290 sundancers 1994-midyear 97 "We need a thread"

(':cool:')
It's time to get this thread active again 290 owners! Time Well Wasted is finally in the water (after 6 months at the upholstery shop, 2 months at the mechanics, and 2 weeks at the fiberglass shop).(':smt038')
I've only got 8 weeks left of boating weather, so I'm gonna have some questions. Let's start off easy:
1. I got the electric head working again, should there be water in the bowl at all times?
2. As seen in the photo, one of these switches is for the lights, what is the other one for?
3. Cannot get the ceiling lights to come on in the forward birth in front of the closet. (yes, I changed the bulb)
Will post all upgrades and photos at a later date.
 
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Good to hear you're wet again. I'll do what I can on your questions even though the photos don't show up.

Electric Head - mine generally will have a little water in the bowl. As the pathetic 11 gal holding tank fills up the waste water leaving moves slower than the water coming in so the volume in the bowl will increase as the tank fills up. Some liquid is good to keep the impeller lubed. Interesting enough if we flush while on plane the bowl will completely empty.

Forward Berth Lights - there should be 2 switches beside the power panel just as you enter the cabin. 1 is for the companionway lighting and the other powers the cabin lights so you can then operate them from their individual switches.

Jeff
 
OK today I can see the pics.

The switches you have circled: 1 is for the overhead light in the galley and the other is for the light over the dinette.

Jeff
 
OK today I can see the pics.

The switches you have circled: 1 is for the overhead light in the galley and the other is for the light over the dinette.

Jeff
 
OK today I can see the pics.

The switches you have circled: 1 is for the overhead light in the galley and the other is for the light over the dinette.

Jeff
 
How do you guys get to your A/C an GEN water strainers. Mine are down to far to get to them. And how do they come apart?
Thanks
 
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I don't have one. Use my MacBook for DVD's. No cable at my marina.
 
We started out using the Macbook Pro but I am prone to falling asleep 30 min into the movie and didn't want to roll over onto it so we purchased a 15" Toshiba LCD with built in DVD player and mounted it with an adjustable mount on the bulkhead between the galley and the v birth.

Jeff
 
Sadler said:
Same, Macbook Pro for DVDs, plus an EVDO card for anywhere internet access.
Click to expand...

Sadler,
I'm on a 30 day trial period with Verizon wireless "anywhere" internet service. Do you find it handy to have it? Do you use it enough to make it worth the money? How often do you use it on the boat?
 
TIME WELL WASTED said:
Sadler,
I'm on a 30 day trial period with Verizon wireless "anywhere" internet service. Do you find it handy to have it? Do you use it enough to make it worth the money? How often do you use it on the boat?
Click to expand...

This is my second EVDO card from Verizon. My first was a PC card format and could only use NationalAccess. I used this card all the time on the boat, even though it could be very slow during rush hour when so many people are using their phones and there's not much available bandwidth. It's so great being able to search stuff while on the boat, since questions come up. I had it on my work computer which is a Dell with XP

A week or so ago, I upgraded to the latest card, a Novatel V740 Rev. A in the ExpressCard format. This is probably the same card you have on trial. It's shown here: http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/1920/64/
It uses the BroadbandAccess and it is MUCH faster, probably not as fast as typical DSL, but I cannot tell the difference. I've done multiple video iChats (video conferencing) via the V740, and it's as good as DSL, and video iChat is very sensitive to download and upload speeds. I'm headed to boat this weekend, and undoubtedly it will get used. I highly recommend it. I'm thinking of getting a second V740, this one for my wife, and cutting off our landline which we only need for dsl. Two of these would be about the same as all the landline charges we incur per month, and we'd both have anywhere internet. One nice thing is that I was able to get an adapter for the V740 so that it will also fit into my Dell's PC card slot. Now I can connect on the boat using both my work computer, a PC with a PC slot, and on my home computer, a Mac, with the newer Expresscard slot.

One more thing I just thought of: make sure where your boat is located has Broadband coverage and not just NationalAccess. I'm lucky that my home and the boat has Broadband. If it's only NationalAccess, you might not want the slow speed.
 
bouttime said:
We started out using the Macbook Pro but I am prone to falling asleep 30 min into the movie and didn't want to roll over onto it so we purchased a 15" Toshiba LCD with built in DVD player and mounted it with an adjustable mount on the bulkhead between the galley and the v birth.

Jeff
Click to expand...

One more point: during warm evenings, we like to sit uptop in the cockpit and watch movies, so I've elected so far not to mount a tv below and instead move the Macbook around. I've also run a cable to the iPod controller that plugs into the headphone jack on the Macbook so that the sound comes out of the boat speakers when watching a movie. This was a huge improvement as the volume and sound quality of the Macbook is much inferior to the boat's sound system.
 
Hey -

Ok, same thread new topic:

How do (did) you prevent (or at least reduce) rain intrusion into the cockpit area. I've used seam sealer on the canvas seams but the zippers at the radar arch still leak.

I fixed mine by securing a ripstop nylon tarp over the top. The problem with my solution is that it looks like a boat with a tarp covering it.

Any better ideas?

Thanks -

Bob
 
I used clear silicon caulk and mashed it from the inside up into the stitching. No leaks after a couple of years. However, it can be seen from the outside, but unless you stand up on the gunnels and look down, you don't see it. The look is to make the seam appear to be wet from the outside. From the inside, you see nothing.
 
No, my zippers don't leak. The stitching around the zippers used to leak, but I've not had my zippers leak. I think that's because there are flaps over each of the zippers. I'll look this weekend when I'm on the boat.
 
Looks like I will be joining this club!

I have a deposit down on a 1994 290 with 2005 220hp 4.3's w/ MPI and 2005 Alpha drives with 40 hrs. The boat has a genset, A/C, windlass, radar arch, and Furuno radar & chartplotter. Also a towmaster aluminum triple axle trailer. Strangely, I don't think the boat has a hot water heater.

Offer of $33,500 was accepted.

I am doing a survey & sea trial this Thurs 3/20.

I'm in Baltimore and cruise the middle & upper Ches bay.

I currently still have my first boat -- a 1989 220 DA that I have had for 10 years.

I'm nervous and doing a lot of second guessing -- any reassurance out there?

Are twins & a genset too much weight in the stern of this boat?
How's the performance with twin V6's?
Is the engine area going to be way too crowded to change plugs, filters, and access other items?
Does anyone mind that the head is directly in front of the cabin entrance?

I was also considering the 98-01 270 (9'2" beam), 98-01 290 (10'2" beam), and 94-97 300 (10'6" beam). How do you guys think the 94-97 290 compares to the 98-01 270/290 with regard to:
-- cabin layout
-- cockpit layout & seating
-- sleeping space/size of berths
-- midcabin functionality
-- performance/efficiency

I still feel that this 94 290 is a great choice for me. For some reason, I still keep looking at other boat listings and wonder if I should have done differently -- gone newer, smaller, or bigger.

Thanks a lot for any opinions out there!
 
Once again, welcome Newbie.
I moved up from a a 250 Larson Hampton and so far love my 290 DA. The main thing that sold me on the boat was the interior arrangement in the cabin. I have the couch with the table. I still find it hard to believe the boat you're looking at does not have a hot water tank.
Mine is located on the port side with access thru the aft cabin with a removable panel in the wall. There is no way you would know it's there unless you know the layout of the boat. So, maybe this boat does have one. Good luck on sea trial.
 

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