Various 390 DA observations/questions

jff

jff

Member
Mar 29, 2008
510
Atlanta
Boat Info
2017 Crest Pontoon
Engines
Yamaha
I test drove a 2005 390 DA I'm considering buying today and had a few questions for the group:

- at lower speeds there was a higher pitched whistling type
noise from the engine area, the two guys on the boat in the
business (sales guys yes, but guys I trust) explained that this
was normal. I guess others notice this on 390s/40's as well?

- a big difference when driving I noticed over my 300 is that
visibility out of the stern (when I looked behind me from the
wheel) was pretty bad. I had to duck down quite a lot to get
a view out of the back. The boat has a full camper enclosure
up and no doubt that's what is obscuring the view, I'm
wondering though if this particular camper enclosure (which
goes allll the way back) might be worse than others. Anyone
else notice this on a similar boat with a camper enclosure up?

- if anyone knows of anything specific related to this particular
model and year (it's a gas boat, no diesel) that I should be
aware of or check for I'd love to get that kind of feedback.
Yes we're going to pull it out, inspect the hull/engines/etc.
I'm more thinking of things that are unique to this particular
model/model year that I should be aware of.

Regards,
Jason
2003 '300 DA
 
Noise - Normal.

View - This is a big boat for the 8.1's. It barely gets up on plane, so the nose is waaaay high and the stern way low. A camper will block the view. Check for HUGE corrosion around exhaust manifolds. They are aluminum.

The 390 is a greaaaattttt boat. If you're on the ocean or bays or a big lake, diesel is the way to go, especially at current boat prices. If you'll only go on short trips or are very limited in your waterway, gas will be fine.
 
Thanks John, exactly the kind of feedback/info I was looking for!
Jason
 
You're welcome. Very good friends of ours are selling their 390 right now. They cruise in the high 3000's RPM at 19 mph and dozens of gallons per hour (about .6 mpg, 19mph, 38 or 3900 RPM). Truly an awesome boat, but needs diesels for most applications.
 
Well I have a gasser so I guess I disagree about the diesels!. With diesel gas a full buck a gallon more in So.Cal marinas, I couoldnt juistify the added cost. Diesels dont get THAT much better milegae. Now that we're over that debate, I love my 2005 390 DA! You will to, enjoy.
 
sorry, forgot to answer some of your Questions...have the oil analized...look for fouling of the mufflers...these big merc's were pretty bullet-proof engines if properly maintained. Yank it out of the water and look for damage to the hull...as for difficult to get on plane...I have no idea what 'Hampton' is talking about...I gas the crap out of mine and she gets on plane quickly...like in seconds...so there
 
Not trying to step on toes. It's all relative.
 
Two other questions I forgot to ask ... a Legacy warranty for 3 years is $7995. I realize there are a lot of system (3 ACs, Gen, 2 Motors, etc.) and that nobody can predict if it will pay for itself or not - but I'm curious what you guys would do?

Also, a small detail, I read on SeaRay.com that the 390 has 'dedicated cooler storage in cockpit', Promocop can you point me to where/what that is exactly?

Regards,
Jason
2003 300 DA
 
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Diesel (at least at my marina) last week was 10 cents per gal LESS than gas. My 410 burns 22 GPH at 23-24K cruise. My old 340 (2002) burned 34 GPH at the same speed. Seems to me I have a lot more boat for at least the same cruising cost (or less) and
the engines will run a hell of a lot longer before having to be rebuilt/replaced. Just my $.02. Diesels are not always the right answer for boats over 38 feet but more times than not, they do a better job.
 
Stop messing things up with facts, Frank. You always do that.
 
I had an 01 380 DA which basically became the later years 390 (and the 360 DA became the 38 DA). Mine was also gas. Hampton's comments are accurate. The boat was "squatty" (if that's a word) so if you have a camper canvas on the back, you are going to have a hard time seeing out the back. If your boat has the hardtop, there is going to be even more weight back there and make it worse. I don't know if diesel would get rid of that or not but I do know the diesel version had a higher cruise speed so it probably did. My gas version always felt like it was straining to go 21 knots and, as I said, had a significant bow up orientation. I think the 8.1's in a 340 DA size boat are a great match but they just are too small IMO for the 38-40 foot size.
 
I have spent considerable hours on a 390 back in 2005 and there is definitely not a problem with bow rise on this model. The 380 yes but not the 390. My old 380 would ride "stern heavy" compared to the current model 390/40. I believe the restricted view out the stern is due to the camper enclosure. I have a full camper enclosure on my 44 sundancer and it does obstruct the view quite a bit while underway and there is no bow rise on a 44. That whistle noise you hear is probably the flex plates resonating in the transmission housing or it is the spark arrestor on the intake manifold on the engine. That spark arrestor must be cleaned from time to time and if it is dirty you will get a whistle or hissing noise while underway.


Hope this helps
 
jff said:
Two other questions I forgot to ask ... a Legacy warranty for 3 years is $7995. I realize there are a lot of system (3 ACs, Gen, 2 Motors, etc.) and that nobody can predict if it will pay for itself or not - but I'm curious what you guys would do?

Also, a small detail, I read on SeaRay.com that the 390 has 'dedicated cooler storage in cockpit', Promocop can you point me to where/what that is exactly?

Regards,
Jason
2003 300 DA
Click to expand...

In a used 2005 boat, I would go for the warranty. My 2005 340 eng/trans warranty goes to Sep '11.

There is a dedicated space for a cooler which came with the boat. On the 390, it's under the cockpit sink area, I believe, but I'm not Promocop.

Diesels seem to be the way to go in bigger boats in most cases. If some of you drive big boats with gas and are happy, that is also great.
 
Thanks everyone for all the excellent advice!

I couldn't locate the cooler storage space the Sea Ray site mentions. And I agree, the restricted visibility is definitely from the camper top/enclosure. If I took that off I'm sure it would be fine (even with the hard top), although the nature of this enclosure makes the poles really not easily removable (the canvas yes, but not the poles). .

Regards,
Jason
 
Frank's CAT powered 410 DA uses 22 GPH total, or around 11 GPH per engine; about what my Cummins C-Series powered 420DA burns.

regards
Skip
 
I am very happy with my '04 390 w/hardtop and camper enclosure. I had my camper made to order so I do not have a visibility problem. Not may 390's w/diesel out of salt water out there. Mine's a gasser and cruising at 21 knots not a problem. A cooler fits under the cockpit sink next to the frig, if that is what you are referring to. I just added an inverter so I do not have to fire up the genset. You may want to consider one. Bow rise not a problem either.
 
We just bought a used 390DA with diesel. I would not choose any othe type power. The gas boats we looked at were under powered and fuel hogs. The camper issue is very interesting , My wife and I are having this same debate where she wants one and I don't. I think the visability is an important issue. I had the camper package on my 300DA and it was difficult to board over the gunwales due to the structure. It was great for the larger shaded area but that was the only advantage. You should look for a diesel boat and don't settle for a gas boat just to save a few dollars. The diesels are hard to come by but keep looking. Good Luck
 
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