Looking for 1986-1989 Sundancer 268

TavernierBoater

TavernierBoater

New Member
Mar 26, 2022
12
Marshall, NC
Boat Info
1987 SeaRay Sundancer 268
Engines
mercruiser 454 magnum
Hi,

New member, former owner of "Uptown Girl", a 1984 Sundancer 245. Looking to get back into boating and would like to find a freshwater 1986-1989 Sundancer 268. If you have one you'd like to sell, let's talk.

Patrick
 
Good luck, I had 2 an 87 & 89. For as many as they made they are rare. When I was looking 2 years ago every I found was trashed. My 89, miss it…
F3835ADC-8E39-4F42-BE79-E297CBC8E7B5.png
 
That's a pretty narrow band of years and model. You may want to expand both if you want a shot at actually boating this year. It's a tough market out there.

And welcome to CSR! Consider updating your profile with your location so folks know if they suggestions local to you.
 
Stee6043 said:
That's a pretty narrow band of years and model. You may want to expand both if you want a shot at actually boating this year. It's a tough market out there.

And welcome to CSR! Consider updating your profile with your location so folks know if they suggestions local to you.
Click to expand...
Thanks St336043, for the advice on expanding the years. What I don't know is when they changed the stern. I saw a 1980 on the web and it shows the stern fiberglass coming up so far, then a wooden rail set on ~10 inch stanchions. Later years (up to 1989) had fiberglass the full height of the stern with a wooden rail 1" above. That's what I had on my 1984. As far as the model, the 268 is the next upgrade from my 245 without increasing the beam to 10'. Wanting to re-create the look and feel I had on my 245.
 
TB,
Referring to the last sentence; consider 88 - 92 250, v-bunk like 245, or a 260, not sure of model years early 00 - mid teens. I think you will find more available than 268. Both 250 & 260 are single engine, 8.5’
My 91 250…
16C182C0-C55B-42AF-9CAE-6C0BAE0ECF9C.jpeg


DDE35187-FD21-4DCB-8CD8-AB18C4032325.jpeg
 
Can anyone help me understand HIN numbers?

One boat I looked at recently, a 1989 Sundancer 268 had this:

"SERA91951889" Then on a second line "268DA - 736".

I've heard that the number reveals the manufacturing plant. Does it reveal the model? Last two numbers are the year?

Is the second line part of the HIN? Meaning, would it be recorded with a state boat registration that might enable a search of currently owned boats? I know Florida used to sell their registration data for marketing.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this.

This boat was found on craigslist and the owner "didn't have time" to allow a survey.
 
TavernierBoater said:
Can anyone help me understand HIN numbers? ...
"SERA91951889" Then on a second line "268DA - 736". ...
Click to expand...

Looks like your missing a letter between the 1 and 8 of 1889, could the 1 be an L which would indicate manufactured 12/88 for model year 89?

From BoatUS:
HINs By The Numbers
A typical hull identification number (HIN) consists of 12 letters and numbers, as in ABC12345D404.

Here's what the letters and numbers mean:
ABC: This is the U.S. Coast Guard-assigned manufacturer identification code (MIC). Go to the USCG Manufacturers Indentification page to access the Coast Guard's MIC database.

12345: This is the serial number assigned to the hull by the manufacturer. This may be a combination of letters and numbers. The letters "I," "O," and "Q" are excluded because they could be mistaken for numbers.

D: This is the month of certification, indicating the month in which construction began. "A" represents January and "L" represents December. In our example, "D" means April.

4: This is the year of certification. The number is the last digit of the year in which the boat was built. "4" in this case designates 2004.

04: This indicates the boat's model year.
 
Hmmmm.. I double-checked the number in the pic (which for some reason I can't upload, "HEIC" filetype)

"SERA91951889" Then on a second line "268DA - 736".

is what's on the hull. I don't think the last '1' is an 'L'
 
Here's another example that fits the description above. I can only guess that in the previous example, a '1' was used when it should have been 'A'? Dunno
SerialNumberExample.JPG
 
I had an ‘89 red 268. Would love to see pictures to see if it might be mine. Hey, small world you know.
A survey really doesn’t involve owners time. When a guy says too busy for one, that’s sketchy to me. Tread carefully with this one.
PS, I don’t remember a blue line below the red so probably not mine.
 
Last edited:
Found a 1987 Sundancer 268 in Michigan and had a survey performed. The most concerning finding is the moisture level in the transom. A reading taken on the transom exterior 8" to the port side of the gimbal housing reads 28.7. That seems alarmingly high to me, so I thought I'd ask this group for advice on how to interpret this. There is also a finding on the inside of the transom, to the starboard of the gimbal housing that reads... "area with sounds consistent with delamination in the interior transom."

The surveyor reported this concern and recommendation...
"The exterior lower transom below the water line of the vessel has elevated levels of moisture. The interior transom surfaces have elevated levels of moisture and a localized area with sounds consistent with delamination in the starboard side below the wire for the trim tab actuator. There are several options to consider with this finding. Pull outdrive and transom bracket and all mechanical fasteners and apply new sealant or continue to monitor transom’s structure. The possibility of the transom having to be renewed does exist on this vessel."

Rebuilding the transom sounds extreme to me and may not be financially feasible. I have no idea what that may entail or how much it would cost. My fear is that, if we pull the outdrive as described above, the transom may reveal itself to be junk. That sounds like a throw-away boat to me.

If this is a deal-breaker, that's a real shame because this boat is beautiful!!!

Please share your thoughts ;-)
 
The blue one? Harrison Twp?
Nice boat; pass; a lot of people replace transoms; a lot of people have great carpenter/glass skills. If you don’t, pass.
Honestly, I think you fixated on a 268, and passing up on a lot of better boats in your price range.
Just my opinion.
 
TavernierBoater said:
Hi,

New member, former owner of "Uptown Girl", a 1984 Sundancer 245. Looking to get back into boating and would like to find a freshwater 1986-1989 Sundancer 268. If you have one you'd like to sell, let's talk.

Patrick
Click to expand...
Hi Patrick, great boat you are looking for. I'm not quite ready to get rid of mine.
There is one listed here in Utah.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2004493903235633/?mibextid=kQbxnz

Been up for awhile, dropped to $3500.00!? Has a generator. Haven't seen a setup like this.

The photo below is mine..love it!
 

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