1987

redneck joe

New Member
Nov 2, 2008
164
Tennessee
Boat Info
1979 2357 Montego
2003 3500 5.9 Dodge
Engines
260 HP Mercruiser, new SEI outdrive
1987 340 Express Cruiser

Hello all - I posted in the new "newbie" section but I guess too new for too many people to venture into. Or just tired of us newbies asking stupid questions. Speaking of stupid questions.....

I'm getting a bit more serious about buying a Sea Ray and just signed up the other day. I could post in the classic area, but the action appears to be here in the general section.



Looking at a 1987 340 weekender (express cruiser? - no mid cabin). This will be my first boat in a slip - always had a trailer before. Also a first is direct inboards absolutely no experiance and very limited knowledge here.

Heard a few things about balsa wood in some older Sea Rays but can't seem to find specifics save one place and it didn't appear to encompass this year/model.


A bit about me. Boating all my 42 years, just sold my first cabin cruiser that I had for about 3 years (87 Bayliner 2550) which also was my first I/O - prior to that mostly 18-20 runabouts with outboards, couple bass boats - the usual redneck stuff. Just married a couple months ago and she's fallen in love with boating over the last two years.

Just moved to TN from MO and will be running the Tennessee River (Nickajack Lake) mostly a few miles each weekend to a cove, occasional 50-100 mile runs for a long weekend.

What else will I need to know about this particular (of class) of boats?

expected fuel consumption at cruising speeds?

inherent issues with inboards? Big blocks?


I did take it out for a few miles with the seller, all seemed ok, smooth running, a bit of whine when engaged in forward/reverse.


looking forward to your help

(I was referred here by another forum btw)
 
Last edited:
OK Joe, I'll start you off.

Express SRs have straight drives, not V-drives, as the Sundancers have. If the boat weighs the same as the 89, it's about 4K lbs less than mine dry. At each RPM, each equivalent 454 will have the same fuel burn assuming they are loaded properly. So the GPH is the same but your MPG will be different from mine. Coming from smaller boats, expect to get severe shock when you visit the gas dock. All the smaller boats you describe burn anywhere from 6-12GPH at cruise speed. You will consume around 28GPH at around 24mph. With smaller boats it is common to make over 1 MPG at cruise. With this boat, dem days are OVER.

As for coring, I dont think SR was coring bottoms back them. Maybe hull sides or decks. I'm really not sure. My boat has a solid bottom. Regardless, you MUST get a good survey on a boat that old, esp a good hull survey.

Hopefully others will chime in and be more helpful than me. Unfortunately, unless the topic involves Gary, things have been slow around here since the weather got nippy.
 
Thanks ron. I was shocked first time I filled up the Bayliner (lovingly referred to as my Bayhole) - 100 gallons @ $3.50 although she did get just over 2mpg.


definately planning a survey - anybosy have recommendations for Knoxville TN?








yeah I notice a particularly long thread about that that I have not read. Figured you needed to be an old timer here to get it.


Dude - where's my gary?
 
I was in the same boat (pardon the pun) as you a few weeks back. I spent many hours reading posts and asking questions. I will be moving up from a bowrider with a V6, talk about fuel shock! I have my insurance through BoatUS and if you check the webpage they have a list of recommended surveyor which are certified. I was assuming it would help with the insurance process as well. I'm getting my 89 340EC delivered on Fri and will be working on it all winter to try and get it back up to top notch shape. I'll keep and eye out for you, as I'm sure we will have similar questions. First thing on my list is figure out how to winterize the damn thing!:smt100
 
Just a thought. My good friend had 1988 30 footer. It had a vacu-flush toilet but did not have pump out access. The only way to empty the waste was to pump it over board. You might want to check into that with that boat. If it is the same set-up you may have to make some modifications. I don't think you will be allowed to pump waste into the Tennessee River.

The other concern that comes to mind are the fuel tanks and fuel lines. Some older boats used materials that fail with today's fuel mixture. This may not apply to that boat, but it is worth asking the question of your surveyor. I'm sure someone will chime in on this.

Good luck.
 
Not sure of your particular model, but since I've got a 390 of that genre...
The side windows in the cabin leak- not much you can do about it. I drilled a weep hole through the bottom of the frame at the low corner to let the water drain back out.

You "probably" have a cored deck and cabin (I do). My swim platform is also cored (and dry as a bone, surprise). Do a search, a lot of discussion about the older EC's- including the lumber in the stringer weep holes not being sealed.

Your surveyor is probably aware of the common "issues" with the boat. Good luck!
 
I was in the same boat (pardon the pun) as you a few weeks back. I spent many hours reading posts and asking questions. I will be moving up from a bowrider with a V6, talk about fuel shock! I have my insurance through BoatUS and if you check the webpage they have a list of recommended surveyor which are certified. I was assuming it would help with the insurance process as well. I'm getting my 89 340EC delivered on Fri and will be working on it all winter to try and get it back up to top notch shape. I'll keep and eye out for you, as I'm sure we will have similar questions. First thing on my list is figure out how to winterize the damn thing!:smt100

Did you look thru the Winterization List I sent you? Any questions? I'll told you I'll be glad to help you with any information.
 
Re: 1987 340 Express Cruiser

You will like the 340....asto things to look out for: Leaking windows..check headliner for stains. The 340 did have a problem with moisture in the transom and usually the first two stringers forward. Get a Survey...absolutely the best investment you can make. Moisture in the transom is not that big a deal as long as it is limited to the lower third at around 60%. More than that could be an issue. I do know lots of owners of 340s that have more moisture and it doesn't seem to be much of a problem in their eyes. As for fuel consumption, at cruising speed I would count on 1 mile per gallon..it seems most SeaRays in the 30 to 34 range burn that rate.
Good luck...and again the best money you will ever spend is on a good survey by a competent accredited non-biased marine surveyor.
 
Captain Don, I read your checklist. Holy Cow! I need a binder to store it! Makes me think twice about getting a big boat. You don't miss a thing do you? The boat is being delivered fri, so this weekend I will be working on it this weekend. The stores around you are different. Never heard of a Salks. Annual fuel costs are expensive, got me scared. I'll have lots of questions this weekend or next week once I get in the bilge and start poking around.
 
Thanks for the responses guys (gals?)

Vince – aluminum fuel tanks, not sure about lines but that should be something I can do. Even if I could I would not pump into the river.

Tobnpr – leaking windows – can’t a person pull and reset? I did that on all (sides and hatch) on my Bayliner. From the limited stuff I’ve found a cored deck and cabin should not be much of an issue it would be the hull? Since Sea Rays are made in Knoxville and there are plenty of them I’m sure a local surveyor seen a few probs and knows what to look for. I’ve got a friend that runs a quasi boat forum (sounds like this gary person would fit in over there) that lives in Knox as well who’s owned a bun of Sea Rays over the years – he’s been helping.

Coyote – the boat in your sig line looks just like the one I am considering save it has full camper canvas. You took a big jump from a bowrider to a 34! My 25 Bayliner was what got me hooked on cruisers and I thought (at the time) that thing was HUGE.

I’m also looking at a 85 300 DA but it needs quite a bit of work finish wise but the beam on the 34 is just incredible for the amount of space – I think I’m hooked and can’t look back.

Again – thanks for the info – throw any more out that I need to know to help me decide/look out for.
 
Joe, I was looking at 26-28 and a friend has a 300 weekender. He told me he had a Wellcraft 25ft and it was never big enough, so if your gonna do it, just go ahead and get a 30 or 32. That way you skip the 2ft syndrome. I have been looking for about 1 1/2 years and someone in the friends neighborhood had this boat and another and just wanted to get out of paying insurance and slip fees for it, so I got a good deal(I think). I almost rushed into buying a 32ft Wellcraft but the guy wouldn't wait for me to survey the boat, so I told him "no way"! Too much to throw down the tubes for a boat that may be worthless. Good luck and keep in touch with any good ideas you want to share. Get Captain Don to send his checklist, even though some of the stuff doesn't apply (he has diesel) most of it is good info. PM me and I can forward it with his permission.:grin:
 
Tobnpr – leaking windows – can’t a person pull and reset?

Sure- the entire assembly can be unscrewed and removed from the hullsides and re-bedded. The prior owner of my boat did them and the windhsield before I purchased it. The window/hull joint on mine doesn't leak, it's the windows themselves.
The plexi windows are set in rubber weatherstripping which leaks- the problem is that the aluminum frame/track fills with water and doesn't have weepholes. The entire window runs "downhill" aft towards the cabin bulkhead, so the water collects there and then spills over and down onto the salon settee.

Fuel tanks- one of the reasons I bought the boat- the PO had just replaced the tanks two years before. I have the receipt from his yard (Ouch)- they pulled the deck off the back of the boat to get to them. I'm sure your surveyor will check them for corrosion at least to the point where he can see it. Aluminum tanks can last almost indefinitely if protected from corrosion with a quality coal-tar epoxy, but most boat builders don't go to the extra expense.

I'll add one more thing due to another problem I just found- leaking rubrail. Some of the 1x wood strip that secures the screws at the hull/deck joint was rotted away in a couple of areas on my boat. I don't think it's a big deal, but I'm in the process of re-sealing the rubrail. You can check for this- up inside the cabinets, etc. at the hull/deck joint you can feel for the wood strip behind the carpeted hullside liner. If it's soft and mushy it ain't right.

Don't let any of this scare you- the older SR's are well built, this is mostly stuff you'd have to deal with on any older boat. To tell the truth, I prefer buying older vessels and refurbing them as kind of a hobby. As long as the hull is sound, you can have a (literally) good as new boat for a fraction of the price.
 
Sure- the entire assembly can be unscrewed and removed from the hullsides and re-bedded. The prior owner of my boat did them and the windhsield before I purchased it. The window/hull joint on mine doesn't leak, it's the windows themselves.
The plexi windows are set in rubber weatherstripping which leaks- the problem is that the aluminum frame/track fills with water and doesn't have weepholes. The entire window runs "downhill" aft towards the cabin bulkhead, so the water collects there and then spills over and down onto the salon settee.

OK - I used to be in the glass business so I should be able to handle this.


a quality coal-tar epoxy,

anything can be done with them in place or only after pulling them out?


Don't let any of this scare you- the older SR's are well built, this is mostly stuff you'd have to deal with on any older boat. To tell the truth, I prefer buying older vessels and refurbing them as kind of a hobby. As long as the hull is sound, you can have a (literally) good as new boat for a fraction of the price.


yep - last boat was 85 Bayliner so I ain't skeered of nuthing. :grin:

I actually prefer older boat for that reason - I see no sense in spending $ on new besides most newer ones don't look (styling) near as good.
 

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