Sea Ray vs....

I agree. In my opinion, go for something newer. Even though it will cost you more for a newer Sea Ray, you will be pleased by appearance and power. In terms of a surveyor, just let them do their thing.

I continue to fight my case over Sea Doo/Sea Ray. A Sea Doo would definitely be a fun boat to whip around in, but a Sea Ray is a more comfortable boat that you would spend the day hanging out on. For a first boat, I highly recommend an open-bow boat, like the Sea Ray Select or Sundeck series. This provides easy access in docking/anchoring/mooring situations. You will be pleased by the accessibility of these types of vessels.

Also, you still have yet to disclose your boating location. Are you in an area of normally high wind/chop? Or is it particularly calm? Are you boating in waters where there are yachts/ships/ferries? You have to take all these factors into account before choosing the right one. In our 270 Select EX, we boat in the open ocean. Typically waves are 1-3 feet on our boating excursions; however, we encounter occasionally larger waves from ferries. Our destinations range from 6 to 30 miles. Our cruising speed, at 3500 RPMs, is 30-35mph. It really depends on what's going on in your area.

Why don't you give us all an idea of where you boat, as well as what you would encounter on an average day on the water. This might give us a better idea of how to help narrow your search.
 
ironexecutioner said:
I plan to use it as a past time sort of thing. I am going to take 3 weeks of vacation each summer (a week at a time) and use it during those periods (as well as random "here and there"). Do you just use a surveyor to establish how it has been maintained? (Other than obvious stuff that could be seen by anyone)
Click to expand...

The first thing you will notice is how well a boat has been marketed. Typically you can decide within a couple pictures whether a boat may/may not be worth your time to go and check out. When you find something worth while, ask for some more detailed pictures or take a drive if it's close. When you've agreed on a price, get it surveyed.

Again, even with brand new or newer boats, you're still going to have issues. Search on this boat and you'll find a ton. An older boat that is maintained and already has the kinks worked out represents a better value now and in the future when you 'return on investment' will be easier to swallow.

Doug
 
I bought a brand spanking new boat and so far I have had to have both port and starboard exhaust manifolds replaced. So brand new boats are not immune to issues. No manufacturer of any boat is.

However, the good thing is, they are covered by warranty when brand new. SO the issues are usually just taken care of at no charge.

Im biased, as I will only buy new. Buying a used boat, car or almost anything else is scary to me. I like being the ONLY one to have maintained mechanical devices from the start.

And I like that new car/boat smell. My wife has the perfume to keep me allured.
 
Biased Sea Ray owner (me); Sea Ray builds a quality unit. They feature good looking designs, good quality materials, very good power packages and retain a good resale value. Not to mention, everyone knows what a Sea Ray is.
Unbiased boat enthusiast (the other me); there's a flood of less expensive, similar quality boats available in the watersports department. The only downfall to any of these would be the lesser resale value. IMHO, Sea Ray rates in the 'very good' category and at the top as far as 'bang for your buck' but they're certainly not a Cobalt or Chris Craft launch etc... but those examples are more expensive.
My '06 240 is my 5th Sea Ray and it won't be the last.
Oh, I do 99% of my boating in the ocean.
Another point for consideration; a closed cooling system. This option allows you to run anti-freeze and a hotter thermosthat (better overall engine efficiency) and a heater could also be plumbed into the system. With that, winterizing is a snap and heat is popular on those cool nights heading in.
Flush the engine and wash the boat off when you get home. The salt comes off easily with just a hose.

Good luck and happy shopping.
 
To me when determining the type of boat, like many others have stated, is where exactly will you be boating and what are the conditions like. We primarily boat in the Ohio River or take it south to Barkley/Kentucky lakes which all those areas are fairly big bodies of water which can see a lot of chop. In the areas we boat you couldn't give me a jet boat (or anything under 20' for that matter) unless its for about a 30 minute wild ride, then you can have it back. I've done far too much jet skiing in my day to know I'd rather have a much smoother riding boat will better amenities and room.

Actually my 200BR was smaller than the other boats I was looking at but just came across a heck of a deal on a pristine Sea Ray and couldn't pass it up. Overall I couldn't be happier, but did notice last weekend while on a buddy's 260 Wellcraft how much smoother his boat took choppy water.
 
Last edited:
I am planning to use it at lake Raystown, blue marsh lake, susquehanna river, deep creek lake and probably the bay side of ocean city md. I live in Harrisburg PA. Those seem to be the closest places of use. I may use it other places depending on vacation plans...
 
What would this have cost you had you not been under warranty?
billandamy said:
I bought a brand spanking new boat and so far I have had to have both port and starboard exhaust manifolds replaced. So brand new boats are not immune to issues. No manufacturer of any boat is.

However, the good thing is, they are covered by warranty when brand new. SO the issues are usually just taken care of at no charge.

Im biased, as I will only buy new. Buying a used boat, car or almost anything else is scary to me. I like being the ONLY one to have maintained mechanical devices from the start.

And I like that new car/boat smell. My wife has the perfume to keep me allured.
Click to expand...
 
ironexecutioner said:
What would this have cost you had you not been under warranty?
Click to expand...

I am sorry, no idea. The prices werent on my paperwork, but I do not believe it would have been a very expensive repair. If I could hazard to guess, the manifold gaskets were probably in the $75 range or so, and about 2-3 hours of labor.

However, if it wasnt under warranty, I would have done it myself. It is a fairly simple repair in my boat as all is well exposed.
 
ironexecutioner said:
I am planning to use it at lake Raystown, blue marsh lake, susquehanna river, deep creek lake and probably the bay side of ocean city md. I live in Harrisburg PA. Those seem to be the closest places of use. I may use it other places depending on vacation plans...
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with the area. Can you give us a better idea of what you may encounter on the water, like I said before? Is there a lot of chop out there? Is the area mostly small pleasure boats, or are there ferries? Help us out. We're trying to help you! :smt017

And the point that was made about getting a new boat because of the warranty... great point. :thumbsup:
 
I also meant to include the possibility of the Chesapeake Bay. You might know that one :grin:... The chesapeake will be the worst. Is there somewhere that gives an idea of what each boat is set to handle? Or what helps one decide that?

bushway9172 said:
I am not familiar with the area. Can you give us a better idea of what you may encounter on the water, like I said before? Is there a lot of chop out there? Is the area mostly small pleasure boats, or are there ferries? Help us out. We're trying to help you! :smt017

And the point that was made about getting a new boat because of the warranty... great point. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
 
How about this for an idea....take a trip to where you intend to do your boating, have a look around at the sort of thing you'd like and have a chat with the owners. Boats are all a compromise, they all have their short comings, you need to have fairly explicit ideas about what you want to do with it, to come up with the right boat for you. If you're very lucky you might even find an honest salesman that will talk it through with you and give you some options worth thinking about. You will get a biased view on this site but remember, that bias is born of experience not through the prospect of financial gain.:smt001
 
i actually went to my closest sea ray dealer today. he asked the same questions. seemed to feel a 175-205 would be fine..
 
ironexecutioner said:
I also meant to include the possibility of the Chesapeake Bay. You might know that one :grin:... The chesapeake will be the worst. Is there somewhere that gives an idea of what each boat is set to handle? Or what helps one decide that?
Click to expand...

That is sort of where I am getting at. You will not be satisfied with anything other than a deep V-hull in waters as potentially rough as the Chesapeake Bay. A Sea Doo would not be up to your standards in terms of a smooth ride... not gonna happen.

I would ultimately suggest a heavy bow rider. You want the weight. The heavier the boat, the smoother the ride. However, you still should have the accessibility of a bow rider. Our 270 Select is the perfect compromise of the two. Here's a few to look into:

250 Sea Ray Select
270 Sea Ray Select
290 Sea Ray Select
200-270 Sea Ray Sundeck
236 Chaparral SSX
256 Chaparral SSX
276 Chaparral SSX
180 Chaparral SSi
204 Chaparral SSi
210 Chaparral SSi
215 Chaparral SSi
236 Chaparral SSi
255 Chaparral SSi
256 Chaparral SSi
275 Chaparral SSi

You could also look at Cobalts, but those are typically pretty expensive. The list that I gave you above include some great boats. I would definitely stick to something in the mid-20' range. Of course, people will chime in about Chaparrals. I know this is a Sea Ray forum, but Chaparrals are certainly a less-expensive alternative, while still scoring a well-built boat. These boats all have good V shaped hulls that you will definitely appreciate when boating in rougher waters. You may want to look at a boat with trim tabs... very helpful to balance the load, as well as lower the bow in rougher waters (to plow through larger waves, instead of bounce all over the place).

Let me know what you think of those boats I listed. Do a used boat search on www.boats.com.

You should be able to find some deals. Post the links to ones that you have an interest in, and I'll give you my take. :thumbsup:
 
Well.. I owned a 20 foot Sea Doo Challenger but sold it in 2007. I know a couple people that own the Yamaha version:

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/boat/products/modelhome/422/0/home.aspx

The Yamaha's are great boats... I felt they were much better quality than the Sea Doo. I've spent a lot of time on both boats... and to say they are not good for water sports is non-sense. They are great out-of-the-hole and have much better maneuverability than an I/O. Also, the twin engine set up in both the Yamaha and Sea Doo is nice if you have a engine crap out on you (and I've had that happen).

The Jet boats are popular around these parts... don't have to worry about getting chopped up by a prop or hitting a tree stump with the prop on the rivers... and they draw very little water. These are not the same jet boats that were around back 15 years ago... heck.. Hinckley picnic boats use jet drives... if you have a cool million to buy a 22 foot boat.

Being on the southern Chesapeake Bay, you don't find too many bow riders out on the bay... Sea Ray or other brand... You'll get swamped. They stick around the tributaries...
 
Last edited:
Ok, thank you for the advice, I am not as much planning for the chesapeake but it is an option I wanted to keep open. If not, so be it. Is it reasonable to visit planned locations and note the different boats people are using on those waters to get a full understanding of what is good?

bushway9172 said:
That is sort of where I am getting at. You will not be satisfied with anything other than a deep V-hull in waters as potentially rough as the Chesapeake Bay. A Sea Doo would not be up to your standards in terms of a smooth ride... not gonna happen.

I would ultimately suggest a heavy bow rider. You want the weight. The heavier the boat, the smoother the ride. However, you still should have the accessibility of a bow rider. Our 270 Select is the perfect compromise of the two. Here's a few to look into:

250 Sea Ray Select
270 Sea Ray Select
290 Sea Ray Select
200-270 Sea Ray Sundeck
236 Chaparral SSX
256 Chaparral SSX
276 Chaparral SSX
180 Chaparral SSi
204 Chaparral SSi
210 Chaparral SSi
215 Chaparral SSi
236 Chaparral SSi
255 Chaparral SSi
256 Chaparral SSi
275 Chaparral SSi

You could also look at Cobalts, but those are typically pretty expensive. The list that I gave you above include some great boats. I would definitely stick to something in the mid-20' range. Of course, people will chime in about Chaparrals. I know this is a Sea Ray forum, but Chaparrals are certainly a less-expensive alternative, while still scoring a well-built boat. These boats all have good V shaped hulls that you will definitely appreciate when boating in rougher waters. You may want to look at a boat with trim tabs... very helpful to balance the load, as well as lower the bow in rougher waters (to plow through larger waves, instead of bounce all over the place).

Let me know what you think of those boats I listed. Do a used boat search on www.boats.com.

You should be able to find some deals. Post the links to ones that you have an interest in, and I'll give you my take. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
 
ironexecutioner said:
Ok, thank you for the advice, I am not as much planning for the chesapeake but it is an option I wanted to keep open. If not, so be it. Is it reasonable to visit planned locations and note the different boats people are using on those waters to get a full understanding of what is good?
Click to expand...

Okay.
Then perhaps you'd be all set with a newer 18 - 24 ft Sea Ray or Chaparral? :huh: Have you taken a look on www.boats.com?
 
ironexecutioner said:
going there now. so you think a 20' sea ray would be a safe choice?
Click to expand...

Sure. Try a 200 Sundeck. Remember our previous boat was a 220 Sundeck. They are pretty substantial/comfortable boats for their size. Let me know what you find... :smt024
 
ironexecutioner said:
I am planning to use it at lake Raystown, blue marsh lake, susquehanna river, deep creek lake and probably the bay side of ocean city md. I live in Harrisburg PA. Those seem to be the closest places of use. I may use it other places depending on vacation plans...
Click to expand...

Ah. . . when not at the Shore, I live not too far from Blue Marsh.

Yeah, I think you need to settle on the TYPE of boat you want. Boats are full of compromises. . a boat that you take onto Blue Marsh is not a boat you want to run seriously in the Chesepeake. Totally different requirements. Any chance you can get the dealer to take you for a test ride?

Pennsylvania's eastern lakes are really too small for boating. On nice summer weekends, I doubt you will have the sea room to run full throttle and take full advantage of your boats. Last I checked (not recently), there are too many no wake bouys and water cops prowling around for my liking.

Someone mentioned service. . .I would not underestimate that issue. Do you have local dealers? Do you have a second possibility for service if the first guy ticks you off? That is a major factor.

Living in Harrisburg, unless you will store the watercraft in a heated garage, you probably need to consider annual winterization as a requirement. A ski-doo or yamaha will require winterization. Maintenance on a I/O engine (like a SeaRay) is a bit more involved than on the Sea-doo's. . but not too bad.

If you only have occassional use in salt water, I would not worry about going with closed loop systems on the boat. I would ensure, however, that you are aware of how to flush the engines to get all the salt water out of it. If you do this, then you will be fine for the life of the boat.

I see the allure of buying new. . but honestly, I don't have the wallet for that. I have jet-ski's. I treat them well. . .but I also beat the snot out of them jumping waves. I would hate to do that to something for which I paid the "new boat" price premium. When buying used, yes, the SeaRay's hold their value better than other boats. If you buy new, buy SeaRay. If you buy used. . .consider something else and let the other guy take the depreciation hit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,118
Messages
1,426,547
Members
61,035
Latest member
Lukerney
Back
Top