Doral 300 SC

Received wisdom says shafts make the boat more 'controllable' when manoeuvering, but are thirstier/less efficient than outdrives.

But opinions do vary, so it's each to his/her own...
 
But cheaper and easier for maintenance? I've spent 4 days on a 42ft with shafts and found her incredibly easy to manoeuver.
 
Missed your trailer comment - we are not interested. I've a Peugot 206 convertible and Paul has an Audi TT. Can't see either towing this /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yes - no outdrives to service/maintain/break!

I just hope engine access is a bit better than it appears in the pic. (Looks about as accessible as mine. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif) Do you have a skinny hubby? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yes, I'm sure.

I was just wondering why anyone would be interested in the trailer as I'm pretty certain it would be illegal to tow a boat this size on the roads of Europe. Could it be used in a yard for storage - or summat?
 
The access is pretty good to be honest - the seats hinge up out of the way and a fair chunk of the floor lifts up. There is a smaller hatch that can be lifted without shifting the seats.

As for Paul being skinny - like me, perhaps not but fantastically proportioned and perfect for fitting into engine bays /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
In this picture, access looks about as 'good' as my boat.

Doral1.jpg


Yet in this picture I can see what appear to be hinges right aft of the cockpit.

Doral2.jpg


Are you saying that access is actually better than in the first picture above? If so, good! If not, well, as I said, I usually manage to squeeze into some tiny places so I'm sure you/hubby will be fine. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Top picture is as good as it gets. Asked Paul about it just now his answer was "It's not fantastic, but I fit and it is a dream compared to our S23". Mmmmm. Perhaps not its best feature then. Think there may still be a lot of bum in the air sights while doing engine checks /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Just had a quick shufty online - there's a petrol one here States-side, f'rinstance. Another one in the U.S.A. here, and another here.

They generally appear to be petrol/outdrives. Do you know whether the one you're looking at originally have outdrives or did Doral make a mix of shaft-drive/outdrive? (I don't know - that's why I'm asking). It could have been modified to shafts - if it has, that's probably no bad thing.
 
anne - Thanks for link to pics. Looks like a nice boat, plenty of space.

Prob better off that she's on shafts with the Yanmar. Outdrive with Yanmar usually meant Bravo 3 = disaster waiting to happen.

As for access to the engines, there's an 'inspection hatch' which is inside the main hatch - access looks ok. I find access to the engine bay in the S23 a dream - so easy to get to everything... and i'm 6foot even so not the tiniest guy in the world

I think the trailer is a fanfastic idea - it means that you are free to move the boat around the yard if needs be, or move her into a shed etc. - It means you're not relying on a crane. This could saves you a few quid every year - just get a tractor to launch her on a slip instead of paying a shed load of money for a lift.

Best of luck whatever you choose - i'm looking to upgrade the S23 to an S28 (Would you believe my last boat was bigger than the sealine (by a tiny bit)) - I bought the S23 on total impulse and no regrets, very happy with the build quality
 
Just trying not to get too excited about it yet. The owners are viewing ours at 11am tomorrow. In some ways I'm not looking forward to the possibility of someone not loving Nuffink Dubhing as much as we do! I'm surprised by how loyal I feel towards her, but equally love what we have seen in the Doral today. If they do take her, she'll feel as if she is going into retirement - we've had her from Plymouth to Gosport twice and regularly down to Falmouth. She'll think she is on gardening leave if the furthest she goes from now on is Exmouth to Poole!

On another positive - the Doral only has 600 hours on the clock /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
We have no problem moving her round the yard. If we do buy her she will remain dry berthed at Yacht Haven Quay in Plymouth. Our annual fee includes unlimited lifts in and out and she will be moved around the yard as necessary for no extra charge. She will be stored inside the shed normally, but if we do need her to be outside for any reason, the yard has stilts to put her on.

Good luck with the upgrade - we've looked at an S28 and although decided against one, both felt she was a great boat. Personally, we prefer the layout and space in the Doral.
 
While my main issue IS space, I have fallen for Sealine since I bought the S23, I just can't fault the build quality.

I spend most of my time on inland lakes, and usually have a crowd with me... so by rights I should be looking at the biggest thing I can find from a social cockpit point of view, but something at the back of my mind keeps saying "quality over quantity"
 
I'd be interested to hear actual fuel consumption figures for any other owners running 4LHA STE's.

The ad says "45ltr/hr (approx)", but that would seem to be a bit optimistic compared to the manufacturers figures, which suggest a figure somewhere between 60-70ltr/hr at a fast cruise for twins.

dv.
 
Well, the Doral owners have been to see our S23 this morning and made positive sounding noises (apart from commenting that she was small - but then compared with their 30ft Doral, it is. They do want to down size so I guess it will take a bit of time until they adjust to the practical implications of this). We are at the wait to see if the phone rings stage. Not a fun stage, Im discovering /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Whilst I agree with others that shafts are more reliable and easier to manoeuvre, they will be a lot more thirsty, probably reckon on 30% extra fuel over sterndrives, more at higher speeds, as shafts get increasingly inefficient the faster you go.

Don't forget also that the savings you make by not having to service the outdrives could be offset by the increased cost of servicing bigger engines required on shaft boats to reach the same speeds.
 
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