Official (1998-2002) 310 Sundancer Thread

I looked at a 2000 310 today, carburated 5.7s, I think 260HP, with outdrives, 650 hours on the engines.

https://www.affordableoutdoorsinc.c...-ray-310-sundancer-stafford-va-22554-2557944i

I also looked at a 2001 310, 350 Mag MPI Horizon 300 hp, V Drives, engines are new remans from Mercury.

https://www.pwmarina.com/inventory/2001-sea-ray-310-sundancer-woodbridge-va-22192-2308652i

Both show well. 2000 has the white cabinets, 2001 has the cherry. No real big difference between the 2 except V drivers versus outdrives, carburated 5.7s versus MPI, and cherry interior versus the white.

2001 is listed $10k more than the 2000.

I am a fresh water river boater so outdrives are ok. Not sure about carburated having had those in previous boats.

Decisions, decisions...

Thoughts, opinions?


I like the cherry interior and V drives
Does the V drive boat have a generator?
New Engines with warranty
The price is a little steep for an 01.
I paid 53k 5 years ago for my 02 fully loaded.

As always a survey with machinery oil samples from a reputable surveyor is a must.
 
I like the cherry interior and V drives
Does the V drive boat have a generator?
New Engines with warranty
The price is a little steep for an 01.
I paid 53k 5 years ago for my 02 fully loaded.

As always a survey with machinery oil samples from a reputable surveyor is a must.
Both have a Genny. Prices are stupid high now, brokers are saying that to me.
 
Fuel filter question. On my 2000 310DA, I cannot find any fuel shutoff values. Are there any? Also, My port engine will start right up but the die after a few seconds. I'm thinking a bad fuel filter, any other thoughts?

Thanks!!!
There is no shutoff.
If you put the new filters on dry it will take a while to purge the air out of the system.
You can fill the new filters with gas and reinstall.
 
Both have a Genny. Prices are stupid high now, brokers are saying that to me.

Dont trust the broker.
Every boat they sell is the best they tell you.
I looked at so many 310's before i bought the one i have now.
There was so much junk out there that was advertised and mint.
Hire a reputable surveyor and pay the extra money for oil samples on engines/transmissions (if you go with v drive) and generator.
They can reveal a lot .
Good luck i hope you find a great boat.
 
Dont trust the broker.
Every boat they sell is the best they tell you.
I looked at so many 310's before i bought the one i have now.
There was so much junk out there that was advertised and mint.
Hire a reputable surveyor and pay the extra money for oil samples on engines/transmissions (if you go with v drive) and generator.
They can reveal a lot .
Good luck i hope you find a great boat.
I always get a hull.survey and sea trial, oil samples and compression checks as well. I don't need the latter on the 2001 as the engines are literally brand new.

When I said brokers, I wasn't saying they were trying to say it's the best boat out there. The comps support what they're saying, as does what I see on Yacht World and boat trader. This is the strangest highest priced market I've seen in over 20 years of boating.
 
There is no shutoff.
If you put the new filters on dry it will take a while to purge the air out of the system.
You can fill the new filters with gas and reinstall.

Put new ones in full of gas. It fired right back up. However it stalled again, And after starting it once more and it stalling. I try to start it again it sounds like it’s flooded. I’m assuming I need to have my carburetor serviced.
 
I have the V-drives and do not have any problem getting up on plane. That said, there are pros and cons to this configuration. V-drives will require significantly less maintenance, since you don't have the outdrives hanging off the back, constantly exposed to the elements. The engines are further forward as well which helps the balance of the boat.

These advantages are not free. V-drives have a slight performance disadvantage over outdrives, since the props cannot be "aimed" straight back. I doubt you'd notice the difference, but on paper, the outdrives are more efficient. Also, since the engines are further forward, you have less room to work in the engine room, particularly if you have a generator which is mounted near the transom.

IMO V-drives are a must if you ride in the salt. If you can find one with the Horizon engines (closed cooling), all the better. Otherwise, your heat-risers are an additional maintenance item if it is a salt-water boat.

The Progress 1 anchor windlass is a common failure item. The tension finger gets worn and its spring gets weak. When that happens, the rode will slip on the gypsy. One solution is to replace the finger (which is no longer available from the manufacturer). There is a guy on this forum that makes and sells replacement fingers, and the springs are available from Lofrans. Alternatively, you can go with all chain, in which case, the finger is superfluous. Bonus points in that the additional weight up front means you can cruise with less trim.

The 350 MPIs of this era are known to chew through belts. Mercury has a tech bulletin out on this. The fix involves adding a spacer between each alternator and its bracket to correct the pulley geometry.. I did that on both of my engines, and it seems to have solved the issue.

I would not consider a boat without a generator. Adding one after the fact is cost-prohibitive, and any boat without the factory generator will likely not have the HVAC option.

If you or yours are lounge-lizzards, be sure and watch for the sun-pad option on the bow. Two rails run fore to aft on the bow to which a sun-lounge pad is attached.

These boats did not come from the factory with a camper-back canvas. If you see a boat that has one, it is after-market. The factory canvas is a slant-back configuration with severely limits the cockpit room when it is attached.

The microphone cord for the factory installed VHF tends to deteriorate over the years, so that's something to check for when you look at boats. I believe it can be replaced by the manufacturer, but I just used it as an excuse to upgrade the radio.

Try to avoid boats with the Systems Monitor Panel option package. AFAIK there are no replacement parts available, and the panel does fail.

The 2001 has the Horizons, long block remans. Are you stating the manifolds are FWC as well, and only the risers are RWC? I have always called that full system versus half sytem closed cooling. I had a full system added to one of my previous boats.

I got the service records for the last few years, lots of "windlass not working" repairs. Recent repairs include a new control box and "removed and sent motor out for repair" , replaced switch light. Since I plan to anchor out often is there a newer model I can replace the current one with?

It has a brand new aft camper frame with sunshade. Not a full camper enclosure, which is perfect for me, I'd never use the enclosure. It has the new ball joint connnectors versus the pins.
 
The 2001 has the Horizons, long block remans. Are you stating the manifolds are FWC as well, and only the risers are RWC? I have always called that full system versus half sytem closed cooling. I had a full system added to one of my previous boats.

I got the service records for the last few years, lots of "windlass not working" repairs. Recent repairs include a new control box and "removed and sent motor out for repair" , replaced switch light. Since I plan to anchor out often is there a newer model I can replace the current one with?

It has a brand new aft camper frame with sunshade. Not a full camper enclosure, which is perfect for me, I'd never use the enclosure. It has the new ball joint connnectors versus the pins.

Good point about the risers. I was thinking about a full system. Still, not having salt water running through an engine is a good thing.

I seem to recall that you can purchase an adapter plate to retrofit a Project 1000. As far as I know, that's the closest you can come to a bolt-on retrofit. Anything else, would require some fabrication. The more common problem is a weak or worn finger. If you go all chain, that becomes a non-issue. Other than that, you can search on this site for something like "Progress 1" and you'll find someone who can make and sell you a new finger.

I'm in the middle of having a full camper enclosure fabricated. When all is said and done, I'll be into it for around 7k. We boat year round in these parts, so being able to fully enclose the cockpit is a huge plus. Especially when it gets down into the (shudder) 60's ;)
 
Seller rejected my offer, countered in the middle, I rejected and held firm to my original offer. 2 hours later the broker called, seller accepted. Woo Hoo!!
 
I have the V-drives and do not have any problem getting up on plane. That said, there are pros and cons to this configuration. V-drives will require significantly less maintenance, since you don't have the outdrives hanging off the back, constantly exposed to the elements. The engines are further forward as well which helps the balance of the boat.

These advantages are not free. V-drives have a slight performance disadvantage over outdrives, since the props cannot be "aimed" straight back. I doubt you'd notice the difference, but on paper, the outdrives are more efficient. Also, since the engines are further forward, you have less room to work in the engine room, particularly if you have a generator which is mounted near the transom.

IMO V-drives are a must if you ride in the salt. If you can find one with the Horizon engines (closed cooling), all the better. Otherwise, your heat-risers are an additional maintenance item if it is a salt-water boat.

The Progress 1 anchor windlass is a common failure item. The tension finger gets worn and its spring gets weak. When that happens, the rode will slip on the gypsy. One solution is to replace the finger (which is no longer available from the manufacturer). There is a guy on this forum that makes and sells replacement fingers, and the springs are available from Lofrans. Alternatively, you can go with all chain, in which case, the finger is superfluous. Bonus points in that the additional weight up front means you can cruise with less trim.

The 350 MPIs of this era are known to chew through belts. Mercury has a tech bulletin out on this. The fix involves adding a spacer between each alternator and its bracket to correct the pulley geometry.. I did that on both of my engines, and it seems to have solved the issue.

I would not consider a boat without a generator. Adding one after the fact is cost-prohibitive, and any boat without the factory generator will likely not have the HVAC option.

If you or yours are lounge-lizzards, be sure and watch for the sun-pad option on the bow. Two rails run fore to aft on the bow to which a sun-lounge pad is attached.

These boats did not come from the factory with a camper-back canvas. If you see a boat that has one, it is after-market. The factory canvas is a slant-back configuration with severely limits the cockpit room when it is attached.

The microphone cord for the factory installed VHF tends to deteriorate over the years, so that's something to check for when you look at boats. I believe it can be replaced by the manufacturer, but I just used it as an excuse to upgrade the radio.

Try to avoid boats with the Systems Monitor Panel option package. AFAIK there are no replacement parts available, and the panel does fail.

I want to put a plug in for no generator on a 310. I have v drives and the generator would make maintenance even more difficult then it to already is. I can sit between the motors and access belts and impellers. I have factor AC also . I usually overnight at a marina so I have plenty of power. On the few nights a more out, I use a small camp stove and the breeze is enough. A generator is one more engine to maintain.
 
I want to put a plug in for no generator on a 310. I have v drives and the generator would make maintenance even more difficult then it to already is. I can sit between the motors and access belts and impellers. I have factor AC also . I usually overnight at a marina so I have plenty of power. On the few nights a more out, I use a small camp stove and the breeze is enough. A generator is one more engine to maintain.
I looked at a 2000.310.yestereday with v drives. Current owner removed the generator when he was having issues with it. He never reinstalled it because he realize he really never used it. The added room sure was nice to see.

I've looked at four of these now, what I missed was how close the mufflers are to the front of the engine, how do you get to the raw water pumps and the belts?
 
Last edited:
I looked at a 2000.310.yestereday with v drives. Current owner removed the generator when he was having issues with it. He never reinstalled it because he realize he really used it. The added room sure was nice to see.

I've looked at four of these now, what I missed was how close the mufflers are to the front of the engine, how do you get to the raw water pumps and the belts?

I usually hem and haw for about 2 hours, then spend ½ hour removing the muffler. The hem and haw part is optional.
 
Keep in mind there is a pretty big performance(cruising speed specifically)and fuel consumption difference between the Bravo 3s and the v drives. Both look like they were well cared for so Seems like you should take a looksy and go with your gut! Cant go wrong either way!
 
Keep in mind there is a pretty big performance(cruising speed specifically)and fuel consumption difference between the Bravo 3s and the v drives. Both look like they were well cared for so Seems like you should take a looksy and go with your gut! Cant go wrong either way!
After getting the service records for the 2001, I got suspicious and my gut told me it wasn't the right boat. The broker gave me different dates for when the engines were replaced, and it seems the engines have been pulled,disassembled and reinstalledt in the past year. There was reference to service where the seller slammed into the dock as well and did a lot of gel ccoat damage, It has been repaired. Broker also told me canvas and isinglass not on the boat was in great condition yet I see references to the seller asking for estimates to replace it that he declined after getting the estimate.

I think the 2000 shows better and in general better condition, I'm just not sure I want carbureted engines.
 
The only real PIA about the carbs are the cold starts. That power is tried and true. Plenty of umpf and probably pretty efficient! I have 3 friends with late 80s 300 sundancers with 5.7 mercruiser carbs and they all run like a swiss watch. I'm pretty sure by 2000 merc had them near perfect. Good luck!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,945
Messages
1,422,731
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top