Mid-Lat 80's 300 vs. 340

CoralReefer

CoralReefer

New Member
Mar 26, 2008
685
Nashville, TN
Boat Info
1987 250 Sundancer
Engines
260 Mercruiser w/Alpha I
Other than size, what's the better buy? 300's are a bit cheaper and there seems to be more on the market. I like the 340's transom design better with the door being a "true" cut-away vs. the 300's. Thoughts? Any design flaws on either that I should be aware of? I'm looking at both and just need a little assurance on which to pursue.
 
I had a 300 weekender. Now I have a 340 EC.
I loved the 300 but wanted more room.
Both are excellent boats. Some 30 Sundancers have transom leaks. All have leaks at the windows and bow rail stanchions, but can be fixed. By now most have been re powered and have new interiors, look for them.
Read the posts in Pre-Clinton era threads also The Big old 80's 340 thread.
 
We love our 300DB. Just the right size for the admiral and I and it fits nicly in small coves.

Engine room access could have been better as there is only 7 inches between the motors...
 
I like my weekender ,lots of engine room,change the plugs in 1/2 hr per engine.340s are nice too but almost double the fuel costs.
 
The fuel consumption, almost double, is the reason we went with the 300. Both boats are very similar but 34 is a little bigger in every way. The fact I can bring my 300 home for the winter is a plus as well. My buddie who boats with us during the summer, burns almost twice the fuel to reach the same destination. Just a little to rich for my wallet.
 
WE went through the same excersice before we bought the 340. Major advantage to us was the added space, I think more of an impact below decks than in the cockpit. Fuel consumption was an issue but so much of our water is in no wake zones the difference is minimized. The bigger engines at low RPM are not bad. We are very happy we went with the larger boat.
 
I had a 300 Weekender for 10 years. I gave up the midcabin for the express layout. Never reqretted it. I loved the big glass companion way door, the flat cockpit, and the engin room access. I specifically didn't want the outdrives the 300 DA forced you to have.

I never thought of moving up to a 340 because the difference just wasn't great enough to justify the expense at the time.

Also, after moving to a 400EC and then a 420DA I now realize what a fuel sipping rocket it was as well.
 
We looked at both boats as well before we bought our 300. Looked at both Sundancers and EC's. Would not have gone wrong either way. Love my 300 but would love a little more room too. Am holding out for a 390 EC. May take a little while!
 
Not enough info. A lot of day trips with gunkholing and the occasional overnight, go with the 300. Lots of long weekends with lots of overnights, go with the 340.
 
I agree with copB8tx regarding the 300 Weekender. I Had the 1988 with straight inboard screws. Good room to work on and never had a single problem in the 3 years I owned her. Great rough water boat and not too shabby on performance.. Good luck with your decision.
 
Thanks for the all the input. I really like the 300WE the best from what I've researched. I missed a great deal about two weeks ago and I'm kicking myself. I'm hoping more 300's will enter into the market with the fuel prices up.
 
I have a 300DA and we love it. I probally spend more time on the hook than anyone on this site, at least on a 300. Seven weeks last summer straight, then there are a lot of weekends and out for a week every so often. The 300da is perfect for the 2 of us and the dog (Boston Bull), I did look for a 340 but the difference in price and the difference in room was not worth it for us to go with the 340. We decided to go with the 300da and when we both fully retire in a few years to buy a mid 90's 440, no sence going up 2 or 4 feet at a time.

Ken
 
Good morning Coral Reefer. I bought my 300 WE in Nashville. Erwin Marine had the listing and I had actually looked at it though Nashville Yacht Brokers. I had known them from doing business with them when I was in the boat business. Keep a good look out. I bet you will find one in your back yard. The good thing is, as you know most everything there is kept in covered slips. I was fortunate to find a low hour cream puff and it was worth the money to truck it to Louisville. Looked at one here in Louisville for the same money and there was no comparison at the time. I could not be happier. While I would love the mid cabin, I do prefer the cockpit layout and love having straight inboards. Enjoy the search and let us know what you find!
 
Like most of us, I too compared several boats in the 28'-30' range. I kept coming back to the Sea Ray product line and finally chose a 30' Sundancer. While in negotiations I met a boater (next slip) with a 340 Sundancer who offered to take me for a short ride. That's all it took, the layout, extra room and power sold me. I cancelled the 30' and found a 340 for $1,000 less with identical equipment and engine hours. It's been 2 months and the honeymoon hasn't ended yet. I cruise with another couple in a 31 Sundancer and get comparable mileage (at the speeds we cruise), when the day is done though, we always wind up in my cockpit for cocktails. One last comment to consider....most boaters in smaller boats are always talking about upgrading to a larger one. There's a reason for that...size does matter.
 
Another vote for the 30' here. I explored numerous 300's and 340's before making a decision, and for me, the extra room wasn't worth the additional purchase price, nor double the fuel economy. Two of my neighbors have 340's (one EC and one DA), and to say they're envious of my fuel economy is an understatement. Sure, the extra few feet would be nice. I also like the island bed of the 34', but the pro's were not significant enough for me to justify the 340.
 
Went thru the same debate before we got our '89 300DA, it was the best fit for our needs of cabin space and fuel efficiency.
 
YEP, for the kind of boating we do, and the fuel economy vs. the 34, the 300 was the way to go for us. Three things we needed, and were not negotiable were: Had to have the aft cabin, had to have outdrives...I back this thing into the beach every weekend, and we stay there for the whole weekend and have to play with the tides. The last concern was fuel economy . The twin big blocks would have killed us. Both are great boats however.
 
If you can stretch the budget, take a look at the early to mid 90's 300WE. By then Sea Ray had discovered the design issues with all the cockpit plywood and the propensity for transom and stringer moisture problems and fixed all of it. They were available with small block engines are great economical boats with less exposure to hard to find defects.

Just a thought..........
 
We went with the 300 DA because it was a little easier to trailer! I think the 340's were over 12 feet wide and that required a pilot car front and/or rear depending on the road. That was kind of a deal breaker since we only had 2 drivers at the time. Now we have 3, but driving a 3/4 Burb ahead and behind would suck a lot of fuel too!!! WE love the portability of the 300 DA and use it in Idaho, Washington and drive the 6 hours over to the San Juans once or twice a year to play in the American and Canadian waters!
 
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