Buckeyebirdawg
New Member
Hello,
As the forum suggests, I'm new to Club Sea Ray and hopefully new to a used Sundancer soon. I have been boat shopping for about a month now and have narrowed my search to Sundancers, as they seem to be the best fit for my lovely bride and me (cruising, entertaining & fishing). We will be celebrating our 30th this spring and have decided to get a boat in lieu of the original plan for a whiskey tour of the British Isles. My operating experience has been confined to sailboats, 24' - 46' w/ single & twin screws in the Gt. Lakes & BVI, so a fair amount of water time but none as an owner. From a price standpoint I have narrowed my search to about 6 boats in the '84 - '88 range. My preference is for twin screws and the ones I'm looking at run the gamut from 2 x 3.7's, 2 x 4.3's & 2 x 5.0s, though there are several single 7.4's out there. Hours run the gamut as well.
My question(s) for those with older model Sundancer experience are too many to list. But primarily I'm wondering about fiberglass & stringer durability from those model years. I understand that relates to how the boat has been operated / cared for but looking for general impressions. I read that Brunswick bought the company in '87, any concerns with the later '80s models? Also, how many hrs. should one expect from those Merc's from that era? Again, that relates to how they were cared for but looking for general impressions on this as well. At the top of my current list is an '84 270SD w/ twin 5.0 MPI Alpha's w/ only 250 hrs. on them. It has most of the options I'm looking for except AC & heat and seems well powered. Of course, it's also the most expensive (asking$16 K). Should I be concerned that a single 7.4 is too small (330 hp) for a 270? I also understand the advantages / disadvantages of twin screws (maneuverability, redundancy, maint. costs, etc...). Our boating will be on Lake Erie and I plan to have a purchase contingent upon a marine survey. Any input from you experienced power cruisers would be greatly appreciated!
As the forum suggests, I'm new to Club Sea Ray and hopefully new to a used Sundancer soon. I have been boat shopping for about a month now and have narrowed my search to Sundancers, as they seem to be the best fit for my lovely bride and me (cruising, entertaining & fishing). We will be celebrating our 30th this spring and have decided to get a boat in lieu of the original plan for a whiskey tour of the British Isles. My operating experience has been confined to sailboats, 24' - 46' w/ single & twin screws in the Gt. Lakes & BVI, so a fair amount of water time but none as an owner. From a price standpoint I have narrowed my search to about 6 boats in the '84 - '88 range. My preference is for twin screws and the ones I'm looking at run the gamut from 2 x 3.7's, 2 x 4.3's & 2 x 5.0s, though there are several single 7.4's out there. Hours run the gamut as well.
My question(s) for those with older model Sundancer experience are too many to list. But primarily I'm wondering about fiberglass & stringer durability from those model years. I understand that relates to how the boat has been operated / cared for but looking for general impressions. I read that Brunswick bought the company in '87, any concerns with the later '80s models? Also, how many hrs. should one expect from those Merc's from that era? Again, that relates to how they were cared for but looking for general impressions on this as well. At the top of my current list is an '84 270SD w/ twin 5.0 MPI Alpha's w/ only 250 hrs. on them. It has most of the options I'm looking for except AC & heat and seems well powered. Of course, it's also the most expensive (asking$16 K). Should I be concerned that a single 7.4 is too small (330 hp) for a 270? I also understand the advantages / disadvantages of twin screws (maneuverability, redundancy, maint. costs, etc...). Our boating will be on Lake Erie and I plan to have a purchase contingent upon a marine survey. Any input from you experienced power cruisers would be greatly appreciated!
