Researching purchase of late 1990 to early 2000's 40 to 45 DA

[Karl M]

Good evening... I am new to the forum, old to boating Have owned several power and sail and one previous Sea Ray 34 2001. I am heavy into the research of a 1997 to early 2000 40 to 45' diesel. We live in the lower Chesapeake area and are planning a 2 week trip to Florida in a few weeks. I'm in the process of lining some showings up (approx 6) in the Carolina's and Florida to give me a good cross section of the market/condition/equip/price.

Any broad-based advise from old Sea Ray salts?

Thank you and Happy New Year!

 

[fwebster]

You are in a sweet spot of value and function in the history of Sea Ray boats. No other group of boats offers so much value for the money than the late 90's 400/410 DA or the 450DA. The power package used was primarily the 3100 series Caterpillar 300hp, 350hp/3116 or 385hp, 420hp, or 350HP 3126 - the same basic engine with some difference in injection specs and bore/stroke) coupled to either Twin Disk or HurthZF transmissions. The Cat engines have proven to be very reliable and dependable as well as being the most fuel efficient engine available in this size range Sea Ray. Cruise fuel burn is in the 20-24 gph range, significantly under Cummins power for the same hp engines. The other thing about Cats is that (except for 2002-3 350hp 3126's which have electronic injection) they are mechanical engines that have no ECM or sender issues to deal with. When they crank, they are going to run until you shut them down. Caterpillar uses a unit injection system that is very simple and extremely clean. The 3100 series Cats don't smoke and are as clean burning as newer common rail diesels.

The boats mentioned above are extremely well engineered and designed. The 450 is a 400/410 on steroids. A tad wider, but about 6-7 ft longer due to the way she is measures. My boat is actually 51'-3" from the front of t he anchor pulpit to t he back of the swim platform. The 450 has 2 heads and closeable hard doors between the master stateroom, the salon and the aft compartment. The 450 has a huge bilge and t he 400/410 can get tight if you do your own work. For my money, you won't find a more versatile coastal cruiser than these boats.

Bear in mind that you are considering boats that are approaching 15-20 years old now. It is very difficult to find pristine, unmolested ones due to the fact that a lot of owners take short cuts when a major component fails. Overall maintenance suffers over time as well. You should be looking for a boat with a complete service record because regular maintenance is the life blood of any diesel engine. Canvas, upholstery and carpeting will likely need refreshing and while expensive, shouldn't be a deal breaker if the fiberglass and mechanicals are good. Generally, the further south you shop, the harder the environment has been on boats. My boat is in Florida and I take pride in keeping it in immaculate condition, so I can also attest to how hard, and expensive it is to keep one in the right condition. Do not discount northern or freshwater lake boats. Most southern lakes have covered slips and most northern boats are used less than 6 months a year.

Here are some "mandatory" suggestions:

1. Use CSR as a resource..........there are probably 15- 400/410DA owners and maybe 10 450DA owners here. All are willing to answer questions and help you. Use us.
2. Be a knowledgable buyer. Go to searay.com and look up/print out the spec sheets and catalog pages for the boats you are interested in. Know what is standard and what is optional when you go shopping.
3. Look at a lot of boats, ask a lot of questions ...pretty soon you figure out what "clean", "average", and "a dog" mean.....even though every broker's listing will say "This boat is exceptionally clean". Verify everything a broker tells you. (brokers are basically honest folks trying to make a living, but they also sell every brand and model so they just cannot know everything about every listing and some will make educated guesses when asked questions)
4. Do not make an offer on a boat you have not personally inspected and truly want to own a particular boat.
5. If you do make an offer on something, be sure you add wording to the effect that the offer and contract are contingent upon a hull survey, a mechanical survey and a sea trial the results of which must be acceptable to you, the buyer.


Have fun shopping and good luck..........

 

[Karl M]

Frank - thank you for your advise... greatly appreciated. Absolutely interested in a northern boat for the above reasons. We had a trip planned to Florida so I figured I would tack on some showings while traveling to/from. Thanks again!

 

[endless seas]

Hi Karl,
My name is Tommy Thompson and noticed you are looking at possibly a 450DA.We currently have ours listed on the site with all the specs.If interested before you contact the broker please contact me with any questions.
We are located at Kent Island across from Annapolis Maryland.
Also Frank Webster has been a wonderful friend and mentor with these boats and I'm sure he can help answer questions.

Thank you,
Tommy

 

[srkartholl]

Frank - thank you for your advise... greatly appreciated. Absolutely interested in a northern boat for the above reasons. We had a trip planned to Florida so I figured I would tack on some showings while traveling to/from. Thanks again!

From my couple years reading CSR, Frank is a truely valuable and trusted resource...always ready and willing to lend his (correct) observations to anyone's questions.
Agreed, the mid-40's SunDancers are reliable, enjoyable boats...late 90's/early 2000's generally well priced.
I've got a 2000 460DA here, east-central FLA coast (Cocoa Beach area), presently for sale. Aggressively priced, excellent condition. Would love to show it to you, run it as well, if you get to my area. Let me know...

 

[Karl M]

SR - thank you... yes, I very well may be interested, do you have any detail and/or pictures you could forward to me? Karl

 

[Karl M]

Tommy - thanks for letting me know about your 45. I will look at the listing this evening! Karl

 

[srkartholl]

SR - thank you... yes, I very well may be interested, do you have any detail and/or pictures you could forward to me? Karl

K...
Lots of info/details and pics, a very good boat.
Probably best to pm me, much quicker & easier to discuss...more secure as well. Thx, look fwd to hearing from you.

 

[h_gerry]

Karl,

Welcome to CSR! You will find, and already have, a tremendous amount of resources available on this site for Sea Ray owners all over the world. As Frank stated, the boats you are looking at are great boats and can be a good value. Mine is not for sale, but I would suggest you consider looking into the 400 Express and 410 Express as part of your search. As a proud and happy owner of one (albeit with gas engines), I can say that these are also great boats, and can be a real good deal as well. They run well and have great balance thanks to straight shaft inboards. They have a well laid out interior and a huge engine compartment. Something to consider…….
Enjoy the search and have fun doing it!!

 

[JVM225]

Those are my current dream boats. What's not to love about them? If it weren't for that pesky college tuition, I'd be looking at them right now.

 

[Karl M]

Good news... I finished paying the college tuition in 2014, then a wedding in 2015! Now that I'm broke, I need to find a great deal on a boat

 

[endless seas]

Better yet…find a great boat then deal!