1985 30' Sea Ray 300DB Sedan Bridge Project

[Captain B]

Hey guys!!

I am new here and to the Sea Ray brand boat and new to this size boat, but not new to boats. Here's a little bit about me for your reference. I live in South Eastern PA and spend my water time on the Upper Chesapeake Bay. This Sea Ray is my 4th boat and the biggest. I also have a 20' open bow boat that we blast around the bay on and use for water sports. I am a do it yourself guy so I plan to tackle almost all of the tasks myself but will call in extra help when needed.

So here's the boat. It's a 1985 30' Sea Ray 300DB Sedan Bridge powered by 2 remaned 350 gas engines with Fresh Water Cooling and V drives. She will be a project boat but I am looking forward to making her better than original. She is functional now, as in she floats and runs so we will be using it and fixing up as we go. The boat is currently located about 3 hours away from me in Cape May NJ and shrink wrapped for the winter. I am trying to spend some time on it here and there over the winter going over as much as I can to make sure she will be ready for the trip back to the Upper Chesapeake sometime in April. The current plan is to bring her back on her bottom, up the Delaware Bay and through the C&D canal.

She is going to need quite a bit of work to get her ship-shape but I am in it for the long haul! Hopefully I can share what I learn here with and learn from you guys as I go. I already found out that there are 2 other members here with the same boat, so I am super excited about that!!! (Pack66Dad & AKBASSKING)

Welcome aboard one and all! Looking forward to hearing your feedback. Here are the pics! This is how I purchased the boat in late Oct. 2011.

On the hard for the Winter looking down the Starboard side:

Starboard Aft corner w/ swim platform:

Starboard Aft w/ Flybridge:

Port side - Color is off because the sun was setting against it:

Bow Deck as seen from the flybridge. Love having the extra hatches:

Upper Helm on Flybridge:

Transom with door and swim platform:

Starboard bottom:

Port bottom:

Prop Pockets - Shallow draft will be great for running around the Upper Chesapeake Bay:

Sofa and Lower Helm:

The Galley:

Master Berth in the Vee:

The Head:

Starboard Engine:

Port Engine:

Engines from the Flybridge:

Thats all for now, I will be updating more soon of what I have been able to work on so far! :grin:

 

[moparlvr4406]

VERY NICE
you may have gotten a steal on that one :wink:

 

[Someday Lady II]

Congratulations!
Looks like a great boat, a great project and it sounds like you are going to have a geat time.
Bob

 

[AKBASSKING]

Welcome! There is also a third 300DB owner who is in Canada, Vancouver Island: rstaub

I noticed it looks like your waste deck fill is on the STBD side of the transom and what is the black hole right above your boarding ladder? Lots of work. Let me know if you have any questions and I have a lot of rebuild threads here too. Wiring schematic coming to you tomorrow.

 

[Captain B]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys. Like I said before, its great to see some other guys with the same boat.

AKBASSKING - yep, my pump out for the holding tank is on the starboard of the transom above the boarding ladder. My holding tank is right inside the engine room the the starboard aft corner. Is yours in the same place? The black spot on the transom above the boarding ladder and below the grab handle is a snap so you can snap the ladder in place when its flipped up.

I'll be looking back at all your threads as I work on this old girl. Thanks again!

 

[Pack66Dad]

Sweet!

So familiar but a lot of subtle differences. Like the 120 control panel is by the lower helm on your boat, mine is next to the galley. I have the three hatches on the bow deck too, most only have the one. I also noticed your holding tank is on the starboard, mine is on the port side. Your counter tops are black and mine are white. Lots of stuff is almost exactly the same. It looks like your boat came with the "pink" hue interior the same as mine. The Admiral has it all changed now but it was very close to yours when we bought it.

So many questions, so exciting! Do you have a macerator? a genset? vacuum?

I'm impressed, the interior looks great and no water damage. You have a great boat there. I cannot wait to see it blossom this spring:smt038

 

[Captain B]

So familiar but a lot of subtle differences. Like the 120 control panel is by the lower helm on your boat, mine is next to the galley. I have the three hatches on the bow deck too, most only have the one. I also noticed your holding tank is on the starboard, mine is on the port side.

Interesting. I wonder if these are just changes that they made from the 1985 to 1986 year? My shore power plug is right beside the lower helm, on the starboard side as well. Looks like they moved that stuff from starboard to port in '86. (Shower power, pump out, etc.)

It looks like your boat came with the "pink" hue interior the same as mine. The Admiral has it all changed now but it was very close to yours when we bought it.

Yep, you are right. I am not a huge fan of it, I like the darker, more maroon color better. We will see what the admiral thinks when I reveal it to her!

So many questions, so exciting! Do you have a macerator?

Yep, its in the starboard aft corner of the engine room, squeezed in tightly right behind the holding tank.

a genset?

Sadly, there is not one in the boat right now. I believe there was at one point as it appears that it is wired for an onan and there is an extra seacock capped off in the engine room that I think would have fed one. I will know more when I dig into all of the wiring. Going to be keeping my eye open for one though, I would love to add one at some point. I plan to use it more away from the dock than at it.

vacuum?

Vacuum?!?!?!? Really, wow, you really did find one with all of the options!! I double checked and it looks like that option wasn't added till '86. Do you guys use it?

Well, she has been a "dock queen" for the last several years so I have a lot of cleaning to do on it, which I am sure will lead to more and more that needs done. But overall, I am happy with the shape its in so far. Lots to do, 1 project at a time.

Thanks for all of the interest guys, I will try to upload more pictures soon!

 

[jorge]

Hi: There,
you just have a great boat, they go the same from 1985 until 1987 y do have the same model , and keep fixing on the way we use every weekend. love to see your pictures keep posting please.I like the idea to have the holding tank on the engine room like your ,mine is inside the cavin under the floor second hacth!
any question please just aks this is a great forum with great people in it.
good luck.
Jorge:thumbsup:

 

[Pyrojodge]

Good luck with your project... I'll be keeping up with your progress as well. Had one of these a few docks down from me I think it was called Over Powered... the owner builds racing engines for a living and ofcourse has a crazy pair of hearts for his boat... again good luck and welcome

 

[AKBASSKING]

AKBASSKING - yep, my pump out for the holding tank is on the starboard of the transom above the boarding ladder. My holding tank is right inside the engine room the the starboard aft corner. Is yours in the same place?

My holding tank is on the stbd side, but the pump out is on the port side. The genny spot is under the aft port dinette cushion. I replaced all the laminated plywood used in the aft bulkhead (rear windows) with starboard. Yes there is a thread. Good luck and let me know if I can answer any questions...... Word of Caution! Let the admiral do the interior decorating and get rid of the monkey carpet..!!

 

[Pack66Dad]

Vacuum?!?!?!? Really, wow, you really did find one with all of the options!! I double checked and it looks like that option wasn't added till '86. Do you guys use it?

Oh hell yes.... at least the Admiral does. It was a huge selling point for her. I had to find a new 30' long hose because the original was a bit rough. Now she vacuums clear out to the swim step and it works great. Much better than the shop vac she had for our last boat.

 

[Pack66Dad]

Word of Caution! Let the admiral do the interior decorating and get rid of the monkey carpet..!!

HEY!

We like our monkey fur!! If its still in good shape I would keep it...... unless your Admiral doesn't like it...... but that is a lot of work :smt009

ps- my Admiral cleans the monkey fur with the built in vacuum

 

[rstaub]

Welcome Capt B. Glad to hear you're a DIY kind of guy cause you'll definitely be busy. I've done/had done a lot of work on my boat as well - do a search to check out the interior. If you're going to get a new genset make sure to get a sound shield and treat the compartment with sound absorbsion material as well. Let me know if you're going to replace the fuzzy material that the windows slide in (it's called schlagel). I did mine - not a fun job - and I have enough left over to do another boat. Good luck!

 

[AKBASSKING]

Welcome Capt B. Glad to hear you're a DIY kind of guy cause you'll definitely be busy. I've done/had done a lot of work on my boat as well - do a search to check out the interior. If you're going to get a new genset make sure to get a sound shield and treat the compartment with sound absorbsion material as well. Let me know if you're going to replace the fuzzy material that the windows slide in (it's called schlagel). I did mine - not a fun job - and I have enough left over to do another boat. Good luck!

I will have to agree relacing the window fuzzy sucks big time, but needed to be done on mine too...

 

[Captain B]

Welcome Capt B. Glad to hear you're a DIY kind of guy cause you'll definitely be busy. I've done/had done a lot of work on my boat as well - do a search to check out the interior. If you're going to get a new genset make sure to get a sound shield and treat the compartment with sound absorbsion material as well. Let me know if you're going to replace the fuzzy material that the windows slide in (it's called schlagel). I did mine - not a fun job - and I have enough left over to do another boat. Good luck!

Well, I like to be busy so thats good! Unfortunately the boat is almost 3 hours away right now so I haven't gotten out to it as much as I would like too. But we are getting there. Progress should pick up once I get it back here in the spring!

The window fuzzy, hmm, going to need to check on that. I saw AKBASSKING's thread on it and it does look like fun, thats for sure. Thanks for the offer, I will let you know if I will be doing the job after I get back out there again!

 

[Captain B]

Well, it's time for another update and some more pics! As you know, I purchased the boat back in late October of 2011 but it is 3 hours away so progress is slow.

First Project:

When I bought the boat, the previous owner had ripped out the dinette as he liked having the extra room in the boat. He didn't have anything there, just empty space. I decided I didn't like this idea and defiantly wanted the dinette put back in. As part as my offer, I made sure that all the pieces to the dinette were included. Man, its like putting a life-size jig saw puzzle back together! :smt101 If any of you guys wouldn't mind taking several pics of your dinette and sending them to me that would be awesome!! Looking for pics of the wood down below the cushions and at the base and maybe with cushions off so I can see the wood structure inside them. I have gotten a good start on it, but need to finish it. Here are some pics of it mostly sitting in place, nothing is secured yet though.

:smt021 I have one of the drawers, but the other one was missing. I am on the lookout for one if I can find it, otherwards, I guess I will be making one eventually!

:smt009 I am going to try and find new table legs and bases at an RV parts store. These are in really bad shape and I don't think that they are going to clean up to good.

This is one are that has me stumped. I believe that this cushion goes here, however the seat is too high for the cushion to slip under the window and if I leave it like it is, the cushion is to long that it sticks off the end of the bench!! Are both of your bench seats the same heights guys?

:smt100 So any help that you guys can give would be awesome!!! I think I have or can make any pieces I need, but some reference pics would make the job so much easier!

 

[Captain B]

Engine Tune Up:

Well, I did some poking around the engines and I want to give them a good tune up before her first voyage so I decided to start with the plugs. This boat has been a "dock queen" for the last 4 - 5 years, and only taken out occasionally, so I know it needs a good tune up. Here are the plugs before hand:

Here is the Distributor with all new plug wires installed. New distributor caps just arrived today so they will be installed on my next trip out there.

Pay no attention to the rusty old support channel for the engine access covers, they will be replaced!!!

Other items on the engine tune up list:

• Rebuild Carb's - They are currently pulled so I can do them when I am not at the boat
• Replace all belts
• Rebuild water pumps
• Tighten all hose clamps
• Check seacocks for proper operation
• Other odds and ends as I work in there and find more to do!

Some stuff will wait till she's back in the water to check again - shaft packings, etc.

 

[Captain B]

Cooking Equipment:

Well, I need to do some reading up on this new-to-me cooking equipment. I have a Magma Grill that will be installed on the boat and I prefer to do most of my cooking outside to keep the heat out of the cabin when its warm out. However, I would like to have this alcohol stove working for the early spring and late fall trips some day. No genny currently installed. but want to add one some day. (more on that to come later) Do you guys have any quick advice on testing/using the alcohol portion of these cooktops? Like I said, I have some reading to do!

 

[Captain B]

Generator: Dream Project for some day!

Well, there is currently no generator installed on this boat. However, it looks to me like it have come equipped with an Onan when it was built. Here is a pic of my AC panel that is located right beside the lower helm. (Right above the seat, the shore plug is right here on the outside of the boat as well.)

Here is a pic of the Onan switch and Shore Power switch right beside the AC panel:

Don't ask me why the switch is installed upside down, I have no idea!?!? :wow: I haven't tried the shore power yet and won't until I get a chance to trace down some electrical wires as I want to make sure that everything is safe to be turned on first. As AKBASSKING says, I am a "sparkie" by trade so this shouldn't be a problem. Just need the time to tackle it.

I am hoping that if I look long enough I will be able to score a great deal on a used generator and add it pretty simply as it was already wired for on in the past. I need to actually confirm this, but it looks to me like it may have been. However, I don't think I have any extra wires under the dinette cushion where AKBASSKING has his genny located. I am assuming that it might have been installed in the engine room in front of the Port Engine. I have an extra seacock there that is capped off and doesn't go to anything. I need to do some digging around to confirm! Would be a pain in the but to work on here though!

 

[Captain B]

Boat Stuff:

Well, since the boat is almost 3 hours away and all I seem to do is daydream about her and what needs done, I pass the time by looking for great deals on equipment that I know I will need. Hey, at least I feel like I am getting something done! Heres some pics of some items I was able to get awhile.

Here is the list:

• New VHF antenna
• New Icom 504 VHF Radio
• New Command Mic III for VHF radio control on the bridge and intercom with VHF in the cabin.
• New Manson Supreme Anchor
• New Fortress Anchor - Spare, emergency anchor
• 4 new Dock Lines Double Braided
• 2 new auto inflatable life jackets for the Admiral and me
• 2 new rail mount fender holders
• 4 new boat fenders to match boat color
• New fresh water pump - Old one was removed and was only using city water inlet
• 2 new fire extinguishers
• 1 new off-shore flare kit
• New Life sling throwable device
• New Extendable boat hook
• Used Raymarine C90W for the bridge

Still have lots more to get, just slowly picking them up as I come across the good deals!! Well, I hope to be to the boat later this week or next week to get some more work done on her!

Thanks for following along guys!