Considering 240 Sundancer

[180 Sport]

I am really interested in moving up to the 240 Sundancer within the next year or so. First, I need to get over the convienence of keeping my boat in my garage, and then be ready to pay for boat storage /hi dry, ect. I gave it a pretty lenghty inspection at the boat show this past weekend, but was wondering if there were any 240 owners out there with opinions (good or bad) of the boat.

I love the new layout, but there were few issues for me, one being that it doesnt come with an anchor shute on the bow like the 260 does, and I dont see it listed as an option....does anyone know if its available?

Otherwise, it seems like a good fit for what we are looking for...its just me and my better half (along with our yellow lab), so the cabin would be spacious enough for an overnite stay.


My other concern is the sometimes choppy water in Tampa bay....Any opinions on performance and function would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[wastinaweigh]

I am going to suggest that you skip the 240 and look at the 260 or 280 instead.

These boats come with an optional generator. Having a generator will let you run your A/C whenever you need it, and it is a great thing to have from April through October. I came out of a 225 Weekender, and I cannot tell you how much more pleasant boating is around here with A/C on demand.

As for the chop that you get around here, the 240 should be fine. You may have to run with it trimmed all the down and the tabs fully down to keep from pounding yourself senseless. The heavier the boat, the better the ride. The real solution is to get a 460. :grin:

The other piece of advice that I will give you is to get the camper package. That will give you the extended bimini top, which is great down here.

 

[180 Sport]

Ken,

Thanks for the info....I have thought about that also, but I got the impression from the MM guy that the 240 was able to run the AC as needed (with the camper top also)....I will definitely check that out. Of course the jump to the 26 is almost double the price, so I will have to keep that in mind. I do agree that not being able use the AC while on the water is pointless in this area IMO...Thanks again for the reply.
BTW- Nice boat.

 

[Dave S]

I tested the 240DA and the 260DA before settling on the 260DA. First of all, before I give you my opinion, let me say the 240DA is a great boat but as soon as you compare larger of anything, larger almost always wins out. :smt001

We sea trialed both boats and that's what convinced us the 260DA was the better choice for us. The cockpit is not nearly as comfortable and spacious in the 240DA as the 260DA. The port side seats are the big culprit. They feel OK if you sit in them at dockside but after sitting in them for 10 minutes while underway, I deem them a negative as far as comfort goes. They may be OK for some people but they didn't work for me. Likewise, the "practical" people carrying capacity in the 240DA is only about four or five, plus the captain whereas the 260DA will probably take two more than that. The cabins are very similar iexcept for the extra headroom and a bit more space you get in the 260DA. The generator option is one I would carefully think about since you are in Florida. Once you leave the dock you leave your A/C behind as well without a generator. That could be a deal breaker for many people since you can't get a generator in 240DA. As far as performance goes, the 240DA will outperform the 260 DA with base motors and will use less gas to boot. But the 260DA definitely rides better. And if performance is an issue, you can get the 496 MAG in the 260DA. Personally I find the 350MAG adequate but top speed will be limited to 35-38 MPH. But she cruises nicely at 30MPH which is fine with me.

 

[NoWakey]

180 Sport,

We picked up a 2002 240DA this year and by-in-large have been happy with it. We have owned quite a few boats over the years, but this is our first cruiser.
First I have to say that I agree with all the points that Dave S made above. The worst thing that Searay did with this boat was to go to the Port "Side Saddle" seating arrangement in the cockpit starting in 2006. Ours has the previous version and is much more comfortable for passengers while underway.
To me the biggest question that you have to ask yourself is how much overnighting you really think you will do? I spent around 35-40 nights onboard this summer and I can tell you that for that kind of usage a 240 is not enough boat. Also the lack of a windless for the anchor is HUGE. I have never had a boat that deploying and retrieving the anchor was such a pain in the butt. The last of the complaining would be the fact that the 240 does not sit level in the water. It sits low stern low enough that bunks, tables, or anything else for that matter are not even reasonably level when the boat is at rest in the water. At first I thought it might be something unique to my boat, but when I climbed aboard a new 2006 in the water this summer it was the same!
Bottom line, it's a great entry level boat for the price point. But, we are already looking at moving up to a good used 280. FYI

Best regards in boating,

Jim

:thumbsup:

 

[180 Sport]

Great information guys....I really do appreciate it. I guess i didnt pay enough attention to the generator issue at first. For some reason, I thought it was an option. Not having the AC option away from the dock would be a deal breaker for me here in Fl. I guess we will have to look at spending a little more and going to the 260. I may have to wait a little longer, but I am sure it will be worth it. My 180 sport is a great little boat, but that is just it " little". Again, thanks for the info...its always great to hear from people who have experienced the boats.

Dave... congrats on the 260, its a great looking boat.

 

[Dave S]

180 Sport,

The last of the complaining would be the fact that the 240 does not sit level in the water. It sits low stern low enough that bunks, tables, or anything else for that matter are not even reasonably level when the boat is at rest in the water. At first I thought it might be something unique to my boat, but when I climbed aboard a new 2006 in the water this summer it was the same!


Best regards in boating,

Jim

:thumbsup:

Jim....funny you should mention that. I though it was just me when we were on the 240. It just felt a tad weird and that feeling of not being level is amplified quite a bit while you are underway as well.

 

[Alex D]

Everyone has their reasons why they do and buy what they do and buy ..

My wife and I bought a Four WInns 248 Vista new as a first boat and ran it for two seasons ... it was a great boat.

Even though we sold ours and madfe out good, we will never again buy a new boat because the depreciation just flat out kills you, regardless if it's a Searay or else.

Since you are going the Searay way and if I were you, I would look at a used 280 with genny. It will give you the cockpit and cabin space to make a difference. I personally have always felt that the layout of the Searay cruisers below the 300 is not competitive in the market and I still feel so today ... Please don't beat up on me :smt021 okay ... just my personal opinion ... I know the 260 and 280 are great boats!! I just hink that otehr manufacturers in the sub-30 foot class have Searay beat for cockpit and cabin layout and space. From a 300 on I am all Searay!!

So if you are going with a cruiser, I would not do the two footitis thing. I would venture to say you will outgrow the 240 or even 260 within a year of cruising ...

 

[Shining]

So if you are going with a cruiser, I would not do the two footitis thing. I would venture to say you will outgrow the 240 or even 260 within a year of cruising ...

I so much agree with Alex's comment here. Also..the buy "used" thing he said.
Buy what you can afford! :thumbsup:
-Mike

 

[180 Sport]

I would definitely look for something used (within a year or two) no matter what. I guess I didnt realize what a big difference there was between the 240 and 260 besides the 2 feet. Thats the best part about this place....the best feedback is from people with experience. I think a used 260 would be in the budget within the next year...i dont know about anything bigger...that would be stretching it......
I do love the look of the newer 05/06 dancers though....I think with some patience, there is always a great deal out there.

Thanks guys.

 

[Skip]

180 Sport, you may have read some of my posts at SRO, but my history in the last 5 years involves the addition of two wonderful sons, and the migration from a 19' IB ski boat, to a 22' IB ski boat, to a 260DA, to a 320DA, to a 420DA. And yes, I am still married, though my wife is convinced that when it comes to boats I am a bit nuts...and she may be right.
The only new boat was the 89 Supra Conbrio 19' IB that we started with. All the rest were clean used boats.
I really, really screwed up the "what boat do I want to be in 5 years from now" analysis...and that is the really hard part of all this. Had I known how much my family and I would love cruising and staying aboard a boat, I'd have gone to the biggest cruiser I could get my wallet around once we decided to get rid of the ski boat. I did OK each time we moved up, because I bought used, maintained them well, and turned them quickly.
Do your budget for berthing, fuel, maintenance, insurance, etc. and buy the most boat you can get your wallet around. DO NOT be intimidated by size. The 420 is actually easier around the docks than the 260 was.
Buy the most boat you can afford and don't look back. Two foot itis is a really expensive disease (and so is 10 foot itis) With the 420 I have finally got the right boat for my family and my boating requirements. It just took running a 260 and a 320 for me to figure it out. I believe there are great deals to be had on big boats right now..especially bigger gas powered boats.
regards
Skip

 

[Dave M.]

I want to also support the notion of looking at used boats. I bought a 1996 270 Sundancer two years ago now. I paid about $36K for the boat and trailer. It is still small enough that I can tow it anywhere. It is large enough for me and my kind of use. I don't have kids at home anymore, so don't have that issue. I use it a lot for just day trips where I take it out myself for the day.

I also took it on a weeklong cruise around the San Juan Islands in Wa State and BC. I expected it to get quite cramped before the week was done, but never did feel like that. There were just three of us; me, my wife, and her aging mother. We went along with another couple, our 'tour guide', who had a new 280 DA. Other than his boat being slightly faster in acceration with twins, and maybe a bit higher top speed, the boats were really functionally equivalent. I would estimate the price range of his 280 at around $100K.

In the Pac NW I really don't need AC, and don't have it. I also don't have an EG. I do have an inverter and large house battery set for AC while I am on the water. During the San Juan trips, I never once plugged in to shore power. I understand in FL that you really need an AC, and therefore a gen set.

WHat my boat really lacks is a windlass. When boating by myself, it is not unusual to anchor out in rather shallow water. I find that in a 25 MPH wind or more, it is difficult to pull in the anchor line. You can put the bow over the anchor point under power, but in the wind it will quickly blow away, so you have to be fast at pulling in anchor line and tying off what you were able to retreive before blowing too far away, then repeating the process to pull in more.

 

[180 Sport]

Thanks for your input guys... I am really going to look at a used boat that may be a year or two old...especially since I will need to go up to at least the 260. I did the same with my 180 sport...bought from the original owner a year later and got a great deal. This forum really helps you figure out the details of the boats that I wouldnt consider so much before buying...such as the windlass.... It may be awhile before I actually make the move, but I will now be well prepared to shop around and I know I will get cruiser that will fit us well.

 

[Dave S]

Just a couple of other things on the 260. Sea Ray updated the design in 2005. The main differences you will find are in the cockpit layout which is totally changed and has underseat storage not available on the earlier models.

As far as the windlass goes, I don't have one on mine. I have deployed the anchor several times now and don't find it difficult to do. But because of the weight of the plow anchor itself, there is no way I could ask my wife to pull up the anchor so it's my job. :grin:

 

[Alex D]

180 Sport, you may have read some of my posts at SRO, but my history in the last 5 years involves the addition of two wonderful sons, and the migration from a 19' IB ski boat, to a 22' IB ski boat, to a 260DA, to a 320DA, to a 420DA. And yes, I am still married, though my wife is convinced that when it comes to boats I am a bit nuts...and she may be right.
The only new boat was the 89 Supra Conbrio 19' IB that we started with. All the rest were clean used boats.
I really, really screwed up the "what boat do I want to be in 5 years from now" analysis...and that is the really hard part of all this. Had I known how much my family and I would love cruising and staying aboard a boat, I'd have gone to the biggest cruiser I could get my wallet around once we decided to get rid of the ski boat. I did OK each time we moved up, because I bought used, maintained them well, and turned them quickly.
Do your budget for berthing, fuel, maintenance, insurance, etc. and buy the most boat you can get your wallet around. DO NOT be intimidated by size. The 420 is actually easier around the docks than the 260 was.
Buy the most boat you can afford and don't look back. Two foot itis is a really expensive disease (and so is 10 foot itis) With the 420 I have finally got the right boat for my family and my boating requirements. It just took running a 260 and a 320 for me to figure it out. I believe there are great deals to be had on big boats right now..especially bigger gas powered boats.
regards
Skip

I couldn't agree more with Skip on this one! We bought a 34 fotter to see if this is something we would be sticking with. Now we have the 340 and will probably run it for one to three more seasons. Our next Searay will be a 410/460/500 Dancer with diesels. No smaller !!

AlexD "Rippin' Revvs of RPMs" (sorry ...couldn't help myself, Skip :lol: )

 

[thunderbird1]

I agree with what others have said above regarding the 260 boat weight, cabin space, and generator. I'd like to add that having heat (comes with AC) is fantastic for cool early mornings and fall boating. Also, the 496 Mag engine comes with closed cooling in addition to the extra power. We comfortably camp nearly every weekend (2 adults plus 2 kids 8 and 3) on the well-designed and quality boat!