280 Cuddy / Sun Sport for 1st time owner

Joe5.0

Joe5.0

New Member
Jun 18, 2012
93
Lake St. Clair
Boat Info
276 Cuddy Cabin
Engines
350 MAG ECT w/B3
I REALLY like the 280 Sun Sport / Cuddy and am pretty sure I have found a couple fresh water examples close enough to drive and trailer home.

We are going to be on Lake St. Clair here in Michigan; dayboating 95% of the time. There will be a couple trips down to Cedar Pointe and Put-in-Bay, so the cuddy is pretty mandatory. I really am not a fan of the SunDancers, as I like the cockpit space and design of the SS quite a bit more.

My only real concern with the 280SS is if its "too much" boat for a first time owner? Its going to be kept at a slip right on the lake, so I wont be launching it off a trailer at all.

It seems I can save ~ $5k by going with the single BB versus the twin's, so are the twins worth the $$ increase?

Thanks, and any and all suggestions/help is appreciated. :smt038
 
Extra security and possibly extra performance. But twice the costs and maintenance.

That boat can be handled as a single but if I were buying I would rather have the twins.




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what kind of price range are you looking at,, I would go with the twins, preferably 350 mags with bravo drives
i have owned 2 now, both with the twins so i cant speak for the single, boat will go 60mph on gps wot... if you want to see how it handles let me know
i live in algonac on the st clair river
 
I;m going to check out a couple tomorrow, one with twin 350 mags (300hp) and the other is a single 7.4 B3.

I like the IDEA of twins, but I'd really like to be in the mid/high $20k range and its hard to find a nice twin 280 under $30k here in Metro Detroit. Either way I'm sure I'll be happy as long as it runs well and reliably.
 
Make an offer. You never know until you ask.
My buddy (I know everyone has this story) just closed on a mint 1996 formula 330 for 22 grand. He offered 10 grand under the asking price and it was accepted. Any boat is only worth the last offer.

Good luck.



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I went and checked out a really nice 2000 this past week. Boat was REALLY nicely optioned with twin 350 mags (300hp w/Corsa exhaust), radar arch, windlass, and really nice trailer included. Meticulous maintenance and about 500 hours.

I'd buy the boat in a heartbeat, but its a bit more than I am looking to spend (~$30k at the top end).

What do you guys think a trailer is worth? I dont really need the trailer so if I could get the guy to come down in price I might be willing to stretch my limit to mid 30's since its such a rare and nice package.

The guy has it listed for $47k, which is right about what NADA says it should be, but I dont want to be a dick and insult him at like $35k w/o the trailer. Is that unreasonable to throw at him?
 
There are a couple in my area in your price range. They might just need some cleaning.



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Personally I think that price is awfully lofty.

I just sold a 97 with twin 350's and alpha ones for under 30k.
 
We bought our '99 280SS twin 350/Alpha drives with triple axle trailer two years ago for $28K. That would probably be a high price today. I think a SS would be a terrific boat for St. Clair/ Lake Erie. Keep in mind that you are better off in the long run paying a bit more for a very clean and well maintained boat vs. the costs that add up to fix problems. We learned that lesson the hard way...
 
Thanks.

I am still in the market, but at this point in the summer I am going to wait and see if I can get a better deal at the end of the season.
 
something to keep in mind if this is the model you really want, in 2000 this boat was
remodeled with upgrades , subtle as they are if you looked at both you will see the difference, the deck was raised on the 2000 model giving more head room in the cabin
also pay attention to what each boat has, the prefered package for this boat is the twin 350 mags, with bravo drives, this was an expensive upgrade and comes with the corsa
exhaust, also the radar arch and extended platforms are very desirable, and also expensive options. so when comparing apples to apples you have to keep these things in perspective. good luck on your boat search
 
100% agreed. I like the 2000 update better, but not $10k more.

I looked at a 2000 with the twin 350 mags, Corsa exhaust, and radar arch. It was an AWESOME boat. The seller wanted $47k with a trailer, and he didnt seem desperate.

On the other hand I can find a 1997 with similar hours, same good condition, with a single BB for mid 20's. Granted it doesnt have a trailer, but I cant trailer it anyways.

To be honest I couldnt really notice a difference in cabin size/height with the 2000. I like that it has the sink/microwave standard inside, but thats not a huge deal to me. Either way its gonna be a tight fit for myself, the wife, and our chocolate lab. I have a feeling I'll be sleeping under the camper top. lol

I am kind of in a holding pattern right now, and will try to get a deal after Labor day. That way I can still sea trial the boat and maybe have a month or so to get used to it, and next spring be ready to rock.
 
Not all 280SS's have a microwave. I even found one that didn't have a fridge (gasp!). The windlass is optional too.

These boats have an extremely wide variety of options, seating options and floor plans.

Pay attention to the subtle differences. Figure out what options you want and narrow it down.

Two people in the berth is certainly the max. You will be cozy.
 
Let me know if you want to sell the trailer. I am looking at a 280 Sundowner and will need a trailer.
Thanks
 
magstang1 said:
Not all 280SS's have a microwave. I even found one that didn't have a fridge (gasp!). The windlass is optional too.

These boats have an extremely wide variety of options, seating options and floor plans.

Pay attention to the subtle differences. Figure out what options you want and narrow it down.

Two people in the berth is certainly the max. You will be cozy.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is definitely a ton of variety with engine packages and individual options for the Sun Sports. I would like to have a fridge & microwave, but I wonder how absolutely necessary they are. I mean a cooler and small portable grill is easy, cheap, and doesn't require battery or shore power......

Anyways, I have found two VERY nice examples. One is low 20k's, but no trailer and single engine. The other is twin 350's w/Alpha drives, triple axle trailer, and Anniv edition. I REALLY REALLY like the Anniversary package, as its pretty fully loaded with radar arch, u-shaped seating, painted hull, and the owner added in a 16 mile Ratheon radar unit.

How much more would you guys pay for the anniv package? $2k, $5k, $10k?
 
I don't really care about packages. There are certain options that are must haves for me.

My 280ss taught me that I will never buy another boat without:

A windlass. It is a safety and convenience item. When it gets rough and I'm in a tight anchorage, I don't want to be on the bow fumbling with an anchor.

A refrigerator. Particularly on this boat, the refrigerator in the cockpit is very convenient. No more coolers and ice unless it's going to be a weekend trip or we have guests.

The microwave is not a deal breaker, but did get used several times when cooking dinner, or reheating things for my son. If I had the choice I would get it, but on this boat if it was missing I wouldn't stress too much.

Edit:

If the one with the anniversary package is green, check the hull carefully. There was one floating around town a few months ago with a blistered hull.

Personnally I wouldn't go over $30k for one even if it was loaded up.
 
Last edited:
Still on the search, but getting close. Here's two I am considering:

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/3240294398.html - Would have to trailer it home from Milwaukee -> Detroit

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Searay-Sun-Sport-2001-/271069967016?forcev4exp=true - Local to me, so would be easier for survey/inspection

I really like the anniversary edition with the painted hull and twin engines, but I wonder if its really neccesary to spend $30k on my first boat. The payment & maintenance would be alot nicer on a $20k single engine, but I plan on having the boat for 10+ years, so I'm not looking to have buyers remorse.

I'm not looking to set speed records, but I dont want a wounded duck on the water. Is the extra fuel, maintenance, and overall cost of ownership really worth the extra 5-10mph cruising & top end speed?
 
The pedistal seat with the small wet bar would be a deal breaker for me.

I liked the flip up bolster bench seat at the helm, and the large wet bar with the fridge in the cockpit was the absolute best asset of that boat. I miss having all that counter space and cup holders on my 290DA.

It just depends on what you prefer.
 
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