HELP Making the jump to a 320 or 340 and would like to do it with open eyes

[MarkCrusei]

We are in the market for a Sundancer 320 or 340 v-drive. Not sure of year but at least a 2003. I have seen several that have already had one of the engines replaced (some with very low hours). Others missing generators etc. We will be using it for a few years in fresh water. We have ambitions of relocating it to the coast at some point (or not) if this makes a difference on making the decision.


The guys here on the lake have repeatedly said not to buy a boat from the coast that has seen nothing but salt. I really don’t know if this is true or not and would like to hear any pro/con advise on the subject. Whatever we buy will certainly have a survey prior to finalizing the sale.

I guess what I am asking is where do I obtain the knowledge to keep from buying a boat that puts me in the poor house due to mechanical issues? Are there any certain years to avoid? Besides length, are there other reasons to buy a 340 DA over the 320 DA? I see much better deals in other parts of the country than I am able to find on our lake and shipping up to 6k really doesn’t scare me when some of those boats are 30k less than can be purchased around here.


I have owned several boats over the years but nothing this large or with twin engines. We have always bought used and taken less of a hit when moving up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as well as any good leads on boats for sale by owner is appreciated.

 

[Alex F]

Welcome to the club. You did the right thing by posting these important questions. We have tons of info here to help you make the decision. Both boats are most popular SR produced and we have very large community to answer specific questions.

Let me start with basic stuff. Go to google and copy and paste the following

site:clubsearay.com "320 vs 340"

This is the syntax to be used for giving you best results when searching the forum. Do different searches, but this one will get you started.

We have dedicated 320 thread as well as 340 thread where all kinds of questions have been answered.

"...The guys here on the lake have repeatedly said not to buy a boat from the coast that has seen nothing but salt...." - Total BS. Every boat has it's own story and life. I've purchased my 320DA from Tampa, FL (salt water, of course) and transported her to NJ where we enjoyed 4 years of owning her. The most important is HOW a boat has been maintained, not WHERE.

Good luck.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Mark, I have two pieces of advice I give to people looking for a new(er) boat....

--the wrong boat, at the best price in the world, is still the wrong boat. Don't settle for a 'second best' boat because the price is attractive.

--buy your second boat first. You'll save money in the long run. I'd recommend buying a 340 if that's what you're considering. It might seem too big at first, but if you buy the 320 you'll always be thinking you should have bought the 340. Trading up gets very spendy.

I don't know where you're looking for boats, but don't overlook expanding your search areas. If you're looking for a fresh water boat you might consider looking around the Great Lakes region. Their seasons are short (Memorial Day to Labor Day) then the boats are hauled out and stored on land. The economy in some of the major cities in that region is still poor so big toys are not selling well so you might be able to buy one at a lower cost. I bought our boat in the Detroit area and even after paying the shipping costs I saved a bundle over what similar boats on the west coast were going for. .

A salt water boat will often not be as clean as a fresh water boat. Stainless steel, aluminum and chrome might show bits of corrosion, engine parts associated with cooling likely will not last as long as a fresh water boat, etc. Much of that depends on how well the boat was maintained and how often it was cleaned.

When you are looking for a surveyor in whatever area you are buying from, meet with him (in person or on the phone) and let him know this is your first "bigger boat" and ask him to help you avoid buying the wrong boat. I talked with the surveyor I eventually hired 2-3 times on the phone then met him for breakfast (I bought) to make sure we were on the same page as to what my expectations were. You're paying him, so make sure he provides what you want/need from him. Let him know that you want a very thorough survey and a very detailed report. I suggest hiring two surveyors....one to do the hull and equipment on board and the second to do the engines, transmissions and generator.

Got specific questions? Fire away.

 

[Ididntdoit]

Im not going to drag myself back into the 320 vs 340 debate again...All I will say is water test any boat you are considering purchasing loaded (fuel, water, gear, people) as you intend to use it to make sure it meets your expectations. The only other thing Ive seen brought up is the difference in the size of the island (forward) berth between the boats - again, lay in it yourself to be the judge...

 

[moparlvr4406]

2 words...
Reseach
and
Survey
all of the rest of the puzzle pieces will fall into place with these 2 things accomplished