280 sundancer question

[dcwjd]

I am purchasing a 2005 Sea ray 280 Sundancer with 30 hrs on the boat. It has the twin 4.3 alpha drives. I will be going over the boat with the surveyor in one week. Any problems i should be looking out for?

 

[teekster]

It should be a great boat for you. We had one until late this summer. Absolutely loved it.

 

[waterlogged]

I agree with Teekster. We had the same setup and loved the boat. Other than a few minor things that were corrected by the dealer, we didn't have any problems. Overall, the fit and finish was very good.

 

[Scholarship]

We purchased a 2004 280 with the 4.3's and 68 hours on it last month and have had no issues except the cabin door which can sometimes be difficult to slide and is a well documented issue. Other than that we've been delighted with the boat and it's exceeding our expectations. Runs great, has been comfortable to spend the weekend on with two adults and two kids, and had our first tubing experience two weeks ago which the kids loved. You'll not regret your purchase.

 

[Sun Chaser]

I agree with waterlogged & teekster. I bought a used 2001 in April of this year and it is a great boat. So far no problems and I now have 300 hours on the engines.

Good luck.

 

[RT 240SD]

no issues except the cabin door which can sometimes be difficult to slide and is a well documented issue.

Be careful w/ this one. My buddy has a 2003 that the previous owner kept muscling the door open and closed. It wore a groove into the no-slip on the top of the door as it was rubbing the underside of the dash top due to being off track. The extra leverage on the chrome handle also created problems that resulted in it loosening and eventually cracking the gel around where it seats. All is being fixed during lay-up, but be careful to fix it now before it becomes a real problem.

 

[Bridog]

What a great boat!! Good luck with her. It's a shame that there are some problems with the door because it really is a pleasure to use and it is great for access to the foredeck. Just be careful how you use it. It is not intended to be a seat. Make sure the door is closed all the way when going up or down. I had the same set up in my 260DA with no problems and loved it.

 

[mark101]

Hello,

Make sure they check everything related to the Mercathode, I would not want anyone to go through the problems I have had with BIII corrosion issues.

 

[waterlogged]

How's the purchase going?

 

[dcwjd]

I purchased the boat last 2 saturday's ago so i now am i proud sea ray owner. Unfortunately i had to pull her out of the water last thursday for winterization. The surveyor said i was essentially getting a brand new boat. The inside of the cabin looked like he never used it as well as the condition of the outside. I guess that can be expected with only 30hrs on the boat. Well it's going to be a long winter now!

 

[Oh Me!! - 280 DA]

Congrats!!! We have a 2005 280 also and love it! We will be keeping ours in the water all winter (first time) and hopefully using it as much as possible! :smt038 There is a Poker Run hosted by Marine Max this weekend on the lake and we are looking forward to it!

Now you have all winter to buy new toys for her! Enjoy!

 

[chuck1]

Congratulations on the new Boat :thumbsup: Do you have any pictures of her yet?

 

[BrentJones]

Congrats! Hopefully I will be in the same "boat" as you soon and own one also. I've looked at it so many times and love it. I can't wait to drive one.

 

[gerryb]

The boat is solid as are the engines. The door was indeed a problem I've had. Here's what to remember: take care of the sticking the door the FIRST day it sticks. It will stick when underway - don't worry too much about that. But when you are docked, the door should slide. Gunk will accumulate under the sliders and begin to create friction, the friction will eventually ruin the slider mechanism and then you have serious problems to deal with. Take your time to clean the track properly, use a cloth with a stick and low pressure water to clean it out. Then apply some track lube (NOT WD-40 please!). If you have an air compressor, that also may work. We put a few drops of disk soap on the bottom track, wet cloth to further wash and then use the hose for a couple of minutes carefully. Lastly dry, then lube. Probably do it every 2-3 weeks.
Many (including myself) also have a second mercathode added to this boat if kept in salt water. Lastly, watch the fuel filters and have extras. THe boat is otherwise very reliable and wants to be used.