290 Amberjack vs 260DA

[charlieft]

Hi,

How much more room does a 290 Amberjack have over a 260DA? ... it's tough to get a feel for it looking at the promo pictures. I hope to see one in person at the boat show, but thought I'd ask here.

We have a 2004 260DA and we're thinking of upsizing. I want to get V-drives so my first thought was a used 320DA. Looking at the specs I am now thinking that the 290 might be a more reasonable choice? We want more room in the cockpit and roomier accomodations below. We're also considering the 310DA, but I'm not sure it will fit my budget.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[CJ Martin]

I used to own a 260DA, and I've been aboard a 290AJ a few times.

Cabinwise, I would say they are about the same size. Most of the extra length in the AJ is in the cockpit. The AJ has a much bigger cockpit.

Engine access in both is good, however remember the 260 is a single and the AJ is a twin. The AJ I've been onboard has twin 5.7L v-drives, and the layout is better than my 320DA with the same power package. This AJ and our 320DA both have gensets BTW. Access to things like seacocks / strainers is better in the AJ than my 320DA.

The AJ is a bigger, heavier boat than the 260DA and rides like it based on my limited experience. It seems more nimble than the 320DA however, which makes perfect sense.

All in all, I'm very impressed with the 290AJ. Had we bought one of those instead of the our 260DA, we'd probably still own it. For a small family that likes to fish, it's a great combo. I don't fish much these days, so we didn't even look at the AJ's back when we were looking at 26-28' boats. Hindsight is 20/20...

-CJ

 

[wastinaweigh]

No comparison on the room. The AJ has much more beam than the 8 1/2 feet of the 260. The first thing that you notice is that two people can walk past each other in the cabin - something that is diffficult to do in the 260! Beam counts for a lot more than length in cruising boats.

 

[Groucho]

I like my 290 SD...might be able to find a leftover or slightly used to fit your budget and needs. Lots of room below and topside too.

 

[ANYTIME]

We upgraded from our 2006 290AJ with V-Drives to a 2008 310 Dancer with Axius Seacore Sterndrives.

In my opinion, the cabin is roomier in the 310 than the AJ, and if you are not fishing, the cockpit is much more comfortable. The 08 310 has 2" narrower beam than the AJ, which is 10'6". Note that the AJ has the dinette in the cabin while our 310 has a sofa and a removable table. The after berth/lounge are much more usable in the 310 than the narrow, tiny space on the AJ. We were only able to use it on the AJ for storage (no small kids in our family).

The AJ's Main Engine strainers were easy to get to, but to service the others, it was a real pain, given my size, age and lack of mobility. The new 310 has sterndrives, and servicing the strainers, batteries, etc. is far easier on me than the AJ.

Overall, the new 310 is much more enjoyable for us than the AJ, which was our first boat purchase since 1976 (a 17' Grady White).

Good luck on making a decision on your possible upgrade.

 

[saltydogz]

We like to fish/cruise. Wife really likes the feel below compared to other sport fishing boats of this size. We went with the AJ 290, more for the combination of room up top for fishing and mid-berth area. For a family of 3 or 4 cruising will be fine. Sorry never compared to a 260DA because of the fishing factor and the wife would not have allowed me to get two boats (one for fishing the bay and the other for cruising). Just got the boat back in Sept 2008 so have only done short outing this past fall, but it is a good heavy boat that cuts through the chop well and gives you a good sense of control while cruising.

I found mine up there in the CT area.

Good luck looking and hope you find one.

 

[skolbe]

I owned a 260 Dancer and now own a 320 Dancer. My Dad owns a 290 Amberjack that I have been on and captained a number of times. The 290 Amberjack is not super roomy for sleeping on. The aft cabin is tight and so is the front berth for two. The boat takes rough water great and is a very roomy cockpit. The 290 Amberjack and 320 Dancer are completely different boats. My Dad's Amberjack has outdrives and the bilge is pretty roomy. He doesn't have a generator. I like the exterior lines of the Amberjack. It is a very distinct boat. I guess it really all depends on how you are going to use the boat. If you plan to stay most weekends on the boat. I might lean to a Dancer. If you are more of a fishing person and/or a day boat. The Amberjack is a better day boat. Lot's of room. Overall a 260 versus a 290 Amberjack. I would prefer the Amberjack. That being said. I would not trade my 320 for an Amberjack. But we stay most weekends on our boat.

 

[charlieft]

Thanks to everyone who responded.

My wife loves our 260DA so the final verdict on a 290AJ will depend on her. We're going to the boat show in Boston next week ... hopefully we will come away with a clear choice.
We like the 310DA, but I'm not sure I could fit a late model 310 into my budget.

Our established criteria are ...
1. We want a boat big enough to provide more comfort (than the 260DA) when we stay weekends at the dock or go overnight
2. inboard twins.
3. smaller than a 340DA

There are a few used 290AJs around that would fit our budget ... I am trying to figure out if they would satisfy our criteria well enough to justify the added expense ... ???

-Charlie

 

[skolbe]

Have you considered the old style 330 or 310 Dancer. They are some very nice one's on the market.

 

[charlieft]

Re: 290 Amberjack vs 260DA - Update

We just went to the Boston boat show and they had a 270AJ right next to a 290AJ ... since the 270 cabin is a clone of the 260, we were able to do a side-by-side comparison. Pretty much agree with all of your responses ... thanks. The 310DA was fancy, but no port side seating and the cockpit didn't seem too versatile.

We liked the extra room and the open cockpit of the 290 but, even with the incentives we can't justify a new one. Now we're looking at a few used 290AJs in the area.

I was just reading the gen/no gen arguments in another thread ... that's got me thinking ... initially I didn't care because we're in the NE and you don't need AC on the water ... but ... fwebster makes a strong re-sale argument ... then again, this will be our last boat (LOL) ...