Looking up, going from a 320 to 36-40, diesel too

J

jxm99

New Member
Jan 27, 2011
29
south florida
Boat Info
320 Sundancer 2005
Engines
twin 350 mag V drives
currently on a 2005 320 but now looking to upgrade. The family keeps growing so now's the right time. is something in the 36-38 range much of a leap in size, re seating upstairs and downstairs? I know once I get to 40 the difference is noticeable but I'm not so sure with something just a few feet shorter. I'm also looking to go diesel, possibly Zeus or IPS as well. Used not new.

Help a salty dog out
 
2 years ago we made the jump from a '06 320DA to a '98 450DA and have never looked back! With my wife and I, two boys and a dog, we are very glad we decided against the "two-foot-itis" and made the 13 foot jump right away!
 
I think the size of the boat just really depends on your usage and budget. We have a 460 but I was looking from 380 to 540 when I found this one. I don't think you can diesels until the 380 and those are like unicorns. The market seems a little soft on the 410 Express right now too, so don't overlook that boat.

Josh
 
I moved up from a 300 to a 410 over this past year.
Started looking at 380's in January 16, sold my boat early June 16, and closed on my 410 December 16.
The number one reason my wife agreed to move up was to get a separate shower stall. I had to go to a 380 to get it in the years I was looking at (early 2000's). Absolutely loved the 380 but then we got a look at a 410 and we decided we loved that model even more so we shifted the search.
This is why we started looking at 410's:
Diesels are very rare in 380's and the very few that you'll find will likely be priced nearly as high as a 410 with diesels anyway. The two diesel 380's I actually stepped aboard where in poor condition and the owners wanted a premium for them because of the diesels.
Diesels are very common in 410's.
The aft cabin in the 410 is significantly bigger with a pocket door instead of a curtain and a separate head for the kids or guests to use.
The extra beam in the 410 makes for that much more room to move around in the bilge which is always a good thing.
 
Like DjDaoust, we made the jump from a 240 Sundeck to a 450 Sundancer. Almost double the size - and a 450 is measured at the waterline. Originally I was looking at 410's but the thought of two heads (one with a full shower) and two staterooms (with doors, not curtains) was too tempting in the 450. I've seen 410's with gas engines but that seemed too much boat for non-diesels. Plus the 450 is still manageable by one person especially if you do have diesels. And a bow thruster.

iphone 04-17-17 214.jpg
 
It all comes down to budget balanced with features. We were searching for a while for a 480 sedan bridge. But there were none in our budget that were in the condition I was willing to take on. I'm not too demanding around cosmetic issues and general items.

We came across our boat by chance and hammered out a deal that worked for me and the seller after structural and mechanical survey.

We went with the 410 for many of the reasons others stated. Staterooms, stall shower, diesel, access to the head via the master. The beam and added length are a big upgrade vs our 330.

Much like you the kids always want to take a friend along and the 330 is akward with another couple.

Another 11000 lbs helps smooth out the ride as well.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 
Take a look at the 390 Motor Yacht (40 Motor Yacht in later years). I believe that model was built from 2003 to 2008 or so. Standard power was gas engines but many of them have Cummins diesels.

Pro
- Two heads, each with its own shower.
- Big master stateroom aft with lots of storage.
- It's fast for a 27,000lb boat. Top speed on mine is about 29 knots, and 21-22 knots is a nice, easy cruise speed.
- Has a hard top and full windshield with air conditioned cockpit, great in foul weather or rough seas and very little canvas to deal with.
- Split berth arrangement with slide-out on starboard side is enough for three kids, or grandma and two kids.

Con
- It looks like a high-top basketball shoe.
- Engine room is spacious if you're an anorexic midget.
- Don't get the same breezy, open-air feeling when planing that you get in most boats.
- It's a tough boat to single-hand.
- Visibility is limited when backing into a slip; many owners install a backup camera.
 
Went from a 28 footer with upper and lower helm to 380 aft cabin with upper and lower helm. It is a roomy boat but; is so high it is a sail boat when docking in the wind. Has 2 heads and showers. If it had diesel would be much better as we could have a diesel heater in it. Now we have to run the generator to get heat. Boat is good size for 4 adults as each couple has their own room and bathroom. Boat is too high for dogs to climb on.
 
My friend is selling a 380 and I have a 320 right now. The 380 is in perfect shape. I thought about it. But just not enough additional space to justify the move in my mind. I also looked at a 370 Cruisers and while definitely more space on both boats. Was just hard to justify the move. I think the 410 plus is where it starts to really feel like a lot more boat.
 
I owned one of the rare 380's with CATS and would personally skip over that to a diesel 410. Much more bang for almost the same buck.
 
the more I think about it and the more I read I think about it the 410 or 420 is what would probably suit us best. Thanks for all the replies, they were very helpful. Wish me luck finding one. I'm in Miami and hoping to find a great one around here but am tempted to go looking around TN and finding a good freshwater one and bringing her down
 
Miami is THE place to find a boat!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I might widen the search outside of Miami a bit. You will find boats in that area, but will have to pick through a few ugly ducklings. Rode hard and put up wet is the term that comes to mind.
 
FootballFan said:
I might widen the search outside of Miami a bit. You will find boats in that area, but will have to pick through a few ugly ducklings. Rode hard and put up wet is the term that comes to mind.
Click to expand...

hey hey - I can tell you that I have been aboard hundreds of perfectly clean and well-kept boats in Miami! (sure, they were at factory displays at the boat show, but still...)
 
jxm99 said:
the more I think about it and the more I read I think about it the 410 or 420 is what would probably suit us best. Thanks for all the replies, they were very helpful. Wish me luck finding one. I'm in Miami and hoping to find a great one around here but am tempted to go looking around TN and finding a good freshwater one and bringing her down
Click to expand...

There's a big price jump from a 410 to a 420, but may be worth it if it's in the budget.
Although the boats are essentially the same size, most 420's have hardtops which would be a big plus in South Florida. I hate dealing with canvas and would love to have had the hardtop but with one in a private college and another looking at them it just wasn't in the cards right now.
 
We love our 410, but there are no perfect boats, there always seems to be a sacrafice. But, the 410 would be the perfect boat if it had a hard top and a larger galley sink. That sink is ridiculously small for a boat that big. I'd rather have a smaller stove and a bigger sink. Other than those two things, it is the perfect boat and you gotta love it's beam!
 
Dani-Lu said:
We love our 410, but there are no perfect boats, there always seems to be a sacrafice. But, the 410 would be the perfect boat if it had a hard top and a larger galley sink. That sink is ridiculously small for a boat that big. I'd rather have a smaller stove and a bigger sink. Other than those two things, it is the perfect boat and you gotta love it's beam!
Click to expand...

The sink could be bigger but it's still way bigger than the sink in my old boat. But I would really love to have the hardtop. In fact, I'd love to have a boat that didn't have any canvas at all.
 
We went from a 320 to our 410 Express. Looked at some 380s and agree it is not a big enough jump. Unfortunately…we have decided to sell. With three kids involved in all kinds of things we are going the lake house route until they are in college. We love the boat and I love only one head and shower to maintain.
 
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