1998 370 Sundancer purchase questions

04cobra23

04cobra23

Member
Aug 21, 2014
344
Boca Raton Florida
Boat Info
340DA and 215LR
Engines
Twin 8.1's and 4.3 Merc
Hello all I am new to the forums and hope to be around for a long time to get to know all of you!!

Anyway I am in the market for a Searay to replace my current boat. I think I found a good deal on a 37 (even though I really want a 30-34). Unfortunately I have a trade so finding the right deal is extremely difficult. The boat has around 600 hours with 8.1 L MPI MerCruisers. It seems to be in decent shape with some cosmetic things to be done (screens on windows are shot, seats are OK but will need replacing, etc). Anything I should look for? How is the resale on these? What is a good price?

Thank you,

Louis
 
Saltwater? Make sure the surveyor checks the risers and manifolds for rot and signs of water ingestion. I believe this is a common problem on the 380DA in salt/brackish water.
 
Thanks guys. I'm also aggressively looking at a 04 300 DA. Just have to pull the trigger on one of them.
 
I have a 95 370 and love it. Survey was amazing when I bought it and the boat continues to please us with every use. The investment in a survey is invaluable. The difference in size from a 340 to 370 may be a determining factor. It's really what the boat is going to be used for.

Mark
 
Go with the 370, you won't regret it. The layout is near perfect, the size is manageable with gassers and the '98 has most of the items that were optional in earlier years.

The Admiral and I love our 370. Check out the 370 thread here in CSR, it is one of the longest and most visited threads on the site.

Gene
 
Moisture has been no more of a problem on the 370DA than it has on any 340, 2320 or 300. The 370 is a superb boat and is in my opinion more user friendly, a better sea boat, easier to handle and much easier to work ion that the others you list. Heck….this wouldn't even be a close call for me.

One factor worth considering is that the 370 has almost exactly the same systems on it as do the other boats, so the learning curve and management will be the same length and require no more effort with much larger better riding boat.
 
I am going to look at the 370 interior on Saturday. My wife thinks the 370 is just too much and unnecessary lol. I do like the 300 it seems to fit what we use the boat for but I guess whichever is the better deal. I will post tomorrow both deals and maybe you guys could shed some light.
 
We started with a 300 Weekender and then decided to grow bigger... I was in the 400 range and then by the grace of God go I, I stumbled across our 450 and yes it was a jump to 51' overall, but I wouldn't change it for a second. The only time I would even consider not going larger is if it was trailerable or not at 26-28'.

04cobra23 said:
I am going to look at the 370 interior on Saturday. My wife thinks the 370 is just too much and unnecessary lol. I do like the 300 it seems to fit what we use the boat for but I guess whichever is the better deal. I will post tomorrow both deals and maybe you guys could shed some light.
Click to expand...
 
04cobra23 said:
I am going to look at the 370 interior on Saturday. My wife thinks the 370 is just too much and unnecessary lol. I do like the 300 it seems to fit what we use the boat for but I guess whichever is the better deal. I will post tomorrow both deals and maybe you guys could shed some light.
Click to expand...

The big question is how do you plan to use it? For day trips, overnights and the odd weekend with just the two of you, something like the 300 would be OK. If you plan on spending more than a couple of days on the boat, or bringing friends long on a regular basis, there is no substitute for the extra room in the bigger boat. It may seem like "too much" when you are just looking it over, but see how you feel about it on the 4th day at anchor when you are out of fresh water and tired of being in each other's lap every minute of the day.
 
Her feeling on the issue is that we should grow into the bigger boat not make such a jump off the bat (We have a 23' now). I understand her side and want her to be happy but I do not want to make the wrong decision here. The 04 300 is a nice boat and would work plentiful for what we use it for. The 37 is a beautiful boat with tons of room and I may be able to get a great deal on one.
 
That's a valid point of view, but only if the cost to upgrade later isn't a factor. Whichever boat you buy, you will sell later for much less money. You will still pay upfront costs (sales tax/registration/repairs/maintenance/etc.) which can never be recouped. We started looking in the 25' range, but decided to skip several generations of "two-foot-itis" and buy the boat we thought we would use for many years to come.

We will be using it for years, but not for the right reasons. 2 years later and we've already decided that we need to move to a trawler in the 40+ foot range to really do what we want. I could have bought that boat first if we had been more realistic and knowledgeable. Now I have enough sunk costs in the current boat that I couldn't make upgrade today, no matter how much I sell the current boat for, so doing what we really want is being pushed further into the future.
 
As some have eluded to, look at your present needs and also those that may be there two or three years from now - you'll save yourself some coin in the long run if you can fit your present and future profile with one purchase now instead of having to adjust in a year or two.

We went from a 98' 310 to a 98' 370. The difference between the two is stunning. Not only the 6' in length, but the 16" in width is extremely noticeable. Our use varies, from our family of four spending weekends on it, me and 6-8 buds hanging out, or just myself and wife on a nice cruise. Our 310 was a great boat, but the difference is night and day in all aspects. We've gained across the board in every category with the exception of performance as the 310 was noticeably faster. Not a big deal for us - we absolutely love our 370.

As far as what to look for - get a survey. No small investment, and you want to be as sure as humanly possible. I'm not aware of anything imparticular to look for as it seems the 370 is a real solid unit.


Think of your use and get the boat that fits it now and for a few years.
 
I bought a brand new Stingray 215LR in October because we originally wanted something to trailer around for family vacations, long weekends, etc. That idea didn't last as we keep the boat in a marina and just avoid the hassle of trailering it. She doesn't like "cabins" so if we did go to bimini we would more than likely stay in a hotel but she did say she would try sleeping on it to see how she feels. Our main use of the boat would be taking it out on a Sunday will some friends and just anchor somewhere, her an I and my 2 dogs taking it out for a spin maybe cooking a little dinner. Usually we go out with around 8-10 people. (I almost got a 28 DA but the cockpit area was way to small) I definitely want to take the Bimini run but as far as spending many "weekends" on the boat, that would not be realistic at this point. Now I am getting killed on my current boat but I am just not happy with it so I have looked past that part. This is the reason I am so torn here as I do not want to make the wrong choice again.
 
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