Buying a late 80's 300 Sundancer... Feedback Please : )

[Nugnt1]

Hi all,

I am in the process of buying a 1987 300 Sundancer with T-260 Mercs. Great Lakes boat all its life. Looks really good to me, the uneducated boater (first "big" boat... had a few runabouts). The stringers and transom were replaced a few years back by Colony Marine in Michigan. The bilge, stringer/mounts and motors look great. You could practically eat off the motors. The rest of the boat looks really good too aside from a few minor things. At the waterline just aft of mid-ship, there are a few minor vertical stress cracks in the gel coat about 6" long. Is this normal for these boats? I am having a professional survey done tomorrow. Overall, I think this a tonne of boat for the money I'm paying for it, I just don't want to jump into a notoriously bad boat prone to problems. Any feedback to the reputation of this boat and things to look out for would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to owning my first Sea Ray and chatting with enthusiasts/owners! Cheers

 

[Coros17]

I have an '88 on Georgian Bay and we love it. I specifically looked for a late '80,s Sundancer as they had the wide beam and they built them like tanks, not to mention it fit within my budget. Make sure you have it checked out as I came across some real junkers, but at the same time saw some real nice ones that no one wanted to sell. Like any old boat, general up keep like sealing windows etc. is a must. If everything checks out, you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Good luck.

 

[Coros17]

Also, the cracks in the gel coat are generally fine for these boats. I haven't seen one of this age without them. The fiberglass is thick on these old Rays.