Pre Purchase Questions 300 Sundancer 2003

BobbyQ

BobbyQ

Member
Apr 14, 2020
30
Monmouth Beach, NJ
Boat Info
2003 300 Sundancer
Engines
Twin Merc 5.0 w Bravo 3 Drives
Hi,
I'm about to purchase a 300 Sundancer 2003 with Merc 5.0 MPI's, BIII. 2 Questions, 1) I know that Merc no longer sells this engine, so if one engine were to fail, do I need to change both engines? They have 250hrs located in Long Island Sound, New York.
2) The sink has a cigar burn inside it, can this be sanded away as I think it is made out of Corian?
Thank you so much. I was a Monterey 220 EX Volvo Penta and I am strictly looking for a Sea Ray now, so just unsure.
upload_2020-4-14_16-24-37.png
 
I would try barkeepers friend on the sink first. That and some elbow grease may work just enough.
 
I had a 2004 300DA and I believe the sink is a custom fiberglass sink with a thick layer of gelcoat over it. I know that is the case with the galley sink on my 400DB. You should be able to determine this by looking at the underside of the sink. So, if gelcoat it can be acid cleaned or sanded, buffed and polished in the same way you'd do the hull.
 
Thank you so much. I will try all of the above. I should have the boat in my hands in 4 weeks. Tough time, but it will give something to do during these times.
 
BobbyQ said:
Thank you so much. I will try all of the above. I should have the boat in my hands in 4 weeks. Tough time, but it will give something to do during these times.
Click to expand...
Start with barkeeper's Friend and move to more harsh steps from there. If you have to I would not heavy sand as much as a fine wet sand.

-Kevin
 
BobbyQ said:
Hi,
I'm about to purchase a 300 Sundancer 2003 with Merc 5.0 MPI's, BIII. 2 Questions, 1) I know that Merc no longer sells this engine, so if one engine were to fail, do I need to change both engines? They have 250hrs located in Long Island Sound, New York.
2) The sink has a cigar burn inside it, can this be sanded away as I think it is made out of Corian?
Thank you so much. I was a Monterey 220 EX Volvo Penta and I am strictly looking for a Sea Ray now, so just unsure.
View attachment 82378
Click to expand...

If its corian the color is uniform all the way thru, just look under it an see if color is there if so start with 80 or 100 grit till you get the burn out and work finer and finer till you get the shine you want. I've finished counters up to 5000 grit and they come out looking like a mirror.
 
Hi, I spoke with Ryan at Sea Ray today and he told me that my countertop is Fiberglass and not Corian. I will be on the boat tomorrow, so I will take a picture from below. Ryan was super helpful with all of my other questions.
 
Update, I just got back from the boat and it seems like a fiberglass/gel coated sink and counter.

upload_2020-4-19_12-45-36.png
 
Hi All, My 9 hour survey took place today and she passed. With any boat, this age there are maintenance issues are in need of repair, outdrive stuff Zincs, paint, etc, ripped seats, Anchor button on the dash working intermittently, VHF radio not hooked up to the Ant. What we could not figure out where this water was coming from in the floor compartment where the AC condenser and shower drains into. Has anyone ever had this issue? The owner said he saw this last year and just vacuumed up the water and thought nothing of it, by the surveyor said this should be dry as a bone. We poured water down the shower drain and it drained without spraying water anywhere, so we are stumped. Thanks.
upload_2020-4-23_19-40-28.png

upload_2020-4-23_19-48-29.png
 
BobbyQ said:
Hi All, My 9 hour survey took place today and she passed. With any boat, this age there are maintenance issues are in need of repair, outdrive stuff Zincs, paint, etc, ripped seats, Anchor button on the dash working intermittently, VHF radio not hooked up to the Ant. What we could not figure out where this water was coming from in the floor compartment where the AC condenser and shower drains into. Has anyone ever had this issue? The owner said he saw this last year and just vacuumed up the water and thought nothing of it, by the surveyor said this should be dry as a bone. We poured water down the shower drain and it drained without spraying water anywhere, so we are stumped. Thanks.
View attachment 83058
View attachment 83059
Click to expand...
The water could come from multiple sources including the sump right there if it overflowed.

If you do purchase the boat then dry it out completely and see where it comes from. Look for the water trail.

I would be cautious about the anchor switch. It could be a bad connection at the solenoid or it could be the keypad/eim failing. It that is the case the repair is very expensive. I would trace that down as they are not individual switches.

-Kevin
 
techmitch said:
Just to make sure you understand. When Kevin talked about the anchor switch and the EIM repair being very expensive, it could be in the 3-5 boat buck range.
Click to expand...

Yes and we've heard the new Sea Ray system is 6K+, but I have also seen it be corrosion on the solenoid or a blown fuse for a non operational state. Big difference in prices. Its something you really don't want to inherit if it is the more expensive option.

-Kevin
 
I just priced it out and the right panel is $400, but a brand new EIM is 6K without installation. Thank you!!
 
BobbyQ said:
I just priced it out and the right panel is $400, but a brand new EIM is 6K without installation. Thank you!!
Click to expand...
That's freaking insane. What would it cost to rewire the whole thing old style?
 
FullSizeRender.jpg
Leaks on boats can be very difficult to find and fix. Water finds its way to low spots so where you see it is not where it enters the boat. Usual entry points are radar arches where they are attached to the hull or have fittings attached; port lights; windshield frames where they attach; hatches and through hull fitttings; and the deck/hull joint. A lot of Sea Rays have leaks around the arch to hull joint connections, and many also leak somewhere along the joint between the deck and hull. I owned a 1993 370 Express that was purchased new. It leaked from day one, and while many attempts were made to fix the leaks, some with reasonable success, we never really stopped them all and I sold the boat after years of frustration. Our working theory was the hull to deck connection was under designed and could not withstand the flexing forces placed on it when running in big seas on Lake Michigan.
On a 300, I would look at where the water runs to from the canvas during a rain, paying attention to the radar arch, and other areas where the canvas fasteners attach to the boat. Look for water running down the inside of the walls where it should not be and watch where is goes once it hits the floor. Look at port lights critically for leaks. Many leaks happen only when the boat is underway so check before and after running the boat. It is important to find the source because they eventually cause costly damage. Good luck with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,120
Messages
1,426,608
Members
61,037
Latest member
wojozobl
Back
Top