Another Newbie

[witchhouse]

I Just purchased a 1988 Sea Ray 300 Weekender. I won't be in the water until April or May 2009. My plan is to take a safety class and a navigation class over the winter. I purchased the boat in CT. and live in Salem Ma. where it will be docked or moored.
The previous owner of this boat is going to come along with me and my two son's 32 and 28 for the trip from Chester CT. to Salem Ma. I am a rookie at boating other than this past year I had a 21' Steiger Craft Center Console with a 135 Merc. This twin inboard is going to be a big change for me as I just got used to docking the outboard.

The previous owner told me that he will teach me how to handle the boat on our trip up to Salem. He assured me I would be able to with confidence be able to handle this boat by the time we got back to Salem with it. He has owned the boat since new and just had enough with his age getting in the way of such a large boat. Is there anything anyone can tell me about this model that I should know about Pro's and Con's it has 720 hours on one motor and 735 hours on the other. I had a marine mechanic friend of mine look at it and he said to buy it it has been very well maintained from what he could see the previous owner gave the marina a blank check every year at the end of the season to service the boat.

Thank you in advance for any input you could give me.

Witchhouse

 

[Sundancer]

They are great boats and you will come up to speed very quickly driving and docking it. Think of the gear selectors like a shopping cart to determine which way you want the nose to go. Piece of cake! I'm sure your sons and the previous owner will give you as much guidance or even more than you can take!

The boat is very solid and will handle pretty rough water very easily. It's got a lot of space and will last a long time! I have the DA version but it's very similar. I swapped the 19 year old charger for a newer model so I didn't boil the water out of the batteries. It has new carpet in the cockpit, but the rest is still stock including the canvas and mooring cover. I had to resew the seams last year, but it looks great now!

http://www.theprofilebrotherhood.com/forum/

 

[jhild]

Hi, Witchhouse. (Seems appropriate for a Salem homeport.) I'm just across the harbor in Beverly. Spring is a long way off, but if you have any questions about boating in this area, please don't hesitate to ask. Congratulations and good luck!

John

 

[witchhouse]

Thanks John I am thinking of mooering at the hawthone cove marina I an looking price as I am on a fixed income Disabled Veteran. any other suggestions pric means a lot to me.

Witch

 

[jhild]

I have no idea what Hawthorne Cove charges for a seasonal mooring, but it’s certainly cheaper than renting a slip. I’ve heard nothing but good things about HCM. Definitely a good location. Free launch service is nice to have. Sure beats rowing out to your boat every time you want to go for a cruise.

If you keep your eyes open in the spring (especially on Craigslist) you can find private moorings for rent in Marblehead/Salem Harbor at much cheaper rates than any of the marinas. You can use the public launch service from Pickering Wharf to get to your boat, but that has its own convenience issues depending on where you live. I’m sure there are still a few pay-as-you-go private launches available as well.

I haven’t done the research, but it would be easy enough to make a few calls to some of the other local marinas to see what they’re charging. Based on the current economy and outlook for the boating industry, you might be able to get a great deal for next season. I saw quite a few empty slips last summer. I would be surprised if that trend didn’t continue.