OFFICIAL - 450DA Owner's Thread****

Ah, first question as a 450 owner. Torrential rain for 48 hours and there is a very small damp spot on the starboard side all the way forward in the master area. It’s on the combing pad just forward of the cedar closet.

Any idea where to look first? I am going to try and look for any other water spots/patterns.
 
you will need to look carefully for where the water entered the cabin. 2 sources come to mind:

1. the oval ports are prone to leak and need to be removed, new gaskets installed and the bezel resealed about every 10 years. The water will enter the window assembly, then run down the cabin wall behind the headliner and can come out at any point lower than where it entered. The nearest non-vinyl fabric that will show water is the lip on the combing pad on the shelf below the oval ports. This is a particularly tricky area because a leak here can go unnoticed for a long time. If it leaks and then isn't discovered for a while, and because the headliner is vinyl and doesn't show the leak, you can end up with a rotted combing shelf. If this is th e source of the leak, then you need to just remove and reseal all t he oval ports ....if one is leaking, they all need to re resealed because they were all installed at the same time, 25 years ago.

2. the windshield mounting screws on the base of the windshield frame can leak into the cored deck assembly. The front deck has a little camber to it so any leak on the starboard side can eventually show up on the area you found to be wet.

The most likely source is going to be the oval ports because a windshield leak would have shown up long ago and should have been found by your surveyor when he checked for moisture as he did your survey.

As you search for the source of the leak, keep in mind that due to the construction and deck camber, the source could be a long way from the wet spot.

Frank
 
Boat kind of kicked my butt today after putting in an 8hr day putting it back together. That connector plug on the e series radar was a major PITA to rewire. Next up was the canvas which is no fun putting up on a cold and windy day. That was a solid 2hr job figuring out what went where and then getting the zippers done and the snaps snapped into place. Also found the wet spot in the master which I mentioned above. I'll re-bed all the windows over the next few weeks. The boat was kept in a covered slip since 2005 so I have no doubt this was an unknown leak. Also had pretty much zero water pressure but I gave it my best to wash the boat.

Hoping to spend this weekend wrapping up everything else and hopefully will be going in the water on Thursday.
 
Third 8hr day on the boat and really enjoying getting to know every part, even the radar issue I posted about in the electronics section.

Decided to re-bed the windows and eventually everything on the boat but I started with the most suspect window that could have caused the wetspot in the master. Yep, no surprise these windows need a little attention. Not sure if this was the exact window that was leaking but I can guarantee this one won't be leaking anytime soon! The original caulk was barely there, brittle and not much was there in the first place. Think I've got 10-11 more windows to go.

Still shooting for going in later this week but that all depends if they can get the bottom painted and it all compounded/waxed.

If there was an easy way to upgrade the e series stuff I would do it but if i can get this radar working I'll be happy with this setup for many years.
 
SeaN, You are on the right track. Do not forget Franks suggestion of windshield. Mine began leaking and it was hard to find at first. Took Franks advice and fixed windshield, problem solved. The port holes were a constant and continuous problem! Good luck with your new boat! JC
 
If the boat is out of the water and either on blocks or in slings, I wouldn't rebed the oval ports until the boat is back in the water supported on her own bottom. The reason is this is a long hull that will flex with blocked up. Check the transom door and cabin entry door and you will see that they don't fit the same away as they did when the boat was in the water. If you rebed the oval ports when she is out of the water, the boat will relax (unflex) when she goes back in the water and that may/will likely break loose the seal you just redid on the ports.
 
Taking a break from the boat tomorrow only because I have to work. Spent a few more hours today going through things and decided I need to add chain to my anchor rode. There isn't a lot of rope, maybe 75-100' and no chain which I need to remedy. We never anchor in more than 20' of water but no matter what, having 75' of rope is not enough. Probably add 30-50' of chain and then will supplement with rope.

I'm still on the schedule to go in late Thursday afternoon, let's see if the yard can get the sides waxed and hull painted before the end of Wednesday.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JC3
Got the boat in the water today with zero issues. Started right up, both engines and generator. All systems seem to be working appropriately, except the radar, I'm going to buy a new array and see if that solves the issue.

Hoping to spend most of tomorrow getting organized and give the boat a good bath.
 
Spent a lot of time on the boat this weekend and loving everything about it. My to-do list is growing exponentially which isn't a bad thing. In no particular order listed below

RPM gauges stick occasionally and are probably not 100% accurate. Will replace these with Aetna ones.

Gauge dash panel is faded, will order a new one. Do they have a standard one or will it need to be custom with the labels?

Fwd a/c unit doesn't seem to want to heat and the cold is just blah. Maybe need to clean out the water line. I'd do the tap the actuator valve trick but I can't get to that part on the unit. Might as well check the salon unit while I'm at it.

Door going into cabin has a slight leak where the door folds on itself. Time for a small gasket in there. Water drips right onto the first step going down and that's carpet and will lead to mold and trouble.

Raymarine e80 is jacked up. "Radar not spinning", need appropriate chart for my area and the GPS speed is way off...had me at 18.3knts while my phone GPS was 23.5knts (about 2400 rpm too). I'd love to upgrade to something but with the boat in the water and the probable transducer switch I'm probably sticking with for the season. Might but a new radar array from marketplace for $350 to see if that helps.

Dock neighbor has an 03 460 and apparently everyone on the dock uses a portable a/c unit in the cockpit area when dockside especially when camper canvas is up. It's hot with the canvas up....like way too hot and it was only 70 and sunny today.

Canvas....gotta figure out a way to get the side pieces off and stored so they don't get destroyed. Putting the side pieces up is a PITA, literally worst part of boating which brings out some awesome cursing from everyone involved.

Canvas, the overheard canvas might just be too much, it goes from the fwd windshield to the aft seating. It provides killer shade but also allows for zero sun.

Need stereo and lighting, looking at getting this done asap. Currently about to start getting estimates.

SeaDek/Aquatraction for the helm and cockpit area. This should be completed in about 2 weeks.

The good news.....so far no mechanical issues. Generator and engines ran great. Curious as to how to use the engine sync button but I'll figure that one out one of these trips after I search on here for how it works.
 
Hi
so what's the largest size Garmin that can fit in the upper dash?

has anyone replaced the ice maker with a fridge any pictures?

anyone have the size of the trunk piston?

So the sea trail went well yesterday the HO PENN tech said the ER is very clean and the motors look real clean. they performed above the limits in boost. they only hit 2700 rpm the tech said the engines run great that its a prop issue. the owner said he never had them off. everyone at the Dock says the boat was rarely used and when it was it wasn't beaten on. the owners are in mid 70's

so Cat says i have to replace radiator cap. a fuel line has a broken mount, its a return line. the engines have 842hours
the tech said replace the after cooler. at 1000 hr. cat doesn't recommend cleaning them. he said if they fail it will take out ur motor. that's 30K

so waiting for oil samples. should get on Monday.
so it hit 29mph 3 adults' 3/4 tank of fuel
 
Saverio said:
Hi
so what's the largest size Garmin that can fit in the upper dash?

has anyone replaced the ice maker with a fridge any pictures?

anyone have the size of the trunk piston?

So the sea trail went well yesterday the HO PENN tech said the ER is very clean and the motors look real clean. they performed above the limits in boost. they only hit 2700 rpm the tech said the engines run great that its a prop issue. the owner said he never had them off. everyone at the Dock says the boat was rarely used and when it was it wasn't beaten on. the owners are in mid 70's

so Cat says i have to replace radiator cap. a fuel line has a broken mount, its a return line. the engines have 842hours
the tech said replace the after cooler. at 1000 hr. cat doesn't recommend cleaning them. he said if they fail it will take out ur motor. that's 30K

so waiting for oil samples. should get on Monday.
so it hit 29mph 3 adults' 3/4 tank of fuel
Click to expand...

I installed (2)two Garmin 8212 displays just to the left of the steering wheel. The dash area directly above the steering wheel contained my ICOM vhf, original Raymarine VHF and the Raymarine autopilot.

in respect to refrigerator replacement for ice maker in the cockpit, you should consider the Nova Kool R1200. I bought the refrigerator and then sold the boat before installing. I checked fit and it will go in the opening. https://citimarinestore.com/en/nova-kool-marine-
refrigerators-freezers/8595-novakool-r1200-refrigerator-only-1-2-cu-ft-34-liters-12-24-v-dc-100-240-v-ac.html#/2448-nova_kool_voltage_option-dc_only_12_24_vdc

I purchased the ac/dc version.
 
So playing around tonight. Trying to get windshield wiper spray working. So when I hit the button. I think I hear a pump running. Sounds like it’s in the er. Does anyone know where.
 
Saverio said:
So playing around tonight. Trying to get windshield wiper spray working. So when I hit the button. I think I hear a pump running. Sounds like it’s in the er. Does anyone know where.
Click to expand...
The windshield stays are fed from the onboard freshwater system. Thiose two freshwater pumps are located on the starboard side of the firewall. Additionally, the solenoid valve for the windshield washer is located the same area as the pumps. You should see a flexible clear 1/4 tubing leaving the solenoid valve heading towards the cabin where it feeds both windshield washers..it may take some time to fill the lines if not used a while.
 
Does anyone know how to remove the top of each of the stairs leading down into the cabin? Are they screwed or glued? Would like to gain decent access to the vacuum until under the second step and plumbing/wiring beneath.
 
The access to the central vacuum unit is by lifting the step that it is behind. The removable step should have a little tab on the outboard end to allow you to lift the step and work it out, unless a previous owner replaced the carpeting and eliminated the pull tab. The wiring for the hose connection is accessible by removing the fitting in the front of the lower step.
 
Thanks Frank, yes know about that access and have this, but need to get in further than just that. Ultimately remove all three stairs tops for closer inspection. Cant see any screws, so presuming they are glued down. Do you know?
 
We replaced our carpet several years ago and found screws buried in the nap of the carpet all over the cabin, so I'd separate the nap with your fingers and look along the outer edges of the steps, but I never had to remove any of the steps other than the second one and it just pulled up and out.

Good luck with it...............


Frank
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,172
Messages
1,427,835
Members
61,084
Latest member
AntonioJamm
Back
Top