Sea Ray mid 90s 370 Sundancer - big water handling capabilities ???

To add my two cents to the above we are Lake Michigan boaters and have run it all, from flat as glass to 6+ coming from all directions. Last July we ran four boats to Milwaukee and back for a long weekend. Beautiful conditions on the way there, but it all went to hell on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Two 44' boats with diesels, my 390 with gassers, and a 97 37DA with gassers. We ran a consistent 5+ sea on the way back from Milwaukee with many times seas increasing from 5 to 8'. It was anything but a pleasurable experience! Couldn't choose a speed, couldn't find a good heading, no possible way to stay dry, nothing in the cabins stayed put, two boats lost doors off their tracks, one lost both sun deck cushions, numerous small broken items. That all being said, all four of these boats handled very challenging conditions extremely well. Unless you are sailing a 120'+ vessel over 60 MT these kind of waters are going to give you a beating. I assume you will not be looking for the opportunity to take the 37 out in foul weather, but rather looking to know if it can handle the pounding and keep you safe should you get caught without options - the answer is yes. If you want to go abuse something every time the Big Lake gets rough - buy a Sea Doo.:D
THANK YOU , ALSO HAVE CROSSED NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN WITH BIG WAVES ,, TRAWLER THOUGH WITH SERIOUS ROLLING . MY MAIN PURPOSE IF TO FIND IF THIS SUNDANCER CRUISER , WILL DO ANY BETTER THAN A 11 WIDE 33 BRIDGE BOAT . YES I ALWAYS SERIOUSLY PICK MY TRAVEL DAYS WITH CAUTION , ESPECIALLY HEADING TO ISLE ROYALE .. BUT WAS WONDERING IF INSTEAD OF TRAVELING ONLY ON 1-2 WAVE HEIGHT DAYS , I COULD POTENTIALLY TRAVEL SAFELY AT ALL IN A 2-4 WAVE DAY . COULD WE LEAVE THE MARINA ,ON MORE DAYS THAND CURRENTLY ,, HANDLING MAYBE A FT LARGER WAVES WITH SOME COMFORT , OVER THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR 3258 BRIDGE BAYLINER .
NEAL
 
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As stated above I don't think you'll find many honest mariners suggesting they're running 13-14 knots in 3-5's on the great lakes. Without really doing some damage to your boat...it's just not feasible.

Around the campfire back at the marina, after a few adult beverages, 1-3's do have a tendency to turn into 3-5's "with the occasional 7 footer" when recounting the harrowing return to safe harbor. But "real" 3'-5's in our water is generally high in pucker factor and rather disconcerting for even the experienced boater.

A few weeks after experiencing (for the only time in my life) true 5-7's on Lake Michigan I listened to a story of a guy that "returned from Holland to Grand Haven (20 miles +/-) in 5'-7's in an open bow, with the occasional 8 to 10 footer". He was sure of it. He described climbing the waves, getting a little wet, but overall his 240 (Regal maybe?) did just fine. He was "never worried". Complete and utter horse%*&#. Man...I was white knuckle for an hour straight in 5's with only the occasional 7ish. Had I not been listening to the weather on the VHF I would have sworn they were 20' waves.

Here's a nice solid Lake Michigan 3-5 footer day for ya. Maybe a rogue sixer when it
pitched pretty good to port at 25 seconds or so:

THANKS MUCH - I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING AS PER THE GREAT LAKES ... ON A 36 TRAWLER DELIVERY ( WITH SINGLE ) I MADE A BAD CHOICE PER A LONG DAY SUPERIOR CROSSING FROM THE LOWER UP CUT , OVER TO GRAND MARAIS MI .. LISTENED TO THE "NEAR SHORE BROADCAST " INSTEAD OF THE OFF SHORE FORCAST ... .BIG MISTAKE -- A DAY MY STOMACH DID NOT HANDLE ... I GUESS I AM JUST WONDERING HOW A DANCER 370 WOULD DO WITH "HONEST " 3 FOOTERS ,, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE REPLY
 
I was giving my big water ,salt water experience that he was asking for and running on 31,34 and 38 foot Sundancer’s in the ocean I could at least give my perspective on. they will definitely take a pounding I think most of the v-drive boats with weight all in the Stern is one of the reasons they are not so good in rough conditions .maybe if this boat doesn’t work out for the op he’ll have some perspective on a straight shaft engine style hull
THANKS EVERYONE ,, ALL PERSPECTIVES WELCOME - JUST TRYING TO GET A FEEL FROM OWNERS OF THIS 370 DANCER IF IT WOULD "CUT IT " ON THE GREAT LAKES, ( PRACTICING SMART TRAVEL ) AND WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS 12.6 BEAM / 17000 LB HULL , IF YOUR 1-2 WAVE DAY , TURNS INTO 2-4 OUT ON THE LAKE . IF ONE NEEDS TO JUMP TO A BEAMER 400 SUNDANCER OR SEDAN BRIDGE FOR POTENTIAL ,, BETTER RIDE ? , OR NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE IN THE 37-40 FT RANGE . (AND YES I AGRREE WITH ALL , 5FT WAVE DAYS SHOULD BE A NO GO FOR ALL BOATS)
THANKS AGAIN ALL - YOUR ADVICE IS MUCH APPRECIATED PER THIS BOAT
NEAL
 
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I agree. While bigger boats are usually more comfortable/capable in big waves, Great Lakes chop is surprisingly non-discriminating.

Going from a 330DA to a 400DA didn't change my threshold for wave conditions.
THANKS SO MUCH , THIS IS THE ADVICE I WAS SEAKING
NEAL
 
Some days it makes more sense just to stay tied up at the dock. I made poor decisions due to time restraints. At the end of the day most major disasters begin with very small issue and build into big problems. Like hitting an ice Berg lol.

For sure. Time constraints or beating a forecast storm back to my marina are the occasions I've endured sloppy conditions when I've been away from home port.

Slightly related, but my brother (a commercial cray fisherman) took my sister out on a 50 foot cray boat as a deckhand one day in less than ideal conditions. He had to come back to port as she was knocked unconscious having been thrown from one side of the cabin to the other and also incurred broken 3 ribs.

So at least we don't have to earn a living using our boats and usually have a choice whether to go out.
 
I always love it when know-it-all keyboard captains make comments and comparisons about Great Lakes weather and waves.

Captain Rusty has a great story of underestimating the waves and weather of the Great Lakes and his experiences on them.

The Great Lakes folks here have given you the true picture. A 60 foot SR was destroyed coming in in 6 footers at my harbor.



MM
 
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MM am I reading this right?

Comparison based on actual local forecasts - that way it takes out opinions.

Great Lakes Forecast looks like 3 footers (1 metre) based on total wave height as per NOAA

https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/kml/glcfsmap_small.php?lake=a&param=waves_ft&time=now

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/educate/waves.shtml

Australia

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?domain=combinedW&type=sigWaveHgt

Currently 3 metres (total wave height) where I live (South of Western Australia) with appproaching 4 and 5 metres.

You can play around with the interactive forecast to get primary and secondary swell, and wind waves amongst other things.

MM are the comparison forecasts valid re wave height?

And as much as I like SeaRay boats I wouldn't consider them blue water handling boats as you above post confirms.
 
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MM am I reading this right?

Comparison based on actual local forecasts - that way it takes out opinions.

Great Lakes Forecast looks like 3 footers (1 metre) based on total wave height as per NOAA

https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/kml/glcfsmap_small.php?lake=a&param=waves_ft&time=now

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/educate/waves.shtml

Australia

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?domain=combinedW&type=sigWaveHgt

Currently 3 metres (total wave height) where I live (South of Western Australia) with appproaching 4 and 5 metres.

You can play around with the interactive forecast to get primary and secondary swell, and wind waves amongst other things.

MM are the comparison forecasts valid re wave height?

And as much as I like SeaRay boats I wouldn't consider them blue water handling boats as you above post confirms.


If you think all 3 foot waves are the same you have the lack of understanding I was describing in my post. I would never presume to know waves, wave structure, and wave frequency in you part of the globe.

MM
 
MM

Firstly, I don't think all 3 ft waves are the same if that was you interpretation of my above post. What I was pointing out is your version of wave height is not universally used by weather forecasters in each of our respective countries hence the comparison and thus removing opinions of wave height. My post was nothing more nothing less than that. So if your measuring wave height from the back of the wave then our measurements are arguably at odds with each other as I adopt the height as per the weather forecasters which is broadly based around total wave height ( trough to crest) based on a combination of predicted swell and wind wave similar to that used by the Beaufort scale.

So if nothing else your 3 footers are not the same as my 3 footers as you are only measuring the trough or crest (?) and not the universally accepted measured wave height as used by weather forecasters, which is probably why the 60ft Searay fell apart in your wave height version of 6 footers.
 
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MM

Firstly, I don't think all 3 ft waves are the same if that was you interpretation of my above post. What I was pointing out is your version of wave height is not universally used by weather forecasters in each of our respective countries hence the comparison and thus removing opinions of wave height. My post was nothing more nothing less than that. So if your measuring wave height from the back of the wave then our measurements are arguably at odds with each other as I adopt the height as per the weather forecasters which is broadly based around total wave height ( trough to crest) based on a combination of predicted swell and wind wave similar to that used by the Beaufort scale.

So if nothing else your 3 footers are not the same as my 3 footers as you are only measuring the trough or crest (?) and not the universally accepted measured wave height as used by weather forecasters, which is probably why the 60ft Searay fell apart in your wave height version of 6 footers.

My above post was incorrect, at least today. 10 years ago I was taught and shown documentation that how I described a wave was correct. But current NOAA Doucumentation indicates differently. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/educate/waves.shtml

This does not change how different Great Lakes waves are than other parts of the world, due to the wave length and frequency.

MM
 
MM I'm not questioning they are low but steep very short frequency waves that probably resemble a washing machine at times that pound a boat and it occupants. I'm also not stating they are the same as an ocean wave. However, to consider that type of wave only occurs on the Great Lakes and no other part of the world would also be an assumption on your part.

The OP sought salt water experience as part of his question and that's what I provided. Other thread participants provided videos of the waves and that's what we call chop down under. And in doing so wasn't to mean your chop is the same as our chop but it's chop nonetheless. I then questioned your wave height based on your recent post just so that we were in the same page re wave heights.
 
I always love it when know-it-all keyboard captains make comments and comparisons about Great Lakes weather and waves.

Captain Rusty has a great story of underestimating the waves and weather of the Great Lakes and his experiences on them.

The Great Lakes folks here have given you the true picture. A 60 foot SR was destroyed coming in in 6 footers at my harbor.



MM
There's no way 6 footers should destroy a 60' SR. What'd the guy do, miss the harbor entrance?
 
MM

Firstly, I don't think all 3 ft waves are the same if that was you interpretation of my above post. What I was pointing out is your version of wave height is not universally used by weather forecasters in each of our respective countries hence the comparison and thus removing opinions of wave height. My post was nothing more nothing less than that. So if your measuring wave height from the back of the wave then our measurements are arguably at odds with each other as I adopt the height as per the weather forecasters which is broadly based around total wave height ( trough to crest) based on a combination of predicted swell and wind wave similar to that used by the Beaufort scale.

So if nothing else your 3 footers are not the same as my 3 footers as you are only measuring the trough or crest (?) and not the universally accepted measured wave height as used by weather forecasters, which is probably why the 60ft Searay fell apart in your wave height version of 6 footers.
All my boating years wave height has been measured from the trough to crest but they do have a term that represents half that. What the name is and for what purpose I don't remember.

The Great Lakes vs Oceans is always an interesting discussion. There's really nothing mysterious about it. There's a lot of physics that go into making waves, it doesn't matter if it's fresh or salt water, the wind blows and water piles up. Waves just like ours can certainly form elsewhere. The main difference is the water itself, density, freshwater is less dense, it pushes up easier.

The lakes have enough fetch to build pretty large waves, yet they're not quite large enough for the waves to get organized, jockey into place and form the real big swells that may have come hundreds of miles on an ocean. Here we're more often in wind driven waves created now. That and the steep, short wave length, do to the less dense water are what gives the lakes their reputation. We don't get a couple foot chop on top of 15' swells like ocean boaters.
 
This thread has gone enough off topic to remind me of Ted Turner's first experience on Lake Michigan. He totally underestimated the degree of difficulty in a race. I believe it was a Chicago/Mac race. Made some public comments pre race remarks about doing little lake sailing and how it should be a lot easier than the the big water sailing he was used to doing on the ocean. I'm not sure he finished. He did survive the knock downs, but I recall a lot of broken gear and limping into a harbor of refuge. I believe he was glad to be off the boat in one piece.
 

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