What are the best boats Sea Ray has built and Why?

The late 90s wide body express cruisers are still great looking boats...........sort of Tiara like.
 
IMO, some of the best build SR's ranged from the late 70's to early 80's 260's.

My father had a 79' 260 SRV with a yellow hull. I mean the boat was nice, at the time it really must have bean a piece of ass boat. Small block with an 8' beam it really was a go everywhere boat.

I don't know how others feel but I grew up on these boats and own one now. I love all SR's like like I love my kids. I love them for all that they are the good and the bad.

Like you love America, your home town, or your favorite breed of dog. It's hard to describe.

Man the winter sucks...I miss my boat!

HA HA I own a 76 200SRV. I pull up to the dock next to go fast boats of the same size and get many comments. (and at a 1/3rd what they paid)
 
"2003 1/2 - 2008 340 DA of course. Beautiful styling, perfect match of powerplant versus boat, comfy berths, what more could you ask for."

I'll second that!
 
I like the style of the early 90's models. They just started to get some euro style but yet still maintained some of the classic lines. This is my 3rd 1990 model sea ray.

While the new ones look cool, I just can't help but sometimes be reminded of a pregnant guppy :)
 
I'm the current owner of a 93 400EC and 05 420DA. I was really surprised by the different handling characteristics of the two boats. When the 400 is gone I'm going to really miss it's handling, manuveurability, and big glass companionway door. The boat's styling has held up pretty well over the ages as well.

No doubt the 420 is far superior in many other ways and I don't regret my decision, but after 10 years of ownership the 400 will always have a very warm space in my heart.
 
For cars I like the Porsche 911s, especially the turbos!! For boats I like the SeaRay 38DA. But I am biased on both!
 
I'm the current owner of a 93 400EC and 05 420DA. I was really surprised by the different handling characteristics of the two boats. When the 400 is gone I'm going to really miss it's handling, manuveurability, and big glass companionway door. The boat's styling has held up pretty well over the ages as well.

No doubt the 420 is far superior in many other ways and I don't regret my decision, but after 10 years of ownership the 400 will always have a very warm space in my heart.

The 420DA looks nice. What kind of performance do you get with the 8.1L engines?
 
For cars I like the Porsche 911s, especially the turbos!! For boats I like the SeaRay 38DA. But I am biased on both!

As an ex-owner of a 911 turbo and current owner of a GT3
I couldn't agree more. Sea Rays and Porsches are quite similiar. THey both produce generally quality built products that hold together and stand the test of time.
 
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The 420DA looks nice. What kind of performance do you get with the 8.1L engines?

I get adequate performance for a LAKE boat. The 8.1's do what I need them to do for the limited area I cover. I get 30mph top speed with a good cruise of 20.5mph @ .6 mpg.

I have zero regrets an going with gas however I would definitely opt for diesels if I were on one of the coasts or the great lakes. As it is I'm happy to have the $50K in by pocket and a boat that I love.
 
As an ex-owner of a 911 turbo and current owner of a GT3
I couldn't agree more. Sea Rays and Porsches are quite similiar. THey both produce generally quality built products that hold together and stand the test of time.


I have 2 911s, 97 993C2 (last of the air cooled engines) and a 2007 997TT. I think the best looking car ever was the older 75ish 911 930, they were just wicked looking (and peforming) with the flaired rear end.

It's s shame what restrictions the ACO (rules) has delt Porsche, pretty my outlawing every car from the 917, 956, 962, and all the turbos. Heck the Carrera GT was to be a LeMans car when the ACO rules changed when the car was finished, so Porsche offered it as a street car. Did you see what they did to the RS Spyder, changed the rules multiple times because they were faster than the P1 Audi R8, R10. This is why Pensky quit, got fed up with the constant rules changes to slow them down.

The new GT2 RS has the street car Nurburing time of 7:18, that's considerablly faster than the Ferrari Enzo & F599GTO, the Masaritti MC12, Viper ACR, GTR-V and ZR1. A Vette (Z06) friend on mine just saw the GT2 RS at a club event here and said the car is insainly fast. Funny the 40 year old 956 still holds the Nurburing record of 6:06. Sorry for the car stuff...now to boats.

That's about what the 38DA gets, 22MPH cruise at 33GPH fully loaded. We find it performs well for us and I agree the "extra" $60K for the diesels did not make sense. I understand that the overall cost of the diesel does not work out unless you spend a lot of hours running, we don't, our trips tend to be short usually less than 20 miles out.
 
Our boat is one of the first that Searay started building a "BiG' hull.... bascally very heavy, with lots of reserve bouyancy. It is a great couple's boat, just one big berth, lots of salon space, great gally and big bridge for a 36ft boat. Very wide safe side decks. 20 knt cruise at 3000 rpm with 454's. Easy to work on engines, lots of room around them. They did not try to cram 40 ft of boat into 36 feet. soooo this is the best boat they built... for me!
 
Our boat is one of the first that Searay started building a "BiG' hull.... bascally very heavy, with lots of reserve bouyancy. It is a great couple's boat, just one big berth, lots of salon space, great gally and big bridge for a 36ft boat. Very wide safe side decks. 20 knt cruise at 3000 rpm with 454's. Easy to work on engines, lots of room around them. They did not try to cram 40 ft of boat into 36 feet. soooo this is the best boat they built... for me!

Great pic of a nice looking boat.
 
Look no farther.. here she is!
Cheers,
Warren
 

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All of them. :smt001.

Don't make us send you over to the Baysinker site. :smt043
 
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I have 2 911s, 97 993C2 (last of the air cooled engines) and a 2007 997TT. I think the best looking car ever was the older 75ish 911 930, they were just wicked looking (and peforming) with the flaired rear end.

It's s shame what restrictions the ACO (rules) has delt Porsche, pretty my outlawing every car from the 917, 956, 962, and all the turbos. Heck the Carrera GT was to be a LeMans car when the ACO rules changed when the car was finished, so Porsche offered it as a street car. Did you see what they did to the RS Spyder, changed the rules multiple times because they were faster than the P1 Audi R8, R10. This is why Pensky quit, got fed up with the constant rules changes to slow them down.

The new GT2 RS has the street car Nurburing time of 7:18, that's considerablly faster than the Ferrari Enzo & F599GTO, the Masaritti MC12, Viper ACR, GTR-V and ZR1. A Vette (Z06) friend on mine just saw the GT2 RS at a club event here and said the car is insainly fast. Funny the 40 year old 956 still holds the Nurburing record of 6:06. Sorry for the car stuff...now to boats.

That's about what the 38DA gets, 22MPH cruise at 33GPH fully loaded. We find it performs well for us and I agree the "extra" $60K for the diesels did not make sense. I understand that the overall cost of the diesel does not work out unless you spend a lot of hours running, we don't, our trips tend to be short usually less than 20 miles out.

My favorite of all time is the 94' 964 Turbo. I think it's a timeless, classic design. I looked at one a few years back but the color didn't sit well with me. It was "Wimbledon Green". I had never seen that color before. But the car ran like a bat out of hell.
 
If I'm not mistaken, the 330 Dancer was one of their best selling models. If that is correct, from a numbers stand point the answer would be the 330. I would not own another one though. Great boat but the ER is a killer and had I known then what I know now, it would have been the deal breaker.

I like the 48 motor yacht and the 39 motor yacht. In that money is no object in my dreams, if I had either, they would be hauled and have a cockpit added so you could relax at water level or above. Additionally, all canvas would be strataglass. I HATE canvas.

In that money is an object and I still HATE canvas, I always liked the 360 SRV T-Top. A guy I worked with had one. Rather than the eisenglas inserts, his looked like they came out of a Vette or a Trans-Am. He had one large back cover from the transom to the top and a few pieces of clear from the windscreen to the top. Nice boat and lots of room in the ER.
 
If I had to choose one Sea Ray, then I would choose any year of 450 Express Bridge. I love the layout of the bridge and cockpit, access to the foredeck from the bridge, the salon is a nice size, and just enough berths. Also, it has the nice classic lines that I like. Other EB's are nice, as well.

John
 
I have to agree that the 1995-1999 330 DA maybe SeaRay's best selling Cruiser. :thumbsup: I think it is the best looking boat in the 90's... The best Sea Ray is the one you own, and is running good. :smt038 The worst boat is the one that doesn't get used...:huh:

If I'm not mistaken, the 330 Dancer was one of their best selling models. If that is correct, from a numbers stand point the answer would be the 330. I would not own another one though. Great boat but the ER is a killer and had I known then what I know now, it would have been the deal breaker.

I like the 48 motor yacht and the 39 motor yacht. In that money is no object in my dreams, if I had either, they would be hauled and have a cockpit added so you could relax at water level or above. Additionally, all canvas would be strataglass. I HATE canvas.

In that money is an object and I still HATE canvas, I always liked the 360 SRV T-Top. A guy I worked with had one. Rather than the eisenglas inserts, his looked like they came out of a Vette or a Trans-Am. He had one large back cover from the transom to the top and a few pieces of clear from the windscreen to the top. Nice boat and lots of room in the ER.
 
My favorite of all time is the 94' 964 Turbo. I think it's a timeless, classic design. I looked at one a few years back but the color didn't sit well with me. It was "Wimbledon Green". I had never seen that color before. But the car ran like a bat out of hell.

I saw a picture/poster of a 930 in that Green, didn't look bad at all. But in the newer models, probably not a good color...like light blue! Some cars look good in certain colors, others don't.....same for boats. Don't think a Sundancer would look good in bright yellow, but it looks good on a Formula or Donzi cigarette boat!
 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the 370 DA! I admit that I'm biased, but all of the upper 30 Footers to the 40 DA from the mid 90s up are nice. The 370 DA thread here is one of most popular with nearly 900 posts and over 54,000 views.

Gene
 

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