Thinking about moving up/Cruisers yachts

spikedaddy99

spikedaddy99

Well-Known Member
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Jun 11, 2008
2,612
Prentice, Wi
Boat Info
2005 500 DB
Engines
QSM-11
Allright folks,

The larger bug has struck my wife, so I am a lucky man. My dream boat is the 480 sedan, as we have 4 kids for at least a few more years. However, Cruisers yachts are much more plentiful in this neck of the woods, and I was wondering if anyone has some knowledge about their quality. Woody, any thoughts? My only real hang up for anything in this price range is how little we get to use the boat. I offered the kids a smaller boat we could tow and use more often, but it was a mutiny. We could certainly keep the 320 and make it work, but the darn kids keep growing. I'm 6'4", and young teen daughter is already 5'9" and growing like a tree. Sharing beds isn't going to work soon. Any other 3 state room Sea Ray options besides a 480 (and obviously larger)? Do 'Dancers have 3 staterooms?

Mike
 
We're in the same boat (pun intended). However we have 3 kids growing quickly. As such we've been looking closely at the 48 DB as it seems to be the best Sea Ray option out there with 3 staterooms (within our budget reach). Interested to see the feedback on this thread.
 
Maybe it's more than a coincidence that Converse48 has made this one available:huh:
Converse48.jpg
 
Subscribed! What model Cruisers are you looking at? I am not aware of any 3 cabin Sea Ray Sundancers. The 460 DA has the electric sofa/bed in the salon that can certainly serve as the 3rd bed with minimal effort. There is also the "Converse" option if you like the MY options over the SD options as the price point can be similar based on year & options. I am experiencing a similar situation with my family of 5 on the 330. Its fine for weekends but, trips are becoming a hassle. I am interested to see which direction you go.

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The 390 (or 40 for the newer years) Motor Yacht is a nice design that sleeps several. The forward room has a split berth arrangement that is surprisingly roomy, the aft cabin has a queen size island berth, and the salon has a settee that slides out and is comfortable for a large adult or a couple of smaller kids.

Also, some of the older 420 Aft Cabin boats have a third stateroom. On some this is a utility room with washer/dryer, on others there is a berth in there. It's not huge but usable.

The 480 Motor Yacht is a wonderful boat. I bought my 390 MY from a couple who liked it but wanted something bigger to live aboard, so they bought a 480. It has a lot more space than the 390
 
Mike, I really like Sea Rays Motor Yacht line. I would look hard at the Larger MY. The space on these boats is really nice. Good luck, JC
 
I've looked at Cruisers 447 Sport Sedan, but can't tell if 3 state rooms, so still exploring. Looking at a 500 Sedan too. I've been on some smaller models as they are pretty prevalent up here and the craftsmanship/materials etc looks very nice.
Mike
 
spikedaddy99 said:
I've looked at Cruisers 447 Sport Sedan, but can't tell if 3 state rooms, so still exploring. Looking at a 500 Sedan too. I've been on some smaller models as they are pretty prevalent up here and the craftsmanship/materials etc looks very nice.
Mike
Click to expand...

The 447 is a quirky boat. It has 2 staterooms, but the full-beam stateroom amidship is the VIP, not the master. It has twin beds with a filler. I like the salon, but the mid-stateroom is a head-scratcher for me (typical CY setup however). She's also aesthetically challenged on the outside IMO... Some friends of mine looked very closely at one with a red hull. It was hard to look at! They ended up with a 480DB.
 
spikedaddy99 said:
Do 'Dancers have 3 staterooms?

Mike
Click to expand...

The 510DA's in the early 2000's had a pretty cool trick: They had the usual fwd master and and a good-sized bunk room, but then a curtain could be pulled around the salon to convert the L-shape sofa area to an ad-hoc 3rd stateroom.
 
spikedaddy99 said:
Looking at a 500 Sedan too. I've been on some smaller models as they are pretty prevalent up here and the craftsmanship/materials etc looks very nice.
Mike
Click to expand...

I think the 500 is one of CY's best-looking models. Great proportions and clean lines. I'm not wild about the salon layout. The floorplan gives me the feeling that I can't get out of the traffic pattern - as if the boat is a 50' floating hallway. I was considering them for a while anyway, but that was just as 3196's were imploding all over the country. 3196's seemed to be the only available power. (not sure why, because CYs are frequently found with Volvo power and the D12 would be a perfect fit, but I've only seen 500's with 3196's)
 
My buddy has a cruisers yacht, I think it's a 57 or 58. Nice Boat, I think it's pretty comparable to a sea Ray of the same size/year
 
We are in the same situation with our 330. The kids always want to bring a friend!

Last year they slept put in the cockpit under the camper canvas which as OK it is screened but not ideal.

The 480DB is my goal also. Actually there are 4 staterooms as the 480 has a convertible sofa in the salon. The 500 though is better as the 3rd stateroom has bunks rather than two L shape twins.

We are hopeful in moving up to a 410 sundancer we will have two private staterooms, sofa which coverts, and a stall shower!

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In my opinion cruisers yachts are as good or better than sea rays quality. I've owned and spents lots of time on both. The styling is subjective and there are pros and cons to the setups.


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The one area Cruisers loses is ride quality. They are beamy boats without a ton of dead rise.

That said, the extra beam does make for more space...as always a trade off.
 
For those of you with Sundancer inclination the '06-13 60 Sundancer also has 3 staterooms.
 
Jmwarren said:
The one area Cruisers loses is ride quality. They are beamy boats without a ton of dead rise.

That said, the extra beam does make for more space...as always a trade off.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if it's their entry, beam, deadrise or weight/weight dist, but yeah, a CY has a different ride. Friends of mine followed me on a 100 mile trip in their Cruisers. His bow would bounce when mine was steady, and his bow threw enough water to recognize him from miles away. (it looked like a giant bird spreading big white wings) To the Cruisers credit, that convex hull design rides dry and fast.

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A year ago I sold my 2008 330 Dancer and purchased a new Cruiser 48Cantius. In my opinion, the workmanship on the boat is comparable only to the L class SeaRay now offers. I think the overall build quality and appointments are well executed and there is no doubt whatsoever that the Volvo Penta IPS drives are far better then Zeus. My boat is 48 ½' yet it has a spacious mid berth master. You have to move up to the 51 SeaRay for a similar layout, and once you price out the boats I think you'll find not only the Cruiser's quality better, but also the price point. Just one mans opinion, but I did my homework and have owned the boat for over a year now. As for ride quality, my boat does 37mph at 3500 rpm, and the ride is very comfortable. Bow rise is minimal and the trim tabs work great. One look at the engine room on my boat should change anyone's mind. For the class it's in, I can't think of a better boat.
 
Looking at a couple of older 550 Sedans, they don't have 2 full staterooms? 1 master, and a set of bunkbeds and a full bed...Thats a little weird. Mike
 
online or in person? That VIP room and the berth in it are generously-sized IMO. An island berth would be ideal, but it's otherwise a nice setup.
 
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