Trading Up to 2006 40DA

C

Carpe Mundun

New Member
Jul 31, 2007
28
Western PA
Boat Info
280DA
Engines
Twin 5.0Merc w/B3
Hello CSR - Long time reader, first time poster -

I have a 240 DA and would like to upgrade to a 40 DA. We currently keep the 240 at DCL in MD, but we live closer to Pgh and are considering operating this boat on the rivers.

After reading numerous posts of diesel vs. gas, is it that much of a difference for rivers (i.e., little or no chop, but decent current)?

I also would not be opposed to splashing the 40 into Lake Erie for a month every season - has anybody had experience with transport?

I am very impressed with this boat vs. the 240 - does anybody have anything negative to say about the 40?

The boards have been great - you guys are very helpful and I hope to be able to contribute more in the future.

Paul
 
Hi Paul, and welcome to the forum.

Wish you well, going up to a 40.

While I have no experience with diesels, it seems that there is a demising line, somewhere in the upper 30' range, as to when diesels make much more sense than gasoline.

No doubt, some of our resident 40 plus owners will chime in, as this is their forte.

Once again, welcome aboard.
 
I just know that every 390DA (same boat as the 40DA; I'm assuming you mean a 40DA and not a 400DA) our dealer has sold with gas engines is for sale and the reason is fuel economy.
 
We could fill a big chunk of the Library of Congress with all the writing on this topic. It tends to get rather emotional given the cost of diesels, the cost of gasoline, fuel burn rates, resale on big gas boats, etc.

I have owned both gas and diesel, as have Frank W, OSD9, Frank H, ylwjacket (Go DAWGS!) and others here at CSR. At the end of the day only you know how you will use the boat--hours run per year, distance you will travel, loaded weight of the boat in your typical usage, sea conditions you run in, wind, tide, etc. For me, the diesel 420DA is a far superior platform than the 2002 320 with 350 MAG Horizons that I owned previously, for how my family and I boat. The hardest part of this analysis is truly and honestly evaluating how you intend to use the boat now and in the future. Over 34' and 16K lbs I'd really look hard at diesel power. Clean used boats abound, and you can make a good deal on a used diesel boat. There is also an urban myth that says diesels are hard to own and maintain. I have zero mechanical aptitude and am doing just fine taking care of my 2003 C series Cummins. I run 150 hours per year and have had a great experience with the diesel boat....all due to the experienced diesel boat owners on this board who have helped along the way.

Just my .02

regards
Skip
 
fwebster said:
I just know that every 390DA (same boat as the 40DA; I'm assuming you mean a 40DA and not a 400DA) our dealer has sold with gas engines is for sale and the reason is fuel economy.
Click to expand...
No kidding! You might be able to get away with gassers on small to mid sized inland lakes ... for me anything bigger than the 340 we have must have diesels.
There are right now two relatively new 420DAs with 8.1s gassers on eBay .. can you imagine :smt101
 
it'll perform fine, but it'll suck gas like no tomorrow. i woudl guess that fighting river current would be akin to hitting 3 foot swells in the gulf of mexico.

as Skip says (check Athlon preseason poll), it all depends on how you plan to use it.

if i got a boat that big with gassers, though, i would make sure i bought it at a price that i could dump it for free if i wanted to get out.

the large boat resale market sucks right now anyways, and boats 36' or up with gas engines are that much harder to unload.

when i bought my 380 with 8.1's, gas was $1 a gallon. by the time i sold it, gas was over $3. you better believe my resale value tumbled about $50k with each $1 in gas price rise.

as Skip said, there are volumes on here about the merits of diesel vs gas.
 
I've also owned both and the short version to this is...

If you read everything on this site about this topic, the conclusion is................."Just say no to gas on a boat that size!"

Good luck!
 
I appreciate the added input on gas vs. diesel - there is a difference in what you "bay" people do versus us - we travel on the average 5-10 miles between locks, so I see a lot of idling / no wake cruising as opposed to running at 26 knots for a straight hour.

For those with the data and who do not mind sharing it, is there a big gpm difference for "no wake" speeds? Some areas of the 3 Rivers are not exactly very wide, so I would imagine I would be cruising at low speed more than being on plane.

I also am very aware of the market for large boats and what the potential resale value would be on this boat with gas.

Were there any mechanical / electrical / gremlin issues on this boat that anyone might be aware of?
 
i have a 450 da with diesels and had it on the allegheny for the 2004 season. docked at aspinwall and could not have picked a worse spot to boat.

i think a 40+ boat on the river is a waste of money. too huge and you got to slow down at every damn marina on the river. every 6 miles is a lock and how much fun are those especially when you get behind barge traffic. but if you boat now with your 24 on the river , you know the drill. granted, it was only 35 mins away, but it was no where near the thrill taht going to the boat is now and i get to driver 2h to do it. no comparison.

i bought my boat in michigan city IN and drove it to mentor oh and then trucked it to pittsburgh. after the 04 season there, i trucked it back to mentor, joined the mhyc and it is a world of difference.

lake erie is ok for great lakes boating--not alot happening except when you go to the western islands and then the place explodes with fun and things to do. and every summer you can plan a big trip like the north channel and mackinaw islands........places are unbelieveable great. 1000islands, just got back from there and holy cow to that place.

lake boating is so much better , cannot describe it. a 40' on the river in pgh is a beached whale, ur 40' on the great lakes --ur on ur first leg to master and commander.

trucking the boat. did it twice and it is a royal pain. take all the stuff off the arch, gets nice and dirty and the boat is probably not a very happy camper feeling all the ruts and bumps on the road.

get a 40, get diesels, and then get to the lake.
 
Quint4 - Thanks for the update - I have been watching a couple of these.

Unklbuck - Thanks for the in-depth update - what marina did you dock at? What made it so bad? If you had to name one or two good points to your river boating experience, what would they be?
I am talking to Fox Chapel about an in-stock 38 SA now from the '06 40. I know I would be restricted to cruising until I got away from the Point. I already have time issues with a 1.5 hour drive to DCL in MD, so I am not sure if I want to keep the boat in Erie all season.
 
Hi Paul

I too have had both gas and diesel boats and can tell you the diesels are far better. I do agree with the Frank's that the choice is yours and how you boat. I have the 390 in diesel (same you are looking at) and it is a dream. I do put a lot of hours during the season and fully loaded these boats can top 23K. One thing to consider is the lenth of time you plan to keep the boat. If it is your dream boat and keepping her for years to come is your plan then diesels are the way to go. Even with proper maintanence, pushing that weight with 8.1s wears them down and re-builts cost $$$$$. and down time. just my 2 cents.

Rich
 
carpe

Let me know if you want to take a day trip up to MHYC just to see that operation. I was at Aspinwall, can tell you all about it via email if you'd like.

Fox Chapel is the way to go. But, big question is have you boated on the river b4 and do you understand the locks and what is involved?

The point is great, but it is one huge bathtub come the weekends. But the convenience from Greensburg cant be beat. I thought you might be on the west/north end of town and then Cleveland would be <2h.

For boating, there is absolutely no comparison between the river and lake. So how do u define boating? For me, it's more the travel, trips, exploring different areas (North Channel, 1000 islands, etc,. If your def of boating is hanging out the marina on the weekends, getting know all the dockmates, partying with dockmates and doing little day runs here and there, the river will be fine,a nd that is great too.

Trailering a 40+ boat for one month trips is not a good option. But, words mean nothing, go thru that experience just one time and then you will know the truth for sure too.

i can set my schedule anytime, so if you'd like to go up for a day, let me know and we can coord.

jb
 
Unklbuck - thanks for the update - I will drop you a quick email today and maybe we can set this up in September. We only have about 3 weeks left at DCL with the water drawdown this year for dam repairs.
 
Paul

I am in exactly the same position. I spoke to my brother who owns a Four Winns dealership in Australia, and he told me in no uncertain terms NOT to get a gas powered boat if it was over 35'. His reasons were:

1. High fuel usage: he said gas woul be slurped at twice the rate as diesel

2. He said gas engines "feel weak" - they drop off the plane in difficult sea conditions, they have difficulty coping with high loads, they can feel strained when the boat is heavily loaded, and they can feel labored in different atmospheric conditions (heat, humidity, etc). He said diesels ALWAYS run exactly the same, regardless of load, conditions, speed, etc.

3. Longevity

4. Resale

5. Reliability

He finalized the statement by saying that taking a decent trip on a diesel powered boat feels like an adventure; taking the same trip with a gas powered boat fills you with dread, as though "I hope everything holds together".

Just his words and experiences...
 
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