am not trying to rain on your purchase, but I have found two 2006 44 DA's listed between $334,000.00-$339,000.00. Just what are you trading?

Anyway I wish you the best with your new 44:thumbsup:

Here is one and it sounds quite interesting
Click to expand...
 
I am in more or less the same boat (sorry for the pun) as the OP. I am in the process of shopping for a 39 / 40 DA and doing my due diligence research. I have excluded gas power for most of the reasons listed in the thread. Other options become more a personal preference thing. For me "have-to-haves" are hard top and diesels and then you get into the "like-to-haves" such as cockpit air, bow thruster, auto pilot, etc.
 
For 300K you can find multiple freshwater 420/44's with diesels out there. I know of a beautiful 2004 420, doesn't have cockpit air or a bow thruster but in MY opinion those are the least of my worries. This particular boat has a freedom lift installed as well and my preference the white hull. The boat is a personal friends and hes asking 289K
 
Well it appears that no one who actually owns the model boat you are looking at has weighed in here. The '06 (the one I owned) and '08 40DA are identical boats except for some minor trim items. I originally ordered mine with diesels and changed it to gas a month later. Why? $50k and the fact that I only put 50-60 hours a year on the boat. I just couldn't justify the cost....and I was not strapped for cash. I had the 8.1L HO engines, not sure if you're looking at the 370 hp base engines or the 420 hp engines I had. one point about this boat and power choices (one which others that haven't owned or test driven this boat can't speak to). Both gas and diesel power packages for this boat leave it underpowered. The HO engines help it get out of its own way but either the base gassers or the 380hp QSB's are not strong choices. You'll see that for '09 Sea Ray has added a 425hp QSB option. This boat needs it. As for the overall gas vs. diesel question in a 40 footer, yeah diesels are nice but certainly not necessary for lake or even coastal cruising. Sea Ray sold ALOT of 40 and 44DA's with gassers for those applications. I can't speak to a trip to the Bahamas but we did Block Island, Newport, Marthas Vineyard and Natucket in the 40 and it was fine. I will say that I cruised at about 26MPH and burned 36-38 gph at 36-3800 RPM. When I traded the 40 in I took no more of a depresciation hit than I expected, gassers and all, and the boat was flipped immediately by the dealer. One of the bigger questions you should ask yourself is new vs. used, especially in this market. (I know, I know, my history doesn't support the used is better argument but with the right boat in the right condition used could very well be the way to go). Now to your question of what a 40DA should have...a bow thruster is nice, but not necessary and can be added. For lake boating one E-120 is probably sufficient but two is nice. I had a pewter hull and would never buy a colored hull again, too much maintenance. Autopilot is nice but not needed on a lake, the Bahama trip would be much easier with it. There are two things which make the 40 a much more liveable boat....cockpit air and a camper back top. Those are the two things I would make sure I had, got from the dealer for a bargain to close the deal or added shortly after delivery. Of course this is all my $.02 as I sit here on my boat on vacation in Essex Island, CT a few vodka tonics into the afternoon. I'm not even sure this response is entirely lucid....
 
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Brian, you need another vodka tonics. The post was too lucid...... (Grin)
 
I own a 40 with diesel and it is perfect the only thing is that the tank is too small. axius I think you do not need it i have not bow thruster neither but really this boat is very comfortable.(The best)

THE REAL BIG PROBLEM i found is that if you seat in your cap chair you can not see the bow and you don't have full control of it... so you probably will spend some time standing up.

....maybe gangway ;p
 
I dont own either boat. I know in our area in Missouri the dealers order the 40/44DA with gas engines. They will order diesel if someone is ordering the boat. At Lake of the Ozarks, they sell a ton of them. I have been around this site and SRO long enough to know for coastal cruising diesels would be highly preferred. But since you are on a lake, and diesel may or may not be readily available, you may factor that into your decision making. I dont recall exactly where you are in GA, but in the past couple of days, I recall seeing a couple of preowned(on MarineMax) '05 390DA's for a little over 200K....may be an option. Some friends on our dock have a 05 390DA(with 8.1's)...and I love that size of boat. Good luck with the hunt.
 
Thanks so much for the input...and keep it coming. I think my take away so far is that the boat is priced the way it is because it is not optioned to appeal to a broader market. It is underpowered and the type of boat/engines make for a relatively inefficient cruise.

It does have cockpit air conditioning. I wish it had some sort of dock on command, but I get that Axius is sort of the outdrive deal and Zeus is the inboard deal. I also get that people were driving bigger boats with two engines LONG before Axius.

As to the diesel issue...I have gotten a lot of information and think I at least understand the issues. A diesel boat is more efficient, and costs more. As a lake boat, diesel isn't a better fuel bargain (and I am not sure that the diesel mechanics on a lake are in the same league as the ones on the coast, either).

My usage would be predominantly as a condo/lake house replacement, with maybe one or two trips over the next five years having it hauled to the coast.

One thing I haven't heard about is the swim platform. This one hasn't got one. It seems like a must...if only for a place for another grille. Is it? Camper pkg sounds like a must. Satellite, ditto. Still not convinced $11k for thrusters is a good bet.

All of this may be moot since the "Only Mate" is questioning blue...wants to know why I am not getting a white boat and why there isn't a rumble seat like on her friend's 350. However there is hope...she likes the central vac and the cherry interior.

All of the information is helpful and appreciated. Have to say though that the best comment so far...and winner of the really important bit of information that you ought to know...is the bit about the windshield height from RHoudini. That's the kind of stuff that just isn't available anywhere and at $300k, I want to be comfortable. I'm not a tall guy, and I couldn't get comfortable at the helm with a line of vision. the upper edge of the windshield was smack in my line of sight at every comfortable seating level except standing. Horrible with the Isenglas. I am going up this morning to play with the seat adjustments and see if I can work around this.

Honorable mention to the BMAC's quite lucid post despite lubrication. Awesome!
 
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Charles - My feelings are hurt you did not mention me.:grin: Looks like you are getting some great info.Just think, when you upgrade you're going to have bunks to rent out for the next raft-up.:thumbsup:
 
JediJD said:
My usage would be predominantly as a condo/lake house replacement, with maybe one or two trips over the next five years having it hauled to the coast.

One thing I haven't heard about is the swim platform. This one hasn't got one. It seems like a must...if only for a place for another grille. Is it? Camper pkg sounds like a must. Satellite, ditto. Still not convinced $11k for thrusters is a good bet.
Click to expand...

Rather than try to compromise on a predominantly lake-use boat that you might haul to the coast, why not buy the most perfect for your lake use boat you can, and charter a different boat when you go to the coast. There are a several very good charter outfits in Florida and in the Virgins, and it might give you an opportunity to try out a different style of boat.

As to buying the perfect for your use boat, some things like a swim platform, cockpit air, camper canvas, etc. can be added. There are a lot of boats on the market at good prices, so decide what you really want and need, and what compromises you and only mate are willing to live with.
 
So much good information...and so important since there is no three day right of recission...

With much of the information from this thread percolating through my thought processes...I am looking at '07 diesel 44's for a little more than the '08 gas 40. Downside is that you can't get diesel on my current lake (as far as I know).

Going to have to figure that out...then it may be perfect.
 
Diesel can usually be delivered to a dock or ramp by a distributor in a tank truck........lots of us farmers and guys who run construction equipment can't drive the dozer or backhoe to town for fuel, so delivering off road fuel isn't an unusual request for the distributor. You just need to work in decent quantities and on their schedule. I buy farm/equipment fuel 250 gal at a time and have the distributor call when they leave their place so I can meet them at my tank.

ONe point I haven't seen mentioned about diesels is that in addition to the fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance the quality of your investment is a lot better with a diesel boat..i.e. you will get more of your initial investment back when you sell or trade because the depreciation is less in years 3 +.

THe boat you are looking at is a timless design and a very good boat. Even though you do not have Zeus, what you are looking at is a very low maintenance cost combination that has a very good dependabiilty track record.
 
Great point Frank about the off road diesel. I have them deliver to my farm too. I've got one tank for diesel and one tank for gas. Dumb question, can you use the high sulfur off road diesel in a boat?
 
fwebster said:
Diesel can usually be delivered to a dock or ramp by a distributor in a tank truck........lots of us farmers and guys who run construction equipment can't drive the dozer or backhoe to town for fuel, so delivering off road fuel isn't an unusual request for the distributor. You just need to work in decent quantities and on their schedule. I buy farm/equipment fuel 250 gal at a time and have the distributor call when they leave their place so I can meet them at my tank.

ONe point I haven't seen mentioned about diesels is that in addition to the fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance the quality of your investment is a lot better with a diesel boat..i.e. you will get more of your initial investment back when you sell or trade because the depreciation is less in years 3 +.

THe boat you are looking at is a timless design and a very good boat. Even though you do not have Zeus, what you are looking at is a very low maintenance cost combination that has a very good dependabiilty track record.
Click to expand...

What Frank said! Well what Frank said except I would have said, "The boat you are looking at is a timeless design and a very good boat. Especially since it does not have Zeus, you're getting a very low maintenance cost combination with excellent dependability."

Best regards,
Frank
 
Charles

You can get diesel on Allatoona. There are a few diesel boats on the lake. You'll need to round them up and all fuel at the same time to meet minimum requirement and a discount.

It takes planning but I agree with the rest. You'll take a bigger hit if you ever sell a gasser that size to move up down or sideways.
 
Isn't the 40DA the same specs as the old 380DA? Seen plenty of those perform fine with gas engines.
 
Yes what Frank and Frank said.. The boats are a timeless design and if/when I am ever blessed with an oppurtunity to move up either would be in my realm of consideration and especially if they Don't have Zeus on them... That I am afraid will be harder to find... That is just too much complication and expensive gear to be hanging off the bottom of my boat...
 
jg300da said:
Isn't the 40DA the same specs as the old 380DA? Seen plenty of those perform fine with gas engines.
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You owned a 40DA or 380DA? Or did you run one? How do you "see" a boat "perform fine?"
 
I would not buy a 40' boat with any type of an out drive... Twin inboards are easy to drive... If you get the boat cheap enough, and put on less than 100 hours a year gas is ok, buy not preferred.... its all about the price... I would want a chart plotter and tri-data at a minimum... I would negotiate it into the price. oh.. and full tanks of gass.. That $1000 option...
 
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