Moving from a Grady White

davpet60

New Member
Jun 15, 2018
6
Boat Info
Grady white 282
Engines
Twin Yamaha
Sorry.. moved this to the Newbie Lounge

Hi everyone.... As my boating style has changed, I'm very interested in a sea ray 340/380 sun dancer. I'm trying to figure out how much of a body style change there was between the 2006 + years. Like a car, they can completely change the looks, how about the sea rays?

So .... between 2006 and 2010, was there a major style change?

Also... any recommendations on either boat would be very helpful. Hopefully soon... I'll be leaving the Grady forum and joining yours!!

Thanks so much for all your help.
 
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No style changes in the 38 from 2006 to 2012 from what I can see - although the designation seems to have changed from 38 to 395 to 390, but the same boat. The centre outward opening transom door is the giveaway. DTS came in the later models as is apparent from just the combo throttle and shift levers instead of the 2 sets of twin levers. Depending on the year, can be had in shaft, stern drive, axius and Zues (diesel variant only). Diesels are rare and expensive in the 38 leaving you with the Merc 8.1s in standard or HO versions. The 340 will be faster and more fuel efficient with the 8.1s. For low cost maintenance in salt, the shafts in either boat would be your weapon of choice.

Can't comment on 340 style changes as I don't know. Apart from the physical size difference, the 38 also has a door to the forward stateroom as well as separate head and shower, plus a cockpit hardtop
 
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Sea Ray also maintains the "Spec Sheets" for most of the past model years (all years in the range you are looking at are there). Go to ser ray website, its under "Owner Resources". Is a fantastic tool to compare versions of the same model.

You will find from 2004-2006 many models are the same hull but different designations, mostly due to they now count molded in swim platforms as part of the hull length.
 
In 2009 Sea Ray discontinued the 340, and rolled out the 350 ...which is actually virtually identical size wise to the 340. For whatever reason, they started calling it a 350 but both boats have a LOA of 37' 6" with a 12' beam. Then in 2011 they changed the 350 again and downsized it to something much more akin to the 2003-2008 320.
 
as for the 340DA (Sundancer) models, 1998 - 2003.5 were the same....2003.5 - 2008 models had some design changes and are slightly wider and heavier than the earlier models....

the earlier model 340's from had some issues with soft spots in the deck from poor bedding of deck hardware and water ingestion by the engines from a poor exhaust system design....the new engine exhaust design started in 2002....however a significant amount of the 340's with the earlier design exhaust (log style) were retrofitted with the new design exhaust (water lift muffler) early in their lives under warranty as the issue started to become well known......

cliff
 
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You'll find that there is a pretty big difference between a 340 and a 380. You may want to decide which hull/layout you want sooner rather than later in your search. Get out and get on both boats. As I'm sure you already know these boats get wider, taller and heavier as the grown in length.

The 330/340/350 will feel "a lot smaller" than the 370/380/390 once you've been on both. If your budget allows the larger boat I'd suggest you not spend a lot of time researching the smaller ones. If you buy a 340 thinking you can "make it work" you'll just find yourself wishing for the bigger boat after the first year. A common saying you'll hear around this forum is to "buy your second boat first". If you've already identified a 380 as a potential it's probably already your second boat.

And last...if you've got the budget to support a 2010ish 380 you should take a look at some 400's. I believe the hardtop 400 started in 2004 +/-.??? In my humble opinion there are few boats sexier than a hardtop mid/late-2000's 400/420 Sundancer. Man those things are slick....
 
I don’t think the 2010-ish 350 is similar to the 340 of 06-08 at all. The 350 is 35.5 LOA, and beam 11.5, the layout and specs match up to my 07 320 (my 320 is called a 355 in Europe and Australia). The 2010-ish 370 is more on par with the 06-08 340. The 340 has a 12’ beam, is 37 LOA, and this matches up to the 10 370.

The newer ones are much heavier, though!
320/340 were around 13-15k pounds, 350/370 are around 18k, that’s pretty significant increase.
 
I don’t think the 2010-ish 350 is similar to the 340 of 06-08 at all. The 350 is 35.5 LOA, and beam 11.5, the layout and specs match up to my 07 320

You're right ...my mistake. Silly brokers on Yachtworld listing incorrect specs.
 

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