Who's the new guy?

Jgara962

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Sep 15, 2016
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I just wanted to introduce myself. I've been lurking around the site for a few weeks gathering information and finally joined a couple of days ago. I'm in the market for a SR 240 Sundancer between 2000 - 2005. I have a vintage Porsche that I think I'm going to sell to fund the boat. I love the car and it has been fun for the 12 years I've owned it, but now with two kids, I don't get to drive it much anymore. I want something that the whole family can enjoy or that we can take out with friends. I'm fairly new to boating though my dad has always had a fishing boat and I spent a lot of time going out with him, but have never owned one myself. This forum is a great resource and has a great community of people who enjoy their boats. I've been doing a lot of research, and the process seems a little intimidating, and I have a lot of questions, but am slowly figuring things out. I look forward to hopefully being on the water soon!

John
 
Welcome. You've joined a great forum with folks eager to help out. Enjoy your journey.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
After you have decided exactly what you want, the stress is over and the "hunt" is fun. Do not be in a hurry and learn as you go.

Bennett
 
welcome aboard. if you want a 240 then start looking at 260-280's...lol. trust me, it won't be long before you want a bigger one. took me about 1 month to realize i wanted a bigger one
 
welcome aboard. if you want a 240 then start looking at 260-280's...lol. trust me, it won't be long before you want a bigger one. took me about 1 month to realize i wanted a bigger one

My wife isn't totally on board with the 240 - I can't imagine mentioning something larger!

One of the decisions I'm trying to make is to keep it at a marina close to my house which is on the Napa River. The benefit is convenience and we can cruise the river or take it out on the SF bay. The downside is it's salt water and the kids probably won't be to enthusiastic about getting into the water. My other option is Lake Berryessa which is about 40 minutes from my house up a windy road. I would keep it at one of the marinas up there because I wouldn't want to trailer the boat up and down the mountain. It is a nice lake that you can fish and do watersports in, and we'd be more likely to find a nice cove to hang out in and maybe even spend the night. The downside is the distance and maybe not using the boat as much.
 
My other option is Lake Berryessa which is about 40 minutes from my house up a windy road... The downside is the distance and maybe not using the boat as much.

Forty minutes is nothing... to be able to enjoy the water and do overnights is priceless! Once you get the bug, you'll be using it more!

Welcome to CSR!
 
Welcome aboard! A word of advice ( see, I got that right!), look into a bit Kroger model. I am VERY familiar with your area and in particular, San Pablo Bay. That water can get big very quick and I have been stuck in a 24 footer there before where we had to get close to shore and anchor overnight. A 24' is fine for the lake but be careful about the bays.
 
Welcome!

How big are your kids and how fast are they growing? The foot-itis boatman37 mentions is real....

More importantly, what are your wife's specific hesitations or objections? It will really help if she can embrace this as a positive thing for your family lifestyle. If she doesn't share your enthusiasm, it may not matter what you get or where you slip it.
 
Welcome aboard! A word of advice ( see, I got that right!), look into a bit Kroger model. I am VERY familiar with your area and in particular, San Pablo Bay. That water can get big very quick and I have been stuck in a 24 footer there before where we had to get close to shore and anchor overnight. A 24' is fine for the lake but be careful about the bays.

Thanks for the heads up Ken. Yes, I know it can get rough quick out there before you even get to the SF bay. I will definitely not be straying far from home until I get more comfortable.
 
Welcome!

How big are your kids and how fast are they growing? The foot-itis boatman37 mentions is real....

More importantly, what are your wife's specific hesitations or objections? It will really help if she can embrace this as a positive thing for your family lifestyle. If she doesn't share your enthusiasm, it may not matter what you get or where you slip it.

My kids are 9 and 7 so still fairly small. I'm sure the foot-itis is real because I read the post and went and started looking at 260's . Since I'm not committed to having it on the river or lake, I'm still in the mindset of possibly needing to tow it. I have a 2007 Tahoe with a towing package, but from what I've read, I'm maxed out with a 240 and that vehicle. I guess I can pay to have anything delivered anywhere. But I'm not fully sure what services are available at the lake in terms of repair.

my wife's biggest objections are cost and maintenance. I know, of all things on a boat! I get flak on a $1,000 repair bill on the car, so we'll see how it goes. I think once she gets out on the water and enjoys it and sees the kids enjoying it, it will make it much easier.

thats my hope at least.

wish me luck.
 
Forty minutes is nothing... to be able to enjoy the water and do overnights is priceless! Once you get the bug, you'll be using it more!

Welcome to CSR!

thanks! I forgot to mention that they have a 200+ person waiting list for slips at the lake because there are only two operational marinas thanks to a BLM reclamation project. That kind of took the wind out of my sails. No pun intended.
 
If you plan on buying your boat (new or used) from a dealer, pick the dealer first, and then the boat. Boats are different than cars. Your relationship with the dealer is very important and can make or break your boating experience.
 
Thanks for the heads up Ken. Yes, I know it can get rough quick out there before you even get to the SF bay. I will definitely not be straying far from home until I get more comfortable.

Have you looked into keeping it up in the delta? Fresh water, warmer weather and a lot of places to go!
 
thanks! I forgot to mention that they have a 200+ person waiting list for slips at the lake because there are only two operational marinas thanks to a BLM reclamation project. That kind of took the wind out of my sails. No pun intended.

I understand... our marina has a 7 year waiting list! Hang in there!
 
I have a 240da and it does everything we need it to. Sure it can get a bit crowded with the wife 2 young boys and a dog. And I would love a bigger boat but we trailer everywhere we go. The Mississippi, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. And the 240 pulls so nice behind the 1/2 ton truck. Plus anything bigger won't fit in the garage. So far were pretty happy with our 240.
 
My bride and I "camp" on our 270. Full camper canvas makes a big difference, but it still gets pretty small in there.
i keep ours on a trailer which makes maintenance much easier, plus, since all our boating is on rivers it gives me the option of where I want to launch, which can save a lot of time and fuel.
 
My wife and I weekended on a 28 footer for 3 summers and had a ball.

We just bought a beamy 36 footer and get claustrophobia every time we go
near the old boat, which we still own.

Trust me, if you plan to do anything but day cruise, you'll out grow it quickly.
 
I know this thread is back in September but wanted to throw my 2 cents in. I also dont know where your at in your purchase. I am in contract with a new to me but used Sea Ray. You actually have quite a bit of boating around you with that size boat. My brother inlaw had a 240 sundancer and he has takin it to Shasta lake manytimes. We go every year and rent house boats and that boat was great for the lake. You also have the Delta not too far from you and there are plenty of places to anchor and explore. Ken/HUMPH helped me out and also is involved in the Sea Ray Club. I am in Sac and plan to join once my deal is complete. I agree with Boatman37 on a larger boat. My wife likes boating but not anywhere as much as me. When I brought my wife along to look at boats she then was getting excited and then putting her 2 cents in. And then she was asking about when are we going to get a boat? Got me real motivated. Get her on a 27 or 28 or even a 30 and let her feel the boat. Then bring her back to the 24. I am sure that boat will feel too small for what you guys want to do. Especially if you want to spend weekends on the boat. Let her decorate the interior and let her feel like this is her home away from home. Good Luck and hope to run into you out there somewhere! Let us know where your at in your search.
 
Thanks for all the great replies and advice. As I continue to research, I'm starting to wonder if the weekender series won't better fit my needs. I am leaning more towards keeping the boat on the Napa river and having access to the bay, which for us means more day trips. Not sure if I need sleeping accommodations for 4, a microwave, full head with shower, etc. The weekender still has some nice conveniences like a head, cabin to get out of the sun, but will still hold 6-8 people if we want to bring friends. Sure, if I come across a good 240 or a 260 (which I just saw one close to me in Sacramento) I'll consider it. I'm just having a hard time convincing the CFO to feel my excitement about this. On a trip to Reno with some friends we stopped to look at a 25' boat (not a Sea Ray) so I could get a feel for the size and what it had. I couldn't even get her to climb on board. Instead she talked the the sales guy about maintenance costs.:smt021
 
While we do tend to focus on the positive aspects of boat ownership, your bride is correct in wanting to assess the costs of maintenance and operation. The saying that BOAT stands for break out another thousand is not far wrong; in fact it's closer to an under statement. My boat has a 100 gallon fuel tank which means it can cost nearly $500.00 for one tank of gas that will get me about 150 miles (if I'm careful). Maintenance will eat you alive, especially if you have to pay somebody else to do the work. I have a run about that needs a shift cable bellows - if I pay the shop, it's $1000.00, if I do all the work myself, it's still going to cost a couple hundred. I just bought two tubes of 3M 4000UV caulk for nearly $50.00. It adds up quick.
 

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