Sea Ray build quality

7

76SRV190

New Member
Jun 12, 2008
63
I have been around boats for about 40 years. I have only owned a few, but have seen and piloted many, from a 12ft fisher, to a 250ft Long Range fishing boat. I have piloted boats the entire time I worked for the Monterey Bay Aquarium which was 12 years. I have even been on a few Yhat's that cost in the millions.

What I have noticed, as far as the Sea Ray boats I have been on, which were of course my little SRV 190, to a 24 and 36 footer. Neither model do I remember, but all three including mine are the most well built well appointed boats I have come across. Even on my little 190, it has many little touches that are heads and shoulders above the other sub 24ft sport boats.

For instance, even though I have probably been on over 100 different sport boats, none I have seen have all the teak, or the instrumentation, to seemingly the build quality of mine! Am I alone in this or do other's notice this, or, am I not seeing a lot of boats that are as well built and appointed as the Sea Ray's?

For instance, when another sport boat owner at the lake comes over to see the SRV 190, which is a 1976, they always say the same thing, Man, this is a super nice boat! When they look at the teak, and instrumentation, and the interior, design of the interior, and glass and such, they always comment on how it is built and appointed like a Mercedes or BMW or other fine car, even had a guy call it a Bently Boat!


I may be jaded or overly proud of my little Sea Ray, and I'm sure there are other boats as well built or nicely appointed, but I have yet to see one.


I guess you can tell I love Sea Ray's!
 
Thats why the resale value holds true! They are great boats
 
Sea Rays are well built boats but in new boat line-ups , there are others that are just as good or better. It all depends on what models you are looking at. In Sport Boats, Cobalt and Chris Craft both build boats of better quality than a Sea Ray in my opinion. But then they are more expensive too.
 
I really notice it when rafting-up next to multiple boat makes and models. The Sea Ray is just a solid built boat. When I walk from "nose" to "nose" of my boat to other boats and watch their cabins flex, I shudder to think of what holds the future for those weak hulls. I love Sea Rays knarled mesh deck pattens. I never lose traction.
 
Searay quality has been all over the place over the years. I like my 1980 and you like your 1976. Hard to compare to today's boats. I had to rip out and rebuild my cockpit floor because of rotting. It was primarily plywood construction with fiberglass. But it was almost state of the art at the time. You can compare Searays to other brands favorably - of course there are worse. But these aren't Bertrams or Hatteras' or Vikings, or many others. Most of those companies determined long ago that customers won't pay for their quality in this size boat.
Searay has changed management a couple of times, and had quality issues with some. Lately quality has been improved.
A big part of the Searay success has been designing to market desires. Some models make it better than others, but they try and succeed more than some. Still, not everyone wants wood. Not everyone wants furniture throughout the cockpit. Etc. I actually think the diversity is one of the things that makes boating so interesting.

I like my Searay Weekender - a great model that is not really made any more. As a 1980 it is missing a lot that is found on todays model. But I like my wood. I like the smooth ride. I like the open cockpit. I like the great engine access. I like the simple and accessible construction.
Have a look:
http://mysite.verizon.net/resqf0m5/
 
Cap10Pat said:
Searay quality has been all over the place over the years. I like my 1980 and you like your 1976. Hard to compare to today's boats. I had to rip out and rebuild my cockpit floor because of rotting. It was primarily plywood construction with fiberglass. But it was almost state of the art at the time. You can compare Searays to other brands favorably - of course there are worse. But these aren't Bertrams or Hatteras' or Vikings, or many others. Most of those companies determined long ago that customers won't pay for their quality in this size boat.
Searay has changed management a couple of times, and had quality issues with some. Lately quality has been improved.
A big part of the Searay success has been designing to market desires. Some models make it better than others, but they try and succeed more than some. Still, not everyone wants wood. Not everyone wants furniture throughout the cockpit. Etc. I actually think the diversity is one of the things that makes boating so interesting.

I like my Searay Weekender - a great model that is not really made any more. As a 1980 it is missing a lot that is found on todays model. But I like my wood. I like the smooth ride. I like the open cockpit. I like the great engine access. I like the simple and accessible construction.
Have a look:
http://mysite.verizon.net/resqf0m5/
Click to expand...

That IS a beautiful and well resotored 260! I love the design.
 
I must admit I am only comparing the Sea Ray I have to what I see at the lake. And here, you don't see any Chris Crafts or Hatteras......shoot, that would be like seeing someone here drive a Bently or Rolls Royce, it doesn't happen in the state of NEw MExico! I have seen a couple of Chris Crafts but in Monterey California when I lived there, the they were 50s vintage wood boats. Can't compare them to the fiberglass boats....just too different.

I can say though that none of the smaller say, sub 24ft sport boats I have seen compare. They all seem chunked out and have very inexpensive appointments like sparse instrumentation, all plastic if an grab rails, no teak, no padded dash's, and not much in the way of real style.....just a nice plain boat.
 
Quality is the reason I bought a SR. I knew that the "older" boats would still float and the hull would still be in good condition and I liked the options.

I have been told by SR owners that the 80s hulls were some of the best although a little heavy, which is fine with me in Alaskan waters.

In Alaska, Bayliner, Uniflite and Chris craft seem to be popular. It would seem I will be the sole SR in Prince William Sound!
 
Ahh, build quality. That’s what they did with the money they saved by not providing a real horn.

Last weekend I honked at a duck. It honked back louder then my horn’s honk.


We are on Sea Ray #2.

If 1/3rd of a $Million fell out of the sky and landed on my head I would get a new 330 Sundancer, biggest engines, generator, loaded to the max + Axius.
 
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They do provide a lot of the little things that others don't. I realized this at a boat show this year when I was looking at some other makes of boats...I opened up a floor locker and let go...oops, it dropped to the floor. I was puzzled as to why they couldn't put a simple strut in there to hold it up. I still haven't found a fish/ski that compares with the fishing platform that SeaRay put in the bow of the 2004/5 185 Outboard...they screwed it up in 2006 though and it was like all the others. Although I have just as many complaints about my SeaRay's quality too...
 
when we were looking, we were in the 25000 range and did look at a few boats we liked. at first we wanted a mid birth but afer looking at a couple figured out that wasnt realy what we wanted either.
we looked at the boat we bought decause of the price it was offered at and my wife fell in love with it. she said this is the kind of boat we need to find.{duh....... as we walked away and it is for sale}
we went home with no intention of giving this boat a second thought. about 6 weeks later in feb. the dealer called and asked if we'd bought any thing and had lowered the price of ,now, our boat. we thought for what we would save we might as well go for it. i thought we could always trade up??. anyway it has been way more than what i had bargined for in a boat of this age and wouldnt consider trading for any thing now.
plus we saved quite a bit of money we can now spend buying gas.
i dont know if its the care this boat had in its life or if all seay rays are this good but this old gal is one solid boat. its just got a feel and look to it that makes it a good fit for both of us
 
Agree with what everyone said. We were recently in a storm with waves over the bow and 75 MPH winds! That's when I knew I purchased a great boat.

I would like one of them there million dollar yhats though...
 
Presentation said:
Ahh, build quality. That’s what they did with the money they saved by not providing a real horn.

Last weekend I honked at a duck. It honked back louder then my horn’s honk.

********************************************************


For real??
Click to expand...
 
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You have TEAK on a bowrider?

Well. . .that was then. This is now. I looked at lots of 22' bowriders two years ago. NOBODY today (not even cobalt) is providing wood anymore.

Frankly, I would not buy a boat today with any exterior wood. . . unless that boat came with a crew.

Don't get me wrong. . .a bit of wood really makes a boat classy. I have a '72 blowboat; and the wood is fantastic. And a total pain in the Glutes to keep varnished. And after 35 years. . .now some of the wood needs replacement. . .which is even MORE a pain the glutes.

- - - - -

As to my SeaRay. . .it has no wood. THANK GOODNESS! But I really like the feel of the boat, and the "little things" that really make life better. For instance, I have lights for both the bilge locker and the engine compartment. That one little thing REALLY helps when things begin to get pear shaped late at night. The only problem I have with my SeaRay is that after 11 years, I am seeing some corrosion in my electrical switches which makes life "interesting".
 
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i agree i love my 89 300 weekender... she's heavy and rides great.. i also love my inboards..
 
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