240 Dancer vs 250 Amberjack

DragonAnchor

DragonAnchor

Member
Oct 22, 2007
342
Falls Church, VA
Boat Info
290 Sundancer 2006
Engines
5.0 BIII
Well it took us a couple years to determine our boating style and needs. We started with a 260DA, moved up to a 310 DA and now are looking at moving to a 240DA or 250 Amberjack.

First and foremost we need something that is trailerable. Tow Vehicle is a 04 F150 rated to tow 7500 lbs. With rising gas costs, slip fees and all the nice family boating sites around the DC area a decent cruising distance, Its far more economical to go with a trailerable boat. My inlaws live by a couple nice lakes in NC and my dad is in FL. The 310 is a great boat but not very portable :)

I like the comfort and style of the 08 240DA, it has all the amenities that the wife and kid like including AC and shorepower setup for those times we overnite at a marina. Engine is a 350MAG.

The 250 Amberjack is 500lbs lighter and almost 20 inches longer. It is a 2007 with a 350MAG engine and has tons of get up and go. It has a very open cockpit, but is fairly plain as its main function is as a fishing boat. I did like the ride, but the water was smooth and any boat would have been nice that day.

My wifes concern is the difference in stability between the 240 and the 250. Mostly we will use this boat on the Potomac River, a couple lakes in NC with possible trips to FL or Chesapeake Bay.

There is a bit of difference in price, but this is the boat we willl be keeping and using for the forseeable future.

Does anyone out there have any insight into the handling differences between the 240 and the 250?

The 250 is a new 07 boat and the 240 a new 08 boat. I did notice that SeaRay did not make the 250 Amberjack this year. The dealer has 4 instock which leads me to believe that they were not popular with the boating crowd in the DC area.

Thanks in advance & whichever boat we get, I look forward to many more posts here and getting to know this community
 
Ah . . .welcome to the "I want it all" club.

You want a big cabin cruiser that is stable in all conditions with plenty of power. . .that can be towed with a *small* truck.

I think you want to ensure that you have some tow margin with your rig. A nominal 7000lb boat will weigh in significantly higher with fuel, water, toys. Not to mention the boat weight does not include the trailer weight.

Having said that. . .I concur that the 250 ambejack is a fishing boat. If you ain't fishing,
I honestly don't think you want this boat.

I have been on the 2006 240DA -> that boat struck me as simply too small for a cabin cruiser. It clearly looks to make the most you can get away with and still be *easily* towable; but I worry that the boat is just attempting to do too much. Considering how much money you have hanging around after selling a 310. . .I would suggest you consider a 260DA and a bigger truck :) Oh wait. . .you already HAD a 260? Why did you give it up?

I have a SeaRay 280SS. Currently made as a 290SS. A cuddy configuration is optimal for day use; but will only sleep two in the cabin; and is too heavy for your truck.

Also. . .considering you track record. . . .yo9u probably want to shop used.
 
In my opinion it really comes down to amentities and how you intend to use the boat. i have always thought of the 250 as a big cuddy devoid of a lot of things you find on cruisers such as the 240DA. I guess if I were trying to choose between the two I would go for the 240DA.
 
:)

I do want it all :) but have to be realistic. I want to go fishing, just fishing wont be the primary use for the boat.

I bought the 2002 260DA used, had a genset put on it and loved it for a couple years. Times were good, economy was good and I kept it in a slip. I did not have a vehicle that could tow it.

Time were still good and I upgraded to a 1998 310DA, kept it in a slip.

Then times got a bit tight, winterizing and maintaining a twin engine boat got to be expensive. Felt the crunch and still hung on, just cut back on long boat adventures. Slip fees are ~ $10 per foot per month up here now.

We travel more now to see family and it would be real nice to take the boat. Also would be great to tow it to the Chesapeake Bay and boat there.

The 250 weights 5100lbs dry and the 240 weights 5600lbs dry. The F150 will pull 7500 safely, so either boat has a decent margin on it. The 260DA starts at 7800lbs. The 250 is also a bit cheaper cause it doesnt have all the gadgets.

I BRIEFLY considered a used boat, but having gone that route already, I wanted something brand new as I finally know what I need/want for the foreseeable future. I also need to trade in the 310DA. Over the years I have built an excellent relationship with Prince William Marina up here and am able to make a great deal despite the current market.

For me, I would be out in the water with a 14ft and an outboard and still have a great time. But with a 20year old, an 8year old and wife, I need something a bit bigger. :) I love the simplicity of the Amberjack, straightforward, not alot of bells and whistles to go wrong and if it was just me, I would have towed it home this weekend :grin:

The more I think about it tho, the more I lean to the 240DA, I can still go fishing, tow it and the wife will have all the creature comforts. I guess I just needed a sounding board and some objective opinions here

Thanks!
 
Dragon Anchor

You might try sending a PM to jg300da if he doesn't comment here on this thread. He downsized from a 300DA to a new 240DA this year as well so he might have a different perspective as it relates to family use. I know that all these pocket cruisers, including my 260DA, all have a lot of compromises associated with them. But if I had to downsize now, I would pick the 240DA over the 250. My wife would definitely be much happier with that decision as well.

Dave
 
Dave S said:
In my opinion it really comes down to amentities and how you intend to use the boat. i have always thought of the 250 as a big cuddy devoid of a lot of things you find on cruisers such as the 240DA. I guess if I were trying to choose between the two I would go for the 240DA.
Click to expand...
I agree with Dave, but I'm sure you know why. I fish with my boat. I troll with the rod holders off the back and sometimes do some casting of the bow on the shore lines.
Besides, my wife never would have gone the fishing boat route. I guess you know who's boss here!
 
Different strokes for different folks.

The small cruisers are ALL about compromise. The need to be on a trailer is a big one. There are people on this board who trailerboat with 280DA's.. . .complete with WIDE LOAD banners.

For me. . .if I had to do it over again. . . .I think a 290SLX would serve my needs better than a cuddy.

And I have also experience the blessing/curse of twin engines. (twice the cost, twice the breakdowns, but a mechanical failure in the middle of of an inlet with 3' waves and 4knot current provided no more aggrevation for the crew than pulling out a full round of drinks from the fridge (I was plenty aggrevated, however))
 
Compromise is indeed the name of the game as Dave and the others have pointed out. The 240/260 have some unique handling characteristics that have been well documented here so I wont get into those. I will be honest here, if you are downsizing from a 310DA, there will be a large adjustment period. My wife and I overnighted at least a dozen times this season, and while not nearly as roomy as the 300 or 310 it can be done. We are not large people but we found that sleeping together in the v-berth was not gonna work. I sleep in the mid cabin giving each of us plenty of room. Storage is also a big issue as there simply isn't enough for a long trip. Weekends seem to be about the max for us.
Overall we knew the limitations and were happy with what we were able to accomplish. If you have any specific questions about the 240 I'll be glad to help if I can.

Joe
 
If you are considering the 250AJ because of fishing, then i would definitely go the 240DA route. With the canopies down, you can fish pretty well off of a 240. All the other amenities you get with the 240DA will make your wife happier. And a happier wife means a happier you!

The 240DA doesnt do anything perfectly, but it does almost everything very well. Good luck!

Mike
 
First of all, let me thank all of you for your input. It helped clear up the priorities!!

We have decided to go with the 08 240DA. It is a 2 tone Pewter hull with black canvas, has all the amenities including AC, camper canvas, anchor roller, GPS/Chartplotter. All sitting on a Tidewater tandem axle trailer.

The only thing left is the paperwork !! Barring any unforseen roadblocks, I expect to tow this home this weekend or the next at the latest.

I will ofcourse post pics & be back asking questions about it specifically and the winter upgrades I already have in mind! ie 12v flip down tv, trim tab lights... etc


Thanks again
(sig will change when the new boat is in the driveway)
 
*Update*

Paperwork went thru fine. My bank still loves me.

All thats left is the closing.

The boat I am buying is not the boat I drove tho. The one I am buying is still under factory shrink-wrap and the dealer is offering to store it over the winter and deliver in the springtime. Delivery in the spring is ofcourse subject to sea trials of the actual boat.

Is this normal? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

On the plus side, it will be at their facility, hopefully in the boat-tel and its well being their responsibility instead of sitting in my driveway waiting for an icestorm or my neighbors trees to shed leaves and possibly limbs on.

On the downside, I cant sit in it over the winter and make boat noises (as I read someone else here is planning on). I also cannot do any winter projects, not that it needs any, but I had thought on adding lights either to the trim tabs or under the swim platform as well as a 12v tv.

Also, tho its a VERY remote possibility, I wont be able to take it to my dads in FL over the christmas holiday. Not 100% we are going anyway, but if we did, it would be nice to show it off.
 
If you are paying for it now then by all means get a sea trial now before it gets put away for the winter. If you don't have to pay for it until spring, then let it sit until then.
 
I'm confused, you're closing on a boat that's still under factory shrink wrap? Or are they going to prep it so you can wet test it? Then they're going to winterize and hold it till spring?
 
:)

And this is why I am glad I found this forum.

From the reactions so far, I "was" about to make a big dumb mistake.

I havent set the closing date yet, just got approval from the bank of my loan app. It appears I have skipped a few details with the dealer before getting to this point in the process.

The dealer wanted to close now and deliver the boat in the spring. With sea trials in the spring as well. I did not know if this was a common or even acceptable practice, so I came here to ask. Let me say that the 2 previous boats I have owned I bought from the same dealer and have had no bad experiences with them... knock on wood...

I can see how they can offer winter storage with little to no cost to them if they dont unwrap the boat this fall, in the spring they just have to do their normal prep when they get a boat from the factory.

Am I crazy to buy a boat that I havent driven? It is a brand new 08 240da. Does that matter at all? I would hate to get to spring time and find out it has issues and I have to delay using it next spring. I would rather it be ready to go when boating season starts.
 
There you go, the reason he offered to store until spring is because he doesn't intend to even touch it till spring. It's up to you to decide if you want to close on it now.
p.s. I doubt very much he'll be storing it indoors.
 
Last edited:
DragonAnchor said:
The 250 weights 5100lbs dry and the 240 weights 5600lbs dry. The F150 will pull 7500 safely, so either boat has a decent margin on it. The 260DA starts at 7800lbs. The 250 is also a bit cheaper cause it doesnt have all the gadgets.
Click to expand...

I'd still be concerned about the tow vehicle. If you buy the 5,600 lb 240, add a trailer that weighs approximately 1,200 lbs and you are within 700 lbs of your towable limit. Fuel up the boat (70 gallons(?) X 6 = 420), add the weight of your wife and daughter (I'm not suggesting your wife and daughter weigh 280!) and you are very close to the 7,500 lbs limit. NOW add the options added to the boat, any gear, food, ice, A/C, microwave, additional batteries, upgraded engine(?), freshwater, spare tire for the trailer, anchor, etc., and you will be surprised how the load grows. For vehicle longevity, it's recommended that you stay closer to 75% of the GCWR of the vehicle. I'd be looking for a vehicle (even the newer F150's handle around 9,100 I think?) that has a GCWR of 10,000 lbs for some cushion. I doubt anyone will weigh your current load and you'll probably be OK from a liability standpoint but I'd still want to know I'm not pushing the limits of the vehicle if I want to trailer the boat to Florida or the other lakes you mentioned.
 
Sundancer;

You are correct, I am close to the limit with my F150. Further research shows that from the factory it's tow limit is 7800, it would be 8100 if I didnt have 4wd. But I have a 300lb gain over my original estimate,not great but I will take it.

The boat will outlast the truck, which I will probably trade in within the next 2 years for something a bit beefier. Untill then, I am adding an additional transmission cooler, and possibly load balancers to ease the burden and make stopping that beast easier. The trailer has disc surge brakes on all 3 wheels as well. It is about a 15 mile roundtrip to the local boat launch with other launches within an hours drive so the majority of my boat outings do not call for long drives.

On the longer trips to NC and FL I will have to be much more weight conscious and keep the liquids down to a minimum in the boat and just fuel/water/ice it before I launch it there.

I was actually on trailerboats.com earlier to see what vehicles came in at the 10k range for my next tow vehicle. I then checked out what could tow a 14000 boat like a 320da. That kind of tow vehicle could easily cost as much as my 240 :).
 
jg300da said:
There you go, the reason he offered to store until spring is because he doesn't intend to even touch it till spring. It's up to you to decide if you want to close on it now.
p.s. I doubt very much he'll be storing it indoors.
Click to expand...


jg300da;

Thank you for your input. You are probably right about the storage. I have placed a call to the dealer to get some of these "details" ironed out before we go to closing including sea trials in the actual boat.

The worst thing that can happen is that we (dealer and I) cant come to an agreement and I am "stuck" with my 310 for another year!

I think I can take that kind of suffering :)
 
Your warranty should start when you take delivery not when you close - confirm this. I was able to get that with my 320.
 
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