2004 Sundeck 220- amount of maintenance $$$ giving me a pause

J

Jounash

New Member
Jan 14, 2021
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Hi guys,
Hoping to join the SeaRay club soon. Been looking a while, market is crazy. I have this 2004 220 SeaRay which looks to be in good condition, minimal wear and tear, no big bruises etc. but as I am looking at the maintenance records the owner has, it’s a lot. He has had it for 2 years (upgraded to 270 SDX I believe), has a receipt on everything which is great, but it seems every 3-6 months he has spent $1000-2000 on it, trim leaks, hose replacement, starter, steering cable etc. you name it, it has probably been fixed or replaced within two years. The latest invoice is from November for $4,800 on replacing a propeller shaft among other stuff, caused by impeller being melted to the shaft it seems.

Is this something that is common on older Sea Rays with inboards? Or with this specific model and/or year?

Part of me is saying to walk away, when other is thinking if I am now actually getting an engine that has been slowly updated within the last two years, and maybe I wouldn’t have much issues going forward?

i would appreciate any knowledge and/or thoughts.
 
No one can predict what will break going forward without knowing the history of the boat. Maybe it was a "fixer-upper" when he bought it and he got it cheap. The best investment you can make when buying a boat is to hire a marine surveyor. You may spend $600 for his time and end up walking away, based on his evaluation. Trust me, that will be money well spent.

That said, 1 to 2 boat bucks every 6 months is not out of line. This is the reality check most new boat owners don't understand up front.
 
I poured over folks predictions on maintenance expense before wading into cruisers. Like Bob said, it' so random it's hard to predict. I've had years owning a big boat where my only expense was wash, wax and oil changes. And then I've had a "2020" where I broke a prop shaft, lost an anchor, replaced 5 batteries, new charger, etc and so on.

One other thought - you can save a LOT of coin by doing some of the work yourself. Looking at your list above though, much of that might not be DIY friendly for us average wrenchers.

Some wise soul around here once said that the payment on the boat is the cheapest part of boating (for us poor souls that finance our boats :))....
 
bobeast said:
No one can predict what will break going forward without knowing the history of the boat. Maybe it was a "fixer-upper" when he bought it and he got it cheap. The best investment you can make when buying a boat is to hire a marine surveyor. You may spend $600 for his time and end up walking away, based on his evaluation. Trust me, that will be money well spent.

That said, 1 to 2 boat bucks every 6 months is not out of line. This is the reality check most new boat owners don't understand up front.
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Thanks! Yep, I get it that it will be a money pit and inboard will be more expensive on labor than outboard, but just wondering if I am getting a engine that just always has something no matter how many parts you change. And also, if the model and or year is something known for issues. I had her surveyd and my guy is looking at the maintenance/repairs receipts as well. The owner was pretty open about the $4.8k repair. Because it is otherwise in really good condition and seems well kept, I dont think it was fixer upper, I am wondering if he got tired on pouring money to it and upgraded.
 
Stee6043 said:
I poured over folks predictions on maintenance expense before wading into cruisers. Like Bob said, it' so random it's hard to predict. I've had years owning a big boat where my only expense was wash, wax and oil changes. And then I've had a "2020" where I broke a prop shaft, lost an anchor, replaced 5 batteries, new charger, etc and so on.

One other thought - you can save a LOT of coin by doing some of the work yourself. Looking at your list above though, much of that might not be DIY friendly for us average wrenchers.

Some wise soul around here once said that the payment on the boat is the cheapest part of boating (for us poor souls that finance our boats :))....
Click to expand...

Thanks, yeah get it. Just trying to see if this is something I should avoid, if there are clear signs or models/years prone to issues, but it seems you are not worried on it. Yeah, I am handy with everything else except engines. With inboard the labor charge is also always a bit more. I can see from his receipts that 60-70% of the cost is labor.
 
Jounash said:
Hi guys,
Hoping to join the SeaRay club soon. Been looking a while, market is crazy. I have this 2004 220 SeaRay which looks to be in good condition, minimal wear and tear, no big bruises etc. but as I am looking at the maintenance records the owner has, it’s a lot. He has had it for 2 years (upgraded to 270 SDX I believe), has a receipt on everything which is great, but it seems every 3-6 months he has spent $1000-2000 on it, trim leaks, hose replacement, starter, steering cable etc. you name it, it has probably been fixed or replaced within two years. The latest invoice is from November for $4,800 on replacing a propeller shaft among other stuff, caused by impeller being melted to the shaft it seems.

Is this something that is common on older Sea Rays with inboards? Or with this specific model and/or year?

Part of me is saying to walk away, when other is thinking if I am now actually getting an engine that has been slowly updated within the last two years, and maybe I wouldn’t have much issues going forward?

i would appreciate any knowledge and/or thoughts.
Click to expand...

You havent said the cost of the boat. If you are stealing it, may be worth fixing some items (my situation) but if paying premium price, that changes things. We are not talking a yacht here with a lot of fancy amenities; dropping 2K every 3-6 months is outrageous on a 22' sundeck. Maybe its a lemon. I would keep looking.
 
If you have sticker shock, you're not alone. I'm the type who keeps all papers and receipts in a binder and it's something I started doing with my boat.

I would consider it a plus that those receipts exist, because some boats you look at won't have any paperwork at all. When I bought my 2004, I asked about paperwork and the seller said he couldn't find any records. After the sea trial, some issues popped up and I almost couldn't get insurance if a few things couldn't be proven. At that point the owner was able to dig up 10 years worth of receipts which I now have. But, like you, after I started going through the receipts and adding up all of the money spent to date, it was a sobering experience about the true cost of boat ownership. But now I do the work myself, except parts can be very expensive on their own. I also got the boat for less than market value because it had a few needs, and I knew that going into it.
 
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There's nothing inherently wrong with the actual boat or the engine... and it seems like most of what you're talking about is engine stuff. You didn't mention what engine or drive, but it's probably a small block V8 - which is pretty much bullet proof as long as normal maintenance things are kept up. Some goes for the Alpha or Bravo drive - both are generally excellent. In salt water, the B3 will require more maintenance, though.

Keep in mind that you're looking at a 17 year old boat. Things are going to wear out - from use and even just old age. Everything you listed could be attributed to normal wear and tear. Think of it this way... if you had to replace a starter or an alternator or some hoses on a 17 year old car, would you attribute that to being a "lemon"? Probably not - in fact, you would probably be happy that those things lasted as long as they did.

Will there be more things that pop up needing replacement? I would assume so - but I would assume that of any aging boat. It's not "bad"... it just "is what it is".
 
Pirate Lady said:
17 yo? I got a 30yo boat with original engine and out drive and I don’t spend anywhere near that much. Not even close. That boat ain’t right.
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Aside from the propeller shaft thing (something else is going on there and that is more of an anomally - for one, the impeller isn't even moutned on the prop shaft), the things that were mentioned are all very common things to have been replaced as the boat ages. I see a LOT of boats - more than the typical person - and nothing in that list surprises me.

Now, that said, boats/engines are a mechanical thing and anything can break at any time. But to try to say that something isn't right or that because "A" broke, now the unrelated parts "B" and "C" will break isn't logical.

Like anything else, boats age. And with age comes maintenance and repair.

The OP: I'm not saying to buy the boat or not to buy the boat - but get it checked out and make a more informed decision based on facts than what you read online.
 
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Thanks for all comments. Trying to answer all the questions you asked. My offer on it was $16,500 and he has spent $16,500 on it in last 24months. The engine is mercury 5.0L Bravo three and it has been/would be used in salt water. Surveyor didnt find anything outright wrong with the boat, but said my concerns on the engine were valid based on the history. I decided not to move forward with the boat. I will probably up my budget significantly, this was at the very low end of it anyway and get something less old and with an out board.
 
It's all about what's right for you. Good luck!
 
Jounash said:
Thanks for all comments. Trying to answer all the questions you asked. My offer on it was $16,500 and he has spent $16,500 on it in last 24months. The engine is mercury 5.0L Bravo three and it has been/would be used in salt water. Surveyor didnt find anything outright wrong with the boat, but said my concerns on the engine were valid based on the history. I decided not to move forward with the boat. I will probably up my budget significantly, this was at the very low end of it anyway and get something less old and with an out board.
Click to expand...

I have been boating for many years. What you are seeing is normal for saltwater boats. They require constant maintenance. Fresh water not so much. Eventually a newer boat will require the same. Don't fool yourself. If you can handle that then great otherwise maybe the boat hobby is not for you. Just being honest. It helps greatly if you can do the work yourself. That way you know its done right and cost less and don't have to wait on the "pros"
 
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