380 vs. 340/350

[mawyatt]

Any opinions of the 380 vs. the 340 or new 350. I went to the Miami boat show to answer some questions and came back with with more questions. Just before the show I was trying to decide on the 340 vs. the Regal 3760 (really nice boat), then I saw the 350..very impressive. Then I spent some time on the 380 they had at the show and talked with a new 380 owner and listend to the SeaRay engineer talk about the 380. So now I have another option to consider. Any 380 owners advice???

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Dave S]

If money is not an issue, personally I would pick the 380 over either the 340 or 350 (even thought I haven't seen a 350 in person yet). I've crawled all over a 380 that our dealer has and that is one fine boat.

 

[Bottom Line]

I really like the 38 Sundancer!! I would love to have it as my next boat. There has been discussion here about the center entry door not matching the fiberglass...and there is a little difference in color. There is also a little difference in color on my 300DA rear cockpit door, but it is not as noticable since it closes offset, and not flush. Several other features I like about the 38DA(over the others)...a real mattress and a separate master stateroom, and a separate shower, so the read of the head does not get wet when someone uses the shower. If the new 350DA is over 300K, you can find some lightly used 38DA....for less that that.

 

[Quint]

Any opinions of the 380 vs. the 340 or new 350. I went to the Miami boat show to answer some questions and came back with with more questions. Just before the show I was trying to decide on the 340 vs. the Regal 3760 (really nice boat), then I saw the 350..very impressive. Then I spent some time on the 380 they had at the show and talked with a new 380 owner and listend to the SeaRay engineer talk about the 380. So now I have another option to consider. Any 380 owners advice???

Thanks,

Mike

Hey Mike

I'm going through the same question. On the + side of the 38 (aside from just size):
- Better hull windows
- Better hardtop
- Fore cabin separated by hardwood door
- Separate head/shower (this can be really significant when cruising)

On the + side for the 350:
- The newer design
- Rear facing seat/more versatile swim platform
- Grill in cockpit
- Tilt-up back rest on forecabin mattress
- Walk thru windshield

Let me know how your thoughts go. In either case, you have a HAPPY dilemma!!

 

[jg300da]

The 380 also puts you in the "Yacht" catagory which includes a list of material upgrades like stainless steel windshield frames etc. I'm sure there are many large boat owners here that could list out the differences for you.

 

[dcwjd]

If money is no object then the 38 is the way to go. It's a beauty. Larger beam, master stateroom and seperate shower do it for me.

 

[mawyatt]

Hey Mike

I'm going through the same question. On the + side of the 38 (aside from just size):
- Better hull windows
- Better hardtop
- Fore cabin separated by hardwood door
- Separate head/shower (this can be really significant when cruising)

On the + side for the 350:
- The newer design
- Rear facing seat/more versatile swim platform
- Grill in cockpit
- Tilt-up back rest on forecabin mattress
- Walk thru windshield

Let me know how your thoughts go. In either case, you have a HAPPY dilemma!!

We have had our 38 now for a couple of months. We made the right decision over the 340 or 350. Everything discussed on the + side for the 38 is true, the walk thru windshield on the 350 is nice but I have found no problem getting to the bow on the 38. The walkway is wide enough and the handrails are located just where they need to be. The rotating helm seat on the 350 is nice, wish the 38 had this. I know the 38 is more $ but worth the extra IMO, and it's made in Merritt Island along with the big yachts!

Either way you can't lose, both are great boats.

Mike

 

[Ken Cruiser]

In desperate need of some advice,

I'm in the exact same boat as mawyatt in that we are looking at the 340/350 vs the 380. We currently have a 280.

Here are some things I was looking for input on.
The price difference between a fairly loaded '08 350 and an '08 380 is about $40K with msrp of the 380 about $100K higher. Our local dealer is very motivated to move the 380 and there may be some more room on the negotiations as they said they are getting some help directly from SeaRay to move inventory. The 380's msrp is around $475K and we can buy it for around $325K.

The 380 has the 8.1 gas 420 hp engines. I'm basically trying to figure out if I'd be making a mistake getting the 380 with gas engines though I'm having a hard time finding a diesel configuration. Also, with gas at +$5.00/gallon how much more fuel will we be going through with the 380 vs the 350? When at some point we go to sell and hopefully trade up, which boat will hold its value better?

Lastly, how do the beds compare? I'm 6'4" and currently configured like a pretzel attmpting to sleep in the 280 so the mattress confg. and cabin headroom is very important.

Thanks for any input on these two boats.

Ken

 

[bluebelly]

Any opinions of the 380 vs. the 340 or new 350. I went to the Miami boat show to answer some questions and came back with with more questions. Just before the show I was trying to decide on the 340 vs. the Regal 3760 (really nice boat), then I saw the 350..very impressive. Then I spent some time on the 380 they had at the show and talked with a new 380 owner and listend to the SeaRay engineer talk about the 380. So now I have another option to consider. Any 380 owners advice???

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,

You say you "have another option to consider". Your post is written as if you are in the market to purchase a 38 da. Are you not a current owner of a 38 da?

 

[mawyatt]

Hi Bluebelly,

When I posted the previous message I was considering the 340, 350, 38 and Regal 3760. After returning I test drove a Regal 4060, that was the other option. Anyway I decided on the 38 for various reasons, all a good boats and you can't go wrong. One thing that was important was the engine room access and with the 38 having a wider beam than the 340 or 350, that was important.

The Regal has better engine access than the 340 or 350 because they put the engines futher apart and you can slide between them....not so on the 340 or 350.

Mike

 

[mawyatt]

In desperate need of some advice,

I'm in the exact same boat as mawyatt in that we are looking at the 340/350 vs the 380. We currently have a 280.

Here are some things I was looking for input on.
The price difference between a fairly loaded '08 350 and an '08 380 is about $40K with msrp of the 380 about $100K higher. Our local dealer is very motivated to move the 380 and there may be some more room on the negotiations as they said they are getting some help directly from SeaRay to move inventory. The 380's msrp is around $475K and we can buy it for around $325K.

The 380 has the 8.1 gas 420 hp engines. I'm basically trying to figure out if I'd be making a mistake getting the 380 with gas engines though I'm having a hard time finding a diesel configuration. Also, with gas at +$5.00/gallon how much more fuel will we be going through with the 380 vs the 350? When at some point we go to sell and hopefully trade up, which boat will hold its value better?

Lastly, how do the beds compare? I'm 6'4" and currently configured like a pretzel attmpting to sleep in the 280 so the mattress confg. and cabin headroom is very important.

Thanks for any input on these two boats.

Ken

Ken,

IMO the 38 is an overall better boat and the price you are quoting is excellent. I thought about the diesel but with the added inital costs and the miles/$ fuel the diesel is not that much better....and we don't take many long trips anyway.

We burn about 30~33GPH and get about 0.6~0.7 MPG. These engines have plenty of torque. Today while trying to pull anchor off a local island my son kept in idle gear (forward) too long and snaped the anchor rope. I lost the entire anchor and chain!!! Hey see if your dealer will throw in an anchor and chain for me!!! Anyone know how much this will cost??

Mike

 

[Ken Cruiser]

Mike,

Thank you for the input. Which engines do you have on your 380? What is your cruising speed vs. topspeed? Also, are there any options you wished you had but didn't get and vice versa?

Ken