310DA/330DA : 1990-1994 vs. 1995-1999

[Hal]

Going to look at one of each on Wednesday. A 1991 310DA and a 1996 330DA.

Hopefully I will decide which vintage to pursue and subsequently narrow down my search.

I know I will want both a survey and a sea trail. Other than that anything specific I should try to focus on at first look?

Comments are welcome on one vintage vs. the other?


THANKS,
Hal

:huh:

 

[mrsrobinson]

We love our 330. Never been on a 310 so I cannot comment.

 

[osd9]

I have owned both boats....a '93 330DA (same as the '91 310DA) and a '98 330DA....

Other than price and which fits better in your budget, I would highly recommend the newer designed 330DA for the extra features and updates.

Since you don't say, I will assume they are both equipped as mine were...7.4L V-Drive inboards

newer model had MPI engines....older had carbs...(some may like the carbs, but in this day of ethanol, give me the MPIs) ...and in your case the '96 model is most likely carburatored....so no real difference here

newer model, with the electric engine hatch, has MUCH, MUCH better engine access.

newer model has much friendlier cockpit design and a MUCH better stock canvas design, with the exception of the rubber gaskets used to hold the isenglass to the windshield....

The dash layout on the newer model has room for modern electronics...

newer model forward facing arch is more modern looking and provides for much more head room.....and the nav light is on the arch and NOT on the front of the windshield....

newer model will most likely have the extended swim platform and trunk for storing 'stuff"

newer model will have the underwater exhaust for a MUCH quieter ride...

newer model will have 1 1/2" shafts as opposed to 1 1/4" shafts

newer model will have dripless shaft seals. older model will have to be packed

newer model will have westerbeke genie where parts are readily available and older model will have quicksilver which could be difficult to get parts for.

newer model (later than 96 I think) will have the windlass with foot pedals for operation from the deck...and will have 20' feet of chain as opposed to NO foot pedals and NO chain at all....

Newer model will have a better laid out design down below.....

Most of the observations above are facts and some are my own opinions based on having owned both models for approximately 4 years each.....I am sure that there are other differences ....but this is just off the top of my head...

good luck...

 

[osd9]

Hal:

Did you get out yesterday to look at the boats??

 

[Hal]

Well...

The 310 was not very well maintained. I had the feeling that the owner didn't take very good care of his toys. He is a builder who got ahead of himself in "spec houses" and needs the cash flow to pay property taxes. So, we are going to reserve decision until we look at a second one. Fortunatley there are three almost identical boats with different brokers in my general area.

The 330 was much cleaner. But more importantly we preferred the layout.

The decision isn't final but I think we will be spending the extra to move to the 1995-1999 model.

 

[bliss]

We just closed on a "97 330DA. We sold our larger aft cabin and were looking for something smaller. We had a survey- no problems found. The boat is stored indoors so no sea trial 'til spring We closed with a cash holdback.
We liked the layout and the camperback space.

 

[Alex D]

If you can, try also to look at an early 340 ... the 340 although similar will seem MUCH larger in the cabin and has some cockpit enhancements too such as seat with flip up bolster and more headroom. SR really improved the efficiency of space use in the cabin. I have a slip neighbor and he still can't believe how much larger the 340 feels inside. For me the additional 1.5 inch headroom in the 340 is essentila too.

that being said the 330 is a wonderful boat and I love the classic lines and the bow pulpit. Can't go wrong here, but 340s are coming down in price too ...

 

[bliss]

I focused on the 34s but couldn't find one in very good shape on the western shores of Lake Michigan. Most were priced around $40,000-$45,000 ask.

 

[Hal]

Dominic,

Thanks for the concise summary of differences.
You state :

"newer model will have 1 1/2" shafts as opposed to 1 1/4" shafts"
starting with which model year are the 1 1/2" shafts standard?

"newer model will have dripless shaft seals. older model will have to be packed "
same question, starting with which model year are dripless seals standard? also, are the dripping models really that ad?

THANKS again,
Hal

 

[osd9]

Dominic,

Thanks for the concise summary of differences.
You state :

"newer model will have 1 1/2" shafts as opposed to 1 1/4" shafts"
starting with which model year are the 1 1/2" shafts standard?

"newer model will have dripless shaft seals. older model will have to be packed "
same question, starting with which model year are dripless seals standard? also, are the dripping models really that ad?

THANKS again,
Hal

Hal:

My pleasure...

I believe, and I am not positive as this is from my old brain memory but I am fairly sure that begining in the '96 model year (models built in '96 not necessarily all '96 models) the larger dripless shafts became standard, along with the newer style windlass....

hopes this helps....

later,

 

[Hal]

I believe, and I am not positive as this is from my old brain memory but I am fairly sure that begining in the '96 model year (models built in '96 not necessarily all '96 models) the larger dripless shafts became standard, along with the newer style windlass....

so the larger shaft always has the dripless bearings?

THANKS

 

[osd9]

so the larger shaft always has the dripless bearings?

THANKS

That's how I remeber it....maybe some other 330DA owners can help out here....

 

[fwebster]

Here is a little clarification on the Strong Seals.........Sea Ray converted the stuffing boxes to dripless seals in the 1995-1996 time frame. When the conversion was made was based on if the model was going to be continued or if the shaft and shaft log was to be redesigned.

Strong Seals are ordered and speced by not only the internal dia. or the shaft dia. but also on the diameter of the shaft log. Some respecification was done to reduce the number of seal sizes needed. More boats used common sized shaft logs and some shafts were changed as well.

So I don't think you can assume a particular boat has strong seals unless you are comparing years pretty far apart.......like a '94 will not have them and a '97 will. To complicate things further, the dripless seals turned out to be a very nice addition and cleaned up and dried out a lot of bilges. A dry bilge means less maintenance, less corrosion and higher resale value so a lot of owners converted to Strong Seals at the next available haul out after seeing how they worked out.......my 1988 390EC had Strong Seals, for example.

The only way to be sure is ask or go look at the boat.

Not having Strong Seals is not a valid reason to pass on a boat, however. The seals for my 450DA cost about $900 for the pair.......add a 1/2 a day's labor and a haulout and its not chump change, but it should not be enough to pass up an otherwise good boat.