'09 240 Dancer Test Trial Advice

dprvashon

New Member
Jan 26, 2009
28
Vashon Isl. WA
Boat Info
09 240 SunDancer
Engines
350 Mercruiser w/Bravo III
Hi all.... great site!
We are in the process of purchasing our first Sea Ray... a 2009 240 Sundancer with the standard 5.0L FWC, Bravo III with Seacor. Our test trial is this Saturday in Seattle and, other than praying for sun, does anyone have any suggestions of things to look for/ask about? I am creating my checklist and this site has been very helpful in supplying info.

My last boat was a Catalina 34 Sailboat (yes, I am coming over to the dark side) that had a 30 hp diesel and 13,000lb displacement. So I am aware that this boat is way different in handling, etc.

So what say you?

Dave
Vashon Island
 
Doubt you will need AC in WA so it is not imperative. I feel STRONGLY the vacuflush head with holding tank is a must. Trust me. I will never buy another boat without one.
 
Welcome,

Just to let you know are coming from the dark side and into the light.......
 
Check everything, and run everything before you sign. And then do it all again.

And do get one with the full Vacu-flush system and holding tank, and the macerator option is worthwhile when you are in a legal location for using such a crude device. I've had zero problems with this system in my 240 DA.

Couple of things I wish I had checked thouroughly before signing......:huh:......in addition to all of the many other things I checked that were fine....

Check-fit the cabin table in ALL of the three locations it is supposed to fit: (1) stored away, hidden flat under the forward V-berth cushions; The aluminum pedestal-socket on the bottom of the table should align with the cutout in the water tank without resting ON the water tank. (2) deployed on the rails of the V-berth to support the rearward V-berth cushions and (3) serving as a table, on the table post in the cabin.

Check to see that the CO detector in the cabin is ON all the time, even after ALL the switches on the galley panel are OFF. It is supposed to be wired through the special low amperage, resettable push-button circuit breaker on the galley panel - NOT through a rocker switch like the other items.

Make sure the "stereo" rocker switch on the galley panel does indeed power the stereo on and off...(NOT the CO detector)

Test the air conditioner (both heat and cool modes). There should be NO problem at all with its sea water pump failing to prime. It is not a self-priming pump, but if all the hoses were installed & sloped properly, and the seacock is open, gravity will naturally cause the raw water pump to fill with water and it will pump water everytime it starts. Now that mine is correct it works fine.

Run the head shower until the sump proves that it does discharge....caution-before doing this I suggest getting a flashlight and watching the sump through the hatch on the cabin step. That way, if its failing to pump, you can shut off the shower water before your overflow the sump and soak your brand new carpet. I have since capped off the one open, unused port on the sump so it will not overflow and spill on the floor nearly as fast if it ever happens again....Note that hearing the sump pump running does NOT mean its moving any water. And if the sump pump wont stop running, the only way to shut it down is to have a thin small flat blade screwdriver handy to turn off the breaker under the cockpit sink. (cant do it with your finger).

If you have trim fluid dripping off of the Mercathode when the boat is on its trailer, it may not be just a loose hose fitting - the trim fluid manifold that the Mercathode is attached to may have a pinhole or small crack like mine had.

Look carefully at the props. My rear prop had a couple of voids/craters in the metal on the hub surface that were significant and started rusting down inside them.

I mentioned these items because they blind-sided me, a couple of which were discovered during our first outing, which made for a lot of aggravation, and they didn't exactly win over the wife when, upon taking her first shower in the boat, the carpet got soaked and the A/C wouldn't run. :smt013

We've had our 240 DA almost a year now, and believe we are nearing the end of the warranty fix it list!! :smt038
Working out all the bugs has been almost as grueling as the first year in a brand new house... But we love her, she's got about 72 hours on the engine, and we've slept on it a dozen-plus nights. I think she'll give us a lot fewer problems during the 2nd year we have her, and I think we'll use her even more.
Enjoy your new boat!:thumbsup:
 
Mark V, Reading your punch list makes me cringe. Makes me mad and sad. It reads like the one I went through. It's the same stuff! Bet if other 240 da owners chimed in they would say the same thing. I had a few more problems but won't list them. I'm talking about the 2005 thru present models.

I think what gets me is "some people" here think it's not a problem for this to go on and accept as normal. Why can't we demand a little better quality for the money we spend?
Maybe my expectation is to high, but heck, I was taught that a person has their word, and should keep it! Maybe boat manafacturers should remember their home training.

Dave this is good advice from Mark V and I hope you listen. Find the stuff and make the dealer straighten it out BEFORE you take delivery. Don't let them talk you into, "we'll take care of it". Trust Us! Yea right.
 
I did not have any of the problems listed by Mark but I do not have AC. I have had multiple other issues mostly stress cracks. I found 3 areas that had to be repaired this past fall. There were also several other minor issues that I thought I was being petty about fixed before taking delivery. This was my first new boat I purchased and I bought it at a factory close out price. I thought for the most part it was pretty much as is when I bought it as everything worked. I was very wrong, my local MM jumped on everything I pointed out and fixed the issues without question. When I buy again new, I may be there awhile inspecting everything as I now I know what to look for. Great advice Islandhopper.
 
I should clarify one aspect of my experience; the dealership that sold me the boat- Cumberland Sea Ray - has been very good all along in assisting me with correcting defects as I found them. It's the fact that my boat came out of Sea Ray's plant with so many defects that was discouraging, especially when compared to my previous Sea Ray, a 2004 180 Sport, which had almost zero defects.
 
Never pay more than the deposit.......do not close........no matter how much pressure the dealer and his sales people apply, if the boat has obvious defects.

Dealers have the best intentions, but when the spring boating season arrives, cosmetic defects take a back seat to and become a lower priority than mechanical failures that keep people off the water. The only way to stay at the top of the dealer's priority list is for them to have a boat sold that won't close because they have a punch list.

Also, some people do not like the way the 240 and 260DA's handle and complain because they seem unredictable. Most owners (many CSR members) don't have an objection, and I've run several and don't have a problem with them. However, you should run the boat with you at the helm in various sea conditions to be sure you are comfortable with the boat's handling. This isn't a defect, but rather the product of a beam narrow enough to trailer and a boat that is stern heavy.
 
Having had an '06 240, I agree with all of the above. I would add to make sure you sea trial with at least 4 people and have them move around the cockpit/cabin while on plane so you get a good feel of the handling of this boat. The 240 does have it's drawbacks but once you understand them it is a good boat, we liked ours, just wanted more room.
 
I am used to to the listing and know how to correct it. I anticipated the listing when I bought it. Being a long time boater I understood the proper positioning of persons/equipment on deck. I have two major issues. I weigh 225# and my wife weighs 100# and my dog insists on riding in front of the helm bench at my feet when underway. No doubt I had to learn to use the tabs.
 
Guys... this has been huge. Thanks for all the advise. I did take the sea trial today in very calm seas on Lake Washington. No much chop but I had 3 guys on board and they did move around a bit. We also brought a GPS to check speed, etc.

I did notice handling at slow (no wake) speed took a bit to get use to as it snaked back and forth from my over-correction. At plane, it handled great and we worked the trims a lot to get the feel of them vs pitching up the outdrive. We cruised 28-30 mph at 3600 (2600? I forget)rpm and it was reading 10.1gph....real smooth. I maneuvered around in close quarters and laid it along side a dock to better feel how this handles vs my 34ft sailboat. What a treat to be able to turn on a dime!

I haven't taken the time to really look everything over as you all suggest and definately will before taking delivery. We did find small items like missing screws in the dash (why??) and loose-fitting canvas that they will correct when they prep the boat. I will certainly take a closer look at everything as you suggest.

The boat does come with the vacu-flush head, and I have ordered the Garmin 540 GPS system, tonnaeu cover, full canvas cover, bottom paint, a cockpit/cabin hater (no A/C), and they threw in a BBQ and Coast Guard kit (lines, jackets, fenders, etc). The boat is equiped with the Merc 5.0 MPI FWC engine with the Bravo III and Seacore protection and we spent an hour with their chief mechanic going over maintenance of the outdrive, their process for annual maintenance, etc. They do not have a lot of data/experience on the Seacore system yet but they like that is a beefier Bravo III in the size of the casing and parts. I also opted for the extended warrantee in case I have problems with any of the systems.

I appreciate all your feeback on my quest and I take my hat off to your expertise (especially about the trim tabs!). Thanks again for your sage advise.

Dave
 
Last edited:
Congrats Dave, I didn't read down far enough to see that you got it today. Stay in touch, a few of us locals do some cruising around together.
 
Never pay more than the deposit.......do not close........no matter how much pressure the dealer and his sales people apply, if the boat has obvious defects.

Makes me feel a little foolish to close on my new '09 36DB this week as it is being prepped for shipping in Florida or wherever it is.
 
We cruised 28-30 mph at 3600 (2600? I forget)rpm and it was reading 10.1gph....real smooth.

I appreciate all your feeback on my quest and I take my hat off to your expertise (especially about the trim tabs!). Thanks again for your sage advise.
I cruise at 26-28 mph and generally sit around 2500 rpms and 10 gph so you're readings sound about right.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,950
Messages
1,422,865
Members
60,932
Latest member
juliediane
Back
Top