What do I need?

C

Chuck Newman

New Member
Jul 6, 2019
5
Boat Info
2019 SLX230
Engines
4.5 Mercruiser w/Bravo III
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice. As I near retirement (I’m 59), my wife and I are starting to think about what we want to do and where we want to go. We think the answer is a bigger boat. Isn’t it always? :)

We want to be able to use it at our 2nd home on Apalachicola Bay, but we also want to be able to cross over to Bimini and cruise around the Bahamas. A Great Loop trip could be part of that as well. Ideally, it would be trailerable (I have a 2500 diesel truck and lots of experience pulling trailers), to be able to move from the Gulf coast over to the Atlantic side and back. It would be able to sleep two couples for 3 or 4 nights at a time, but not really be a true live-aboard boat.
We have owned a couple of bow riders, and our current boat is a 230SLX. We also have a fair amount of saltwater time. We also know that it must be a SeaRay. I guess the real question is how big of a Sundancer can you tow regularly, and by that I mean without oversized permits, etc. Length shouldn’t be an issue, but I think beam is the question.

Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited:
" Length shouldn’t be an issue, but I think beam is the question." That's what she said :) sorry, I could not resist.

My first thought is a trawler, but you want Sea Ray, and trailerable. My guess would be a 370, 380, 390, 400, 410 would all still be trailerable.
 
Welcome Chuck, I don't think you would be happy with a live aboard you would be able to trailer, Unless you get a much bigger truck. The wife and I plan on living on ours 9 months out of the year. We had a 450 DA and have moved up to a 55 for more space and the hardtop. For all the the things you listed with the exception of being able to trailer, I personally would not go any smaller than a 450.
 
Jus the two of us said:
Welcome Chuck, I don't think you would be happy with a live aboard you would be able to trailer, Unless you get a much bigger truck. The wife and I plan on living on ours 9 months out of the year. We had a 450 DA and have moved up to a 55 for more space and the hardtop. For all the the things you listed with the exception of being able to trailer, I personally would not go any smaller than a 450.
Click to expand...

I’m sorry, made an error. Does NOT need to be a live aboard…edited appropriately.
 
The great loop takes a long time and is better suited for a boat that can be lived on. I think you also need diesels because the gas Sundancers don’t have the range to span some of the distances between marinas. I’m not positive about that though.

But if towing is a requirement, you’re going to be looking for a Sundancer, probably under 35’. My 39’ weighs 18,000 dry and needs permits to be trailered. What is the towing capacity of your truck?
 
We have a 300DA that is oversized when it comes to beam, so we're "supposed" to get oversize permits (ahem). Early in my searching, it seemed as if anything up to about 27 feet in length would keep things within the 8'6" max width. As for your truck, I haul mine with a 3500 long-bed diesel, and, I have to say, even then, it's a bit dicey pulling something that big with that truck. We have a 30 foot fifth-wheel that goes everywhere with that truck, but the boat is a whole different ballgame. Be careful with your choice of boat size when basing off that 2500. For some perspective:
IMG-0293.jpg
 
2nd home and trailerable....I think you're on an impossible mission!

Welcome to CSR though. You'll get lots of feedback, especially this time of year. All of us northerners have nothing better to do!

I use my 400DA as a weekend cottage all summer long. Once or twice a summer we'll have another couple join us for a night or two. If I planned for longer or more frequent couples excursions I'd want a Sedan Bridge...and it would be more than a 400 Sedan Bridge. Even on a 40 footer the accommodations can be a bit...intimate :)
 
Towing capacity on the current truck is 18500.

We’re currently pulling a 34’ tag box trailer that weighs about 12500. It’s content to do that at 75 all day long, but I would anticipate that anything near max weight would require staying on the flat ground that is Florida, and moving at 55-60mph.
 
Couldn’t you just use the cut across Florida?

getting rid of the towing requirement will open up a lot of options for you.
 
Chuck Newman said:
Towing capacity on the current truck is 18500.

We’re currently pulling a 34’ tag box trailer that weighs about 12500. It’s content to do that at 75 all day long, but I would anticipate that anything near max weight would require staying on the flat ground that is Florida, and moving at 55-60mph.
Click to expand...

Road Trip!

49890358148_c6dc843808_h.jpg
 
Like you mentioned, "beam" is the limiting factor to trailering easily without any permits. I don't know the rules in Florida, but most states limit trailering to a 8'6" beam (some are at 8'). Depending on what model year you're looking at (and price range), this puts you into the 260DA, 270DA, 280DA range. The '01-'09 280DA though, for example, has a 9'6" beam... but because of a boat's shape, it's one of those things you can probably get away with if you're comfortable with that (I'm not advocating it... just mentioning it!).

Two couples on those boats is doable - but keep in mind you'll be "camping" - it's a little tight. But again, doable - all depends on YOUR perceived/wanted comfort level (not mine nor anyone else's). With my 260DA, I trailered all over with our family (at the time, the kids were still under 12 years old) and we had a blast. But that's MY opinion.

Now, if you're looking at NEW boats, the number of SR DA models to choose from has been scaled back. However, the 320DA OB is something to take a look at... but that would definitely require permits to do it right.

I think your first hurdle to tackle is the trailering issue. Not so much the weight issue, but the feasibility of trailering a wide-beam boat. Look into the Florida rules/reg's and see what your options are. Once you get that figured out, it will give you some direction.

Make sure to get an OEH braking system.
 
Yep. Probably difficult to find a trailer boat that will give you the comfort and satisfaction you will want for the mission you described. If comfort is a distant secondary consideration for you and the others aboard, then any of the sun dancers that are legal without a permit could do the job. Keep in mind boating is supposed to be fun. :)
 
The guy we bought our 92 300DA from pulled it with a 2500 Dodge diesel. He said he never had any issues, but you know how that goes. He also skipped the permits and "just ran with it". On the trailer and 60 gallons of fuel, we were at 12000lbs even on the truck scales.

Not too sure about the roads in FL but according to the federal rules, it looked like something with a been of under 10' is not really an issue. When the new regs came out for this year, I had to do some real checking. A lot of the roads we travel or plan to travel have been closed due to width. Being over 10' has thrown some curve balls at us. And just because we are so far off the interstate highways and travel more state highways. And here they have a lot of trees close to and overhanging the roads.

Just do throw out the permitting. There are sites and companies that can make something confusing, into something real easy. And in most cases, if you move more than twice in a year, an annual permit will be almost lower cost. I paid under $10 for the year.

Oh and as for the pick up? I bought one after I got the boat just to be sure I got what was needed. And because I wanted an excuse for a larger pick up. But, don't tell the wife I did that. She thinks it's because of the boat and the need to haul the farm tractor.
 
As you go larger you'll have more difficulties in the Apalachicola bay too. Most of it is pretty shallow
 
In my earlier days I hauled boats and had the right truck for the job. Not sure what you have listed is that, as mentioned it is a very different ball game. Also pulling it out of the water crossing FL and then back in to the Bahama's is quite the expectation even in a 30' boat.

If you are deciding for a boat to go to the Bahama's in and possibly the great loop or any part of it, you might want to consider a completely different approach and rethink what you really want to do. You can also cross the FL peninsula without having to pull the boat to do it. I have brought up and down in the ocean and intercoastal all along the east coast, when I was much younger, and would not even think of pulling a boat and putting in the water and going to the Bahamas. That four hour ride can be blissful in one direction and the exact opposite on the other.

My wife and I made the same decision as you a few years ago and got a bigger boat and are very glad we did, one that we can live aboard quite nicely for long weekends and longer trips, longest was almost three weeks and were very comfortable the entire time. We also travel with our 95lbs lab who loves the boat. Again you might want to consider a larger boat for what you want to accomplish with it. JMO.
 
Part of our logic for wanting something trailerable is being able to use it more. We have also considered dockage on the Atlantic side and just getting something in the 38-40 foot range, but the cheapskate in me hates the thought of the monthly fees. A trailer eliminates that except when it’s actually in the water being used, and the reality is that we would probably only go to the Bahamas two or three times a year.

I think if we were actually going to be on it for more than a couple of nights, a hotel/AirBnB would be employed to keep the ladies sane. If it’s just the two of us though, not really worried about being too close. We’ve been married a long time, and still like each other. :)
I’m pretty much of the opinion that 30-32 Sundancer probably makes the most sense, and if we find that more room (and the Great Loop trip) make a bigger boat more attractive we could move up in a couple of years.

I think maybe I was wanting someone to tell me that you could tow a 36-38 footer with no trouble, even though I knew that wasn’t practical.
 
Sgrochow said:
My first thought is a trawler, but you want Sea Ray, and trailerable. My guess would be a 370, 380, 390, 400, 410 would all still be trailerable. ...
Click to expand...

None of those are trailerable without special equipment. DOT certified trailers and a truck made for towing them, not your every day truck. Not to mention the 380 on up are 12+ feet wide. Not going down any highway toting that along without permits etc.
 
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