1983 260 Sundancer

M

mbatvburg

New Member
Jun 30, 2010
5
Peoria, IL
Boat Info
260 Sundancer 1983
Engines
260 Mercruiser
Just wanted to post a pic of the new boat.
1983 Sundancer 260
260 mercruiser
Alpha 1
Beautiful boat. Just need to buff it out and get better with the trim tabs

IMAG0118.jpg


Brendan
 
Sweet! Any pics of the interior?

Ours rolls around alot. The trim tabs just need a "bump" each time, like a half a second and then wait a couple seconds for the boat to react.

I start out withem all the way down and the outdrive tucked in. Then once on plane I'll give a blip until she levels out. Then I'll do the same on the outdrive until the speed maxs out.

What body of water you on there?
 
Very nice. I loved my 260. Agree on the tabs. Start with them down and just a little bump to adjust. Not sure if your tab switches are marked but "bow down", which is usually "up" on the switches, drops the tabs. It depends on how they're wired. Welcome and enjoy.
BC17C896-91B4-2C98-3B02-C9429EF17392
1.02.28
 
Very nice, Looks great. What kind of speeds do you get with it?

LK
 
We're on the Illinois River in East Peoria, IL.
The tabs are gonna take some getting used to. There are a lot of variables that could be causing me to lean. Just need time to go out by myself and fiddle with it.
Max speed is about 25mph. Not sure if thats accurate but, it is a 5500lbs boat!
Brendan
 
Looks to be in great condition - appears to have been well looked after by PO -have fun and enjoy.
 
VERY nice! Nice clean helm too. I've never had a boat with trim tabs before, and getting used to them was pretty fun. Well, fun for me, not so fun for the Admiral, who had to try and keep her balance! Also, I always wondered about top speed. My '81 SR245 tops out at about 30 (and I know it's propped incorrectly) so I'm thinking maybe you're about right on with yours(?)
 
That cockpit seat looks like original material?

I've considered installing the tabs with indicators so you aren;t guessing but thats too much money and trouble.

Next time the boat is out have the admiral punch each button for full travel while you watch. That way you can see what each button does and how long/fast it takes.

Not had ours at full speed with GPS but with the four of us and gear for a long weekend she'll run 26-27 mph at 4200.
 
Congrats on your new boat! I loved my 260 they are great boats. Best of luck with her!
Todd
 
Must have been stored in some nice location to keep the seats etc looking that good..............
 
Hey, I have a 83 Sea Ray Sundancer 260 that i am attempting to restore, however the battery selecter was removed as well as the batteries and the battery wires. if you have a pic of the engine bay in which you could kinda show where the wires go that would be awesome also where the battery selector is.

Thanks :D
 
Congrats on your boat. I just bought an '84 and it has the same upholstery as yours. I'm trying to get it in a marina so I can pick it up from the PO.

CJSundancer: I can't take pics yet but know the battery selector on mine is on the port side at the very back; reach in beside the back seat to turn.
 
Well, if you are able to and have the time. a picture of your engine bay and the location of that selector would be awesome, i have some pics of my issue on another of my posts. the leather and such i am currently cleaning but need to find the battery wiring to i can ensure the sumps work. and i can't do that till i have a idea of there the wires go lol.
 
RE: the Trim tabs. I would think you guys that are deploying the trim tabs are doing yourself a diservice. I would think having them down would slow your ability to get your speed and RPMs at your normal cruising speed. Yes my 260 is a different year and hull design than the year discussed here, but I feel the theory should be similar.
When I start my boat, I leave the outdrive down all the way and trim tabs up. This way I throttle up gradually to about 3000 rpms. I then bump the outdrive trim up to just under the 1/4 mark. This gets me to around 20+ knots and the RPMs settle around 3400. Then is when I can see where the boat is riding and adjust the trim tabs accordingly to level the ride. Once things find their sweet spot, I'm cruising around 23-25 knots @ 3500RPMS depending on the currents. I find that with the tabs deployed any more at throttle up to plane the more unpredictable it feels. Then just small little adjustments are needed.
 
Itlldo said:
Congrats on your boat. I just bought an '84 and it has the same upholstery as yours. I'm trying to get it in a marina so I can pick it up from the PO.

CJSundancer: I can't take pics yet but know the battery selector on mine is on the port side at the very back; reach in beside the back seat to turn.
Click to expand...
Hey ItllDo Hows that boat of yours going? i just purchased 25 ft of 2 gauge now i get to run the wire for atleast the main power for the boat. still not sure exactly where to put the batt selector. are you say'ing that it goes on the side with the latter at teh bench seat inbetween the wall of the boat and the vinal cover slightly infront of the drain hole?
 
I am a big fan of the 80's 260's. I restored an '83 a few years back. Really enjoyed that boat. It was very hard to let her go!
 
I got the boat into the marina the day before it snowed 8" which is a nightmare for Victoria (nobody here knows how to drive in snow). Tonight and tomorrow the winds are supposed to gust up to 160km/h so I'm hoping to get out to check the boat. It's 25 miles away and I have to fix the MIL's car first.

Yes, my battery switch is on the port side between the seat and the side of the boat. I have to kneel down and reach under to get at it. It's flat against the back.

CJSundancer said:
Hey ItllDo Hows that boat of yours going? i just purchased 25 ft of 2 gauge now i get to run the wire for atleast the main power for the boat. still not sure exactly where to put the batt selector. are you say'ing that it goes on the side with the latter at teh bench seat inbetween the wall of the boat and the vinal cover slightly infront of the drain hole?
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,193
Messages
1,428,278
Members
61,104
Latest member
Three Amigos
Back
Top