290DA vs 280DA vs 310DA

[Turtlesboat]

Turtletone,

I have a 9 foot zodiac mounted on the weaver davits. I just order the weaver leaver to mount a 4HP Tohatsu. I'll post some pictures when I'm done.

Great, thanks. :thumbsup:

 

[Tacoma290]

Our Dingy is a roll-up inflatable Avon. In the summer, mounts on Weaver Davits. In the winter, it is rolled up and stored in the mid-cabin berth. Because it is a roll-up, it is light and can be deployed in 20 minutes for fall/spring spots.

Regarding the cabin, yes it is white. This doesn't bother me because it is bright and naturally lit. Too many cabins on express boats are so dark, they have a cave-like feel (to me). Besides, the reality is that we spend 90% of our waking hours in the cockpit, and only 10% in the cabin.

Like every proud Sea Ray owner, I am lucky enough to love the boat. About the only other draw-back not mentioned so far is the high counters in the galley. I am 5-9 and the counter height is above the belt line; I some times stand on the toe-rail. This is a "small" gripe indeed!

 

[Alex F]

I'm looking for a dinghy that I can mount on the platform. I really want one. what kind on engine and where do you put it? I think maybe a 7' would work on mine, but where to put the engine (gas) is my concern. :smt021

TurtleTone,
I don't have a need (yet) for a motor on my dinghy, although, I have electrical 5spd (worked very nicelly) motor from my older small lake boat. but check out this link it may give you some ideas:

Topic: Which Inflatable Dinghy and Where?

http://www.byowneryachts.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1358&highlight=

So far, I think weaver davits is the best option, but I was hopping to find an option to store the dinghy in vertical position (bow down). We just got ours, so I'll be playing around to see what fits best. Since it's only 6.5' vertical position doesn't block visibility in the back so much and leaves more room on the platform.

Alex.

 

[Alex F]

......I was under the impression that most cruisers have the same size of the swimming platform (3')...... Alex.

Of the aforementioned boats the 280DA has the biggest swim platform from a depth standpoint. Its 2 ½ feet. Most others are 2 feet.



Since we are talking width here, using 280 SeaRay’s 1’ of width = 5’ rule the platform is 2 ½ feet wider then the rest.
:smt043 Just Kidding Jeremy. :wink:

Doug,
Thanks for clarification. I guess, I meant 2' but was dreaming about having 3' :lol:

Alex.

 

[BrentJones]

Just trying to keep this thread alive before it gets buried. It has gotten off topic and would like to get more info. Any other 290 owners out there, please PM me with any suggestions or comments. Thanks...

 

[2lkmead]

Go with the 310...... a lot bigger boat for the money. Prior to my 310, I had a 290. Wouldn't trade my 310 for the world..... Okay, okay, maybe for a 360 or 380!

 

[marqbloq]

I loved the mid cabin on our 280, it was my favorite place to sleep and way better (longer & wider) than on my 320. We used it for storage by day and sleeping by night. The 280 is such a wonderful boat, maybe Sea Ray's best ever. My wife and I also loved the dinette and the convertable forward berth / dinette; the boat was just so flexible and adaptable - like a Transformer. There are some things I would change on the boat to make it perfect, but nothing significant. Sky lights would be great; we sure love those on our 320 and a screened in door would be nice like the Regal's, Rinker's and Formula's have.

 

[SeaHarley]

After almost 4 years in a 270DA, (love that boat!) going to a 290 or a 300 just made no sense to us. When the 310DA came along, it was a no-brainer. Went with it and like it a lot. The 2 feet in extra beam and the interior layout is more open and very nice!

 

[jackson]

310

I say go with the 310 also. Nothing against the 280 or 290, but the options you stated you desire point to the 310. You mentioned you like the cherry interior, all the 2002s come with it and optional on the 2001. Walking around the windshield instead of through it is much better. You don't have to mess with the plastic windows, and dealing with fenders and lines is much easier. The space to walk around is actually wider than the 320. The 310 is a wide boat for the length and shows in space in both the cockpit and cabin. You also get the choice of outdrives or v-drives. As far as the fuel burn, there can't be much difference between the 290 and 310, I burn 19-20 gph consistently on long runs with the 350 MAG Horizons and v-drives. Good luck.

 

[driller]

290

since u want to hear from 290 owners i purchased a 2006 290 in winter and took delivery may 5th. my first sea ray so i can only compare it to my brother's 01 310 and his friend's 04 360(three boats in a manmade cove.
so far i love the boat including some options i would not normally order if new. the gen and under platform lighting. my boat came with the twin 5.0 bravo3.
i started looking at a 240 so to get to this boat was a stretch but as they say buy the biggest boat you can,t afford :smt100
driller

 

[Alex F]

After almost 4 years in a 270DA, (love that boat!) going to a 290 or a 300 just made no sense to us. When the 310DA came along, it was a no-brainer. Went with it and like it a lot. The 2 feet in extra beam and the interior layout is more open and very nice!

SeaHarley,
From economical stand point, is my math correct?

A 280DA is about 4,000+ lighter than 300/310 therefore, runs much better on fuel? 280 has 100gal tank and rated to travel about 160 miles, which makes it 1.6MPG. A 300 has 170Gal tank and is rate to travel about 230 miles, which looks like 1.3MPG. So to travel the same 230 on a 280 would need about 140Gal instead of 170Gal. This is about over $100 per each refill. Maybe you can enlighten me with more accurate numbers since you have 310 and your other 270 is almost the same as 280.

Since 300/310 are larger boats they cost more to purchase, insurance cost should be higher and the slip rent fees should be higher as well comparing to 280. Did you see the bigger difference in this areas?

Thanks,
Alex.

 

[Alex F]

Jeremy,

Can I ask why did you choose the 4.3 with Alpha1 package vs. 5.0 with BIIIs and now that you have experiance would you suggest with getting a different package or what you have is very good?

Thanks,
Alex.

 

[280 SeaRay]

Alex sure thing sir. The short answer is I chose the 4.3 Alpha package after driving both twin options (I did not get to drive the 4.3/BIII). The performance of the 4.3/Alpha combo versus 5.0/BIII combo was very similar.... I noticed nearly no differences.

Here is what I noted
- Slightly higher fuel burn rate on the 5.0/BIII setup (according to smartcraft guages)
- The BIII's seemed to have a little more bite in reverse
- The difference in space where you stand in the engine compartment seemed quite a bit tighter.... with the V-8's. The 5.0's are only listed as 4" longer... but 4" made the tight area uncomfortably tight.

Here is my post from another thread on this similar subject.

When looking at the engine/drive combo take a moment to consider how you will be using the boat. If you are looking to moor the boat in a slip I may opt to have a pair alpha's hanging off the back end than a pair of BIII's (neither seem to be corrosion proof but the BIII seems to have more challenges in this area). Also consider that you could replace an alpha 2 times (same goes if you need to replace the props) for the price of a single BIII.... and to be quite honest at 220 HP (4.3 MPI) or 260 HP (5.0 MPI) you are simply not putting a ton of power through the drive regardless of engine. The max power output by the 4.3 MPI (220 HP) is between 73-74% of the alpha drives rated capacity (300HP).

On recent 280's you have a choice of Alpha's or BIII's nothing in the middle. I would really like to see a Bravo 2 offering.... if anyone is listening

In regard to power the twin 5.0/BIII setup and the twin 4.3/Alpha setup have nearly identical power to weight ratios (difference of .0008HP/lb). Many are quick to point out the 80 HP difference between the 2 packages.... but forget to mention the 308lb weight difference all of which is at the aft end of the boat. When I originally began looking at the 280 I wanted the 5.0 liter due to a very positive experience I had with the 5.0 liter on my previous SeaRay. I test drove the 5.0/BIII and 4.3/Alpha and found no real notable differences in the running performance of the 2 packages... the extra 80 HP in the 5.0 liter BIII (and likely more lift from the BIII's) do a great job of making the extra weight aft a non-issue.... in fact I did not notice any difference in the running angle of either setup. Both packages were very solid and provided nice performance pushing the cruiser along nicely.

The differences I noted were the following
- Slightly higher fuel burn rates with the 5.0 MPI per the Smartcraft guages
- The 5.0/BIII setup seemed to have a little more bite in reverse
- Engine compartment room in the portion you stand in was noticably tighter on the 5.0/BIII setup

In regard to the engine compartment room per the merc site the 5.0 liter is 4 inches longer than the 4.3 liter. Now admittedly I am a little more... ummm round.... than my doctor would prefer.... so asking a big guy to live with 4 inches less in an already tight area felt like more than 4 inches. The width and height of the 2 engines are identical... the length is what differs.

I personally do not see much difference in cracking the drive in half (Alpha) to replace an impeller or cracking the water pump in half (Bravo) to replace an impeller. The drive has to come off anyway...... six one way.... half dozen the other.

The differences between both power offerings are really quite small with advantages on both sides of the fence. If you were to find a 280 with either of the power packages discussed above I think you would be a happy camper. We can tell you our opinions till we are blue in the face.... but only you will know which config is right for you. If you have the opportunity to drive both configuations and come to your own conclusion that would be ideal.

We really enjoy our 280... you have selected a fine boat to chase after.... best of luck to you sir on your search....

Gensets, AC/Heat, and windlass are wondeful things to have.... on this boat.

After running this boat for a year and a half..... I am very happy with the power setup, performance, etc. I would not pick any differently if I were buying a boat today. I usually cruise in the 30-35 MPH range.... and have noted burn rates from the smartcraft guages of 7.2 to 8.4 within this speed range.... this is by no means scientific.... but I would guesstimate my burn is closer to 1.8 to 2.0 MPG. I have not fully explored yet is the HUGE variety of props available for the alpha drive... which is a nice option to have.

I like Marqbloq really enjoy the mid-cabin..... I would actually say that the area would be poor for storage (due to small opening relative to the space in the mid-cabin)... and is where the wife and I sleep. In every trip out on our 280 we have stayed at least 1 night.... most of the time 2 -3 nights with the most being 4 nights. 100% of this has been on the hook. We slept in the v-berth once.... but we are tall folks.... and the mid-cabin works very well for the both of us....

The relative position of the swim platform to the water and the size of the platform is something I have really enjoyed..... just fantastic.

If I could change anything about the 280 (and I will likely resolve most of these) these would be it:

- Larger fresh water tank
- Fresh water tank guage
- Cockpit refrigerator
- Polished stainless windshield
- Flat space for large chartplotter display

In my previous post that I quoted above.... I mention drive replacement costs.... another interesting note I have learned about recently is Sterndrive engineering.... I have heard very good things.... and they offer amazing prices on OE compatible Alpha genII drives.... I think they are $1,395..... if I knock the drive off the back of the boat.... $1,395 ain't bad..... again assuming the great feedback I have heard is true.

We trailer our 280.... and it is the biggest I feel comfy pulling around on a trailer.... so the size and features of this boat work for us very well in our area. If I were in moored permanently I may have chosen a different model likely with v-drives....

Please do not take my word for it... go drive the a boat with the various combos of power and see for yourself.

 

[poormonkey]

Does anyone think the T-4.3 in the 1999 290 were not enough motor? I see you could step up to the T-5.7 if you wanted more power. Anyone have an opinion on this?

I noticed in 1997 the T-4.3 were the largest you could go. Then in 1998 you could step it up to the T5.7. Didn't they add a lot of weight to the 290 between 1997 and 1998?

 

[Alex F]

Jeremy,

Thanks for such detailed reply. We're thinking of possibly upgrade. After exploring few options, so far, 280 tops the list since looks like this the kind of boat we should pay less and get more (at least we think that) for the upgrade. We wish to improve in the items like
-more space with extra sleeping bed. We're ok with using the v-berth since we're smaller folks. We think that 280 v-berth should be a little larger than in our 240.
-built-in a/c-heat
-genset
-windlass
-more comfortable ride in rougher waters

By comparing between 280/290/300/310 we think that 280 should give us all of the above needs and it shouldn't be a big change in what we spend for the boat usage and maintenace. I do see a point of some folks advising to move up to 310 and get much more for the money, but I think this boat will require more spending on everything (not just purchase price). Also, the white enterier is one of the show stoppers.

We're use to trailering our boats. Although, I don't plan on upgrading our tow vehicle I still hope that there's a choce of having the 280 on a trailer and have towed if necessary by renting some kind of truck or paying for the towing service.

Can you share your experiance with having boat fully loaded with gear and people, how's the power then? I'm on board with you as far as getting 4.3 with alpha1 if they work great and bring other cost benefits. I also thought that since it's twins having BIIIs is not necessary but, I do feel a difference in the single engine configuration.
Also, can you tell me if you happened to be in a rough waters and how was the ride, did the boat bounce a lot? When I ride my 240 and get the rough water (about 1.5- 2' chops, which looks like a normal conditions for larger boats) I have to bring the bow down and gow slower (going over 30MPH makes the boat hitting the haul much harder and it's not comfortable). This is kind of important b/c since I wont be trailering the boat as much I would try to plan more cruises and having comfortable ride is the key.

When I observed the dash layout I've noticed the lack of nice fit for GPS/chartplotter.
Water tank and guage, I had the same thoughts. Although, I don't think it's worth of investing in majore items for my 240 I just added a water level guage for under $100 and it works nice. I guess, I would install an extra or bigger water tank if I had 280.

Thanks,
Alex.

 

[Turtlesboat]

I don't have a ton of people on the boat but with 4 people, full fuel and water and supplies, I have power to spare. I like to cruise at about 26mph. this is on plane and nice and comfortable for me and I get pretty good fuel burn. I use almost no tabs. my 4.3's are running at about 3200rpm and it just sticks there. 2 people, 4 people, not any real difference. Now if they all sit in the back, then I may have to kick it up 100 rpm. I'm not sure why people think twin 4.3 alpha 1's aren't enough power :smt017
I kick those suckers and we take off and up on plane in a matter of seconds. This is a cruiser and this package is more than I hoped for. Space in the bilge is great. I had two people down there today. I've been on a few boats that I couldn't even get into the bilge. Then when you factor in costs for parts, it was a no brainer for me. Like Jeremy stated, alpha's are half the cost.

 

[280 SeaRay]

We leave for each trip with full fuel, full water, empty holding tank. I keep a full set of tools onboard, 2 quarts of engine oil, 2 drive fluid, 3x fuel filters, replacement plugs, impeller for genset, etc onboard at all times. I haul 4 inflated fenders, 4 deflated fenders, boat hook, fresh water hose, aft anchor. We keep the boat loaded with a double set of all the shampoo's, toothbrushes, coffee maker, toaster, soaps, etc, etc, etc.... What I am saying is that we always leave loaded as we always stay on the hook.

We have been out with 4, 6, and 7 folks aboard. With 4 onboard... the boat planes easily without tabs if you wish... with 1 or 100 the tabs just make it faster to flat(plane)..... with 6 and 7 folks onboard I do use a bit of tab to maintain the same plane speed but the boat planes out nicely... the boat will plane without tab with 6 just a little slower..... I would say my 280 is just slightly slower to plane than my 220 select was.... I am 285... so while I only count 1 .... I weigh 1.5 people's worth at least :wink:

My 220 select/bow rider had the BIII as I was able to tell the difference while running the boat between it and the alpha's.... in the 280.... I only felt a little more bite in reverse.... For a cruiser she is surprisingly agile.... more than I guessed she would be.... handles the rough stuff very well.... the 280 is not a 450DA... but I have not gotten into anything that would cause the boat to slam yet.... my bow rider would do that much more often..... we ran across 1ft wind blown water at WOT.... and she just sailed through the chop like it was not there.... she rides VERY stable and actually gets smoother at or above 4k.... just eating more gas.... really fun to cruise in the mid 40's on a cruiser....

I would strongly suggest that you drive each combo and decide which is best for you and the way you will use the boat. I was a huge fan of the 5.0 BIII combo in my last boat.... and trusted it going into the search for a cruiser.... the 4.3 really surprised me....

With single 496 / BIII you wil have a total of 375 HP @ 1,224lbs
With twin 4.3's/Alpha you will have a combined 440 HP @ 1,730lbs
With twin 5.0's / BIII you will have a combined 520 HP @ 2,038lbs

All solid well proven motors .... all MPI...... none felt under powered....

 

[Alex F]

Gentlemen, can I ask where do you cruise (open ocean, lake, etc) and what's the longest cruise you had on your 280? Do you plan your trips only when the waters are calm or you'll go on a trip as long as the weather is ok? I'm trying to have proper expectation if this boat can be used a cruiser for about 50+ miles radius. I'm not planning to always be in the open ocean. But, for example if I take a cruise from Barnegat Bay to Atlantic city, there's a better option to go on the outside and I want to make sure we're comfortably cruising (25MPH is fine with me, I'm not looking to fly instead, I want to make sure everyone enjoys the trip). Also trips like from New Jersey coast line to Long Island (the shortest way is the open ocean), is this too much to ask from 280?

My 240 is fine only up to about 1-1.5 foot seas. Anything more than that I can't call a pleasant cruising. If I slowdown and adjust the haul to plow the waves I can move ok, but I loose a lot in performance. Unfortunately, you can't always tell how the boat feels from a sea trial. If you like the boat and looks like a good deal some things just become hidden or ignored. The other thing is the time limit. We went on few demo rides (300 and 320) with my local dealer and the waterways they use are only misleading the true sense. When I asked them about a more realistic trial they said it could only be done if I'm committed and put down a deposit.

We'll go for whatever demo ride they offer on 280 this season, but I would appreciate your input.

Thanks,
Alex.

 

[Turtlesboat]

In my limited experience, the 280 does bounce around on rough water. The longest I cuised in one day was 250 miles. most in the long island sound and it was a busy day so the water was rough. you have to throttle back on big wakes. I haven't taken it out on the open ocean yet but plan on it this season.

 

[Presentation]

I went from a 1998 240 Suncancer w/5.0L w/ Aplha I gen II to a 2003 280 Sundancer with twin 5.0L w/Bravo III

I had the 240 for just over 2 seasons. We put on over 150 hours a season.

I have had the 280 for two weeks. We have slept on it three times and have put on 22 hours so far.


Some comparisons:
We sleep in the forward V birth. I am 6’2†245 lbs, wife is 5’3 and about 130. I feel cramped in both. No more, no less. At home we have a king bed. That is what I am use to. At home I sleep spread out.

Fuel. I track with a GPS. Its set to state miles. On the 240 I got about 2.6MPG. So far on the 280 I am getting 1.375MPG. Mixed conditions. What I think is the biggest bunch of BS? Boaters that tell me their gas mileage and its significantly better then mine are not accurately tracking…..If you are talking about a boat that runs on plane and is gas you take the total weight and do this. 14,000 / your total weight = your MPG +/- 5%. GPH (gallons per hour) does not tell you squat. One person going 26 MPH and another running at 38 for 4 hours will use a very different amount of fuel. My formula works at all but sub plane and constant WOT speeds.

On rough water – on the 240 I would tab down (lower bow) and keep the drive all the way down and slow to about 22 MPH. I found this was the best for short ruff chop like we get on Lake Winnebago – an instate shallow lake about 30 miles long x 10 mile wide. Whitecaps are common on this lake. Wave length is short. No rollers. The ride was ruff and the crew would be tossed about.

I found with the 280 that going 40 MPH beats the crap out of everything in the same ruff conditions. The best ride, other then going about 6 MPH and plow, is to do the same thing as in the 240, tab down (lower bow) and keep the drive all the way down and slow to about 22-23 MPH. The 280 is no smoother or rougher then the 240 was.
What I liked best?

- The big swim platform, we spend a lot of time here. I would never again want anything smaller. I LOVE the swim platform.
- The flushing toilet. We tried to not use the head on the 240. We all use this one.
- The extra table that makes into a bed in the cabin on the port side. We are a family of 5 and we have one kid sleep here.
- The extra foot of beam. Mostly noticeable in the cabin.
- The small additional head room everywhere. At 6’2†I just fit, but I fit.
- More storage
- There is a ski-rope hook and we pull the kids on the tube and we ski. I can hold plan at about 23 MPH. I can plan in 7 seconds pulling a skier.

What I found about planing and turning is the boat is far less responsive and I have the bigger twin 5.0’s with Bravo III’s. Like going from a skateboard to a bicycle, the bicycle is far less responsive.

The most vexing thing has been learning how to use the radar that was already installed. This is not a Sea Ray item.

Oh, for your GPS/Chartplotter, I got a ram mount and attached it to the SIDE of the boat just ahead of the throttles. I adjusted it such that the ram is up and to the left such that the GPS is not in the way of any instruments, in easy reach of my right hand an does not block any outward visibility when sitting. I need to get a picture of this. OK, there is a piece of fiberglass that is bolted to the side of the boat. The round ram mount covers the top left most screw of this piece of plastic/fiberglass.

We love the 280 and I have no regrets on the purchase, just don’t expect to be able to pivot off a pylon like you can with inboards.

I hope to keep this boat for 8-10 years.