About to buy my first boat- Sundancer 280! need some advice

R

ricker625

New Member
May 9, 2015
10
Rhode Island
Boat Info
2005 Sundancer 280
Engines
Twin 4.3
Hello everyone, I'm about to purchase my first boat. It appears I have found a good deal on a 2005 Sundancer 280. I had originally started looking at some older 240s with a budget in mind of around $20k.... But a few weeks later I'm already considering the 280 and trying to justify doubling the spend. I hope this is not a sign of things to come! haha

Is the 280 too big a boat for my first? Should I be starting smaller? Certainly don't want to screw something up on a more expensive boat.

I'm also looking for some feedback regarding pricing. Here are the details:

2005 Sundancer 280
Twin 4.3 Alpha 1
250 hours
AC and heat (is this standard?)
Blue Hull
Does NOT have a generator

NADA says average retail is around 50k.. but what about a private party sale? is 50k a reasonable price for this boat?

I have a surveyor scheduled to look at it next week.

thanks to everyone and looking forward to joining the Sea Ray club!
 
My first (current) boat was a 30' with an 11' beam and I'm EXTREMELY happy I totally went for it size-wise--we're starting our third season and have no burning desire to find a different boat. I wasn't even a member of CSR at the time but had heard many, many people talk about "footitis" where someone got a boat and almost immediately wanted something larger, and I didn't want to make such an investment and then feel like it wasn't quite right. The more you drill into your needs and wants as far as boating lifestyle, the better you'll do finding the right first boat....or, as some other CSR members say, buying your second boat first! All the better if the second boat and all the expenses that go with it are still in range of your budget, because what I don't recommend is that you max yourself out on the purchase and then can't support everything else that comes with it. Cost of ownership is pretty hefty--even if you DIY, maintenance and repairs can get expensive in a hurry.

As far as the features you listed, I can't speak to price/value, but I can speak to my preferences. I appreciate dual engines--something fellow boaters said would make it easier to maneuver a boat in the 28 - 30' range I was considering. They've also given us a little insurance on the occasions when we've had trouble with one and still needed to get somewhere. Of course, twins come with a bigger fuel tab and maintenance program, too, but I knew that was part of the deal! And I appreciate having heat and AC, as well, because we spend time at the dock year round and stay on the boat overnight occasionally in cold weather, frequently in warm. A generator was a must for us, though, because we raft up/anchor out for weekends at a time, and middle TN summer nights can be extremely hot and humid. Does your prospect have an inverter? Perhaps another member can speak to whether the heat/AC can be run that way, if you think you'll want to use it when you're out and about. Generator installation is a pricey pursuit.

Good luck!
 
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I dont know if it has an inverter. I think going with the 280 is a good choice. Hopefully I wont have the urge to upgrade. I am looking for some reassurance that the boat is priced reasonably. Does anyone any input on pricing a 2005 280?
 
You can do a Google search and see what other 280's are going for (Yacht World, Boat Trader and the likes).

Given the fact that you first thought a 240 was enough, I would think that a 280 would suit you for years to come.

You can not run the A/C on an inverter. You will only be able to use the A/C while on shore power.

Good luck and welcome to CSR!
 
I did do some searches on those sites. There seems to be a HUGE range of pricing. Saw one as high as $75k. And of course asking price is not selling price.
 
ricker625 said:
Hello everyone, I'm about to purchase my first boat. It appears I have found a good deal on a 2005 Sundancer 280. I had originally started looking at some older 240s with a budget in mind of around $20k.... But a few weeks later I'm already considering the 280 and trying to justify doubling the spend. I hope this is not a sign of things to come! haha

Is the 280 too big a boat for my first? Should I be starting smaller? Certainly don't want to screw something up on a more expensive boat.

I'm also looking for some feedback regarding pricing. Here are the details:

2005 Sundancer 280
Twin 4.3 Alpha 1
250 hours
AC and heat (is this standard?)
Blue Hull
Does NOT have a generator

NADA says average retail is around 50k.. but what about a private party sale? is 50k a reasonable price for this boat?

I have a surveyor scheduled to look at it next week.

thanks to everyone and looking forward to joining the Sea Ray club!
Click to expand...


Hold up here Capt. You have a surveyor and are asking about pricing? How this works is negotiate price, sign a contract with it contingent upon a successful survey. This site does have "boat buying" threads for the details on the process, check it out.

Not saying the price is bad, but negotiating after the survey is poor form.....if it fails the survey, well, that is the end of the road and a different conversation. If your just asking "did I do good?" we sold 2 years in that price range, and don't feel the boat really depreciates much more.


Back on point with the 280, its a great boat. I have nothing but praise. Is it a good first boat, sure, I don't suggest starting any smaller:grin:....but then again I don't know you, and spending others peoples money is easy for me- haha


Blue Hull - love the look. Make sure you are on-bard with the up-keep
250 hrs is actually an eyebrow raising number. Seems low, and you need to find out why. Was the boat on average used 25 hrs each year? Did the boat sit on land for a few years?
Genny - well, this is not un-common around our parts (NY Area), and wont see it till the 30' range (generally speaking)
Not sure if AC / Heat is 'standard' in a stripped down baseline boat, but a very common option. You have good access to visually inspect it under the dinette seat.

How is the Canvas and Glass? Does the boat still have cockpit carpet? When were the risers and manifolds changed (part of my 250 hr concern)?

Ha, any chance this is a CSR member selling? if so, I you can bump the rating by 2 points.
 
ricker, sent u a pm with my contact info. If your looking for a 280 in perfect condition, I may be tempted to downsize. Has everything. Live closeby
 
I don't think the 280 is too big for a first boat. I do think a 240 is too small for a family cruiser though. It will be easier to learn to handle the 28' with twins than a single engine 240.

As far as the price I did a search on Yachtworld for 2004-2006 Sea Rays from 27'-29'. http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...dedSelected=-1&ftid=100&fromLength=28&man=sea ray&slim=quick&rid=100&No=0&Ns=PBoat_sortByPriceAsc|0 $47k was the lowest for a 280 so I would say that the asking price for the one you are looking at is OK. HOWEVER....keep in mind that the boat you are looking at has NO generator. That would be a problem for me and I think it will be for you down the road. Also the 4.3 and Alpha package is the smallest and cheapest engine/drive package that Sea Ray offered on that boat and there was a spirited discussion on the forum a couple of weeks ago regarding the 280 being under-powered or not with the 4.3s. (They did offer a 496 single) The conclusion was that it probably is. With a full load of fuel, water, supplies and 4 adults that setup will struggle a bit to plane and you will need to learn the creative ways to nurse the best performance out of it.

Since you are in this far I would look for on with the 5.0 engine package and Bravo IIIs such as this one: (the listing shows the engines as only having 130hp but the 5.0 package is 250) http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2005/Sea-Ray-280-Sundancer-2420088/MA/United-States#.VVE3YHRFB9A or this one: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/200...2754140/Hingham/MA/United-States#.VVE4ZnRFB9A This one has BIIIs and the Bravos will really help you learning to handle your first.

None of these have gennies which appears to be pretty normal on the 280s, maybe it was a space issue but this means you will only be able to use AC when plugged in to Shore Power.

You are doing the right thing by lining up a surveyor now continue doing right by shopping a bit more. As an example you could find a nice 290 Sundancer by going a couple of years older such as this one: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/200...2749490/Chester/CT/United-States#.VVE7rXRFB9A This boat has 9" more beam, which means a lot of extra space over 29', bigger engines, better drives and it would be no more difficult to learn on the 280 and it's $10,000 less.

My point is to shop around and not make an emotional purchase. There is soooo much to choose from and as the buyer you are in the Captain's seat. Good luck and keep us posted.

Shawn
 
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I'm just throwing this out here because it was my experience...take it for what it's worth which really is nothing :grin:

First boat I bought was a 34' Chris Craft.....second boat a year later (don't ask) was my 340......family of 3....I would buy the biggest boat you can afford....even with just a family of 3 I wouldn't even consider a smaller boat than I have. As far as handling it I wouldn't worry....my experience has been that if you can drive twins (and Vdrives are ridiculously forgiving) you can really handle anything. I wouldn't give a second thought to moving up to a 380 or a 410 (size wise..I couldn't afford that kind of move)and I've only been boating for 2 years.

Good Luck
 
I started out boating 6 years ago with a 240 for my first boat. Have it for 5 seasons and went up to the 2001 280 with twin 4.3s and love it. To be honest I probably would have liked to start with a 280 because of the room inside. We love to overnight and it serves its purpose great. The 240 was a little tight as we have 2 young kids. You will love the 280 and you'll probably be looking at 340s soon enough :grin:.
 
PMC said:
Hold up here Capt. You have a surveyor and are asking about pricing? How this works is negotiate price, sign a contract with it contingent upon a successful survey. This site does have "boat buying" threads for the details on the process, check it out.

Not saying the price is bad, but negotiating after the survey is poor form.....if it fails the survey, well, that is the end of the road and a different conversation. If your just asking "did I do good?" we sold 2 years in that price range, and don't feel the boat really depreciates much more.


Back on point with the 280, its a great boat. I have nothing but praise. Is it a good first boat, sure, I don't suggest starting any smaller:grin:....but then again I don't know you, and spending others peoples money is easy for me- haha


Blue Hull - love the look. Make sure you are on-bard with the up-keep
250 hrs is actually an eyebrow raising number. Seems low, and you need to find out why. Was the boat on average used 25 hrs each year? Did the boat sit on land for a few years?
Genny - well, this is not un-common around our parts (NY Area), and wont see it till the 30' range (generally speaking)
Not sure if AC / Heat is 'standard' in a stripped down baseline boat, but a very common option. You have good access to visually inspect it under the dinette seat.

How is the Canvas and Glass? Does the boat still have cockpit carpet? When were the risers and manifolds changed (part of my 250 hr concern)?

Ha, any chance this is a CSR member selling? if so, I you can bump the rating by 2 points.
Click to expand...

First, thanks to everyone for all the info!

Yes I am more looking for a "did I do good?" I have agreed to the selling price as long as it passes the survey and sea trial next week. I also forgot to mention that it comes with paid in full slip for the season ($3600 value).

It's not a CSR member that I know of. It's a friend of a friend's boat, and I hear he wasn't able to use it much. My friend suggested I offer to buy it, it wasn't even listed for sale. I have not had a chance to inspect the canvas as it was not put up yet. But it will be next week. Although Im not sure what I'm looking for. Regarding the glass... What would I be looking for? I guess I asummed it it isnt shattered it must be OK!... man, I have a lot to learn. I'm assuming the surveyer will be able to give me a full rundown on everything.

My situation- I'm a 32 year old single guy. No kids. I probably won't be anchoring out overnight too much. Mostly used for enterataining friends, partying on the dock, and staying overnight at various other marinas and block island. I jumped into this on a whim. I have next to zero boating experience. But it's sounds fun and I am impulsive haha
 
You should definitely get a list of questions to be asked regardless.
When were the manifolds and risers done? Should be done every 5 to 7 years especially in salt.
When were the drives ever serviced? Gimbals,Bellows,Shift Cables. Repair bills can get expensive.
When were the water pumps last done? I do it every 2 years regardless.
When were the engines tuned? Plugs wires etc?
To me all very important questions to ask.
Also make sure you see all bills as far as winterizing,oil changes etc. A bill for new canvas could be very minor compared to major work.
 
ricker625 said:
I have next to zero boating experience. But it's sounds fun and I am impulsive haha
Click to expand...

Not sure if either are requirements for your state, but taking a USCG or Power Squadron safe boating course, and finding a local captain to help you with some boat handling instruction would be invaluable investment for assistance the with learning curve (in my opinion).
 
50K with a 1 year pass on a seasonal slip may not be that bad of a DEAL IF.
The boats in perfect condition, if it's been a salt water boat for 10 years it probably isn't.
You got the little engines, no genny, no closed cooling, probably a deal breaker for most.
Electronics, radar, upgraded stereo?
Water intrusion is a big issue with this model, is the bilge dry? If not why not?
This is a high maintenance boat, are you real handy? Do you have deep pockets?
That boat is at the age where CF3 and exhaust replacement could cost you thousands
 
JimFromMD said:
Not sure if either are requirements for your state, but taking a USCG or Power Squadron safe boating course, and finding a local captain to help you with some boat handling instruction would be invaluable investment for assistance the with learning curve (in my opinion).
Click to expand...
And, IMO, plan to have at least 1 person with you every time you launch, preferably one with some boating experience, but at least level headed and chock full of common sense, until you're very comfortable with how your boat handles and figure out how to rig everything the way you'd need it if you were alone. There probably are a ton of people who have flown solo from the get go, but the first time you're in danger of colliding with any stationary or moving object, including your slip, you (and your insurance company/bank account) will be VERY thankful you've got an extra pair of hands around so you can keep yours on the wheel!
 
It's a friend of a friends boat...... Ya needta meet my girwlfwiends girwlfwien'......she'z gaht ah wikkit good personality.....he says in his best Cranston twang.

I literally just just flew in from RI last night from a Warwick visit w/ Mom for Mothers Day. There are tons of boats for sale between Oakland Beach and Warwick Neck. Let's face facts.....businesses aren't busting their balls to find space in RI. It's a shame, as RI is a beautiful state, but it is what it is.

If if you are willing to travel a few hours, there is an '04 280 in Jersey w/ twin 5.0's and B3's, a gennie, radar and new exhaust systems 2 years ago. Price = $49.8K. That search took 10 seconds. Which is the better deal? Your decision.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2004-Sea-Ray-280-Sundancer-Generator-5.0MPI-102370414

good luck!
 
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