Is 30 or 30+ too big for 1st time boater

sammy46

New Member
Jun 23, 2014
4
va
Boat Info
SeaRay
Engines
Merc
Hello,

I'm looking to purchase a used Sundancer, 28-34, and would like your opinions on purchasing a large boat as a 1st time boater with limited expereince. I belong to a yacht club and have the ability to keep the boat onsite, therefore I won't be trailering the boat. Looking for a crusier for my family, chilling in sun, little bit of fishing, overnights on coast of Virginia.

Thanks and looking forward to your feedback and advice.

Sammy
 
Just asking the question is a good start to your end goal. To directly answer your question, yes, you can start boating with a 30ish footer.

Start with questions and research the archives on how best to shop, look, and buy a boat.

Then ask for opinions on the various years and models you may be interested in.

I would be surprised if you could not find a member here from your area that would teach you the ropes.

Welcome aboard,

MM
 
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Welcome to CSR. Can't help ya with your question though. I was freaked when I went from a 16 footer to a 19 footer. Can't imagine piloting a 30+ footer as my first boat. Come to think of it,,,, can't imagine piloting one NOW. Good luck.
 
Great idea,

Heck if you can swing it..just go get a 34 dancer and call it a day. If you buy smaller and wish to upgrade, it'll cost ya..
Someone once said "buy your last boat first" .... Think that might have been a salesman but, sounds good.

Cheers,
 
I'm with Mark,

I'm trying to figure out how to buy my Hatteras 100 Raised Pilot House right now!

When you drive your car, can you read all of the road signs? If the answer is yes, then you can fly an airplane - not a 747, but a small Cessna. If you can read the road signs when you drive, and are a member of a yacht club, you have plenty of friends who own 30+ footers who will help you with your boat. You will have no problems.

Can/Do you change the oil and filter on your car? Are you "mechanically inclined"? If so, your maintenance costs will be lower. If not, be prepared to write $90 per hour checks - 3 hours per oil change per engine that would take you less than 30 minutes to do yourself.

If you buy a 28' single engine boat, it will be more difficult to handle then a 35', twin engine V drive boat. My 340 Sundancer was far easier to handle then my 21' inboard Malibu Skier. If you buy a twin engine 28' boat, the bilge will be tight and servicing difficult. Buy the biggest boat you can afford. Figure costs at 10% per year of the purchase cost.

Enjoy your new boat.
 
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I am on my first boat which is a 280 Sundancer. After looking at the 310's I do wish I went a little bigger. I have been on boats my whole life and felt comfortable with the basics and use the boat often...so my skills are getting honed. Are you a total rookie or do you have some boating experience? Whatever size you pick, all the handling principles apply....
 
Hello,

I'm looking to purchase a used Sundancer, 28-34, and would like your opinions on purchasing a large boat as a 1st time boater with limited expereince. I belong to a yacht club and have the ability to keep the boat onsite, therefore I won't be trailering the boat. Looking for a crusier for my family, chilling in sun, little bit of fishing, overnights on coast of Virginia.

Thanks and looking forward to your feedback and advice.

Sammy

Welcome to CSR, Sammy.

The short answer is no, it's not too big. But, 28-34 is a big range where you'll be comparing apples and oranges. I would put your low experience level aside and focus on your family size, needs and financial state. No matter what boat you'll get you'll have pretty much the same learning curve, so that's you should focus on other items. The driver in your decision would probably be the cost of everything (purchase cost, operational coast, maintenance, storage, insurance, etc.). All of this is very different when comparing 28 footer (especially with single engine) to a 35 footer.

Start narrowing down boats based on your budget and see what can meet your family boating needs. Then, try to come up with more specific questions to help you get closer to your future boat.
 
Welcome to CSR and boating! As I learned to drive a boat before a car, I have been around boats my whole life. I can say that taking the helm of your own boat is a great feeling and experience, so enjoy it. I will echo the comments so far, get the largest boat you can afford. The Sundancer is a great choice as it will give you the ability to do all the things on your list.

If you have not done it yet, I would suggest that you take a boater safety course offered by the Coast Guard Auxilliary or Power Squadron. They help teach the basic skills that you will need to know for life on the water.
 
Hi Sammy,
Welcome aboard CSR! I agree with most above. You should be ok with a 28- 35 foot boat. I'd recommend hiring a captain to teach you basic operating/handling skills to get started. You will also need to do your due diligence while shopping which will probably include hiring a surveyor but that may be info for another thread. Good luck & happy shopping!


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Todd
 
Welcome and agree with other posts. Honestly it's probably just as easy to start big, as it is to work up.

As long as you can get someone to spend sometime with you.

A couple of us were discussing a few new game fishing boats on the marina, where the owners can't handle them(yet). I didn't know until nod of the mates said all three of them have just stepped up from trailer boats.


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I did it and am extremely happy with my choice. Not my very first watercraft, but after 12 years of the PWC life, I went to a 30' Sundancer (11' beam) just last year. I did what the others are suggesting--spent a LOT of time window shopping before I started kicking anchors. Several friends have vessels of various sizes--from bass boats to runabouts to 38' fly bridge cruisers to 50'+ behemoths of houseboats. EVERY.SINGLE.THING they said I stored away in my brain and pondered to select the boat that would provide my desired lifestyle. Example: I was sold on fly bridge models at first because you get so much more cabin at the same length, but a buddy mentioned that they can be a little more to wrangle for anyone piloting solo, and I was planning plenty of solo cruising. Most folks highly recommended dual engines, and I found a lot more of those at the 30' mark than at the 28' mark. I was adamant about a roomy aft cabin, too--my BF thought I was being too picky but has said a million times since how happy he is with that feature.

How big is your family? How big do you expect your extended family to be once you get a boat? :) As in, will you take relatives/friends/kids' friends with you for day trips and/or overnights? You may appreciate having more space than you might guess once you've got several people plus food, gear, water toys, and so on packed onboard.

I agree with lessons, too, whether formal/professional or from trusted yacht club neighbors....and don't forget mooring and anchoring! It's really bad news (and will elicit a few of the knowing nods IanBat mentions!) if your boat bucks, drags, or breaks loose when you think you're tethered tightly. You'll gain a lot of confidence if you've heard and done things with a spotter before you're called upon to do it in real life. And get your family in on the lessons, too--the more capable hands you have, the more relaxed you'll be as a captain. (A 9 year old nephew is learning to tie boats together. He'd much prefer to be driving already, but first things first, right?)

Good luck and have FUN!
 
Great idea,

Heck if you can swing it..just go get a 34 dancer and call it a day. If you buy smaller and wish to upgrade, it'll cost ya..
Someone once said "buy your last boat first" .... Think that might have been a salesman but, sounds good.

Cheers,

Bingo!

If I knew then what I know now...
 
+1 with all the previous comments, and welcome to CSR. The folks here are very educated in all things boat related, and definitely Sea Ray related. Definite supporter of the saftey course for you and any of your family that is interested in operating or helping with the boat. Take your time (took me 2 1/2 yrs.) looking at boats to be sure you find one that will fill your needs and expectations and budget, and enjoy the boating lifestyle.
 
Welcome to CSR and the boating life!

You have done the first thing by joining your club locally. The people you will meet and become freinds with will be of great help. The next thing was joining here! Lots of experience and plenty of good boaters anxious and passionate about, well, boats!

I agree with everything that has been mentioned here, including the comment below about not imagining piloting a 30 footer. By that I mean, this person is probably not ready. This is someone who was honest with themselves and followed their gut instincts.

I myself grew up with boats, but the were all less than 17 feet. Small runabouts, fishing boats and ski boats on a small natural lake in Indiana. My first personal boat was SR 200 BR. It was bigger than anything my family had owned and I loved it. I sold it 16 years ago and have been away from boating except for the yearly pilgrimage back home and to the lake.

Like you, I wanted to get into boating again, but use a boat just as you descibed. I started looking at 290 DA’s and ended up buying my 330 DA. Based on what so many here were saying, I knew I wanted twins, even though I had never driven a boat with twins. So when I started to get serious, I looked and looked. I went through several boats, actually surveying 3.

The first time I took real control of my boat, was when it was delivered to my lake. I was nervous, but I knew I could handle it, as long as I was patient with it! It was one of the greatast feelings I ever had. I headed out into the lake and headed towards its new home marina. It took two tries to back her in to the slip. No one was around, so I did it solo, and that is good and bad. For me it was better, I’m too vain! But it would have been nice to have someone there help tie her off and offer advice.

It has been a great experience. The boat is wonderful and I am getting used to it and how to handle it. I wish I had taken a course on boat handling skills, just to refresh and more specifically, how to handle a larger boat than I was used to. As the previous poster mentioned, anchoring and mooring would be nice too. But you will probably be able to get some help from those at the yacht club.

So, yes, you can handle this, if you believe you can. If you know the answer to that, an answer only you will know, then go for it! Have fun learning about the different boats and look at as many as you can. Listen to everyone you meet, you will hear good and bad, but you will know which is which!

Then, let us all know what you decide and tell us all about it!
 
everything here should be pointing you in the right direction...just be careful about who you accept "help" from around the docks. get to know them very well first and go out on their boat a few times first. you don't want a Slip captain/Dock captain to "teach you" any bad habits or poor information. I had a question (can't remember now what it was) and asked a slip neighbor and his answer seemed to be off of what I thought it should be, then i noticed his boat hasn't moved yet this season and they are on it every afternoon and night. great people but I ask my questions to other neighbors in regards to boating and navigation.
 
Welcome. Where are you in VA? Where are you going to boat? What are your expectations. What is your budget?

Is 30 or 30+ too big????? No..... unless you intend to boat in a lake that's 17 miles long and 1+ miles wide at its widest. Even then it's not too big.... It's just dumb.... and yes I've seen it! There are a number on this board from all over VA. We would be more than happy to help you.

I sent you an e-mail.
 
I've got nothing else to add but a welcome! Also agree that a professional training you is great I did it and it helped me. Also twin v- drives are a lot easier to handle then twin outdrives.

Sent from my Galaxy S3
 
If I were to do it over I would have skipped my middle boat. I went from 17' to 27' to 37'. I thought the 27 footer would be enough room, and liked the idea of only a single engine to maintain and better fuel consumption, BUT it was too small for my family and harder to maneuver in tight quarters. I did appreciate the experience of the single engine and how differently they operate. However I would have appreciated even more all of the advice you are getting now prior to my initial mid size boat purchase. Go big or go home, within reason.
 
Greetings Sammy,

Went with a 34' right out of the shoot but.....

I'd been on my brothers (smaller) boat helping and driving for years. I have a stepfather thats retired Coast Guard. I took online boating courses. I took the power squadron course and read about 7 or 8 books. Most important, I found a guy that had the same boat and was just a huge source of info (Thanks Jason)! And with the exception of fiberglass work, I'm pretty comfortable doing any other work on the boat.

It can certainly be done. Like anything else in the world you just have to put the time in to the learning aspect.

One of the best chunks of advice I ever got in my life was "Know when you know nothing. - Then find someone who does know." Sounds like you have this aspect handled!

Patience in the boat search and patience in docking are probably the two best things I pass on.

Welcome to Club Sea Ray and enjoy! Best of luck with the search!

-Mike
 
My short answer: If your level headed enough to ask the question, then you will probably be just fine starting out with that size boat.

Lots of things to learn, but get a lot of input along the way, you will be fine.

Great site, welcome aboard.
 

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