370 Ec

[ksd1]

Longtime lurker, since the old SR forum, lots of good information here, I really enjoy chatting about boats. Sold my '89 340 'dancer about a year ago and looking for the next boat. Anybody have any knowledge of the 370 EC? Considering a 1999 model year with the 3116 Cats, will it perform well? Is it cored below the waterline? I like to fish a little so the cockpit seems a little more friendly for that than a 40 ish sundancer...anybody have any thoughts...I boat mostly on the Columbia River in the PNW. A little offshore tuna/salmon run isn't out of the question if I had the right boat though...thx in advance guys

 

[fwebster]

The wide body 370EC is a great boat..........probably one of Sea Ray's best ever.

The 3116 is a really good match for the hull and weight.......expect great idle performance around the dock and a very quick boat at cruise. Fuel burn is among the best for this sized boat. at max rated cruise, the 350hp 3116 burns 22 gph, but down around trolling speeds they are down right stingy. At 1200 rpm expect about 3 gph. The 300 hp versions is 10-15% more efficient and the performance difference is hardly noticable.

The 3116 is also not affected by any of the more serious problems you hear about concerning Caterpillar engines. You will want to add, if the boat does not have them, Walker Air-Seps. The engines are right under the helm and companion seats and the turbo whine on these engines is pretty loud. Air-Seps are very effective in silencing the intake noise and that will substantially enhance your enjoyment of a 3116 powered boat.

The 370 design didn't change that much from its inception until they were phased out, but later is better than earlier, particularly since hardtops are available in later years.

The hull form of the 370EC and its little brother, the 330EC/340AJ is unique for Sea Rays. There is a noticable keel on these boats that does not appear on any other Sea Ray. This one feature gives the 370 a unique handling characteristic......they track like they are running on rails.

I can't answer the cored or not question, but they were a Merritt Island boat and Merritt Island made very few cored hulls. One thing I do know, is that there is no known or systemic defect in the 370EC and most owners are so happy with their boats that they hold on to them. I believe that to be the reason thet the 370 holds its value better than other models.


You made a good choice.............

 

[sbw1]

This boat is very similar to a Tiara 3200 Open demensionally and the layout is essentially identical. The Tiara may be heavier. I looked for one for a couple of years. Looked at one boat that got sold before I could follow up, and the other just disappeared from the market never to be seen by me again. The hardtop version is the only way to go in my view, but some people may be ok with canvas. I bought a new Tiara instead and a friend of mine (who bought my prior 30 foot WEr) ended up buying the the 370 Express. Sitting side by side there are many similarities between our two boats. I've not been out in his boat yet on rough seas, so I don't know how good of a sea boat it is. I do know it's one of the best looking SRs produced. It has a timeless look and it's surprising the company stopped building it. One possible concern I would have is the coring in the hull sides. I belive it is some sort of synthetic material I've not heard of. I'm pretty sure it is not balsa. At the beginning of the model year, I think those hulls were also cored on the bottom. This may have been changed in later models. If you call SR with a serial number they will tell you all the details. The helm layout could also be a little better. The seats are kind of small and the port seat faces forward making entertaining a little awkword in bad weather. All in all a great looking boat.

 

[ksd1]

Thanks fellas...Tiaras make my short list too. With all the good things said about the 370 EC I wonder why SR doesn't build 'em anymore? I'll be on yachtworld looking at the 340 AJ as well Frank, thanks for the info.

 

[fwebster]

As popular as the wide body boats....370EC, 330EC and 340AJ....became, I'm told that actual sales volume was low. When the existing molds got too expensive to maintain the management at Sea Ray, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the sales were too low to warrant retooling.

I think the company is missing a market segment: At our marina/dealer we had 7 guys who were ready to sign a contract for a new 41-44 ft. version with a 16 ft beam and 600+ hp diesels made with a little more of a Carolina flare but just like the EC's otherwise. Sea Ray wasn't interested. One of the guys bought a 41 Albemarle w/660 hp Cats, one bought a 45 Cabo Conv. and 3 more found and bought 370EC's.

 

[Newbie]

I'm glad this topic came up......370EC is also one of my considerations for the next boat along with the 340 AJ and 410EC. I prefer the 370 myself because of the layout up top and the available hard top. Also love the timeless sportfishing look. Theres plenty of 370's for sale now but few with diesel power, no way I'd own one with 7.4's. I actually plan to take long trips on whatever I buy next so diesel is the only way to go for me. SB

 

[Lake Erie Boater]

Also love the timeless sportfishing look. SB

Here, here. When it was time to move up (just this past fall), I saw this model, found a fresh water diesel and it was all over.

In my opinion, the wide body gives you the most boat for the length and searay the most for your $$. What you lose in the the mid-cabin, you gain in balance, performance, cockpit space for entertaining etc. The extra beam also gives you the ability to get to the bow without doing the rail dance along the cabin side. With young kids who like to "wander the boat" at the dock, this makes for added piece of mind.

Overall, it's a great compromise for those of us who spend most of our time relaxing on the water, but still want to get out and fish occasionally as well.

When you find the "perfect ride" call Sea Ray as the others have mentioned. I did and was extremely pleased with their customer service rep. They were complete and thoroughly willing to answer my SPECIFIC questions including the whole "is it cored" issue. I was totally impressed by how "nice" they were!! That and the fact that there are so many searays out there, I figured it would be easier to find parts as the boat aged, etc. Now I am rambling.....

Good luck, you will not go wrong with this ride.:thumbsup:

 

[PlayDate]

I'm obviously a big fan of the 370EC but it comes down to the kind of boating you want to do. I bought it because at 6'2" 200 pounds I could work on virtually any part of the boat and liked the cabin space. When I bought my boat gas was cheap and the engines had 310 horsepower each (really underpowered). Years later gas is ridiculous and the engines have over 400 horsepower each (too much hotrodding as a kid).

It runs great but guzzles gas. The good news is that there isn't a whole lot to do on the northern part of the Potomac except to leave the marina and cruise to Georgetown to party. I burn 16 gallons to make the roundtrip due to all the no wake zones. If I had diesels, I probably would only burn 8.

But all things are relative in boating and you can rationalize just about anything when you own a boat. If I was on salt water, I would want the same size and diesels. Would I spend the $70-80K to switch out the gas engines as long as I am on fresh water? Nope......but then gas hasn't reached $6 per gallon......yet.

-John

 

[sbw1]

There is a big difference between the 37 and the smaller AJ. I looked at both and sea trialed the smaller version. It was disappointing to run the small boat because when sitting at the helm seat sight lines were not good. When standing up I was looking at the top of the windshield frame or through eisinglass. I'm 6'3" and for a tall person it is not comfortable to pilot.

 

[npcrx]

I own a 98 370EC, gas horizons, 380hp, no complaints. I don't have the hardtop. Great boat, very versatile, timeless style.

 

[osd9]

one of my daughters friends family has a'97 37EC with 7.4 horizons. You can have lunch in the ER and invite friends....tons of room. From memory, my only beef was that once the ER Hatch is up (hinged forward and raises from mid cockpit) just make sure you have everthing out from salon that you may need when in the ER. Otherwise you have to lower the hatch to get back down there.

 

[JBJ]

I own a 1999 370 EC hard top. The 1997 - 1999 models have a solid glass bottom and balsa cored sides. The 2000 year model have a solid glass bottom with a cored side made from dynacell. ( I believe, though I know it is not balsa.) Call Sea Ray customer support and they will answer any questions you have, we talked about a half hour about the boat.
As far as the ride goes the Sea Ray rep told me the difference between the Express and the Sundancer was, "The Sundancers go on top of the waves, the Expresses go through them."

 

[sbw1]

I own a 1999 370 EC hard top.QUOTE]

One question I've had about several of the SR hardtop models is how do you wash and wax the tops of these boats? On the Tiaras you put your cleaning stuff on the roof with a hose laid over the top and walk up the windshield frame. It looks to me like you would spring the windshield frame or break the glass. I've seen one 37 Express that looks like a boat cleaner slipped, fell and bent the windshield frame.

 

[JBJ]

To wash it I just use a long handled brush and walk around the top. The boat has fairly wide decks. To wax it is a bit more difficult. I either use a step ladder on the back deck to climb on the top or I go to the front and use the support to climb up.

 

[sbw1]

Hardtops are great. My last boat had grey sunbrella canvas and sitting at the helm in port on a hot summer day could become unbearable with the heat radiating down through the canvas and onto your head. The hardtop completely eliminates that issue and the space becomes another comfortable place to hang out. It gives the 37 a great look as well.

 

[JV II]

Can someone post a few pictures of the 370 so I can see the hard top?

 

[sbw1]

Can someone post a few pictures of the 370 so I can see the hard top?

Go to searay.com and click on 37 foot button and then to archieves. The 37 express in the 1999 model year has a hardtop. Looks good!

 

[AmiJIm]

I own a 370EC model 2000 twin CAT 3116 350HP Diesel.
All i can say is that this boat is a perfect runner.Solid cruise,low fuels.i can recomend her.
A lift platform is a must for the tender or the PWC.