Contemplating 1986 340 EC

[DBoucher]

Boat is in fantastic condition with low hrs and all the electronics, Gen, windlass, etc.

I sold a 32 Bayliner twin diesel last year and now looking seriously at getting a Sea Ray as I have long admired their lines and interior layout - and I got sick and tired of always climbing up and down to and from the flybridge on the Bayliner.

Can I get some information on this era of Sea Ray? I will get her surveyed prior to purchase of course, but am not familiar with the quality of ride, ability to handle chop etc. I tried some gas powered engines and found I really like the throttle response and sound vs the diesels, but of course the cost of gas will be more - and possibly overall reliability??? (My mechanic said that unless diesels are run constantly, the reliability difference between them and gas is actually negligible so he said thumbs up on on getting a gas powered boat.)

The Bayliner also was a I/O setup vs the inboard drive. I was looking for a twin inboard set up due to wanting to keep the boat in the water year round, and there was a lot of upkeep on the I/O throughout the year that I am hoping will be less with the Sea Ray. (Plus the Sea Ray - even being older, looks and "feels" a whole lot nicer!! :smt001) Any real difference between the I/O and inboards regarding docking, as well as cruising?

So please help me out here Sea Ray specialists. Is the 1980s era of Sea Ray 340 EC a good quality family boat? I want something comfortable and safe for my wife and two kids, that we can do a bit of fishing, crabbing, and relaxing during the summer months cruising the San Juans.

Your insight is greatly appreciated!! (And sorry for all the questions)

 

[MAKC]

My dock mate and friend (Miss Maddy G here on the forum) recently purchased an '88 340EC. He can give you a lot more insight. But my impressions of the boat are very positive. With the 12' beam and the straight drives, she handles beautifully. She rides nose high so make friend with your trim tabs. Once she levels out, what a GREAT ride. I think it handles the nasty slop we get here in the LI Sound even a little better than my '05 320DA. The engine room is relatively roomy to work on things. The interior layout is great with a lot of space for the family. Lots of storage too. The cockpit layout is awesome because you can entertain with lots of seating, or you can pull those seats out and do some hard-core fishing. Even though it weighs 2000lbs less than my boat, it handles nasty weather like it weighs 2000lbs MORE. The twin 454's push it along with ease and that boat will absolutely fly. From what ive seen, the sweet spot for cruising on her is about 24 knots. She moves! Hope this helps.

 

[DBoucher]

Thank you for the response. A 24mph cruising speed will be quite a change for us as the Bayliner with twin diesels we had would only cruise at about 15 mph and max out at about 18mph. (Small little Hinos - they were underpowered and vibrated something terrible at idle but were GREAT on overall fuel cost)

I wonder what the burn rate would be for the 340 at cruising speed - about 14-16 GPH??? Or more???

Anyone in here have experience with the quality of the hulls for the 340 Sea Rays of the 1980s?? The one I'm looking at has been covered its whole life and sure looks good, but what about under the skin so to speak - these things built solid?

My dock mate and friend (Miss Maddy G here on the forum) recently purchased an '88 340EC. He can give you a lot more insight. But my impressions of the boat are very positive. With the 12' beam and the straight drives, she handles beautifully. She rides nose high so make friend with your trim tabs. Once she levels out, what a GREAT ride. I think it handles the nasty slop we get here in the LI Sound even a little better than my '05 320DA. The engine room is relatively roomy to work on things. The interior layout is great with a lot of space for the family. Lots of storage too. The cockpit layout is awesome because you can entertain with lots of seating, or you can pull those seats out and do some hard-core fishing. Even though it weighs 2000lbs less than my boat, it handles nasty weather like it weighs 2000lbs MORE. The twin 454's push it along with ease and that boat will absolutely fly. From what ive seen, the sweet spot for cruising on her is about 24 knots. She moves! Hope this helps.

 

[dbric36]

(I wonder what the burn rate would be for the 340 at cruising speed - about 14-16 GPH??? Or more???)
If it is twin 7.4L engines you can double that number

 

[DBoucher]

(I wonder what the burn rate would be for the 340 at cruising speed - about 14-16 GPH??? Or more???)
If it is twin 7.4L engines you can double that number

30 GPH at cruising speed???

Yikes - the 340 be a thirsty beast then!!!!:wow::wow:

 

[wileecoyote]

Those burn rate #'s are correct.My 89 cruises nicely at 19-24 Kts, depending on weather, trim, etc. On Floscan I get 13-16GPH at that speed. I'm not the best person to ask for a comparison, as I came up from a 20' Bowrider. I can however help if something breaks. I have been all around fixing things in my boat. Search the 340 owners thread started by me, and the Pre-Clintonites thread started by RonDDS. They have some good opinions and views. Some of the common problems off the top of my head are: Leaky side windows, leak below the horn area, leak in the port side locker area. If there is a Quicksilver Genny there are many threads on it as well. They are no longer supported, so good luck finding parts or assistance. Powertrain is great, and pretty simple to work on, compared to some others.

 

[pxhil]

Our prior boat was a 1986 Bayliner 3270 MY with twin Hinos, probably comparable to your boat. Last Spring we purchased a 1988 340 EC. There is no comparison to the quality of the S/R. We moved to the express as I got tired of driving up top while everyone else partied down on deck. The 340 is a much more social boat. A major change you will notice is that the 340 handles like a sports car, particullarly around the docks,less wind effects and getting dock lines out. Two drawbacks we encountered. First is that great salon on the Bayliner with all that glass. However we added a camper top and use the deck space on the 340 as the salon and it works well. Second drawback; cruising with guests is not as easy. The sleeping accomidations lack the privacy of the Bayliner layout. But we use ours mostly as a day boat so its not a problem. Very happy we made the change, the 340 is a woderful boatexcellent layout and very easy to move around on. As others have noted there is a ton of information in these forums. If you have any specific questions about the comparison of the two boats let me know.
Paul

 

[sprink56]

All things considered the 34 EC fro the mid to late '80s provides tremendous bang for the buck. If you have found one in reasonable condition that surveys withe no stringer rot you might have a winner.

I rode one not long ago that had been re powered with twin 8.1 MPI 420 HP Big Block Chevys...needless to say it was a bullet.
These boats have plenty of room, a great ride and are easy to handle. With a 12' beam they are hard to beat for the money.:thumbsup:

 

[DBoucher]

Our prior boat was a 1986 Bayliner 3270 MY with twin Hinos, probably comparable to your boat. Last Spring we purchased a 1988 340 EC. There is no comparison to the quality of the S/R. We moved to the express as I got tired of driving up top while everyone else partied down on deck. The 340 is a much more social boat. A major change you will notice is that the 340 handles like a sports car, particullarly around the docks,less wind effects and getting dock lines out. Two drawbacks we encountered. First is that great salon on the Bayliner with all that glass. However we added a camper top and use the deck space on the 340 as the salon and it works well. Second drawback; cruising with guests is not as easy. The sleeping accomidations lack the privacy of the Bayliner layout. But we use ours mostly as a day boat so its not a problem. Very happy we made the change, the 340 is a woderful boatexcellent layout and very easy to move around on. As others have noted there is a ton of information in these forums. If you have any specific questions about the comparison of the two boats let me know.
Paul

___

Yes - I had the exact same boat as you did. The Hinos in the Bayliner were great on fuel - but always felt underpowered to me, and way too much vibration at idle. Didn't care much for the diesel fumes either - and the maintenance was actually costing us quite a bit of $$$ vs a previous gas engine we had had a while back. (Big Tolly)

Just like you, I got tired of being up on the flybridge while everyone else was down below. The Sea Ray layout is much more user-friendly - at least for what we would like.

So what was the GPH difference between the Hinos and your current Sea Ray? An earlier post indicated the Sea Ray would burn about 30 GPH at cruising speed - does that sound about right?

 

[DBoucher]

Those burn rate #'s are correct.My 89 cruises nicely at 19-24 Kts, depending on weather, trim, etc. On Floscan I get 13-16GPH at that speed. I'm not the best person to ask for a comparison, as I came up from a 20' Bowrider. I can however help if something breaks. I have been all around fixing things in my boat. Search the 340 owners thread started by me, and the Pre-Clintonites thread started by RonDDS. They have some good opinions and views. Some of the common problems off the top of my head are: Leaky side windows, leak below the horn area, leak in the port side locker area. If there is a Quicksilver Genny there are many threads on it as well. They are no longer supported, so good luck finding parts or assistance. Powertrain is great, and pretty simple to work on, compared to some others.

Is that burn rate for both engines - or each engine?

 

[wileecoyote]

13-16 GPH PER engine. Your looking at a total of 26-32GPH if the same as mine.

 

[DBoucher]

13-16 GPH PER engine. Your looking at a total of 26-32GPH if the same as mine.

___

Ok, thank you! That would be about 30% more GPH than the smaller diesel Hinos I ran in my old boat (Bayliner Motoryacht) although it also affords me the ability to get to the location about 30% faster as well!

So given the Sea Ray - at least from my looks at a number of mid-80s 340 examples the past year, appears to be made at a far higher overall quality than the Bayliner of the same era.

I am looking forward to comparing the overall ride quality of the Sea Ray vs the Bayliner...

 

[PLAYPEN II]

I average about 28GPH with my 1989 340 EC at cruising speeds. All the strings that I have read are accurate. EXCELLENT boat, but the leaking windows are true. Plenty of power and excellent ride. I wouldn't give her up for anything!

 

[NorCal Boater]

I have the '89 Sundancer. It has more sleeping accomodations but with the v-drives it rides a bit different. Also the engine room is a bit more challenging.

I have never had a drop of water in the cabin through any of the spots mentioned.

We have done a lot of upgrades and have lots of pictures. Let me know if you would like to see some.

 

[DBoucher]

I average about 28GPH with my 1989 340 EC at cruising speeds. All the strings that I have read are accurate. EXCELLENT boat, but the leaking windows are true. Plenty of power and excellent ride. I wouldn't give her up for anything!

28 GPH ain't bad - I'll take it!

What's the fix on the windows - caulk them?

 

[DBoucher]

I have the '89 Sundancer. It has more sleeping accomodations but with the v-drives it rides a bit different. Also the engine room is a bit more challenging.

I have never had a drop of water in the cabin through any of the spots mentioned.

We have done a lot of upgrades and have lots of pictures. Let me know if you would like to see some.

We looked at a Sundancer last summer - that extra sleeping area is very nice, but I am leaning toward the somewhat simpler mechanics of the straight inboard. (Hopefully it will actually prove simpler!) But if I had found a nice Dancer that worked price-wise I would not have hesitated.

How do you see the straight inboard vs the V Drives handling differently? Better - worse, or just "different"?

I know that with my former 32 foot Bayliner with the I/O the bow rise was always a pain, and to get the boat on plane you had to push the little Diesel Hinos and work the trim just right - which was always a bit of a challenge as just a little bit of difference in the chop could really make the boat lot tougher to handle. Not to bash those older Bayliners, but this thing handled terribly. I mean at times, the boat just plain sucked. My wife hated to drive it in anything but smooth waters because it was prone to veer off left or right and would scare her. Hell, there was a few times it scared me, and I have logged plenty of boat time over the years. The older 38 Tolly I grew up with was a slow pig, but it always felt rock solid, even with some big ass rollers plowing through the Straight - but this Bayliner, you had to really keep an eye on it at all times when at cruising speed. I wouldn't quite call it "dangerous" but it could get close - and I would fear for a newbie getting behind the wheel and taking it out in anything less than ideal conditions. There was definitely a learning curve with that boat- and it was a rather steep one.

The last few Sea Rays I have been able to try out over the last year - even in some rougher water conditions, felt so much smoother and responsive. It was kind of a shock as I don't believe they weighed anymore than my old Bayliner -maybe even less, and I think less of the boat is actually in the water. I am not sure how Sea Ray pulled that off, but the driveability of the 80s era Sea Ray compared to the 80s era Bayliner Motoryacht simply does not compare. It's crazy how differently they handle, and how much easier it was to get the Sea Ray up on plane and hold its line.

 

[NorCal Boater]

I love the way our boat handles rough water but with all that iron in the stern it rides, and sits, lower in the stern that the express.

Maintenance can be an issue with the dancer and the box/bench that sits in the cockpit. To open the ER completly you have to remove the box and that is a PITA. I can do it myself but it is a challenge.

That said, I still prefer the Sundancer over the express. I have 2 beds and when no one is sleping there I have extra storage. Nearly everything else is the same from the head forward. I also prefer the cockpit and helm seating better than the express. Just my opinion.

Ron, you know I have to say it....

One thing you should consider is changing that poor excuse for a swim platform. The stock one is only 22" deep and there is an aftermarket one available that is 39". It will truly change the way you use the boat. I have pictures. And no matter what Ron tells you, I do not get a commission nor do I have ownership in the company.

Both boats have their pros and cons. You have to decide what will work best for you.

 

[jcoll]

DBoucher,
I owned an '86 340 DA. Had alot of fun with the boat. We found it adequate for the family and friends to enjoy with us. I personally didn't like the V-drive arrangement because of the limited working room but it was nice having the aftcabin. My fuel consumption was around 24GPH total with 2 454's running about 3200 to 3300 RPM's - that seemed to be where they were happy. The swim platform is not really roomy enough and with all that weight aft, we often could get it underwater with a few beefy friends on the back. All around though the boat performed well and gave us great service. A boat that age may have upper deck leaks causing concern for coring issues. Have your surveyor use a moisture meter to determine if problems exist.
Good luck!

 

[DBoucher]

DBoucher,
I owned an '86 340 DA. Had alot of fun with the boat. We found it adequate for the family and friends to enjoy with us. I personally didn't like the V-drive arrangement because of the limited working room but it was nice having the aftcabin. My fuel consumption was around 24GPH total with 2 454's running about 3200 to 3300 RPM's - that seemed to be where they were happy. The swim platform is not really roomy enough and with all that weight aft, we often could get it underwater with a few beefy friends on the back. All around though the boat performed well and gave us great service. A boat that age may have upper deck leaks causing concern for coring issues. Have your surveyor use a moisture meter to determine if problems exist.
Good luck!

Thanks for the information - planning on having both a survey and mechanical inspection as well.

 

[wileecoyote]

I love the way our boat handles rough water but with all that iron in the stern it rides, and sits, lower in the stern that the express.

Maintenance can be an issue with the dancer and the box/bench that sits in the cockpit. To open the ER completly you have to remove the box and that is a PITA. I can do it myself but it is a challenge.

That said, I still prefer the Sundancer over the express. I have 2 beds and when no one is sleping there I have extra storage. Nearly everything else is the same from the head forward. I also prefer the cockpit and helm seating better than the express. Just my opinion.

Ron, you know I have to say it....

One thing you should consider is changing that poor excuse for a swim platform. The stock one is only 22" deep and there is an aftermarket one available that is 39". It will truly change the way you use the boat. I have pictures. And no matter what Ron tells you, I do not get a commission nor do I have ownership in the company.

Both boats have their pros and cons. You have to decide what will work best for you.

I was waiting for it, once I saw you join the thread! I'll have to PM Ron and tell him it's time to give you a hard time. On a serious note, the platform looks really nice, and Shawns boat looks like brand new inside(from the pics he has) I just found that I had many other things that needed attention before the swim platform.