Boating Newbie looking for advice

A

Atlas Shrugged

New Member
Sep 18, 2010
2
Chapin SC
Boat Info
290 Sun Sport
Engines
Twin 6.2 MPI Mercruiser w/Bravo 1 Drives
Hello Everyone,
Living in Charleston SC and I'm totally new to boating. I'm looking to purschase a 2005 290 sunsport that I located in Florida.

I would appreciated any advice on the model and the process.

Thanks
 
Have an independant marine surveyor perform a survey on the boat for you. It's cheap insurance against buying a boat with major problems.

Larry
 
Who is John Galt?

Sorry for the OT reply, but love the user name.

Are you going to name your boat "Atlas Shrugged"?

I may have to steal it...


Atlas Shrugged said:
Hello Everyone,
Living in Charleston SC and I'm totally new to boating. I'm looking to purschase a 2005 290 sunsport that I located in Florida.

I would appreciated any advice on the model and the process.

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
+1 I have the "Who is John Galt?" sticker on my car rear window. I need to put it on my boat...something to add to the winter list.

Registered said:
Who is John Galt?

Sorry for the OT reply, but love the user name.

Are you going to name your boat "Atlas Shrugged"?

I may have to steal it...
Click to expand...
 
Atlas Shrugged said:
Hello Everyone,
Living in Charleston SC and I'm totally new to boating. I'm looking to purschase a 2005 290 sunsport that I located in Florida.

I would appreciated any advice on the model and the process.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Alex F has his '04 320 DA for sale with V drives... Might be a better boat for you in salt water... IMHO Alex's boat is one the best maintained 320... A lot more room than a Sunsport...
 
My 280SS is basically an older 290SS without the rear fender lockers, extended swim platform and arch.

The 290SS is NOT a SunDancer. SunDancers and SunSports serve two very different needs.

If you intend to live aboard for the weekend, anchor out with the family with the comforts of A/C and sat TV. . .buy a Sundancer.

If you want to Run Fast all over the place, party all day, do some tubing and skiing, and come home to the house at night . . .then buy a SunSport.

The SunDancers have full standing headroom and a small midcabin for kids to sleep in.

The SunSports are big cuddys. You don't really stand in the main cabin and there is no mid cabin. The cockpits are slightly bigger, and *most importantly* they tend to have notably bigger engines than comparably sized SunDancers.

Bigger Engines + Smaller Cabin = Lighter and Faster boat. When people talk RPM's and speed, SunDancers seem to plane at 26-28mph at 3500-3800 rpm. My 280SS planes at 3000rpm at 31-33mph. At 3800 RPM, properly trimmed, I am at 38-40mph.

For day tripping, I have had 9 people comfortably on the boat (without really adversely affecting performance). Nothing really beats that huge U shape rear seat. Put the table up. . and four people can have a nice meal.

As for overnighting in a SunSport . . .wrong boat. Cabin is too small for more than two cozy adults. Not sure I would even consider a shower in that cramped head. Overnighting is why you buy a SunDancer.

As for V drives. . that is a whole different kettle of fish. If you wet slip in salt water, . . . then the exhaust system of an I/O drive boat becomes a replacement item every four-six years (Say $3-$5K for a twin engined boat). V drives don't have that issue. . .but are slightly less fuel efficient (so I hear). V drives (with the props further apart than an I/O drive boat) make the boat maneuverable around the dock (so I hear. . but my I/O's handle just fine, thanks for asking).

None of the SeaRay Cuddies (or bowriders/sundecks) are to my knowledge offered with V drives. V drives are only on the mid 30 foot Sundancers (the 40+ foot Sundancers tend to have diesels).

Hope this helps.
 
comsnark said:
My 280SS is basically an older 290SS without the rear fender lockers, extended swim platform and arch.

The 290SS is NOT a SunDancer. SunDancers and SunSports serve two very different needs.

If you intend to live aboard for the weekend, anchor out with the family with the comforts of A/C and sat TV. . .buy a Sundancer.

If you want to Run Fast all over the place, party all day, do some tubing and skiing, and come home to the house at night . . .then buy a SunSport.

The SunDancers have full standing headroom and a small midcabin for kids to sleep in.

The SunSports are big cuddys. You don't really stand in the main cabin and there is no mid cabin. The cockpits are slightly bigger, and *most importantly* they tend to have notably bigger engines than comparably sized SunDancers.

Bigger Engines + Smaller Cabin = Lighter and Faster boat. When people talk RPM's and speed, SunDancers seem to plane at 26-28mph at 3500-3800 rpm. My 280SS planes at 3000rpm at 31-33mph. At 3800 RPM, properly trimmed, I am at 38-40mph.

For day tripping, I have had 9 people comfortably on the boat (without really adversely affecting performance). Nothing really beats that huge U shape rear seat. Put the table up. . and four people can have a nice meal.

As for overnighting in a SunSport . . .wrong boat. Cabin is too small for more than two cozy adults. Not sure I would even consider a shower in that cramped head. Overnighting is why you buy a SunDancer.

As for V drives. . that is a whole different kettle of fish. If you wet slip in salt water, . . . then the exhaust system of an I/O drive boat becomes a replacement item every four-six years (Say $3-$5K for a twin engined boat). V drives don't have that issue. . .but are slightly less fuel efficient (so I hear). V drives (with the props further apart than an I/O drive boat) make the boat maneuverable around the dock (so I hear. . but my I/O's handle just fine, thanks for asking).

None of the SeaRay Cuddies (or bowriders/sundecks) are to my knowledge offered with V drives. V drives are only on the mid 30 foot Sundancers (the 40+ foot Sundancers tend to have diesels).

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Huh?
 
The last sentence in my post was indeed too general and loosely written. Thanks for pointing that out.

The point I was striving to make was that V-drives are not offered on any of the 20-30 foot boats: All these boats have I/O drives. I believe that the smallest current boat that has a V-Drive option is the 330DA. The 40+ foot boats tend to have diesels with straight shafts, and not V-drives.
 
Atlas Shrugged said:
Hello Everyone,
Living in Charleston SC and I'm totally new to boating. I'm looking to purschase a 2005 290 sunsport that I located in Florida.

I would appreciated any advice on the model and the process.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Maybe tell us what you'd like to do with the boat. Day boating or overnighting? Short or long cruises?
 
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