1984 Seadancer SRV270 (NOT Sundancer!)

S

sgs01

Member
Jan 18, 2015
90
Marietta, GA
Boat Info
1982 Sea Ray Vanguard 30ec
Engines
2 Mercruiser 260 direct inboards
Hello to all and thank you for letting me aboard!

I'm in the market for a smallish pocket cruiser and recently came upon a 1984 Sea Ray Seadancer SRV270. This is a rare model with probably only 100 made. The thing that appeals to me most is that it has 2 Mercruiser 350 direct-drive inboards. It seems to be well cared for with a few exceptions, and I would like to get your opinion on some things.

1. It has 1600 hours on both engines. Engines are currently winterized so I could not see them run. No rebuilds as far as is known. Is this a red flag?
2. The bottom has not been painted for several years. It is in fresh water so barnacles shouldn't be a problem. Will this ruin the hull? is this a red flag?
3. What kind of hull is this? Is it a balsa-cored hull below the waterline or is it solid glass?
4. What is the build quality like on these boats?

My family has owned boats for as long as I can remember and we currently own a Bayliner 3788 Flybridge Sedan so I know a great deal about boats in general (more often than not I am the captain of said 3788 :lol:) so I know that I definitely want a survey and sea trial done first?

I'm VERY interested in this boat as it seems like exactly what I've been looking for. I've been in the market for a while and I'm hopeful that this is the one I've been waiting for! :thumbsup:
 
Unfortunately I don't, but I can tell you that I did a pretty thorough inspection myself short of firing the engines and crawling all through it and having it hauled out, and the boat felt rock solid. Bilge was clean and showed no signs of water damage and/or submersion. Engines had minimal rust, and it didn't look like the shaft logs were leaking and throwing water all over the place either.

Does SeaRay keep documents from their older boats on file and are they easily obtainable?
 
I owned one a couple years its a great hull. Easy to get to engine and running gear. It has tunnels shallow draft, handled great around the dock, and also on one engine. Its a solid glass hull below waterline.
 
Thanks for all of the responses thus far! Glad to hear it isn't a dud. What about the condition of the bottom paint? Will that be an issue? Should I fear 1600 hours?
 
1600 hours sounds like a lot for a gas burner. I wouldn't worry about bottom paint if it's going in fresh water.
 
As far as the hours go, You are going to have to do a compression test, which means rolling the engines over. That will tell you a lot about what you need to know about the engines. Does the owner have any Maintenance Logs?

As far as the bottom is concerned, as long at there isn't any blistering, you should be fine.
 
He has done all of the work himself and has changed the oil every season usually in the spring. Engines winterized every year.

How much would a rebuild cost for an engine (Twin mercruiser 350 direct drive inboards with one counter rotating)?

As far as blisters go that is what I'm worried about. I've heard some people say that lack of bottom paint can cause blisters and others say it has no bearing whatsoever. What is the truth about that?
 
We have 2400 hours on 454s. They use less than a half quart every 100 hours. We have had the boat since it had 650 hours. We drive slow 1400 RPM mostly. Some time we take it up to 1800 for a few hours. A few times a year we will run it at 3800 for an hour or so to get out of a storm front or in high current areas may be 5 hours a year. We know people that have 454s that last 1000 hours because they run them at 3200 all the time. Realize you have 350s. Assume they will last if run slow and fail fast if run hard. Ask the owner what he runs them at. A new 350 for my jet boat with anti freeze system is about 7,000.
 
I don't intend to run them hard, but I do intend to cruise at just north of minimum planing speed. Should hopefully plane at lower than 3000rpm.

I will ask the owner how fast he ran them.
 
Saw the boat again today with my father and also met the current owner (brokerage boat). He has all of the original documentation as well as a log for what was done when. It is obvious that other than the lack of bottom paint/cleaning, the boat has been VERY well cared for.

I asked him how fast he ran it, and he said about 1300 rpm most of the time with a bit of time at 3200 rpm every month or so. I don't see myself cruising any faster than 2500 rpm if it's leveled off and running well by then. According to him, it should be.

The only other thing that concerned my father is that the boat tends to roll A LOT! I mentioned that the deadrise is about 22 degrees on this boat which is probably more than he is used to. Nevertheless, it is likely to make getting up and down off the foredeck a precarious (if not wet) affair!

@Capt. Don, did your Seadancer roll a lot tied to the dock?

Could this "roll" be indicative of problems?
 
Last edited:
Bump for update.

After looking at several more boats, I made an offer on the Seadancer. I will update this thread as soon as there are any more updates.

Thanks!
 
The only other thing that concerned my father is that the boat tends to roll A LOT! I mentioned that the deadrise is about 22 degrees on this boat which is probably more than he is used to. Nevertheless, it is likely to make getting up and down off the foredeck a precarious (if not wet) affair!

@Capt. Don, did your Seadancer roll a lot tied to the dock?

Could this "roll" be indicative of problems?
Click to expand...

Having a 10 foot beam like out 270DA, the rolling should not be an issue.
I would say from my personal experience it is very stable, especially when compared to the 26's with the 8.5 beams.
 
KC_Sundancer said:
Having a 10 foot beam like out 270DA, the rolling should not be an issue.
I would say from my personal experience it is very stable, especially when compared to the 26's with the 8.5 beams.
Click to expand...

Hey now KC, We just don't take pukers on the boat...LOL

Good luck with the purchase sgs01. Those Seadancers are definitely the best of all worlds. Very nice rigs. Too bad they did not make more of them.
 
One question to put my mind at ease. What is the likelihood that this boat has a problem with water intrusion in the stringers? I've heard some of the older Sea Rays have issues with this due to the limber holes not being properly sealed. I didn't feel under them unfortunately nor did I sound the stringers, so I'm not really sure. I didn't see any "brown stains" where water was leaking out of any of the bolts either on the transom or the stringers/engine mounts. Shaft logs are dry.

I also remember David Pascoe talking about the so-called "liner" construction that Sea Ray used. Is this a cause for concern?

The offer is of course contingent upon a satisfactory survey and sea trial, so I guess I will know more then.
 
Getaway said:
Hey now KC, We just don't take pukers on the boat...LOL
Click to expand...

Sorry no 260 harassment was intended. Hey you can always keep a bucket handy. :grin:


sgs01 said:
One question to put my mind at ease. What is the likelihood that this boat has a problem with water intrusion in the stringers? I've heard some of the older Sea Rays have issues with this due to the limber holes not being properly sealed. I didn't feel under them unfortunately nor did I sound the stringers, so I'm not really sure. I didn't see any "brown stains" where water was leaking out of any of the bolts either on the transom or the stringers/engine mounts. Shaft logs are dry.
I also remember David Pascoe talking about the so-called "liner" construction that Sea Ray used. Is this a cause for concern?
The offer is of course contingent upon a satisfactory survey and sea trial, so I guess I will know more then.
Click to expand...

Water intrusion: The real problem is actually not having limber holes at all in much of the construction.
I reconstructed our interior because of a soft spot on a step and on the floor. No water present but was wet at some time, wood core dry rotted and turned to powder.
A moisture meter would not have found that problem.
A few other foam filled areas held water because it had nowhere to drain out.
No stains is a good sign though.

The liner: no issue with the hull, "balsa core" hull construction was used on the much larger Sea Ray's. The Deck is cored though, surveyor should cover it.

Best of Luck with the survey and Sea Trial! :thumbsup:
 
Gelcoat itself is porous. Bottom paint will not protect a hull from blistering. There is a barrier coat product that could be applied over a stripped, clean hull (multiple layers usually applied) that is designed to seal the gelcoat. Bottom paint is added on top of the barrier coat. Some models are more prone to blistering than others but saying that, just having bottom paint in patchy poor condition may not be an indicator of a problem with the bottom.

Do a search on blistering for more information, but given the age of the boat and the hours of use I'd say its a good bet that the hull is fine. Any major issues would have surfaced by now. Your surveyed should give you an opinion on the hull as well.
 
TTT for update

Survey will be on Thursday, but I will not be present. I want the Surveyor to not be distracted and to focus on his work. Hopefully all goes well and I'll have this boat!

I will keep all of you apprised of the survey.
 
Dont listen to pasco too much,he just dont like searays,hes more a fan of pricier watercraft.
 
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