2011 Sea Ray 390 Sundancer

carwasher714

New Member
Aug 18, 2018
3
Boat Info
Boatless
Engines
Boatless
Hello Everyone!

Just joined the forum and very excited about how much I’ve already learned from reading all the different threads!

I’m in the market for a 390 DA and wanted to hear the forum members wisdom on what to look out for on the surveys/trials that someone who is buying a Sea Ray 390 for the first time should look out for. Also possibly any features/additions that are really needed or should be added. I’m not fully set on the 390 and am open to other sizes. Any feedback would be really appreciated!
 
Hello and welcome! What are you looking to use the boat for (overnights? how many people? day boating?) Where do you boat? What is your budget? This forum is probably the best forum on the internet, the amount of knowledge here is amazing.
 
Hello and welcome! What are you looking to use the boat for (overnights? how many people? day boating?) Where do you boat? What is your budget? This forum is probably the best forum on the internet, the amount of knowledge here is amazing.

Located in the Long Beach area so looking to do more day cruising and the occasional weekend Catalina trip. Generally about 6 - 8 people for day cruising and probably just 2 people for overnight trips. Budget will probably be up to $250k. Has anyone had any experience with adding a hydraulic swim/davit platform to a boat this size? What was the weight limit you generally see for a tender/jet ski? I should probably post that question in the tender section. Thanks!
 
... Generally about 6 - 8 people for day cruising and probably just 2 people for overnight trips.

6-8 during the day can be real tough on that setup, if you want to be comfortable that is. There are a few at my club and while a 39' is a nice size boat, the cockpit space is not what you would think it is. While a larger boat is always nice, an over 40 is a tough decision from where you can keep it at times. That said your budget could put you into a nice 460 DA if shopped right.

Has anyone had any experience with adding a hydraulic swim/davit platform to a boat this size?

I had a quote for my 460 and it was around 20K for the addition of a basic hydraulic platform.

Good luck with your decisions!
 
I don’t know about Long Beach, but in Florida we take the boat to an island, dock, or key, and get in the water, walk around, etc. . So I have taken 8 and 9 people on my boat several times (320), and it’s fine as long as we can all do our own thing once we are at a destination. For example, 2-3 people would go to the bow and enjoy the sun, 1 might go below and take a nap, make snacks, others might get in the water, and others might sit in the swim platform, etc. The hour drive was fine all sitting together in the cockpit. If we all had to sit in the cockpit all day, that might get a bit cramped.

Regarding what to look for, I prefer the Vdrives because the maintenance is less (as opposed to pods, and bravo stern drives), others like the improved gas mileage of the pods or stern drives.
Do you plan on keeping the boat in the water and I assume you are salt water unless there are lakes rivers nearby?
If keeping it in salt water, you will probably be better off with v drives.

Finally, maybe find a larger boat, slightly older maybe, with hydraulic platform already, that might end roughly the same price??
 

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