sc29

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gimmesunshine

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i am thinking of swapping my s28 for sc29..
i like both, but the sc29 has loads of little improvements for me
i like the retracting roof, cockpit, modern lines, bigger bathing platform etc etc
i dont want to increase my berthing fees any more by buying bigger and also increase in fuel bills puts me of 34 footers.
Concerns i have, my kad32's have never missed a beat, searching on here the d3 190 doesnt have the same level of confidence with evc etc.
On board an sc29 for sale today, one engine had water in fuel sensor fault, so werent keen to try and fire her up, other engine just wouldnt start. This particular one also had electronic throttle controls...
Havent heard any major gripes with sc29's hulls etc....
So am i being a bit mad, should i just stick with the tried and trusted 28.....?
would be interested to her from d3 owners and s29, sc29 owners...or anyone else with useful advice..., thanks, carl
 
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if you already have a boat that you like and its well reliable , why change it for an unknown one , you may end up kicking yourself
 
Have to agree, unless its significantly different, ie bigger or a sail boat, why bother?

Maybe spend a bit on the current boat - SWMBO swears by new cushions :-)
 
We were in similar situation. Fancied swapping our 28ft US sports boat for an SC29... not increasing Marina fees etc...but the extra cost for basically the same accommodation just was not worth it. By going a little older, the same type of money buys a 32-35ftr - much more room and significantly different. Make sure you have a good look around. Might be worth revisiting your objection to a few hundred quid a year more berthing fees... its what we did and it's a better decision (for us!).
 
Well, an S29 owner with D3 160s, but without electronic controls. New in 2005 and we have done over 500 hours and I have to say I am a very happy boater. We have done many 4 hour plus passages through some quite rough stuff and the boat is more than capable. Engines have proved reliable, efficient and quiet. The 160's provide me with enough permormance and for a small boat I feel it is very well designed.

As with any boat there were a few niggles to start with, but nothing to concern me.

If you want to talk further then pm me.
 
I love my SC29 (D3190's), the modern design is brilliant and I especially like the roof. Over all I am VERY pleased with it. Having said that I am not sure if I had an S28 I would bother upgrading to an SC29 as they are not all that different??

I certainly wouldnt buy one that wasnt running!
 
the sc29 i looked at had been upgraded to have electronic controls... why would anyone pay extra to have a load of electronics in the way. are they that much better to use and feel....?
 
well, i much prefer the eectronic throttle controls, but I wouldnt pay the £2500 per engine Volvo wated for the upgrade. The madness was, that was the same price as upgrading to the D4-210 which had the edc system as standard. Sealine never offered those lumps in a twin configuration on the SC29 though
 
i doubt theres any weight saving, theres boxes for each engine which look to house actuator and electronics to actually adjust a mechnical throttle linkage, each box is about the size of 2 shoe boxes.
is there a cold starting issue with the d3's...?, engine was spinning freely and fuel was on..
 
spoke to several marine mechanics today, the consensus was without doubt, avoid the d3 series like the plague,
real shame as most sc29's have these, so better off finding something else with older kad series
thanks for inputs though
 
Not sure I agree with your 'mechanics'. If they were that bad they would not have sold thousands of these units. I've spoken to mechanics who say they are no worse than any other engine. Eleontronic engine management is the way forward I think you have to accept that.
 
gimmesunshine said:
spoke to several marine mechanics today, the consensus was without doubt, avoid the d3 series like the plague,
real shame as most sc29's have these, so better off finding something else with older kad series thanks for inputs though
Click to expand...

They will have lost some hair trying to get the early ones to run properly, but later D3-190's seem to have a better reputation.
 
FlowerPower said:
They will have lost some hair trying to get the early ones to run properly, but later D3-190's seem to have a better reputation.
Click to expand...

Thats the problem of course, new D3's may now be sorted but if buying a used boat with no Volvo warrentry left its pot luck if you get good ones or not. Unfortunately because of the relatively low volumes of engines sold compared to the automotive world, leisure marine engines are not fully developed when they are sold to customers, and because marine leisure use is so limited it can take years for problems to surface and get sorted.
 
I am very happy with my D3-190's,
powerfull, lightweight, lo consumption,
yes the electronics might create some concerns, but on the other hand, a Volvo service agent can read out all history of the engine, and see if something did occasionally go wrong, I see this as an advantage !!
furthermore, gradually ALL new Diesel engines will have electronic controll, so it is the future.
The D3's have a negative reputation on here, but IMHO this is not based on real statistics. And I do believe that there are many of them around, and that Volvo has some early problems under controll. I know there was an issue on early 130's and 160's with the air filter...
The water in fuel sensor fault, is a small thing, had the same on mine from new, is due to a too sensitive sensor, and has nothing to do with the engine.

about the boat, have no experience with SL, but I know the feeling and the wish for upgrade in this time of the year. :o
Just one remark, make sure that this upgrade really answers all your wishes, otherwise you will be looking for another upgrade next year ;)
thats not too bad when you can afford it, unless you want to customise the boat completely for your use as I do.:cool:
 
Have just seen an early SC29 (2005 i believe) out of the water for a survey. The surveyor was not happy with the condition of the hull. It has lots of blisters all over the hull. He didnt put it down to osmosis but air trapped in the GRP during the build process. He reckoned it was due to the many changes in angle along the hull and the awkward shapes meaning that the fibregalss and resin couldnt get into all of the shapes in the mould.

He wasnt overly happy with it but Sealine offered to repair it at their cost which is fair enough. This one also had engine problems (D3-160'S) and has since been put back up for sale, the potential purchaser wasnt willing to take the gamble
 
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