Need help with which boat i should get

jobofly

jobofly

Member
Jul 22, 2008
413
Ithaca Ny
Boat Info
1985 Sea Ray Weekender 230 OMC Stringer
Engines
5.7 260 w/OMC Stringer
Hey Guys,

I will be on the market for a new to me boat next year and i am really struggling with what size boat i should go with. I want to be able to spend the weekend on it with my wife and 2 kids plus a dog. We will be cruising around the thousand islands (Alex Bay NY) area. i do want to be comfortable and not cramped. im looking to spend $40k and would like to stay on this side of the year 2000.

Thanks for your help
 
You'll need 40' in an express style boat to be comfortable......look at an older boat......If your stuck on this millennium and a searay you probably max out at a 310 or 340 DA for 40k.....When we were "two adults and two kids" 10 years ago our 300 was "cozy" - 10 years later its more like 4 adults as the "kids" are bigger than us and its no bueno. I explain it like slowly gaining weight and your clothes get tighter......but sooner or later they just don't fit anymore.....Expand your search to non-searay makes like carver and silverton - more room for less money and can probably stay in the 2000s
 
sorry i left out that im going to keep it in a slip, no towing
 
I think with wife and 2 kids and dog you are going to want 34ft or larger. Kids have a way of growing up in size. My 330 is basically the same interior space as later year 34 or 35 Sundancers, and its about as small as I would want to go with 4 plus dog. The extra beam is what makes the difference IMO.
 
I moved from a 99 340 because it was becoming too cramped for three kids under 8, zero dogs. And dogs are higher maintenance than kids :)

As mentioned above if you truly want comfort I think you're going to need to adjust your year range to stay within budget.

If your kids are cool sharing a bed I bet you could get into a mid 90's 330 for somewhere near your budget. If needed build a bunk in the mid cabin to separate the kids. They'll love it.

The 330/340 is a great family cruiser. I personally wouldn't recommend going any smaller. Nab a quality 330, take care of it and plan to move up in a few years when the kids get a little bigger. If you buy a well taken care of 330 in the 20 year old range there is no reason you shouldn't be able to break even on the sell price in a few years when you start looking at 37/38/39/40's...
 
Creekwood said:
I think with wife and 2 kids and dog you are going to want 34ft or larger. Kids have a way of growing up in size. My 330 is basically the same interior space as later year 34 or 35 Sundancers, and its about as small as I would want to go with 4 plus dog. The extra beam is what makes the difference IMO.
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Perhaps worth clarifying for the OP - what's meant by "later year" 34 or 35? I went through a slew of late 90's 330's before buying a 99 340. My observations would suggest the 99-02 340 feels quite different than the 330 on the inside. Though I always preferred the cockpit seating layout of the 330...
 
Me and the wife, Two kids (adult size at 18 & 15) fit well on the 340SDA. A dog could fit too. Two adults on the front v-berth, one on the salon couch and one in the mid/rear cabin sleeping area - everyone comfortable. We recently did a short trip with six but only for a couple of nights and treated the cabin like we were camping with everyone anyplace we could pack them. Kids didn't mind sleeping on the floor -I would have though.

-Kevin
 
So its looking like the 340 may be the answer. My kids are 10 and 7 so they could share a bed for a couple of years. Do they come with outdrives or inboards?
 
jobofly said:
So its looking like the 340 may be the answer. My kids are 10 and 7 so they could share a bed for a couple of years. Do they come with outdrives or inboards?
Click to expand...


either one but the majority are inboards with V drive transmissions....if you leave the boat in the water full time the majority of owners choose inboards due to a significant reduction in the amount of maintenance required....corrosion is an issue for outdrives that are left in the water full time....but outdrives do give you more room in the engine room for maintenance and slightly better performance overall....but don't fool yourself thinking a 340 is a 'fast' boat...it is designed to be a cruiser....

cliff
 
jobofly said:
So its looking like the 340 may be the answer. My kids are 10 and 7 so they could share a bed for a couple of years. Do they come with outdrives or inboards?
Click to expand...

Your $40K budget will hold you to the late 90's 330s or maybe first few years of 2000's 340's. But late in the season you may find a deal.
 
My 320 is barely enough for me and my girlfriend. And that's without the dogs. Yes, our stuff fits, and there's plenty of sleeping space, but there's literally no place to move around if we're both trying to get dressed at the same time. So I'm going to be contrary to what most everyone else is saying and say that even a 340 won't be big enough for a family of four. By day it will be fine. But the minute all four of you are in the cabin, it will be way too small. You're constrained by your budget, which is probably the one thing out of your three requirements that is least adjustable. I agree with what others said about looking for an older boat. And I also agree with the post above that said a 40 foot is what you want. If you get a 340, you'll be buying a new boat in 2 years, maybe less. Of course, if your family falls in love with the water, you might be buying a new boat in 2 years anyway! Good luck!
 
the earlier generation of 340's like mine were made from 1999 - 2003.5.....they are slightly smaller and lighter than the newer generation starting in late 2003....but they are GREAT boats IMO.....

they had issues with wet spots in the deck due to deck hardware not being properly sealed....the 1999 - 2001 models with inboards had issues with water inversion by the engines due to a faulty exhaust design (log style) but the majority of boats had this corrected early in their lives with a better designed 'water lift muffler' system.....the water lift muffler became standard in 2002.....google searches and reading the archives of CSR will provide all the info you need on these topics....just something to be aware of if/when you start shopping....

cliff
 
scooper321 said:
My 320 is barely enough for me and my girlfriend. And that's without the dogs. Yes, our stuff fits, and there's plenty of sleeping space, but there's literally no place to move around if we're both trying to get dressed at the same time. So I'm going to be contrary to what most everyone else is saying and say that even a 340 won't be big enough for a family of four. By day it will be fine. But the minute all four of you are in the cabin, it will be way too small. You're constrained by your budget, which is probably the one thing out of your three requirements that is least adjustable. I agree with what others said about looking for an older boat. And I also agree with the post above that said a 40 foot is what you want. If you get a 340, you'll be buying a new boat in 2 years, maybe less. Of course, if your family falls in love with the water, you might be buying a new boat in 2 years anyway! Good luck!
Click to expand...

Well....I made it 3 years with 3 kids in a 340 before moving up. Though not ideal I wouldn't call it miserable. I mean we're still boating, right? Part of me almost finds it hard to "complain" about surviving with three kids in a 340. First world problems to be sure.

I think the real challenge here is budget. You're not going to get a 99-02 340 for 40k unless it is trashed, has no gen or is missing a transom.

I know the general rule is to buy your second boat first but I would not advise someone go out and buy a 40 foot boat for family cruising until they know 100% they are going to use the heck out of the boat. It's cheaper to not use a smaller boat.
 
Stee6043 said:
Well....I made it 3 years with 3 kids in a 340 before moving up. Though not ideal I wouldn't call it miserable. I mean we're still boating, right? Part of me almost finds it hard to "complain" about surviving with three kids in a 340. First world problems to be sure.

I think the real challenge here is budget. You're not going to get a 99-02 340 for 40k unless it is trashed, has no gen or is missing a transom.

I know the general rule is to buy your second boat first but I would not advise someone go out and buy a 40 foot boat for family cruising until they know 100% they are going to use the heck out of the boat. It's cheaper to not use a smaller boat.
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You must be a lot more easy-going than I am! LOL. First world problems for sure!

But you are correct. It's a big investment if you don't know that it is what you want to do. It sounds like the OP is taking his time, doing research and going through the process methodically.
 
Stee6043 said:
I think the real challenge here is budget. You're not going to get a 99-02 340 for 40k unless it is trashed, has no gen or is missing a transom.
Click to expand...
you're wrong - multiple 340s of that era LISTED in the 40s (including right at 40k) on yachtworld and boattrader and they all look seaworthy/in good condition for their age - its still a buyers market for sea rays and express cruisers in general (especially gas powered ones) also, does it really make a difference buying a 34' boat over a 40' boat as far as experience is concerned.....is the 34 going to be that much easier to handle?
 
Ididntdoit said:
is the 34 going to be that much easier to handle?
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If both are gassers? I'd say yes. The 34 would be lot easier. The 40 is a lot of boat to maneuver with gassers. If the 40 is a diesel, I'd still say yes but in the other direction. In that case, the 40 would be much easier.

Am I mistaken?
 
You owe me a ride on the 480DB once you have it!!! LOL 330 served our family of 5 well for many seasons. There is no privacy under 40 ft.

The 410 is a great option for privacy once the kids are older and want to bring friends along. I do enjoy the 410 and am still learning. I think a 340 in the mid 40 range might be the best compromise on condition and budget. You might be able to eek in 2001-2002 ish... After that 2003.5 is a different bigger boat and more money.

Enjoy the journey and post up listings for us to pick apart!!! Those that own the model/year will pick up a ton of things from the pics!!! LOL

Take Care!!
 
Alegria said:
You owe me a ride on the 480DB once you have it!!!
Click to expand...

Is that comment aimed at me? Lol. But, of course! You’re partially responsible for me having that hole in the water! We do need to meet up on the water. If not on the hook, at a Middle River dock bar for a beverage!
 
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