Looking to buy a 2007 280 Sundancer

[Guiness]

Guys,

This will be my first SeaRay boat if every thing goes well in the sea trial next week.Can someone help me out as far as what I should be looking for when purchasing this boat. Power plant is carrying twin 220! Mercs......is that enough power? Will it plane out relatively quick? The gelcoat is black .... Any issues with oxidation. Anything you guys can tell me or things I should ask would be greatly appreciated.

Guiness

 

[MonacoMike]

Is a survey a part of your plans?

MM

 

[Guiness]

Monaco.....yes it is.

 

[gerryb]

The 280 is a great boat. The hull has been discontinued but was one of the longest is use by Brunswick/Searay. It was actually decommissioned and brought back to life the same year due partly to customer demand. It's the type of boat that does just about every thing it was designed to do, and does it well.

Risers and manifolds should always be monitored carefully as well as the outdrive depending on where you are boating and the history of the boat you are buying. Also, the Kohler genset on the 280 is known to be finicky (Kohler!). Like all boats, it has some downsides (eg not enough storage and tight access in ER) but it has a very strong following on this board and for good reason. Check out the 280 sundancer thread for EVERYTHING you EVER wanted to know about that boat.

 

[Guiness]

Thanks Gerry. What are your thoughts on the twin 220's. Enough power? I appreciate your feedback. Thanks again.

 

[saopm]

Thanks Gerry. What are your thoughts on the twin 220's. Enough power? I appreciate your feedback. Thanks again.

It has plenty of power with the twin 4.3’s. It’s not a rocket out of the hole, but she will get up and go when fully loaded. You can expect to cruise at 30MPH at 3,500 – 3,600 RPM getting about 1.5 MPG. Top speed is around 40-45MPH. The black gelcoat will take a lot of work to keep looking good.

 

[Guiness]

Thanks guys on the twins. I thought that would be enough power it's just nice to hear it confirmed. The gelcoat on the other hand does have me concerned. I'm worried about oxidation I know they have come a long way but nothing would look worse than black gelcoat turning white. If a lot of work is just waxing it every year.... No big deal ...however if it has to be done a few times a year that could be an issue.

 

[JimT]

The key to preventing oxidation is keeping a fresh coat of wax on the hull. To me that means waxing more than once a year.

 

[AFD]

yes but up north you will only have to do it once a year. your year is not as long as the guys down south. 5 months in the water isn't a "year" like it is in the carolina's

my boat still has a great layer of wax on the sides but the deck and arch must be done twice. it's one afternoon and a bunch of beers but it's easier than doing the hull from a ladder in my driveway.

 

[Guiness]

I'm staring to feel better about this whole thing.....lol. Some of you have also mentioned the blow hole on the the swim platform...no big deal?. Are your family and friends getting soaked while anchored.I apologize for all the questions but I don't know of a better way to get answers other than through experienced owners.

 

[jason78]

I'm staring to feel better about this whole thing.....lol. Some of you have also mentioned the blow hole on the the swim platform...no big deal?. Are your family and friends getting soaked while anchored.I apologize for all the questions but I don't know of a better way to get answers other than through experienced owners.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I think you are going to be subject to some extent of the blow hole effect on pretty much any cruiser in this size range with an extended swim platform, particularly ones with the stock Sea Ray "cupped" platform design. A flat after market platform would probably not be as bad. As a matter of fact, I was tied up to my friends 03 300DA this weekend and with some moderate "lake" waves in a cove we were tied up in, we started rocking and he was starting to get some with his platform. Granted the 300 is several inches higher up so it will take more wake to get it going but it can still happen. The only problem I have had was when standing over the vent getting stuff out of the transom locker and got hit by water spray when I did not really want to get wet. I have not been in a situation personally where water gushed so far up and got anyone in the cockpit wet but I guess it could happen if the waves were severe enough. You should be able to tell on a sea trial if this will be an issue for you. This generation 280 is a great boat overall but if I was asked to think about it, I could find a couple other things of greater concern with the boat design than the swim platform being low. Guess it is all really at the opinion of the person though.

 

[MancaveII]

I have a portable rechargeable Ryobi 18v buffer...works like a charm to wax a boat...I've done my 310 twice now in three months. Get one and waxing a boat will be much easier.

 

[dpvandy01]

I loved my 280. With twins and a gen yours you sit lower in the water at the platform but the wave wash through the platform holes isn't that bad and I boat on the Ohio river with a robust barge traffic and the endless stream of idiots that just don't understand 300 feet. The 4.3's will do just fine but you will find that they don't like a fouled bottom. Mine had the single 7.4 and while they are not comparable I know with both the low end single and the low end twins you will need to keep the bottom clean. Is it bottom painted? If so just run it regularly and you should be good to go.
Enjoy the purchase process and don't get emotional about it. Walk away if it doesn't work. There will be others.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[saopm]

Guys,

This will be my first SeaRay boat if every thing goes well in the sea trial next week.Can someone help me out as far as what I should be looking for when purchasing this boat. Power plant is carrying twin 220! Mercs......is that enough power? Will it plane out relatively quick? The gelcoat is black .... Any issues with oxidation. Anything you guys can tell me or things I should ask would be greatly appreciated.

Guiness

Are you sure it is black gel coat and not paint. I've never see a black hull 280. If it is paint it might mean a lot less polishing.

 

[bajturner]

Are you sure it is black gel coat and not paint. I've never see a black hull 280. If it is paint it might mean a lot less polishing.

Factory hull colour options (color, I guess I should say!) were blue, pewter and black in '07.

 

[jason78]

Are you sure it is black gel coat and not paint. I've never see a black hull 280. If it is paint it might mean a lot less polishing.

Hull color options for the 280DA (and a number of other Sea Ray cruiser models) were introduced in the 2004 model year. The first colors were Blue and Green. This expanded in subsequent years to include Black, Pewter and Cinnabar (Cinnabar for other models, don't think this was ever offered on 280 for some reason). At some point (maybe 06?) Green was dropped off and the 3 choices were Blue, Black or Pewter.

It is kind of ironic how heavily Sea Ray marketed the Green hull on the 280DA. I think it was on at least 2 or 3 years worth of marketing materials and I have a Sea Ray dealer poster with a Green 280 on it, likely an 04. In the last 5 years of me looking through pictures and posts I have only ever seen 2 green 280s. One owned by a member who I have not seen post here in quite some time. The other was for sale on Yachtworld. They do seem to be rare.

 

[Guiness]

Good to hear that your not in a washing machine on the back deck. Yes the bottom is painted so that shouldn't be a problem. I hope the sea trial goes well. Anything else I should be aware of or ask about that you guys found out the hard way? Thanks for everyone's feedback.

 

[Guiness]

Jason.... I'm pretty sure it was gelcoat and not paint. I will double check though. Thanks for brining that up.

 

[jason78]

Jason.... I'm pretty sure it was gelcoat and not paint. I will double check though. Thanks for brining that up.

In all fairness Tim brought it up, I just responded. I would say it is very likely that it is indeed black Gel Coat but he has a point, it could be paint. Cant hurt to ask.