http://s253.photobucket.com/user/Vetterman/library/Sundancer%20Boat%20Renovations?sort=3&page=1&postlogin=true
last October we had a local marina buy a 2004 Sundancer 240 from a New York auction and ship it up to the Toronto area, it was a smoking good deal with a trailer etc but soon found out it needed some love.
The previous owner was a sea ray dealership and I think they used the boat as a rental or loaner (there were several tags all over the boat explaining what certain buttons did and how to use them) and the boat was beat up. The interior V-berth fabrics were stained and well worn, the interior carpet was disgusting, stained, flattened (you name it) and up in the cockpit the vinyl has a couple holes and most of the corners were cracked.
The motor was solid, so it was mostly just cosmetic stuff so we decided to replace all this with new vinyl and fabric which would give us a more modern looking boat and end up spending about the same (or mabey $5k more) then buying something that was well cared for and looked better, but still be older and dated looking.
The big thing for me was how to add modern electronics so I decided to remove the analogue gauges and replace them all with a Mercmonitor gauge and the Raymarine A78. Because my engine has smartcraft protocols that data signal would go straight to the mercmonitor gauge (I also needed a round gauge as the square ones would not fit my helm station) and it is also a gateway to nmea2000. So then I created a backbone that also used a nmea2000 starter kit and lastly a cable that changed the nmea protocol into seatalk protocol to go into the raymarine display. This gives me all engine data in various screens with both the mercmonitor and the virtual gauges in the A78, plus an awesome chartplotter and fishfinder all while avoiding bolting something on top of my helm that would only obstruct my view forward. Works awesome.
This is a photobucket link showing some pics of the old materials, the cockpit in tear down, what the new materials in the cockpit look like and my new helm. I have not taken pics of my v-berth yet because I am dealing with a leaky hatch and right now my brand new cushions are all water stained and in my garage. The joys of owning a boat!! hehe
Not sure I would go through the time and frustration of such an extensive reno again, but it does look good now that it is one, and I know I have more invested then what it will sell for, but I am not upside down by much unless more moneypit issues develop in the next few weeks!! hehe.
Dave
last October we had a local marina buy a 2004 Sundancer 240 from a New York auction and ship it up to the Toronto area, it was a smoking good deal with a trailer etc but soon found out it needed some love.
The previous owner was a sea ray dealership and I think they used the boat as a rental or loaner (there were several tags all over the boat explaining what certain buttons did and how to use them) and the boat was beat up. The interior V-berth fabrics were stained and well worn, the interior carpet was disgusting, stained, flattened (you name it) and up in the cockpit the vinyl has a couple holes and most of the corners were cracked.
The motor was solid, so it was mostly just cosmetic stuff so we decided to replace all this with new vinyl and fabric which would give us a more modern looking boat and end up spending about the same (or mabey $5k more) then buying something that was well cared for and looked better, but still be older and dated looking.
The big thing for me was how to add modern electronics so I decided to remove the analogue gauges and replace them all with a Mercmonitor gauge and the Raymarine A78. Because my engine has smartcraft protocols that data signal would go straight to the mercmonitor gauge (I also needed a round gauge as the square ones would not fit my helm station) and it is also a gateway to nmea2000. So then I created a backbone that also used a nmea2000 starter kit and lastly a cable that changed the nmea protocol into seatalk protocol to go into the raymarine display. This gives me all engine data in various screens with both the mercmonitor and the virtual gauges in the A78, plus an awesome chartplotter and fishfinder all while avoiding bolting something on top of my helm that would only obstruct my view forward. Works awesome.
This is a photobucket link showing some pics of the old materials, the cockpit in tear down, what the new materials in the cockpit look like and my new helm. I have not taken pics of my v-berth yet because I am dealing with a leaky hatch and right now my brand new cushions are all water stained and in my garage. The joys of owning a boat!! hehe
Not sure I would go through the time and frustration of such an extensive reno again, but it does look good now that it is one, and I know I have more invested then what it will sell for, but I am not upside down by much unless more moneypit issues develop in the next few weeks!! hehe.
Dave