SeaRay215
New Member
Hello! I am in need of some advice in regard to the possible purchase of a 2001 280DA vs. a 2005 260DA. I have done a search and read as much as I could, but would like some opinions about my specific "mission". Any advice is greatly appreciated.
My wife and I (no kids) currently own a 2004 215 Weekender that we purchased new. It has come down to selling the 215 and getting out of boating (at least until we can afford the "right" boat down the road) or upgrading to a larger boat with a maximum purchase price of $60,000. My wife would like the amenities that a cruiser affords -- shore power, a full bathroom and heat/AC. We do not have children and mostly boat alone. At the most, we have one other couple with us maybe 2-3 times a year. We would use the boat one night a weekend, an average of every other weekend from May thru October. We will not spend overnights "on the hook"... it will be at our marina or at a hotel's marina w/ shore power. We boat on the St. Lawrence River (fresh water) and will wet slip the boat. No trailering. We use the boat as more of a "floating cottage" than actual cruising. We would take a short trip (1-2 hrs.) the night we arrive to get dinner, and same thing next day before we leave for home. The boat will be 2.5 hours from home. We love the styling and cockpit seating configuration of the '05 and newer 260 DAs but, are aware that for a similar price we may be in the '01 280DA range, which like everyone mentions, bigger is usually better. Is it realistic to think we could get either year/model for our price range, or should we wait? We do not use the 215 at all... it is dry-stacked and has around 50 hours. We should have bought bigger from the get go... but wonder if the 280 is overkill for our mission. Thanks for any replies!
My wife and I (no kids) currently own a 2004 215 Weekender that we purchased new. It has come down to selling the 215 and getting out of boating (at least until we can afford the "right" boat down the road) or upgrading to a larger boat with a maximum purchase price of $60,000. My wife would like the amenities that a cruiser affords -- shore power, a full bathroom and heat/AC. We do not have children and mostly boat alone. At the most, we have one other couple with us maybe 2-3 times a year. We would use the boat one night a weekend, an average of every other weekend from May thru October. We will not spend overnights "on the hook"... it will be at our marina or at a hotel's marina w/ shore power. We boat on the St. Lawrence River (fresh water) and will wet slip the boat. No trailering. We use the boat as more of a "floating cottage" than actual cruising. We would take a short trip (1-2 hrs.) the night we arrive to get dinner, and same thing next day before we leave for home. The boat will be 2.5 hours from home. We love the styling and cockpit seating configuration of the '05 and newer 260 DAs but, are aware that for a similar price we may be in the '01 280DA range, which like everyone mentions, bigger is usually better. Is it realistic to think we could get either year/model for our price range, or should we wait? We do not use the 215 at all... it is dry-stacked and has around 50 hours. We should have bought bigger from the get go... but wonder if the 280 is overkill for our mission. Thanks for any replies!