yay or nay on 1999 40DA update?

[RobF300]

speedboat guy at heart, hated those vents that stick out further then the rub rail does. Wider 4"/ 1" bootstripe, blue canvas instead of factory tan, upgraded emblems. New thru-hull fittings are in order this winter.

Takes some getting used to, what do the die hards think?
Dark dreary day but wanted to get a picture before it gets wrapped.

 

[Pseudomind]

speedboat guy at heart, hated those vents that stick out further then the rub rail does. Wider 4"/ 1" bootstripe, blue canvas instead of factory tan, upgraded emblems. New thru-hull fittings are in order this winter.

Takes some getting used to, what do the die hards think?
Dark dreary day but wanted to get a picture before it gets wrapped.

IMO - I like the blue, the vents, I will go 50/50. Now as to the markings (What make of boat is this?) I think the badging is just a wee bit overstated.

You asked

:thumbsup:

 

[Sorrento 25]

Looks great except for the fact that the molded-in flat spot where the vent cover was removed makes it look like... the vent cover was removed. :smt001 Paint that area blue, trim the cutout edges, and back the openings with a woven SS mesh.

 

[RollerCoastr]

I like the bootstripe! Nicely done. Black bottom paint though. Always. All boats. No exceptions. Black.

I like the updated emblems too, but that IS a lot of "SeaRay" for one boat! I'm curious - ins't the black oval smaller than the white one was? Did you have to do much patching?

The vent area needs some work, IMHO. Note: they don't HAVE to protrude past the rubrail. Mine don't, in fact they've never touched a dock or piling. Skuza says his are further out, and his boat is newer, so I assume it's in the way they're attached.

Overall? Nice look, congrats.

 

[RobF300]

This was done with the idea that going back to stock would take an hour or two.

The factory vents stick out further then the rub rail on the 1999. The flange is also semi flush mounted, so totally flushmounting the new vents would mean going at the boat with a grinder.
This was a half day bolt on modification, and there is stainless mesh behind the vents.
The Sea Ray in the stripe is done shadowed and outlined, it looks like a emblem. I also though it might be too much, but I think its the photo showing only that section and not 40' worth of boat playing tricks on us, as is the lighting because the transition from the vent to the boat is not that bad.

As for the bottom paint black is common, the paint on there is darker but after you wash and haul the boat it lightens up, everyone has black, I think the dark blue adds something to it- but its just paint and it has to be done every year anyhow so it can be changed.

The cutouts for the vents match the factory cutouts behind them, Ill get a better picture when it stops raining.
No offense taken on different opinions, its not my boat I just helped my friend try to make it look more modern, he hated the factory vents.
The emblems were a perfect match, none of the old image is visable

I grabbed this pic from yachtworld, you can see how the vent sticks out

 

[Nehalennia]

Hey Rob
I like all the updates you made except the Vents. To me that 'grill' look appears like the early 90's grill/vents.

I definitely like the Blue. Nice updates

 

[Skuza]

I like the blue canvas, stripes and emblems. We did the same swap on the radar arch but went with the Sea Ray script in chrome under the windows. And as far as overstating its a SR, the 410's have the exact same emblem arrangement as RobF has.
The vents do in fact stick out a hair more than the rub rail on ours too. Very dumb design. They shouldn't even have made them that thick to be cutting it that close.
The stripes look good and I'll let the blue bottom paint go also as it is dark enough.
The vent mod would be alright if the hull wasn't formed to match the add on vent.
Looks good!

 

[RobF300]

as good as I can get for now

 

[Carver370]

That is the exact same striping as my boat has! I like it!

http://newimages.yachtworld.com/1/5/7/6/7/1576736_1.jpg?1207834766000

 

[douglee25]

I like everything but the vents as well. If the vents were outlined with a piece of trim (maybe something like the windows??) that may possibly change my position. I honestly think the factory vents were fine.

Doug

 

[Skuza]

Here is ours with the plaque and script. Don't mind the streak in the side of the hull. (400DA guys know this dirty streak area!)

 

[RobF300]

btw emblems were only changed, not added.
Thats how many were on the boat originally, minus the bootstripe vinyl of course

2" stripe looks so tiny on a boat that size now that 4" is all the rage

 

[Skuza]

4" stripes... Hmm maybe next year! I would like to have the script in the stripe also.

 

[RollerCoastr]

Looks good Skuza. (I see you're sporting some Miller Canvas!?)

I'm still wondering about the plaque - isn't it smaller than the white one? I've been nervous about that update because I thought it would be too noticable.

 

[RollerCoastr]

Rob,

TRUST me when I say that not all 400DA vents protrude beyond the rail. It IS just minor differences in mfr'ing / assembly that makes the difference. I'm sure that if I smacked a dock or piling hard enough, the rail would compress enough to allow contact with the vent. That's a big "if" though. (nothing in a twin-screw inboard is easier than moving the stern side-to-side)

So while I agree that it wasn't a great design, I DO think it's an attractive part of the boat, and if mine were at risk, I'd at least try to modify it to get it out of harms way.

 

[Skuza]

Looks good Skuza. (I see you're sporting some Miller Canvas!?)

I'm still wondering about the plaque - isn't it smaller than the white one? I've been nervous about that update because I thought it would be too noticable.

The plaque is slightly smaller, by maybe 1/4" all the way around. Not enough to be noticeable. The two hardest parts of swapping them are: Removing the silicone from the arch after you pull them off and finding the "shadow" to line up the new plaque. I actually used a couple brand new razor blades to shave off the silicone. I then washed off the little bit of residue with some laquer thinner. I followed that up by wheeling. There are no pins or holes behind it by the way.
Good eyes on the Miller canvas! It must be the trademark vertical cut he puts in the side glass as opposed to the diagonal factory cut. Dad had the isenglass across the top of the windshield done a little over a year ago. He does very nice work. We were able to leave the boat in a covered well at Mac Ray while he did it to avoid any weather worries.

 

[RobF300]

Rob,

TRUST me when I say that not all 400DA vents protrude beyond the rail. It IS just minor differences in mfr'ing / assembly that makes the difference. I'm sure that if I smacked a dock or piling hard enough, the rail would compress enough to allow contact with the vent. That's a big "if" though. (nothing in a twin-screw inboard is easier than moving the stern side-to-side)

So while I agree that it wasn't a great design, I DO think it's an attractive part of the boat, and if mine were at risk, I'd at least try to modify it to get it out of harms way.

I have seen my share of these boats over the years, usually because I had to make repairs to them. That must be a huge tolerance if some stick out so far they hit and some do not.

Matter of fact here is a 1997 one I had last year:

 

[Carver370]

I have seen my share of these boats over the years, usually because I had to make repairs to them. That must be a huge tolerance if some stick out so far they hit and some do not.

Matter of fact here is a 1997 one I had last year:

I don't think anything would have helped that one!

 

[MrSeaRayMike]

I like everything on the vessel 'cept the vent!! Try updating to the future vents that Sea Ray is offering: Stainless with 400 'Dancer etched in...Take a look at the new (08+) Amberjack or the 350 Dancer and play off of that!!! Those will add a lot of style to a vessl with a lot of Stainless. I.E. rubrail, windshield frame...etc. You to Skuza...you've got to update that 400...maybe a new 430?

 

[RobF300]

waterjet stainless would be neat, a little out of the "do it yourself" project but a good idea.

You know if it was stainless half would say make it white !