The official 2009 270DA ~ 2010 280DA thread

Kaoru

Member
Jul 20, 2009
122
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Boat Info
2009 270 Sundancer w/ Zodiac 240 Air Cadet
C70 Ray240 RD218 STV33 DSM30 SPX10/ST70 CLB1000 iMux W35
Engines
350 Mag Mercruiser w/Bravo III, Side-Power SE40 bow thruster, Kohler 5ECD, 4HP Mercury
It was suggested in my Who's Who thread (links to my first, second, third, and fourth posts) to start an official 270DA/280DA thread. Well, here it is. If you read the above mentioned posts, it explains how I acquired my 2009 Sea Ray 270 Sundancer. I knew from doing some research into my future purchase that the 270 was a new design. Some of it's "features" were even discussed in this forum. Though the 2010 models have yet to be listed on the Sea Ray site, the 270DA is now the official 2010 280DA.

My beautiful 2009 Sea Ray 270DA Sundancer.
IMG_0033.JPG


This post is to recap my experience to date with my 270/280 Sundancer. The most notable change is the cabin entrance being moved to the port side as the below picture shows. The effect of this design change is dramatic, which for myself is overall an improvement.

boat-cockpit.jpg


Moving the entrance means that the 280's dinette is gone. For myself, being a fairly large man, I do not feel the loss. Of course, the V-berth still has its table in which I can sit comfortably. That's due to the offset length of each side of the V-berth. The large sunlight window and hatch opens up cabin with natural light, making it seem bigger. Also, I'm a sucker for being able to fall asleep under the stars; a result of my northern Canada up-bringing. All the accouterments and details of the cabin are excellent. From mood lighting to storage, everything is well thought out except for few. First is the bar support for the table when converting the V-berth into a full berth. The "whalebone" bar is flimsy in my opinion and actually a little short. I assume that's due to the hull being wider (beam can vary by inches during manufacturing). I can see that causing problems in the future. The other thing to note is that there is no privacy curtains. Obviously for the V-berth, it's not really possible but the mid-cabin should have one and it don't. Speaking of the mid-cabin, having the cabin entrances steps starboard means the entering/exiting the mid-cabin is easy.

Now onto the features, my 270 was fully loaded but with some differences in products/features. First, the flat panel HDTV/DVD combo (in 4:3 aspect ratio) above the mid-cabin entrance. This is different from the flip-down unit in the brochure. Honestly, I think it's better since you have a more eye level viewing angle from the V-berth. The second feature (and complaint) is the iPod doc. This does NOT fit the iPhone but only the various iPods/nanos/etc. This is the first thing that I will change by upgrading the doc to a better cradle. The second peeve is the remote for the stereo, obviously it won't work with the head-end in the electrical cabinet. I'll rectify that with an IR repeater unit.

The rest of the features are, what I consider, must haves:

  1. Camper top; though only the sides roll-up with fly screens.
  2. Transom shower; which goes in hand with the hot water system.
  3. Large bilge. My only complaint is that there should be a floor/hull grill (to protect things) as there is little room to plant your feet because of the bilge pump, sounder, sea cocks/strainers take up hull/floor space.
  4. Electric grill; sun deck wet bar.
  5. Double wide helm seat. Some may not like this but I find it very comfortable and my wife can sit with me.
  6. Easy access to the working deck.
  7. Simple and classic helm layout with Smart Craft gauges, lighted toggle/rocker switches, and room for more. RayMarine C70, 240 VHF/DSC, and a Sony digital stereo remote are laid out nicely too.
  8. Storage compartment for binoculars, horn, whatever.
  9. Lot's of space on the sundeck; the rear seat becomes a sun pad and does so without losing storage space from what I can tell. The swim platform is narrow and is integrated with the hull. This provides for more deck space while still being functional. Don't expect to put a dinghy (or anything else like a cooler, etc.) on the back, there's no room. It's just enough to enter/exit the boat. Sea Ray put hand rails but with the camper top, they're underneath. I solved this by exposing the camper top rear support poles.
  10. Generator; enough said.
  11. Air cond./heat pump; enough said.
So... what's missing. Well, being a techie the first upgrade will be a wireless/wi-fi connection and Sirius satellite radio. This will be accomplished by a Ericsson W35 unit w/ ext. antenna, and a SCCS/SNY1 receiver w/ antenna.

The second upgrade (which I hope Santa brings) is a RayMarine RD218 radar. This unfortunately problematic as Sea Ray does NOT offer a radar for the 270 and therefore no mount. More over, the fiberglass arch only has a 3 7/8" round pad for a mount. Standard SeaView or ScanStrut won't fit. I'll have to go custom route to get a radar mount. I'm still working on that. The Sea Ray dealer here has a 270 in the show room and I'll be getting dimensions so there's no surprises. The picture below shows my temporary installation of the wireless/wi-fi.

boat-cockpit-front.jpg


That's all for now...

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
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Now that the Sea Ray site is now listing the 2009 270 Sundancer as the 2010 280 Sundancer, I'd be interested in if there are any differences between the model years. The one thing I'm interested in is the options, more specifically if there is any radar option. For the 270, there is no radar option even though a RayMarine C70 is standard. On top of that, the radar arch has only (of three) molded bases that are 3 3/4" in diameter, enough for GPS antenna and the like. Trying to source a radar mount/pedestal is proving impossible. My only solution is to go custom made (which SeaView does) which means $$$. Also, is a 3 3/4" base strong enough?

Add to that, my wife is contemplating allowing me :grin: to put in a satellite dish (RayMarine 33STV) which mean a combo mount. Any advice out there?

Cheers & Merry Xmas,
Kaoru
 
Super post on your new tub, We may be looking at the same boat at the Seattle boat show
 
Kaoru.
One thing. The entry to the cabin is to the port side not starboard.
 
Kaoru.
One thing. The entry to the cabin is to the port side not starboard.

But the starboard side is just so much fun!... Good catch.

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
After receiving several inquiries on my 270, I've decided to post a brief Q&A about the 2009/2010 Sea Ray 270/280 Sundancer.
  1. What options did you get? Is XYZ available?

    Though the brochure lists several options to be added to the base, I've only seen 270's with certain options which appears to be standard, i.e. from a dealer POV. Of course, this may be heavily influenced by geography (Ottawa, Canada) and the particular whims of the locals. The dealer has to provide the options that sells.

    With that in mind, here in Ottawa, Canada the 270 with a 350 Mag/Bravo III DTS, 5kw generator, AC/Heat, hot/cold water system, Vacuflush head, windlass, RayMarine C70, camper top, electric grill/web bar, cabin door/screen, appointed cabin/galley, snapdown carpets, carpet runners, Sony headend /w helm display remote, iPod dock, and flat panel HDTV/DVD.
    ____
  2. What kind of performance you get with the 350 Mag/BIII outdrive?

    With proper trim/tabs (aka no rooster/shallow wake) and throttle all most to full, I got 42 MPH according to the speedometer (and not SOG). Of course, this was on the Rideau River/Canal with calm water going up river. This was with 80 gallons of gas (507 lbs), 25 gallons of water (209 lbs) and ~700 lbs cargo/crew; I estimate total wet weight 9600 lbs. With these numbers/conditions, I consider it quick to plane in comparison to my previous 175 Sport taking in account the huge weight/displacement difference. Obviously, if your ocean going/heavy waves, cruising with 10 people at plane, or towing adult class toys, then the 350 Mag may not suit your needs. No, there are no twins according to the Sea Ray specifications.
    ____
  3. I'm worried about the skylight leaking, how do you find it?

    The skylight is huge which I find is the most distinct feature of the 270/280. It is fully integrated into the deck with a similar seal you would find on a car windshield, almost smooth transition and an expansion gasket. If the factory seal is never disturbed, I don't think it will ever leak. One down side is that it takes up prime deck real estate, not much room left for lounging/sunning. And no, you can't walk on it.
    ____
  4. Is the arch functional? What can you install on it?

    The radar arch is not really a radar arch per say. I've heard both ways, a radar arch or a spoiler. In either case, Sea Ray does not offer a radar option (or mount) even though the C70 is capable of radar. Also the arch is narrow even more so with the binimi zippers and canvas overlap. More over the arch/spoiler is sculpted/curved with only 3 raised 4" diameter mount points, good only for small antennas and such. I'm installing a RayMarine RD218 radome, Raymarine 33STV sat dish, Sirius sat antenna, and cellular antenna; suffice to say it is an adventure. There are several access panels to get into the arch.
    ____
  5. It looks a cockpit LCD panel can be installed, can it?

    There is a access panel on the arch just above the grill. It appears that a LCD panel mount could be fashioned there. Of course, there is no Sea Ray option for this.
    ____
  6. Does the stereo support Sirius/XM satellite radio?

    On my 270 I got a Sony Marine headend instead of the Clarion as shown in the 270 owners manual. The Sony supports a iPod dock and is satellite radio ready. For Sirius, you have to get a tuner and the appropriate Sony interface to the tuner.
    ____
  7. What are the flipdown TV/DVD like?

    I can't comment on that since I don't have those flipdowns. I do have a HDTV/DVD combo flat panel (4:3 aspect ratio) but its not mentioned in the Sea Ray's specifications or brochure. On my 270, the flat panel is mounted on the back of the cabin, just above the mid-cabin. This is a excellent spot for viewing TV from the V-berth. There is a [large] access panel behind the TV. I don't what behind there but I assume it is the helm.
That's all I have for now... Post some more questions and I'll try to provide answers. For my progress on installing a "boat load" of electronics, see my post in the Electronics Q&A forum.

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
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Another great recap of your new toy. We put money down on a blue one. we are waiting for delivery in a week or so.
 
So being on night shift due to the Olympics, I had plenty of time to comtemplate how my compact dual power tower with radome and satdome will look like on the 270's arch. Here's the line drawing that I came up with which is not perfectly to scale, but close.

270DA-radar-profile.GIF

Notice that I'm keeping the Glomex TV antenna since it's still useful. Also, not depicted is the Sirius satellite radio antenna which is another bar off of the satdome mount. How does it look?

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
Line drawing... holly smokes it looks like a blueprint that these things are built from... well done. I sure appreciate your attention to detail and professional DYI install. As you know I am looking into some of the same installs.

Since the dealer has my boat for an extra week I am having them install the power unit for the transducer and of course the transducer as well, for the c70. The rest will by my projects while following some of your success, Thank you
 
Line drawing... holly smokes it looks like a blueprint that these things are built from... well done. I sure appreciate your attention to detail and professional DYI install. ...snip...
Thank you but I'd be admiss if I take credit. The line drawing is from my Sea Ray manual (the PDF actually) and with a bit of software magic, voila I have a line drawing. The radome, mount, and satdome were obviously added by me truly but with other line drawings (from the respective manufacturer) and sized to scale (or close enough).

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
Since we are few in numbers I thought it might be good to get the status of any new 280(2010 or 2009 270) owners, challenges, I never knew about this comments and I just love this boat comments.

I so far just love this boat... 6 hours on the ticker and counting.

I did have an error code on the genny 42 and beeping once it was turned off, so for that is it! knock on teak.
 
When I first went out with my 270, the genny also generated a error code and shut down. Besides the codes totally confusing me, I finally figured out that the strainer was blocked with water weeds (I'm on a canal; lots of growth/floating crap). Cleaned out the strainer, reset, and fired her back up.

BTW, remember to bring along some spare fuses... I had the fuse to the bilge hatch blow and didn't have a spare; required a trip back to the marina before I could do the above.

My boat is not splashed yet but I'm hoping that it will be this week before the weekend. Soon it is I will begin my DIY install which is going to be interesting... I may have to scale some things back (in additional purchases) since my vehicle's transmission died. I was determined to not sink any more repair money into my Freestar so I decided to buy a 2010 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew with the XTR package and Max-Tow. :grin: Exterior is Ingot Silver with chrome everything, interior is Brown/Stone with six passenger seating, pulls 11,000 lbs and I just love it. Wife definitely mentioned that I'll have to be a good boy from now on.... :lol: Hopefully, I'll have a pic soon...

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
So far on the board it is just a couple of us that have the newer 280. Looking forward to the final look of your radar arch.

Spot
 
Well, here in Ottawa, the 2009 270 (or the 2010 280) Sundancer is the most popular model. Our local Sea Ray dealer (Hurst Marina in Manotick) has sold 4 of them that I know. Three of them are slipped at Hurst. I've done an honest look at the various models and always come to the conclusion that the '09 270 / '10 280 have the best bang for the buck both in up front cost and cost of ownership. Of course, my POV is from a river/canal mindset thus it jades my judgment. I sum it up as follows:

  • The 270 has (or can have) everything one needs feature wise.
  • It maximizes it space and you can trailer it (under the 9' width restriction; at least here in Ontario).
  • With a trailer, it opens your options in storing and maintenance.
  • Single 350 Mag/Bravo 3 cuts cost of ownership and still gives good performance numbers.
For example, I had the honor of riding in a brand new 2010 500 Sundancer fully loaded (invited on board by the owner). Sure it was roomy, the Zeus drives were unbelievable, she handled like a sport boat, and was easier to dock. Besides the sticker price though, I'm sure the cost of ownership is out of reach for most people. But as big and beautiful as the 500 is my lowly 270 has the same systems albeit downsized (ok, I don't have drive pods/Zeus/Axius but that means I got to learn to dock better; have better seamanship).

If you think this is wishful thinking, I offer the following:
toys.jpg


What you see above is my toys, which have been attracting some attention at the marina and out on the water. My first toy is my 270 with its recently installed radome, satdome, Sirius, and light bar. I still have some work to do on the inside but she was readied to make some waves this long weekend. Case in point, I got a lot of looks (and questions) and as we were passing Kelly's landing (restaurant/patio on the canal) a person actually took pictures.

My second toy, which is parked behind my first toy, is my brand new 2010 Ford F-150 XLT/XTR SuperCrew with max. tow (11,000 lbs) in silver. The transmission went on my old ride so I bought this as the price was excellent. All I have left is to buy is a trailer and my toy collection will be complete.

As for the radar/satdome install, I'll have some more posts (and pics) about the install. Suffice to say that when I'm done, my 270 will be close to having all the comforts of a 500 Sundancer but half the size.

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
Thanks for your note on your "Toys". I am sure you feel great having it splashed with the long winter behind you. I am almost ready to debadge my 270. I have more people say.... that looks bigger than a 27, then I explain the change. Just peel off the stickers, as I recall on a 2010 there is no 280 noted.

Spot
 
Hi,

I've posted some details and pics of my radar, sat. dome, sat. radio, etc. that I installed on my arch. It certainly was a learning experience and in all, turned out great! Take a gander in the Electronics Q&A or follow this link...

What's connected on a 2009 Sea Ray 270?

Cheers,
Kaoru
 
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Great DIY, Does the front lip of the radar mast hang over the Sunbrella? Sure looks great. Can you shoot me the name of the place that custom built the radar mast.

Thanks

Scott
 
Great DIY, Does the front lip of the radar mast hang over the Sunbrella? Sure looks great. Can you shoot me the name of the place that custom built the radar mast.

Thanks

Scott

The radar mast is not custom built, only the interface plate is which I did myself. The mast is a ScanStrut compact dual power tower. Here is the part list:

  • ScanStrut DPT-SR1-30 for RayMarine RD218 radome and 33STV satdome (I had to drill the bolt holes for the 33STV).
  • ScanStrut SC111 for the Shakespear Galaxy SRA-40
  • ScanStrut SC113 light bar w/ integrated LED light; replaces the existing anchor light.
The radar extends beyond the arch so it does hang over the forward bimini. It doesn't extend beyond it since the bimini is bigger. Also it doesn't interfere with the bimini zippers on the arch but it's cramped. I removed two snaps (on the arch) for the bimini as the canvas overlaps the interface plate; not a big deal (I could screw the snaps into the plate but there's no reason to). The ONLY loss is that the forward bimini when in the stored position /w bimini cover cannot be extended backward (going to the second holes on the forward strut/bar). It can only stay in its default position. Actually, the pictures I took show the bimini in its cover.

A couple of notes about the mast and the radar position. First, the mast has a 5 degree down angle. I like this since it gives very good returns up to 50' from the boat; easy to tell where the nav buoys are. Since I'm on a canal, knowing what is extremely close is good. When I'm on plane, the radar is more horizontal therefore I would think I would get good distance. So far, I've been extremely pleased with its performance. The radar overlay works well when moving; I will be installing a heading sensor so that overlay will work at anchor.

Some notes about the interface plate. To insure that I got the angle right, I used the existing "pad" (the factory 4" diameter raised mount) on the arch to determine my level line; assuming that Sea Ray had already determined the level. The hard part is doing the interface plate and contouring it correctly. Obviously you could change the angle by just contouring the plate differently. I choose to keep the level as is. Doing the interface plate took the longest time, the most patience (thank God that sculpting is a skill that runs in my family), and an extra Dremel tool as I burnt one out doing it. I felt like a denist, shape a little, test fit, shape some more, and so forth... Here's the pic of the finished plate and tower/mast; you can see the pronounced curve and the shaped sections for the factory mount pad (round one) and light bar pad (square one).

mount-plate.jpg


Of course, I did a fair bit of planning given the cost of things. The ScanStrut tower w/ accessories came to ~$1400, if I recall correctly. I didn't want to spend that kind of money only to have problems. The following line drawing was modified by me (to scale) so that there were no surprises.
270DA-radar-profile.GIF


Hope this helps,
Ed.
 
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Hello,

Add one more 2010 280DA to the forum. I took delivery last month, and found posts on this forum very helpful, especially posts from Dave S as I was strongly considering a leftover 260. This is my third Sea Ray, and we have only had a few minor issues so far and are very pleased with the ride and performance. The boat is slipped at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
 

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