Sea Ray Quality - Ups and Downs of the BRAND and the Rise and Fall...

So all you guys with personal feuds, it ruins these forums when petty personal fights break out, so for the good of the forum can you try to avoid personal attacks and stick to the question/issue at hand?

Back to the quality issues: My opinion is that boats were made sturdier and heavier 15+ years ago, and if you go back even further they get even more so. I think this is largely an effort to reduce weight and improve fuel economy and to make them easier/cheaper to build. Unfortunately the boat builders all seemed to get stuck in a feature race (like cars) so in the end they've not reduced much weight and prices have soared.

I also think that quality comes with repetition, so when you get a new design it is almost always going to have "bugs" that need to be worked out over time. Some of the old Sea Ray designs went through 20+ years of improvement, and got very refined.

What is better on some newer boats is the cabin layout and usability, and this is one of the primary reason pods are used. I'm not talking about styling - that is a whole different discussion, but the ability to entertain and sleep on my 46' boat is as good or better, IMHO, than boats that were 10' bigger 15-20 years ago.
 
So all you guys with personal feuds, it ruins these forums when petty personal fights break out, so for the good of the forum can you try to avoid personal attacks and stick to the question/issue at hand?

Back to the quality issues: My opinion is that boats were made sturdier and heavier 15+ years ago, and if you go back even further they get even more so. I think this is largely an effort to reduce weight and improve fuel economy and to make them easier/cheaper to build. Unfortunately the boat builders all seemed to get stuck in a feature race (like cars) so in the end they've not reduced much weight and prices have soared.

I also think that quality comes with repetition, so when you get a new design it is almost always going to have "bugs" that need to be worked out over time. Some of the old Sea Ray designs went through 20+ years of improvement, and got very refined.

What is better on some newer boats is the cabin layout and usability, and this is one of the primary reason pods are used. I'm not talking about styling - that is a whole different discussion, but the ability to entertain and sleep on my 46' boat is as good or better, IMHO, than boats that were 10' bigger 15-20 years ago.


Aren’t you starting a feud with this post? LOL
 
I've spent 30+ years being a huge Sea Ray homer. Look at my signature. I still hold their boats of certain era in very high regard. I have loved all my previous Sea Rays with the exception of the OMC outdrive on the 250Da. Each has had good quality and resale value. Each had a few quality and design issues that could've been better. Sealing around windows and deck hardware and stringer weep holes come to mind.

Currently my challenge is I'm not a new boat buyer. I typically buy a low-hour boat when it's 3-5 years old where I can save on depreciation and maybe take advantage of some aftermarket upgrades. Hopefully if our plans go right I'll be shopping for another bigger boat in a couple of years when we retire. Something big enough to spend a night or two on but nimble enough to cruise at 30-35mph and cover some distance.

From the Sea Ray line that leave the 320 and 370 Sundancers. From a layout perspective they're a homerun for what I'm looking for. I'm pretty cold on the styling though, and suspect of the quality. And, for the life of me, I can't wrap my head around the prices people are paying for them.

So, my wife and I have been bouncing around the possibility of another 420/44 but with Diesels. To me, Sea Ray's 'swooping shearline' styling from 2003 to 2010 was at it's highest and quality was still good. Also really liked the style of the 2009-2014 470's and 540's but unfortunately those are out of my budget.

And @Maybe A Dancer, you're right. I've seen many folks leave the brand but stay on CSR. Speaks volumes of this site and it's members.
 
Just to clarify. I have no intention of being part of any kind of feud. I have a bone to pick with no one on this board. My historical posts over the last 14 years will bear that out.

@Shaps, I've enjoyed your Bimini posts and love your boat. We each just have our opinions on the pods. I hope one day to join one of your crossings in the future and share a beer or two.
 
I think the '80s and '90s were the best built. I grew up in Indian River Co just south of thier factory in Merrit Island, if memory serves. They ruled the ICW and inlets when I was young. Spent alot of time at Sebastian Inlet and river area. Built like a brick shyat house.

Although Dad did not have one, we knew many who did and spent alot of time in several models, mostly open cockpit "offshores". Fun times out of the inlet fishing.

So, a few years ago my son, 31, shows me this '89 440CV for sale. "Isn't this the type boat you went out on as a kid?", he asked. I looked at the pics and said yeah that's it, used to build them north of us. He goes "we oughta buy it". Took him awhile to convince me, however long it takes to drive from Carrabelle where we were fishing to home. 5 hrs maybe, he is persistent.

The next week and for subsequent weeks with 2 sea trials, turbo replacements (halfed with owner, only one was bad, we paid for the other one), and taking it out into the bay (cape fear area) a few times to get comfortable with it. 6hrs each way everytime.

So one day in Oct we rented a suburban, loaded it up and headed up for the last time. The next mornimg we were off to her new home in Thunderbolt, Ga. 2 days with my son and two nephews with a stop overnight at city harbor in Charleston.

I am am engineer, electrical primarily, but strong mechanical skills as well. I have been through this vessel thoroughly since we've been here and am quite impressed with the construction of ours. I don't really "have a job" that I need to report to so I spend more time than the kids with her. Captain and Chief mechanic as it were.

I will have an opportunity to view another version this weekend on the gulf coast, but a hardtop. Maybe have one for both coasts...

Ours is only a 3yr production from what I can gather, the year prior was a "430" although it is the same as our "440", which bu the way, is 46' OAL. I think one year it was the "400" as well.

You can't beat 'em from that era IMHO.
 
Just to clarify. I have no intention of being part of any kind of feud. I have a bone to pick with no one on this board. My historical posts over the last 14 years will bear that out.

@Shaps, I've enjoyed your Bimini posts and love your boat. We each just have our opinions on the pods. I hope one day to join one of your crossings in the future and share a beer or two.


@copb8tx No animosity here.
Regarding Bimini, I think you meant @ocgrant
Happy to share tequila whenever, wherever. All good from my side.
 
And @Maybe A Dancer, you're right. I've seen many folks leave the brand but stay on CSR. Speaks volumes of this site and it's members.

That pretty much describes me. This is a good site with good people. I would have liked to stay in the Sea Ray family, but there wasn’t a boat that fit the needs I identified for myself, whether new or old. Certainly the current Sea Ray lineup has changed so much that it’s pretty far from what I want currently.

Last time I was on a new Sea Ray was at the 2018 Newport boat show. I went on the new DA with the open bow. It just didn’t feel like a Sundancer.
 
We started with a ‘06 260DA for 3 years, moved up to a 2007 44DB for 4 years and now to the current 2003 420DA. If you learn the systems on one, you pretty much get same on all. We have had fun bringing this one back to life. She had good bones and we have totally redone everything but the engines and the cabin. As stated earlier, SRs are heavy and well built and well appointed. Case in point…friends have a CY 400 Express. It does not sit as low in the water as our boat and it bobs like a cork in rougher water. SRs are like Chevrolets to me….I love both….

Bennett
 
That pretty much describes me. This is a good site with good people. I would have liked to stay in the Sea Ray family, but there wasn’t a boat that fit the needs I identified for myself, whether new or old. Certainly the current Sea Ray lineup has changed so much that it’s pretty far from what I want currently.

Last time I was on a new Sea Ray was at the 2018 Newport boat show. I went on the new DA with the open bow. It just didn’t feel like a Sundancer.
You can’t leave, I like looking at your boat too much.
 
I prefer 03-08 cruisers. I owned a Rinker years ago and it was a serviceable boat for the cost. No comparison to SR though. I still enjoy the classic cruiser look. The last big boats they made I thought looked good too but the quality went down. No doubt they are a shell of their former self...sad.
 
We don't want to forget the 'L' series boats. I assume they were the highest of quality. Just felt like a different brand though.
 
When we where looking for an open bow boat for Fla I really liked the Cobalt R6 but couldn’t find a used one for sale I built online a new Cobalt and a Sea Ray 250 SDO would have to wait too long for a new one and we love the head in our Sea Ray so I kept searching and we went with the Sea Ray (again) fit and finish are pretty good gel coat looks great I can’t go one day without a complement from a stranger but it doesn’t feel like our mid 2000 boats that’s for sure. When Sea Ray tried the Euro look most of us threw up in our mouths a little because we loved the look they had for decades we didn’t like or want change unfortunately brands like Azimut,Galeon, Cruisers took all of the market from Sea Ray. Maybe if the toned it down a bit loyal Sea Ray buyers wouldn’t have hated it so much.
 
my 450 is/was a California boat.

The gel coat is AMAZING - she looks like / shows like a new boat - NOT KIDDING.

Compared to the gel on the 10 Meter, NOT EVEN IN THE SAME LEAGUE !

BEST !

RWS
 
I have an affinity for the 03-09 boats built in the time period. I think they were among the highest quality boats SR ever built - had a 340 and a 47DB from those years.

As we kept moving up in size, the L class would have been a logical progression. Was never in love with those boats. There was one - 5 something that I thought the design was very good. I think there is a post somewhere on here when I had seen the boat at a boat show. Looking back, that model had very limited production - just a couple I have heard.

Lots of noise around the industry regarding L class quality. I have never had any first hand experience so will refrain from commenting.
 
We don't want to forget the 'L' series boats. I assume they were the highest of quality. Just felt like a different brand though.
They had some stringer delaminating problems that resulted in factory recalls.
 
You can’t leave, I like looking at your boat too much.
Here’s one just for you.

upload_2022-7-1_10-32-42.jpeg
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,950
Messages
1,422,893
Members
60,933
Latest member
juliediane
Back
Top