Maiden Voyage on '05 270 Amberjack on a rough day

[Tippy Canoe]

Over the winter I purchased an '05 270AJ with 30 hours on it that was a bank repo. Due to the time of year I was not able to sea trial the boat but the deal that I got was incredible and after all, it is a Sea Ray so I had confidence that it would perform.

Well yesterday was D day and I was taking the boat from Onset bay in Cape Cod Ma. to Jamestown R.I. in Narragansset Bay. When I arrived it was blowing pretty good but I had the logistics set up to do it and I had a friend of mine with me who is a certified captain so we went for it. There was a heavy chop in Buzzards Bay which was picking up steam and before long we were in steady 3-4 footers with a few larger waves for color and the boat handled it all with ease in solid fasion.

There was no pounding that many pocket cruisers are noted for and we encountered one other similar size boat that was a large walk around and there is no doubt that the 270 AJ handled the conditions far better than the other boat was. My boat has the 6.2 liter Horizon and I never felt that I needed more power. I was able to run at 3,500 RPM comfortably but when I needed to slow down the boat stayed on plane nicely and I had a great sense of control. We took one heck of a salt bath but a 50 footer would have done the same in these conditions. The boat ran flawlessly in every respect and I could not have asked for better conditions to gain confidence in a new vessel right out of the gate.

So if you own or are considering owning a 270 Amberjack or it's sister the 260 DA I would give at a very high rating for handling in rough conditions.

 

[Hampton]

Congrats, Tippy.

I love it when a plan comes together. I used to live in Brenton village near Ft Adams. When I was a kid, we used to rummage through the old fort which was left as it was after WWII. Judging from Google Earth, my house is now a soccer field - It was along the road facing the mansions across the cove. We were really close to the old stables on the cove.

I owned a '72 Sunfish (new) and my Dad and I used to sail around Brenton Cove, and occassionally we'd sail around the fort to the Bay side. Once, my Dad and I crossed to Jamestown. Great memories of an absolutely beautiful and rich area.

Enjoy!

 

[Dave S]

Glad to hear the trip went well. :thumbsup:

 

[Sea Ray 300]

People that haven't motored a Sea Ray don't realize that our boats "cut through" seas rather than bounce over the top of them.
Very happy that your experience was possitive... :thumbsup:

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

Great to hear you made it safe and sound. :thumbsup:

 

[DuckBoater]

Having spent one very miserable day on Buzzards Bay in very heavy stuff and not on a Sea Ray, I am glad to hear that you made it safely.
It's also great to hear the reassurance that the boat handled so well.
Enjoy a smoother and more enjoyable season!

 

[Tippy Canoe]

Guys, Thanks for the comments. The Newport area is just a wonderful place to have a boat. There is incredible scenery, fishing, and activities like the tall ships that will be visiting this summer. The one thing that you can pretty much count on is conditions that change very quickly so a nice calm, sunny day can turn into a real challenge in minutes.

This is my third Sea Ray and I believe that the modifications that they have made in their hulls have dramatically increased their sea keeping abilities. I now believe that the Sea Ray Amberjack can handle far more than the passengers can and having confidence in a boat is very important to me.

KV