Need some info on 400EC

S

Searaybio270

Active Member
Jul 8, 2010
1,058
Bush River on the Cheasapeake Bay
Boat Info
1996 EC, Garmin 3210, Dinghy - Seadoo Jet boat with twin 85 horse. Fun and Fast.
Engines
7.4 MC 360 HP each
Westerbeke 7KW
We currently have a Sea Ray 270 Sundancer 1988. Great boat but it's time to move up. Well, it's been time to move up for some time.
We are moving to a 400 or more EC. All of the boats are between 1996 to 2000. One has Cats.

So, when looking at the boats and we are going to look at 4 in two weeks. What should we look for in the boat that maybe an issue that most poeple may not know?

Are there any unique issues with this boat.

Any info you can give me would be helpful.

We do plan to get it surveyed but it's the narrowing down to one or two that maybe difficult.

Ok, let me have it.
 
The gas 400EC is a great performing boat but they love fuel. The diesel 400EC runs and handles like a sports car........the one we used to have here was a 40 mph boat. The fuel burn will be something like 32 gph with 7.4's vs. 20 gph with diesels. Unless the diesel powered boat has been trashed, this wouldn't be a hard choice for me.

The diesel boat will cost more, but you will get the cost differential back on the other end when you sell or trade.


The 400 has never been known to have any structural problems, they are very forgiving, and easy to handle. The one exception to the above statement is that the 400EC hulls were not engineered to support a hydraulic platform. Some owners had to have on and the usual installation at the dealer included fiber glassing knees into the hull above the stringer to add some support which added marginal extra support. If the boats have hydraulic platforms, have your surveyor check for previous repairs or cracks in the transom corners where the hydraulic platform has peeled the transom off the boat. Handling wise, you will find handling to be easier and more predictable than your present boat.........you'll just have more fiberglass in front of you.

The Cat powered boats have one gotcha.......the engines fit so close to the bulkhead that some owners never bother to change the heat exchanger zincs. It is tight, but it can be done. Even if cooling system maintenance has been totally neglected, the cost of cleaning heat exchangers and replacing water pumps is manageable.

Be sure you have a Cat servicing dealer do an engine survey as well as a hull survey.

Good luck shopping.............
 
Frank
Thanks for the info. I don't think any of them have a hydraulic platform of which I think you mean to lift a dingy or small jetboat?

The owner of the one boat said he only uses 28 gph not sure totally what that means but I guess I will when we get there.

Thanks again,
Joe
 
I had a '96 400EC from '00-'05 and really enjoyed it. great running and handling boat as Frank said. with gas, I ran 22MPH mid-cruise at 3400rpm, and 32gph if I remember right. the 28gph may be close at a slow cruise, somewhere around 20MPH/3200rpm.

besides agreeing 100% with what Mr. Webster stated--going diesel, CAT inspections and the hull survey-- I'd also pay attention to the gen hours and service history, especially if you go gas. If it has a couple thousand hours or more on the gen, it could be getting near the time for some replacement parts and more.

also, you might also check the Norcold fridge model. If it has the venting near the top/fan mods then its probbaly been replaced at some point which in my opinion is a very good thing. I went thru 2 norcolds on mine due to old style's air circulation problems.

My dock neighbor has 3 blade props, I had 4 blade--don't recall pitch and diameter though--my boat ran nearly 2 MPH faster at same rpm.

one thing great about the 400EC is little or no bow rise. that long foredeck and inboards really work on this boat.

This is a very classic and timeless sea ray design---great lines that stand out even in today's curvy world. I think it had atleast an 8 year production run. I'd also say some of the 400ECs I've seen had some of the best fibreglass/gelcoat work I've ever seen. My neighbor still has his '94 and it looks better today than any Sea Ray in our harbor.

a 400 gas express won't be as hard to sell as a 400 gas sedan but it still will have a much smaller market when you do decide to sell or trade. just keep that in mind.

good luck!
 
Hey Searay40dad,
Thanks for the info. Every little bit of info helps.
Question on the "one thing great about the 400EC is little or no bow rise. that long fore-deck and inboards really work on this boat".
Does that mean that more of the boat is in the water and that is a good thing? What about handling at a slow speed.

As for the classic part I agree. We looked at 1997 40EC and I knew this was what I wanted.

Thanks again,
SeaRayBio
 
without getting into deadrise, prop/thrust angles, and so on, just think of a v-drive for a second. virtually same amount of engine & drive train weight as direct drive inboard but it's in half the space. so, that weight is more concentrated to the stern vs. midship. weight to 'back' vs. weight to 'middle'. add to that alot of fiberglass forward (similar effect of say, 200' anchor chain vs. 200' rope) and you have even more weight distribution forward. its more about weight distribution from a simplistic point of view.

I remember seeing the 400EC I bought for the first time then I found out it had same motors as the 330 dancer I had. i thought to myself, how in the world could that big dog ever get on plane? the dealer said "go try it". he told me to lay off the trim tabs , which I did. I advanced the throttles and never lost my forward view. or atleast not near as much as the I/Os (300 dancer) and V-drives (330 dancer) i'd had previously.

now, dont get me wrong--it was not a rocket by ANY stretch, to the contrary actually. but it was a very comfortable riding boat (not too mention just flat out sexy!). now, if you're looking at diesels, then, yes, you will have a 40' 40mph rocket just like Frank said!

as far as slow speed handling, mine was a piece of cake due to the inboards even though I was turning small screws. add diesel torque, it'll be 10X more responsive and controllable. you'll be amazed at how easy the boat is to handle in any condition.
 
I have a 400EC.
It is a Great boat.
I think its a sleeper in the used market.
Loads of boat for alot less than a 40 DA and more room to boot.
The boat is a big 40 (45 LOA).
You should look hard at the Cat powered ones as the gas 7.4L is marginal power.
It will do 29Kts WOT and cruise at 18-23Kts or better with the newer motors.
But, the fuel bill is high and the mercs are not on vacation pushing soo much boat along.
I would know.
I would buy another one with Cat 3116's.
Good Luck,
Mark.
 
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I've run all 3 versions.......7.4's, 502's and 3116 Cats. The Cat boat was a factory PD&E boat and had the pump and timing adjusted for 350 hp. The 502 boat was a solid 34-35 mph boat all day long as long as you could keep fuel in her. THe 3116 boat was 38-40 mph, but could cruise forever on a tank of fuel at 2200 rpm, 26-27 mph burning under 20 gph.

Forget any handling concerns.......initially, the boat is going to intimidate the hell out of you because you will think behind the boat and try to react to what has already happened. You will learn to anticipate and think ahead of the boat. When you get to that point, this is a much easier boat to handle than any I/O. Slow speed handling is just not a concern.......even with gas engines, a little power get a reaction, but with diesels, she squats and goes right now when you put her in gear.
 
I'm a ten year owner of a '93 with 7.4L Mercruisers. The boat has served us flawlessly (touch wood) for the entire time. We've had 18 people on board with all their gear and had no problem getting comfortably on plane and cruising level.

I'm not sure which year they changed the doors but mine has a fixed and sliding panel of which both are smoked glass. We LOVE that feature of the boat and it'll be the single biggest thing we'll miss on the new boat. You can be down in the air conditioning during the day and not feel like you're in a cave.

Finally, as others have said, the styling has held its own better than most boats. My 17 year old boats get compliments all the time from fellow boaters with newer boats. The profile, curved windshield, and integrated multi-level swim platform really make it. Oh, that reminds me of another thing I'm really going to miss. I love how the platform comes right down close to the water. Hardly need the ladder to get up on the boat. The newer boat's platforms site 24" to 36" off the water. We'll probably install a waterslide ;-)

Good luck. I wish you were closer to Texas so you could buy my boat!
 
I'll echo the other posters comments and add a couple of complaints that maybe specific to my boat a '95 that we owned for 5 years. Timeless lines, that boat was beautiful on the water. We bought used and the gelcoat was in rough shape. Our detail guy brought it back and I saw it last year in Roche Harbor and it still looked good. Huge cockpit and plenty of room in the bilge to work on the engines (we had 7.4's and they were thirsty). Ours had the "blue interior". We replaced the carpet and re did the interior in more neutral colors. Huge improvement. The boat handled well on plane and in close quarters although a judicious application of throttle was sometimes necessary for docking. Our boat had a port side list that drove me crazy. Dealer attributed it to the fact that the head, galley and (I believe) vacuflush were all on the port side. When I saw the boat last year the port side list was still present. Lastly, we had a water leak (fresh) that filled the center floor locker. We cut access holes and used a shop vac to suck the area between the floor and the hull dry. This occurred weekly and drove me even crazier than the port side list. Dealer was unable to solve the problem while we had the boat. The new owner said there was a leak where the arch was installed allowing the water to drip down the inside of the hull and pool in the bottom of the boat. Sounds plausible but we traded out of the boat into a leftover 2000 410 EC in 2003.
 
Thanks for the info and input. Overall it sounds like everyone is in love with the lines and looks of this model. Everything else sounds like owning a boat.
I have to say I am somewhat anxious to get looking at these four 400EC. Can't wait.
Still working on the wife. lol
 
i have owned 2 400 EC's. That's how good of a boat it is. First was a 93 with the standard 7.4 merc. The current one is a 99 that came with the 7.4 Horizons. 380 hp at the prop. If possible try to narrow your search to 98-99 with these engines if you want to go gas. She will cruise @ 22-23 knots with 4 blade props and burn 32 gph. I have all the logs to back this up, contrary to what you might hear on this site. The ride in rough water is also tough to beat due to the straight drives over the v drives in the dancer. I converted her to diesel about 4 years ago, Cummins 6BTA 370hp. Far superior engine than the standard 3116 cat factory engine. The cat had it's own issues with valve failure and the obvious high priced parts. I see you are also in the Chesapeake. I might put her up for sale so if you are interested contact me.
 
al400 said:
...... I converted her to diesel about ..... Cummins 6BTA 370hp. Far superior engine than the standard 3116 cat factory engine. .........
Click to expand...


WOW......Did Gary make you say that.....
 
First, let me thank everyone for all the info. Some of the points you bring up I have thought about (diesels/gas) but the lines, the aft deck and more have me drawn to this boat.
We head to Florida next Friday for three days of 400EC looking. Can't wait.
I'll try to keep you posted on what I find (face to boat versus pics) after looking at the boats. If I can figure out how to post some pics to this site I'll try to do that as well.

So keep the info coming,
Searaybio270 - Joe
 
Here is a bit of advice:

1. Don't try to take photos to post here......just post a link to a broker's website for those who are interested.
2. You will find that cramming several boats into one trip will get confusing. Take plenty of photos for your own use to aid you in keeping them straight as you narrow down the list to the boats that are serious contenders.
3.I find it helpful to keep the photos separated by changing data cards in my digital camera.
4. Since you are looking at boats in Florida and you are from the Mid-Atlantic area, expect to see some sun damage on gelcoat, canvas and vinyl that you don't find at home. Don't disqualify a well maintained boat in good condition because the canvas and vinyl are rough. Florida is full of great marine craftsmen and those cosmetic things are easy to fix there.
5. Gas boats (even FWC) in Florida salt water need to have a service history for recent manifold and riser maintenance. Unknown or deferred maintenance on such items isn't a deal breaker, but it does add cost to the acquisition.

Have a good trip..............
 
1 owned a 400 with 3116 cats for 5 years > great boat > i did have a problem with the sleeves in the cats ( one side leaking fuel into antifreeze ) but that was it > Nice handling boat > personally i would not own it with gas though >Inow have the 44 and i will say the 44 ride in waves is alot better and the speed is very good < the 400 was a 28 mph cruise at about a mile per gallon . 44 is 30 mphcruise at about .8 mpg
 
Location: GREAT LAKES
Boat: SEARAY
Details: 2008 44 SUNDANCER
Engine(s): CUMMINS QSM 500
Posts: 26

ummmm.....you really got QSMs in that 44?
 
Searaybio270 said:
First, let me thank everyone for all the info. Some of the points you bring up I have thought about (diesels/gas) but the lines, the aft deck and more have me drawn to this boat.
We head to Florida next Friday for three days of 400EC looking. Can't wait.
I'll try to keep you posted on what I find (face to boat versus pics) after looking at the boats. If I can figure out how to post some pics to this site I'll try to do that as well.

So keep the info coming,
Searaybio270 - Joe
Click to expand...

Let me add that shopping in FL is a total blast. tons of boats, eager sellers, awesome resources to have your boat worked on, you can boat in the winter, did I mention people actually work on your boat for a reasonable price and are happy to do it?

I looked at a bazillion boats, FL had the best selection. While the sun bakes the hell out of boats down south, the winter up in the northeast does just as much damage, but in a different way. Look at as many as you can find, even if they aren't for sale, they're for sale.

If you do buy a boat down south, have all the work you can get done, done down there. the prices are far better than up north.
 
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