Looking for knowledge and opinions on a 400DB

For me personally it's not a selling point, but shifters with golden knobs is somethig I'd like to have as oppose to the older style shifters. I'm sure the older type work just fine, but as with anything it's just a personal preferernce. I like the golden ones very much on my 320.
 
For me personally it's not a selling point, but shifters with golden knobs is somethig I'd like to have as oppose to the older style shifters. I'm sure the older type work just fine, but as with anything it's just a personal preferernce. I like the golden ones very much on my 320.

Maybe you could make it a condition of the sale, if it doesn't have gold knobs, you want to swap them from your current boat. :wow:
 
Greg has the right idea...take your knobs off now and replace them.

However, I have two sets of gold knobs for sale-asking price is $200k and I'll throw a boat in for free.
 
Hey, I'm glad the knobs brought some life to the thread :thumbsup: as the simple question about the model feedback was dead in two days or so. :smt101

On a serious note, there're few boats that have smaller genny 6KW (from what I saw the majority come with 8KW). Whould you guys say that this is underpowered unit and I should pass?
 
A 6kw seems a small to me for the systems this boat has. my '00 400db had a 9.6kw and ran everything nicely. i'd rather have more than you need rather than not enough capacity because you really don't want to mess with managing loads.
 
You will not power up a 400DB with normal options with 6KW. Every one I know of has 2 a/c's microwave, water heater, refrigerator, freezer, icemaker, etc. an 8KW Westerbeke is the perfect size, unless someone tries to add a bridge air unit or water maker and then 8kw isn't enough.
 
Thanks for confirming my concerns, guys. I'm crossing any boat with 6KW genny off my list.

Ok, you've made the fun of my knobs question, but what about the cockpit seat with the storage box under it? I've noticed that some 99'-00' boats don't have it. It was an option and not everyone ordered it. Considering that the latest model is 2003 I don't even know if it's possible to order such seat from SR. I would assume that it could cost as much as $3K. I doubt that FP marine has it. I've looked on their site and didn't see it.

So, my question is, besides buying few folding chairs from WM what might be the option to have something custom made to replicate the seat with storage?
 
I didn't realize "knob choice" was a selling point on a boat...

Guess I'll have to come up with some cool ones for this weekend at the "secret gathering"

414thBzSOAL._SS500_.jpg

Is this the Ka-nob job thread? :smt043:smt043

On another note though are you kust looking at 40DB's or considering some 44DB's? :huh:
 
.....On another note though are you kust looking at 40DB's or considering some 44DB's? :huh:

I was keeping my options open for both, but 420DB, not 44DB. Chances are I'm going with 400DB route.
 
shifters with golden knobs is somethig I'd like to have as oppose to the older style shifters.

Would you know how much this change might cost, just approximatelly?

$100,000.

So, my question is, besides buying few folding chairs from WM what might be the option to have something custom made to replicate the seat with storage?

$100,000.

I think everything on a 400DB cost the same.
 
Alex why cross boats with 6kw gensets off your list? If you find a boat that has most things you want, why not try to negotiate it off the price? All things considered, the items your questioning (shifter knobs, genset, seat storage, etc) seem trivial with regard to the big picture. I am perplexed why these things are a deal breaker? Personally I would find a boat that has most of the big ticket items you're looking for and plan on x amount of dollars for upgrades over the next few years if you decide you can't live with it.

Doug
 
Alex why cross boats with 6kw gensets off your list? If you find a boat that has most things you want, why not try to negotiate it off the price? All things considered, the items your questioning (shifter knobs, genset, seat storage, etc) seem trivial with regard to the big picture. I am perplexed why these things are a deal breaker? Personally I would find a boat that has most of the big ticket items you're looking for and plan on x amount of dollars for upgrades over the next few years if you decide you can't live with it.

Doug

Doug,

I agree with everything you said, but IMO small genny is the show stopper. I think exactly the same on all smaller items that is not a big deal to add later. The same goes with TVs and helm electronics. But, if the genny can't hold the load I'm not going to change it. This is a big ticket item and no owner will drop additional $10K just b/c I think his genny is too small.
 
I don't doubt the 6kw is too small, but how often are you going to require all 8kw? I don't think its going to be all too often that your moored out with a full load running at once. If the load is high and you need to run something temporarily like a microwave, etc then just turn something off for a short while. I'm guessing that you will most likely be at the dock when you may require or want the ability to power more. Of course at the dock then electrical load isn't an issue. Maybe the seller wont drop 10k off the price but maybe he drops 5k? It's really all about the bottom line dollar anyway and hence why I would nix it off your list.

Doug
 
Not sure how the ER in the 400DB is laid out, but pulling a gen on a lot of boats I've seen requires yanking an engine out.

I can't tell you how many times I've got everything running on my boat. Aug, temp is 90, both AC's are running, fridge, freezer, ice maker, blender, TV, SAT, heating up some cheese dip in the microwave, etc...

Alex, all this little stuff adds up big time. picking a cheap boat and adding shifter knobs, factory storage, TV's, whatever is going to take so much time and money that you'll hate the boat about half way through the projects. It's hard enough just fixing stuff that breaks without adding a ton of other projects to your list. I would pay the "premium" that has what I want and enjoy boating.
 
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.......It's really all about the bottom line dollar anyway......Doug

To me, not exactly. If I get a least expesive boat but it can't give me all the necessary features I need, then it's not worth the savings on the purchase price. $5K...yes it's a good discount, but it'll be a big battle for us to jastify the replacement. If I have perfectly working genny, why would I spend the $$$ to replace it? So, I end up with the small genny until it quits for good and those $5K will be gone before I know it.

In the way you're right about the usage, but my boat is not a dock queen. I'd say that 85% of the load will be when I'm away from a slip. Thus, I need the rig that will handle the load.

My 320 has single 30amp and when I'm at the dock I have to turn off some stuff we don't use when we have to use extra equipment. It's a PITA when you have to run back and forth when admiral turns an electrical tea cattle or a hare dryer, which tripps the main breaker. The last thing I need is to have this issue with the bigger boat and while underway when I have to crowl to the ER to reset the breaker.

My apporach is to pay $5K extra and have 12KW genny on the boat. But, it would be stupid to throw away perfectly working 6KW genny.

Just my opinion.
 
Not sure how the ER in the 400DB is laid out, but pulling a gen on a lot of boats I've seen requires yanking an engine out.

I can't tell you how many times I've got everything running on my boat. Aug, temp is 90, both AC's are running, fridge, freezer, ice maker, blender, TV, SAT, heating up some cheese dip in the microwave, etc...

Mike, I'm with you here. We often don't look at all extra equipment we bring to the boat. As I said in my earlier post, just electrical tea cattle and hair dryer draw over 3000 Watt. So, now we can add toaster, some kind of mixer, etc, etc....the list is only getting bigger. So, if the genny can't handle the regular items on the boat with out any extras, the boat is off my list.
 
The Generator on 400 DB is easy to get out... It is accessed in the cockpit... Has its own hatch... I could pull it myself in one hour... Alex, you just have to get a list of the boats you are interested in, and weigh the pros, cons and cost. First course of business is to sell your 320...

Not sure how the ER in the 400DB is laid out, but pulling a gen on a lot of boats I've seen requires yanking an engine out.

I can't tell you how many times I've got everything running on my boat. Aug, temp is 90, both AC's are running, fridge, freezer, ice maker, blender, TV, SAT, heating up some cheese dip in the microwave, etc...

Alex, all this little stuff adds up big time. picking a cheap boat and adding shifter knobs, factory storage, TV's, whatever is going to take so much time and money that you'll hate the boat about half way through the projects. It's hard enough just fixing stuff that breaks without adding a ton of other projects to your list. I would pay the "premium" that has what I want and enjoy boating.
 
i need to add a 6kw genny to run my AV equipment.

Gary,

To my surprise I saw an ad for one 400DB with 2 generators and a water maker. This boat was advertised as ready to do the loop. That's a nice rig. But, it was too much $$$ for the year and I'm not ready to do the loop.
 
Have you even seen a 400db with a 6kw gen? According to Sea Ray's web site, that was only an international option which means it was also set up for 50Hz. The only diesel option was 8 kw for the US market.
 

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