270 or 290 Select?

[Scotty]

I don't know Duke. I just looked up the Donzi and it looks like all flash and no function--other than to rip your lips off at WOT and give you whiplash as you catapalt out of the hole :wow: . I bet he walked out, took a look at yours and thought, wow, I should've gotten an SLX. Can you imagine Hulk Hogan in the cabin of that thing :smt043.

Comsnark, The 290 SD hull form looks to me to be very similar to the 260 SD (not surprisingly). They've put in a permanent port side aft facing seat wherein you'd step off of that onto the swim platform (which has the same angular look of the 260. They've got a rear bench that is split about 2/3 across by the transom door and a fore/aft facing seat arrangement on the port side similar to the one on Plan B for the 290 SLX. There is a storage locker opposite the aft facing bench seat as well though it doesn't look very big. Behind the helm seat is a built in grill and small wet bar. Of course, long bow seats with a flat, bow boarding area. I'm very partial to the look of the boat we're discussing so this one leaves me a little :smt015 . The big bow riders are making their way into the market though eh.

Yep, we went out on July 4th and it wasn't very pleasant. 2+ footers and an uncomfortable ride. And you're right, the waves in the Chesapeake behave something like the watere inside your washing machine. Not a lot of fun, thus my pending move to place the boat at the junction of the Bay and a river. More boating options in marginal weather.

 

[Scotty]

Could you guys give me an idea of fuel burn and speed at around 3000, 3500 and 4000 RPM? (or whatever numbers you may have)

My 280 is burning about 18GPH at 3500 RPM with the Alphas. I'm curious to know if I'll still be in the ballpark or no.

Thanks.

 

[comsnark]

Could you guys give me an idea of fuel burn and speed at around 3000, 3500 and 4000 RPM? (or whatever numbers you may have)

My 280 is burning about 18GPH at 3500 RPM with the Alphas. I'm curious to know if I'll still be in the ballpark or no.

Thanks.

Well. . .fundamentally if you have the same engines at the same RPM. . .you should have the same burn rate; unless the burn mixtures are different.

My burn rate is about 10-11GPH. Measured tank to tank. That includes time split between 3400rpm and 800rpm :grin:

I rarely run for long periods of time at 3500rpm. That translates to 35-38mph. I generally stay around 3000rpm, 30mph for cruising. That is fast enough for me (in general).

4000rpm pushes me to about 42 mph. WOT is 46mph at 4600rpm (smoothish water, clean bottom and props). The BIII's and larger engines should give you a higher WOT number than my boat.

 

[Scotty]

That sounds good Comsnark. I was curious because of the shift from Alpha Is to BIIIs and wasn't sure if there'd be a noticeable difference. We too are very happy 30mph cruisers with an occasional need for a burst of speed :grin: . Gotta start planning those fuel numbers as we head for $4+ a gallon next year :smt089 .

 

[comsnark]

Don't remind me.

But I am still seeing maintenance exceeding fuel costs.

BTW: Are we the ONLY three people on this board who are fans of the 28/29' sport boats?

 

[Duke's Addiction]

You know, ever since I joined this forum (Dec 2006), I kept asking myself, why am I the only 290 SLX owner here?? I was starting to doubt my purchase. What did others know that I didn't? Was Sea Ray discontinuing my model?? But then after posting some pics on the Virtual Marina, the compliments started coming in. Phew...I slept better :smt015 This boat is definitely an ego boost. Btw Scotty, what color are you going for?

 

[Scotty]

Hi guys. Sorry I was out of touch for a bit. Had to do a whirlwind car trip to Charleston, S.C. to take my son's car to him (he's in the Navy going through training down there). I'm beat.

As far as dedicated fans of these boats, it would seem we're it. As my dealer told me, I'm buying a very "specialized" or "niche" boat. Not too many people interested in spending that money without having a cabin to go with it so they generally opt for the cruiser. Otherwise, I think the general opinion is that it's overkill for a bowrider.

The reason I'm getting into this boat is because I like having a large, powerful boat with some weight to it (for bigger water), and twin engines. Not only do we not utilize 50% of our current boat, we're not that wild about the seating arrangements on the 280. It simply is not a comfortable boat for more than about 4-5 people to spend a long day of cruising on and everyone is stuck in a relatively small portion of the boat. The 280SS/290 SLX, IMHO, has one of the most comfortable, well laid out seating arrangements in their entire sport boat/cruiser line--period. I believe you could quite happily have 7-8 on that boat without anyone feeling cramped. People can move around, go up front, socialize, etc. Two big convertible sun pads to read a book, have a drink and listen to some tunes--feggedaboutit. We are absolutely sold.

I am thrilled at the prospects here. We simply realized that we were paying for the capability to do something once a blue moon whereas 90% of our boating days are spent up top, enjoying the water under us, the sky above us and the wind in our face. That's what it's all about. I am getting into a boat that costs about $90-100K less than the 340 DA that we we're considering before. That's a lot of boat fuel and a lot of marina hotel stays if we want to spend the night somewhere.

Different strokes for different folks though.

BTW Duke, we are getting blue, just like our 280. Love that classy look. I'm thinking to start a whole new trend in big bowriders up here on the Bay. I have yet to see one around here. MAN I can't wait to make this transition!

 

[Duke's Addiction]

Scotty,

I couldn't have said it any better then you did. Cheers!! You and your family and friends are thoroughly going to enjoy this boat. I can't wait to see it.. (Man, I'm so excited for you!!)


FYI..We got caught in a sqawl yesterday, 3-4 footers. She handled great..

 

[DougsMDX]

Scotty,

I couldn't have said it any better then you did. Cheers!! You and your family and friends are thoroughly going to enjoy this boat. I can't wait to see it.. (Man, I'm so excited for you!!)


FYI..We got caught in a sqawl yesterday, 3-4 footers. She handled great..

Its not a 290 SLX, but I'm taking ownership of a 250 SLX on Wednesday .......

 

[Geurk]

Other than sheer size, the 250, 270, and 290 SLX's are all very similar in look and options.

I have sat in the 250 SLX, and you are getting one hell of a boat. Post some pics when you can! Congrats on the new purchase!

 

[Scotty]

Congrats on the new boat Doug! That's going to be a great ride. Let us know how it goes. :smt038

 

[Scotty]

3-4 footers eh Duke? Glad to hear she handled so well. I've gotta call my dealer tomorrow and light a fire under him to get this thing moving!

 

[comsnark]

Scotty;

Don't jump the gun until you actually SEE the boat. :thumbsup:

And if you are getting an '07 -> at this point it is last years model, and should be priced as a clearance model. That clearly no one wants -> since the 08s are out and clearly nobody is lining up to buy the old '07. If you are getting an '08. . start screaming. You are undoubtedly paying a premium. If you are paying a premium. . you want the boat NOW! :grin:


It is amazing how dealers try to create artifical high demand for last years models I was at some shows in Feb 06, and one dealer had 05 boats there. . . at full price! hahaha.

But still, I am not 100% sold on the large bow rider concept. My boat is a cuddy. There weren't many bow riders old/cheap enough to hit my radar screen when I bought. I guess I should really sit in one at some point.

So far, I have probably underutilized my cabin. . .but I don't hear the Admiral asking for a bowrider version, so I guess life is good :grin:

Pro for Bowrider:
1) More secure when docking at the bow (ie, no standing on foredeck)
2) You can have a forward sunpad when underway.
3) Even MORE deck space. As if the 5 acres in the back aren't enough. . .

Pro for Cuddy;
1) Real place for shelter if the weather truly turns nasty underway
2) You can take a good bit of chop over the bow without worrying about water going down the front. That's nice heading through Barnegate inlet
3) I got a Windlass. I thought that I would like the Windlass. Then on July 4th I was raising anchor after dark. In the rain. Now I *Really* like the windlass.

Hmmm. Reading that. . all of my Cuddy pro's relate to using the boat when sane people would be indoors drinking fufu drinks. Hmm. I guess if you are really only fair weather day use. . .the Bowrider is the way to go!

 

[Scotty]

All good points Comsnark. I'm doing a combination of assumptions having seen and been on the SS many times (love it) and assuming that since we want a bowrider, there can't be anything wrong with those seats up front. Still need the test drive though. You make a great point about the '07 - '08 models. This area has zero inventory of 290 SLXs from any year. The boat I will utimately get (if new) will be an '08. Therefore, you raise a great point in what is the holdup there dealer? Let's talk turkey and get it done :smt021. I am still pondering the used market and there are some great deals on low hour boats on yachtworld. Couple of things I don't know there. Will MarineMax take a trade on my current one or do I have to sell myself then go after the used boat? Will my local dealers service a boat I bought elsewhere? I've had enough trouble getting the one I bought from them taken care of (another long story I won't bore you with here)

We are indeed the cool drink, soft breeze, early morning and late evening cruisers. After spending 20 years getting beat to death with turbulence as a pilot in the USAF, I am strictly into smooth rides if I can help it. I still plan a boat ride like I'm going on a transoceanic flight. Weather (multiple checks), notices, warnings, rule review...you name it. Well, not that bad but I do avoid the bumpy ride.

The admiral here is very excited about the big bowrider concept. She's very nervous walking the somewhat sloped foredeck of the 280 when we're docking. If that thing is wet, watchout! As for me, I'm kinda like the guy who's looking for a small to medium SUV and winds up in an escalating decision making process that ends with a Suburban. I'm even planning to put an aftermarket autopilot on this thing (TR-1 Gladiator).

I'll be having a conversation with my dealer on Thursday so I'll let you know what he has to say about this whole thing. While I'm excited about the boat, I'm not so excited that I will pay any price. We have a boat and will keep it until he can make a reasonable deal.

 

[comsnark]

Scotty;

Yeah. . .I am kind of wondering what the real market on bowriders in this class are like. I wonder how many are BUILT compared to cabin cruisers and SS's. On the used end, there seem to be only a few SS's and hardly any SLX's around. Is that an indication that everyone LOVES them, or nobody has one?

And last I looked, most of the SS's on Yachtworld.com had that crazy huge sunpad on the back. Seriously. . .who would buy a SeaRay with that configuration? A Formula, or Baha. . .but a SeaRay?

Now, the 25SLX DougsMDX is talking about I think is in a bit of different class. I think it competes with Sundecks in the marketplace; whereas the 290SLX does not (for the moment -the 290SD is not around yet!).

It would be interesting seeing how MarineMax deals with you. I mean. . you HAVE a boat. How desperate do you appear? Will they try to low ball you? Do they figure they CAN'T lowball you and therefore don't want to deal with you?

Are there any other dealer options available to you?

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...rency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=42224&url=

As for service: That is an interesting topic. I bought my boat via MarineMax brokerage. I had no real issues *getting* service for my boat in the first summer. But I had some quality issues with the work performed. This year, I have abandoned MarineMax in favor of Mobile Mechanics. But I have no warrenty that would force me back.

 

[Scotty]

Your comment on the market demand for this boat is right on. I better be sure about it before I pull the trigger because trying to sell it later may be difficult (at best). My wife and I have spent a good deal of time talking about how we use a boat and this seems to be the best solution for our situation. I'm hoping to get this boat and use it for a very long time without worrying about selling. I also find it interesting that Sea Ray has the 290 SLX, a new 290 SD coming on, Formula just introduced a 310 bowrider and others are building/marketing large bowriders. They don't put these boats into production before figuring out if there's a market for them so perhaps there's a bit of a shift going on in boat usage? Well, we'll let the marketing boys figure that one out. In the mean time, I'm going to keep snooping around between my dealer and the used market to see what will be the best approach. I'm going to be chatting with my dealer today and I'll let you know what he has to say.

As for service, I won't bore you with the long sad tale, however, suffice it to say that I felt like I should've been added to their payroll as a quality control inspector after my spring launch. The work got done, but not without a lot of issues that I had to do all the follow up on. I am therefore learning to do a lot more work myself (to a point) so I don't have to go through this pain next year. I still have them do the big items since I'm under a long warranty.

 

[comsnark]

You know. . .something to thing about with twin engines is how drivable the boat is with a single engine.

Over the weekend, I had both engines down at different times (not by choice :smt013 ). With 5.7L and Alpha 1 drives. . .getting on plane is simple not feasable on one engine in a 280SS.

Driving the boat with one engine at 3500 RPM and the other DOWN made the boat really feel wierd. I kept the single at under 3000 RPM. . .and basically plowed at 11mph. With one engine at 2600-3000RPM, and the other engine at 1200 RPM. . .the boat would slowly crawl onto plane.

On Sunday, with the belt and raw water pump of one engine strewn about the engine compartment, I had no choice but to run single. At 1800RPM, that one engine got me a whopping 7.5mph -> but the ride was good. (and that is my problem engine -> so I wasn't going to push that one!!)

I suspect this is a case where I really want those Bravo III drives.

Also. . .I really need to find a way to have power steering available on BOTH engines. My starboard engine decided to take a break right in the middle of an inlet (Barnagate), which had a fairly impressive 6knot current pushing out to sea, and three foot rollers coming in from the sea. Manhandling the boat without power steering in these conditions is not my idea of fun. (makes a good story, however)