28 or 32 foot advice

R

Rupp

New Member
Jan 28, 2020
17
Boat Info
Boatless
Engines
Boatless
I have recently sold my 20’ bow rider and want to move up to a cruiser. Currently looking at a 2006 28 Sundancer, single engine or a 2006 32 Sundancer, twin engines. I don't plan on pulling tubes and will be cruising the upper Chesapeake Bay. Any advice on the better choice.
 
Bigger is generally better, 2 engines is way better than 1 for docking

just went from a 28’ single engine to a 380 twin 454.... f you can find a v-drive in the 32’, that would be my preference
 
Had a 19’ boat for 25 years, went to a 28’ cruiser, loved it for 2 summers but wanted bigger....

genny is a must also
 
Went from a 27 to a 32. For the Chesapeake Bay the ride of the 320 is significantly better.
Nice boat at a reasonable price.
 
You did not mention anything about how many people you plan on cruising with but the 320 will afford you considerably more space - not just length but on the beam. One of the nicer benefits of the 320 would be the size of the fixed bed. The larger beam will also mean more space inside for people getting around.

As was mentioned if you plan on being in salty water then v-drives would be the way to go for simplified maintenance and better handling around the dock.

-Kevin
 
I might have a bit of a different perspective than some others.

Yes, buying your send boat first has merit. Yes, the 32 has more room, but a good bit of that is down below - the cockpit isn’t massively larger.

Something to consider is your operational costs, specifically fuel burn and engine-related maintenance. For a twin engine boat you will roughly double each. Fuel burn might be a bit less than 2x because you generally use smaller engines than in a single configuration. But you will still go from a fuel burn at cruise of 16-18 GPH to 25-30 gph. If you do a lot of boating that is a factor.

For engine maintenance, it’s more of a straight doubling. Commissioning, winterizing, oil changes is all x2. If a part breaks you should replace the one on the other engine. If one engine goes down the spare engine will get you home at a very slow speed.

For all the above considerations I have self limited to only considering single engine boats. I know that drastically limited my options but it was my objective. You should weigh your budget and operational costs into which boat is the better pick for what you want.

Or, you know, just go with the one that grabs your heart. That’s ok too.
 
Rupp said:
Thanks. I am leaning towards the 32 but still on the fence
Click to expand...
I have a 280 with 2 - 5.0's. While I really like the boat I wish it had a larger fuel capacity (only 100 gals), a dual helm seat and more storage. I'd go with the larger boat especially if you're going to do over night cruising.
 
Small detail to consider for the OP is his boating resume. Moving up to a cruiser size boat of 28’ or greater may trigger questions by potential insurers of the OP’s ability to handle a larger boat.

Besides the OP’s boat being bigger than the current trailer size boat, it carries more people, more likely to be used over long distances, at night, etc. Depending on boating experience (and boat insurance history), obtaining insurance coverage may be a challenge. Not an issue for someone with some formal training, or many years of boat experience/ownership, but might be complicated for someone with only a season or two of experience and no formal training. So in addition to seeking advice here, a call to their insurance agent might be in order if only to head off any eleventh hour monkey wrenches.
 
KevinC said:
You did not mention anything about how many people you plan on cruising with but the 320 will afford you considerably more space - not just length but on the beam. One of the nicer benefits of the 320 would be the size of the fixed bed. The larger beam will also mean more space inside for people getting around.

As was mentioned if you plan on being in salty water then v-drives would be the way to go for simplified maintenance and better handling around the dock.

-Kevin
Click to expand...
Kevin,
It will probably be between 2 and 6 mist of the time. Thanks for the info.
 
b_arrington said:
I might have a bit of a different perspective than some others.

Yes, buying your send boat first has merit. Yes, the 32 has more room, but a good bit of that is down below - the cockpit isn’t massively larger.

Something to consider is your operational costs, specifically fuel burn and engine-related maintenance. For a twin engine boat you will roughly double each. Fuel burn might be a bit less than 2x because you generally use smaller engines than in a single configuration. But you will still go from a fuel burn at cruise of 16-18 GPH to 25-30 gph. If you do a lot of boating that is a factor.

For engine maintenance, it’s more of a straight doubling. Commissioning, winterizing, oil changes is all x2. If a part breaks you should replace the one on the other engine. If one engine goes down the spare engine will get you home at a very slow speed.

For all the above considerations I have self limited to only considering single engine boats. I know that drastically limited my options but it was my objective. You should weigh your budget and operational costs into which boat is the better pick for what you want.

Or, you know, just go with the one that grabs your heart. That’s ok too.
Click to expand...
 
b_arrington said:
I might have a bit of a different perspective than some others.

Yes, buying your send boat first has merit. Yes, the 32 has more room, but a good bit of that is down below - the cockpit isn’t massively larger.

Something to consider is your operational costs, specifically fuel burn and engine-related maintenance. For a twin engine boat you will roughly double each. Fuel burn might be a bit less than 2x because you generally use smaller engines than in a single configuration. But you will still go from a fuel burn at cruise of 16-18 GPH to 25-30 gph. If you do a lot of boating that is a factor.

For engine maintenance, it’s more of a straight doubling. Commissioning, winterizing, oil changes is all x2. If a part breaks you should replace the one on the other engine. If one engine goes down the spare engine will get you home at a very slow speed.

For all the above considerations I have self limited to only considering single engine boats. I know that drastically limited my options but it was my objective. You should weigh your budget and operational costs into which boat is the better pick for what you want.

Or, you know, just go with the one that grabs your heart. That’s ok too.
Click to expand...
A lot of good points. I have looked at a site which calculates gph at various Rpms. The maintenance is probably my biggest concern. Manifolds and risers were replaced in 2016, and the boat has been professionally maintained.

Another point I was weighing was boatel vs slip. Around me there are several nice marinas that have rack storage up to 28 feet. No bottom paint.
 
Rupp said:
Kevin,
It will probably be between 2 and 6 mist of the time. Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...

With 6 cruising and overnighting even the 320 will feel small. We have done 6 on overnights with the 340 but there were 4 teenagers and we had them packed in.

For day trips 6 will be fine and you will have plenty of room on a 320 - not so much on a 280 and forget them all in the cabin.

With a 320 look for one with a genset. It will make life much better.

-Kevin
 
Rupp said:
A lot of good points. I have looked at a site which calculates gph at various Rpms. The maintenance is probably my biggest concern. Manifolds and risers were replaced in 2016, and the boat has been professionally maintained.

Another point I was weighing was boatel vs slip. Around me there are several nice marinas that have rack storage up to 28 feet. No bottom paint.
Click to expand...

I’m kind of biased, in any event we had 12 great years with a single engine 280 Sundancer. Coincidentally, our boat started service in the Chesapeake. I get the “buy your second boat” logic, but this would be your first cruising boat. Cruising is an entirely different style of boating from day boating. If you and your family take to it, you’ll find you spend more time on your boat, and a lot of it will be just being on your boat. So things you’ve never considered in the past will now become important (like the number of drawers, or fridge space, and hot water). So I’d recommend not biting off too much, learn what you like, want and don’t care about.
 
get the biggest boat you can afford. no one ever wishes they had less room. my 330 is WAY easier to drive and dock then a buddy's 28 foot Regal
 
If you can afford the 320 including the operating costs that would be the way to go. The amount of additional room below deck is considerable. Downside to the twins is the engine room in the 320 is very cramped especially with V drives.
 
Rupp said:
A lot of good points. I have looked at a site which calculates gph at various Rpms. The maintenance is probably my biggest concern. Manifolds and risers were replaced in 2016, and the boat has been professionally maintained.

Another point I was weighing was boatel vs slip. Around me there are several nice marinas that have rack storage up to 28 feet. No bottom paint.
Click to expand...
FYI we keep our 28 rack stored. Rack storage for boats is like valet parking for cars. Call them up it's in the water - bring it back they put it away. No mess no fuss.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,112
Messages
1,426,288
Members
61,026
Latest member
NeilS
Back
Top