Production numbers?

islandsearay

islandsearay

Member
Apr 6, 2011
51
Puget Sound
Boat Info
1988 Searay 340 Sundancer, Twin 454.
Engines
340-Twin 454's Mercruisers V-drives.
Hi all,Am sitting in marina after a trip and was wondering how many 1980's 340 sundancers were built in total? Anyone know? Is their a post already?
Thanks for any info.
 
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Can't answer the numbers question but can say we purchased two boats during that era. The 80s were great years economically, similar to today's go-go times. The 300, 340 and 390 were very popular boats. Around West Michigan, people who worked the furniture industry were buying them in large numbers when bonus time arrived. Have never seen so many beautiful new boats in nice brand new condominium slips as there were the mid 80s. Here is a pic of our new 300 back in the day at Beaver Island's Marina. We looked long and hard at the 340 which has a great lay out, but decided on this 300 Weekender because it was much more fuel efficient than the 340.
 
On my 89 300 DA there is the number 1409, I was told that was the number of the hull of the 300 type that left the mold. Dont know if that is just DA or all 200 variants. Also dont know if it's a cumulative total or just for 1989.
 
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SCORPIO said:
On my 89 300 DA there is the number 1409, I was told that was the number of the hull of the 300 type that left the mold. Dont know if that is just DA or all 200 variants. Also dont know if it's a cumulative total or just for 1989.
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Those numbers were cumulative.
 
My 88 340EC has the number 667 hand written on all the original canvas tags, owners manuals, and a few parts throughout the boat. Its also on the hull below the HIN so I'm guessing that's some kind of production number but not sure if it was in total or just for 88.
 
Thanks to all. the number I find written on mine is 556. I knowmine was from Merrit Island Florida. Right now I am changing water pressure pump. i
I like my boat a lot.
 
I find it strange that Sea Ray didn't release the numbers of boats built. I would think they would want the buying public to know how many, sorta like McDonalds saying "millions" sold. Just a stray thought.
 
marty51 said:
My 2002 410DA is 508. Numbers for that model that year, started at 500.
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Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the numbering system, except possibly for the usage by production folks needing to know which boat they were working on.
 
The hull number was never supposed to make sense to anyone outside of Sea Ray.

It appears that the hull number is assigned well before the actual manufacturing process begins when materials requirement planning is initiated. I think the hull number is a reference number for employees to keep up with the manufacturing process up to the point where an actual HIN # is assigned and affixed to the hull. As far as tracking production numbers by the hull number, it further appears that the number are assigned by manufacturing plant and by line within that plant. Therefore, if you have #508 and the year began with #500, and the line that made your boat produced not only 410DA but also 410EC's and 400DB's, you can assume you have boat #8, but boat #'s 501- #507 could be DB's, EC's, DA's or any combination of the models made in that line.

To confuse matters even more, the middle 4 digits of the HIN# is the actual serial number for the vessel.......and it has no relationship to the hull # right below it one the transom.

As far as publishing production numbers, Sea Ray management doesn't want their competitors to know how many of what they are producing/selling. How confusing would it be if buyers had to choose between all the mid-cabin 34 ft cruiser copies if every SR competitor produced their version of the boat they chose to copy based on Sea Ray's extremely popular 340 SunDancer?
 
Our 450 has a production number of 517 on the tags and grease pen written in a few places behind stuff...
 
Not to belabor my point that hull numbers mean nothing outside of Sea Ray, Mark (The Bill Collector) has a 1998 450DA and he just posted that his hull number is 515. My boat is a 1996 450DA, both boats were built on the same line at the Palm Coast, FL factory and my hull # is 613.........and, I happen to know that there was a design change in '97 and the first few boats were built like the 1996's and the '97 model year began with hull number 500 and ran thru # 554.
 
[QUOTE="islandsearay, post: 1068135, member: 21582”Right now I am changing water pressure pump. i
I like my boat a lot.[/QUOTE]

Funny.........at the time I was removing my water pump, I didn’t like my boat very much!
 
There is no legal requirement in Federal law for them to publish production numbers, in fact many boat manufacturers (not just Sea Ray) consider production numbers a trade secret. One of the few companies that does brag about their production numbers is Bayliner. The only legal requirement is that they keep a record of first purchasers so that in case of a recall they can notify owners. But I give Sea Ray credit because you can register your used Sea Ray with them as well. Anyway. In my job with the USCG Office of Boating Safety we were required by law not to reveal trade secrets of boat manufacturers and that was one of them that we were not allowed to reveal.
 
Being a car nut not only do I want to know how many 2003 320’s were made but how many were optioned just like mine. I know that when I was shopping 320’s, 496 Mag BIII’s were not out there. I would bet this is the lowest production of all the 320’s and 350 Mag V Drives the biggest.
 
fwebster said:
Not to belabor my point that hull numbers mean nothing outside of Sea Ray, Mark (The Bill Collector) has a 1998 450DA and he just posted that his hull number is 515. My boat is a 1996 450DA, both boats were built on the same line at the Palm Coast, FL factory and my hull # is 613.........and, I happen to know that there was a design change in '97 and the first few boats were built like the 1996's and the '97 model year began with hull number 500 and ran thru # 554.
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Frank,

I'm curious why they wouldn't be required to publish the numbers. The similarities with titles/registration for cars, planes and motorcycles .....it just would make sense for a mass produced item. Planes would definitely fit in the same low production category as well as exotic cars.

More of a curiosity than anything else. I know DOT supervises ships, trains, planes, trucks and cars but recreational boats just seem to be part of Homeland Security and the USCG. Maybe that alone is the reason.

It would seem though if you had access to State registration data you could probably answer the question since I believe all States require a sticker for a Documented vessel or a State Titled vessel. Seems that the only thing you would be missing is those boats which were exported.
 
John,

I really don't know why other than the blanket statement "We don't publish production numbers" when you as. The assumption is that management requires that as proprietary information that they want to keep private and out of the hands of competition. Previously for competitive reasons; more recently maybe out of embarrassment.

Frank
 
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