Awe come on guys I thought this was going to be a good one, I was getting the popcorn ready. Bill & John you let me down. (Grin)
Sea Ray vs....
- Thread starter ironexecutioner
- Start date
billandamy
New Member
- Oct 22, 2007
- 3,043
- Boat Info
- 2008 205 sport. MonsterTower wakeboard tower.
- Engines
- 5.0 mpi (260 hp) alpha one drive with 19p ss prop.
It depends on who we are talking about:lol::smt043:lol::smt043:lol:
billandamy
New Member
- Oct 22, 2007
- 3,043
- Boat Info
- 2008 205 sport. MonsterTower wakeboard tower.
- Engines
- 5.0 mpi (260 hp) alpha one drive with 19p ss prop.
Hmmm...I like that. Selective breeding. :lol:
Dug1047
New Member
Hi folks, first post here. Thought I would chime in since I just went through the search process that the OP is going through and decided on a used '05 SR 185 Sport with 147 hours on the V6 this past weekend. This boat is a cream puff, purchased new and serviced each year at the Sea Ray dealer it was brokered at. I saw the complete service record, and the previous owner did all required maintenance. We went out for a test drive prior to my purchase, and they did a test drive on a new '09 after we got back which they sold. I live on Long Island, I am tempted to keep it at Lake Hopatcong where I purchased it for the remainder of the season and away from the salt water. Two things influenced my decision, I really prefer the interior layout of the '05 over the '09, plus the '09 was over $10,000 more!!
beernutz
Member
ironexectioner, I was in a similar situation to you earlier this summer so I'll pitch in my $.02 for whatever they are worth.
I was looking for my first new boat this summer. I knew I wanted a runabout to be used primarily for watersports in the 19-23 foot range. I have two good friends who own boats in this range. One has a 2007 Sea Ray 185 Sport and the other has a 2006 Yamaha AR230 HO jetboat. I've ridden in both boats and knew quite a bit about both.
The AR230 stock is not a great boat for wakeboarding but my friend has put an aftermarket monster tower on it and installed a 1000+ lb ballast system and a PerfectPass GPS speed controller (all of which cost him probably around $3k extra). Now his boat throws a great wake. Because it has no stern drive and because it weighs quite a bit less than a similar I/O boat it can maneuver in very shallow water. It is also fast like a jetski and very, very quick out of the hole and on plane. I've been on it with my GPS when we were doing 55mph. It has a fantastic swimdeck area and seems to be appointed very nicely and it has held up very well.
One thing he can do behind his jetboat that I don't think I'd ever try behind a stern drive is wakesurfing immediately behind his boat. The fact that he has no prop also gives his wife a feeling of additional safety with their regards to their two small children. I don't know whether this safety is real or imagined but it is a factor for them.
The main problems with that boat are that it is VERY difficult to steer at low speeds. My friend can do so very well but it is still tricky even for him and this is his second jetboat. Essentially you have to play one engine against the other to maintain low-speed control. The other problem doesn't happen much but when something gets sucked into the impeller such as a ski rope it can put a cramp in an otherwise fun day. Another factor weighing against the Yamaha for me was that the closest dealership was an hour farther away than the closest Sea Ray dealership (a MarineMax). My friend does all of his own mechanical repairs and maintenance but I don't have nearly his skill or knowledge so being closer to a dealer I trust was important to me.
My friend loves his boat and wouldn't trade it for anything comparable.
My other friend with the Sea Ray 185 Sport (3.4L Mercruiser) also loves his boat. His top speed and acceleration are not close to that of the Yamaha, but his boat looks great. His boat is not all that heavy but throws a decent wake. It runs very smoothly, looks great, is economical and he also thinks he made a great choice.
FWIW, after weighing the plusses and minuses of each type boat I ended up getting a used Sea Ray 190 Signature and so far could not be happier.
I was looking for my first new boat this summer. I knew I wanted a runabout to be used primarily for watersports in the 19-23 foot range. I have two good friends who own boats in this range. One has a 2007 Sea Ray 185 Sport and the other has a 2006 Yamaha AR230 HO jetboat. I've ridden in both boats and knew quite a bit about both.
The AR230 stock is not a great boat for wakeboarding but my friend has put an aftermarket monster tower on it and installed a 1000+ lb ballast system and a PerfectPass GPS speed controller (all of which cost him probably around $3k extra). Now his boat throws a great wake. Because it has no stern drive and because it weighs quite a bit less than a similar I/O boat it can maneuver in very shallow water. It is also fast like a jetski and very, very quick out of the hole and on plane. I've been on it with my GPS when we were doing 55mph. It has a fantastic swimdeck area and seems to be appointed very nicely and it has held up very well.
One thing he can do behind his jetboat that I don't think I'd ever try behind a stern drive is wakesurfing immediately behind his boat. The fact that he has no prop also gives his wife a feeling of additional safety with their regards to their two small children. I don't know whether this safety is real or imagined but it is a factor for them.
The main problems with that boat are that it is VERY difficult to steer at low speeds. My friend can do so very well but it is still tricky even for him and this is his second jetboat. Essentially you have to play one engine against the other to maintain low-speed control. The other problem doesn't happen much but when something gets sucked into the impeller such as a ski rope it can put a cramp in an otherwise fun day. Another factor weighing against the Yamaha for me was that the closest dealership was an hour farther away than the closest Sea Ray dealership (a MarineMax). My friend does all of his own mechanical repairs and maintenance but I don't have nearly his skill or knowledge so being closer to a dealer I trust was important to me.
My friend loves his boat and wouldn't trade it for anything comparable.
My other friend with the Sea Ray 185 Sport (3.4L Mercruiser) also loves his boat. His top speed and acceleration are not close to that of the Yamaha, but his boat looks great. His boat is not all that heavy but throws a decent wake. It runs very smoothly, looks great, is economical and he also thinks he made a great choice.
FWIW, after weighing the plusses and minuses of each type boat I ended up getting a used Sea Ray 190 Signature and so far could not be happier.
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