Need opinions on a 1983 Sea Ray 340 FB

[Rixram]

Morning,

I'm suffering from a tremendous case of 4-foot-itis (or maybe 13-foot-itis), coupled with limited finances. As such, I'm limited on what I can do/afford, but am having a difficult time trying to not upgrade. I will lay out my case now.

I currently own a 1987 SR Seville II 210 MC. This boat is the dinkiest mid-cabin I have ever seen or heard of. It is paid for, has a trailer, has a V-6. It doesn't cost me anything to own, and is inexpensive to operate. I am, however, not sure if I drive the thing, or wear it, due to its dimmunitative size. I can't stand up straight up in the cabin (I'm 6' tall). My wife is not as familiar with the sea as I am (I'm a Navy Vet, and this boat is my 5th boat). She gets anxious at waves and speed, to the point that she is very reluctant to go, and I do not wish to impose on her like that.

I do enjoy the frugality of the boat. My kids and I can go fishing. I can pull it on the trailer with my Jeep. It'll run all day on hardly any fuel. With the wife unwilling to go out on it, and the minor leak, I am effectively operating a mini-cruiser as a dayboat. I *could* overnight, but not under these circumstances.

Enter the complication: 1983 Searay 340 FB
But I recently came across the above mentioned boat, and it views to be in decent shape, internally. Twin FWC 454s, straight shaft (I strongly dislike V-drives), flybridge. Downside: the starboard transmission is kaput. I am a decent knuckle-dragger, so that is not terribly intimidating to me. I can afford to buy the boat, and I have always done my own work, so the 2 other costs are fuel and marinas. I think I can handle those.

The excessive fuel consumption may not be an issue, because if speed & waves scare the wife, this boat implies a more substantial footprint and stability. I can go slowly. After all, I'll bet the efficiency of this 340 at trawler/displacement speed is pretty good. Can someone please confirm that?

I was hoping to get a Mainship 34 FB (hopefully a Mk III) in about 4 years, but if the efficiency on this one is comparable at the same speeds, maybe this would be a decent alternative.

The downside is that I lose the option to trailer-boat. I'd have to go back to constantly paying a marina, wondering if the boat is okay, saltwater's constant corrosive effects...

At the core of the matter is this: my wife has NO way of knowing if this would calm her anxiety. All the other crap aside (logistics, marinas, fuel costs, fixing and selling current boat, blah, blah, blah), if I were to do this, I've NO way to know if the Mrs. would be any better off with that 340 than with the 210.

Now, I know some would say "So? Go boating! Go big! 'Murica!!!!!" and good for them. But we got married 2 years ago. She isn't just a little nervous, but is diagnosed with severe anxiety. I believe that being able to seperate from the world (face it, nothing tells the world to piss-ff faster than casting off lines) would help her.

But I've reached a crossroads: do I stay where I am at (210MC), do I go big (340FB), or do I just get out of boating entirely?

If you have made it to this point, thank you for reading my fragmented thoughts, and I am genuinely open to suggestions.

 

[Creekwood]

Find one you can go out in for a bit. I would be wondering if your wife will be too nervous to climb the ladder to the bridge or will find it unsettling with the movement up there on the bridge.

 

[Ten Years Gone]

edit

 

[NorCal Boater]

The mid 80s 340 bridge boats are not too bad for space. I think you would really like the living arrangements. They're a fairly heavy boat and not very fuel efficient so you will have more fuel costs. They are a bit tender but with the 11' 11" beam they are not too bad. and of course, that tenderness will me exagerated on the bridge.

You might consider looking for a 340 Sundancer or Express. There are lots of them and the are very affordable. They have over 6' of headroom in the salon and if you look for an '88 or '89 the master berth is huge. The best part is with out that flybridge your wife will be lower to the water and feel less motion. Lastly, they are more fuel efficient. I just remembered you don't like v-drives so the Express would be best for you.

Just sayin'.
Shawn

 

[Rixram]

Creek & Ten: you two seem to be much on the same page. Thank you for the suggestion of a (paraphrased) test-run. I'm fairly certain that I will not do it on a rough day, though, as we could be on a cruise ship, and she'd worry about rough weather. I can say that because we took a Norwegian cruise for the honeymoon. LOL. She was okay, but a little on edge when we hit some 8' seas (which I view as mild-moderate for a ship of that size).

NorCal: You have an excellent point about the exaggerated feel of the water conditions from the FB. I'd forgotten that (sold my last FB 11 years ago). Part of my notion of getting the FB, though, was that if she were a little uncomfortable, she could head into the salon, and with the windshield cover off, it would feel secure, while bright and airy. Then again, that may be a tremendously stupid notion.

And I *could* live with V-drives again if I *had* to, but I'm not terribly enthusiastic about it. I feel they are more difficult to maintain and place far too much weight in the aft-end. But I am faced with the decision of either being a damn land-lubber for the rest of my (hopefully) many years, or making compromises as far as boats go. I know I need beam for stability. The 340 FB you said is about 12'. What about the Express of Sundancer? I think they are the same hull, but can someone confirm, please?

 

[JVM225]

This is my humble opinion:
The beam on the 340 Sundancer/Weekender is probably going to be about the same as the 340FB. They are all nice boats. Forget fuel economy. They all suck up gas when you use them. The bigger they are, the more they suck it up.
Having a 300 Sundancer and previously owned a flybridge boat I can say that I like the idea of being part of the crowd when I'm running the boat instead of feeling like a chauffer up on the flybridge. The express style is also nicer when operating the boat alone since you don't have to go up and down to handle lines.
The upside to the flybridge for me is the interior of the boat. It would be nice to have all the windows when sitting in the cabin instead of being in a cave.
Bottom line for me: I feel like a flybridge is a better boat for hanging out on at a dock, but I like the express style better once you pull away. So that comes down to a personal choice, and how you plan to use it.
Moving up is a great thing, but the bigger the boat, the more expensive it is. Buying the boat is only a small part of it, the bigger part is keeping it.
You're trailering your current boat. That affords you the opportunity to do as much of your own work as you want, probably at your leisure.
I have never trailered a boat that I owned. After dealing with ramps and trailers with friends boats many years ago I realized that it just wasn't for me.
Once you go in to a marina you have to think about how much they will let you do on your own boat. Some places won't let you do anything at all. That adds to the expense considerably.
I'm lucky in that I own the property where I keep my boat so I can do whatever I want and I have water, electric, and a shed to store things in. Even with all of that, there are still some inconveniences.
If you are allowed to work on your boat where you dock you will be carting parts, tools, and supplies back and forth. It seems like you always wind up needing something that is back home in the garage. There is no more spending a few minutes after dinner on it. Doing anything involves driving to the boat (20 min ride for me), and driving back home(another 20 minutes). You'd be surprised how many little things you wind up putting off because you don't have the time to get back and forth and do the small task. I've taken to making lists of things to do, and supplies I need, and keeping it in the car.
Doing things at your leisure won't always be an option anymore. Case in point: your current leak. You can wait to you get around to it now because you are on a trailer. If you had a leak on a bigger boat that you kept in the water, it would be a crisis needing immediate attention.
If you can work with all of that, then going with a bigger boat is a good thing. It's nice to have the space and all of the comforts that go with it. I don't really do a lot of overnights anymore because of the schedules of my two teenage kids, but I still love the amenities when cruising around, spending a day on the hook, or hanging out at the dock.
Sometimes I wish I had a smaller single engine boat, but overall I would rather have my 300 Sundancer despite the extra work and money it costs to keep it.

 

[Rixram]

My current boat is my 5th. Two of my prior boats were kept in a marina. One of them, the larger, was a twin V8, V-drive flybridge. I understand your chauffeur statement quite well. But the cabin and the view from the FB are great.

Regarding fuel burn, I'm not anticipating being able to spend much time on plane, and will likely be at about 1200-1500 revs for displacement speed. I just saw a CL ad for an 89' Sundancer, sterndrive, in my town in a price range I can possibly afford. It has 350s in it, which is better efficiency for my anticipated use. Yes, my budget is limited, but I'm pretty good at boating frugally.

Regarding performance and fuel burn on the SR SD 300 (2x5.7L, Alpha-1 drives), I'm anticipating about:
42-45 gph at WOT, for about 30 kts (est. 4,800 rpm max)
18-20 gph at cruise of 18 kts (est. 3,200 rpm)
and
3-4 gph at a displacement speed of 7-8 kts (est. 1,200 rpm)

But if I were to go the SD300 route, I could build my storage area at home a little lower, versus what I'd been considering for the SR 340 FB. That thing was going to have to be huge.

Since you have one, JVM255, do you have an idea what the height is when the boat is on the hard (ground to clearance for the arch)?

I do have a couple acres of land, and am planning a carport, err, boat-port for off-season storage, meaning major scheduled maintenance will be done at home in the off-season.

 

[SCORPIO]

My '89 300DA cruises nicely at 3000-3200 rpm, just short of where the secondaries open up. My fuel burn is about 11-12 gph per engine at 27kts. WOT at seatrial when we bought her was 40 mph via gps with four adult men, no water, or waste and half a load of fuel. My WOT was around 4400. Load, the gear you have aboard, bottom condition, drive trim, sea state, wind all affect max speed and fuel burn so YMMV.
In all, we like the 300 very much and I find it easy to work on as there are no computers involved in the engine operation, just a nice simple carb and electronic distributor.

The beam on the 300's is 11 feet so there is a great deal of room in the cabin and the boat 'feels' bigger than what she actually is. They are heavy hulls and very stable in a seaway and handle short breaking chop like nothing. If nothing else, go take a look at one and go aboard with your wife. If you are lucky, the seller will take you for a short ride. That would help you and your admiral to get the feel of the boat.

Oh, don't be fooled, while big, these boats can be very sporty and handle quite well at speed. I like doing tight turns at speed with the kids, they always enjoy the ride. Just don't have your Mrs. on the 'low' side when doing this, it has startled my wife more than once if I do it unannounced.
Good luck

 

[Rixram]

Scorpio,

I am warming up to the notion of trying a 'Dancer 300. I particularly like the idea of having the sterndrives versus the hull-exhaust: it'll be much quieter.

Okay, so once on plane, what RPMs are you turning to stay on plane (min plane speed), as you post alludes to 3000 rpm being 27kts? This is asked due to her anxiety, not for fuel costs, but fuel is usually a factor, too.

 

[Creekwood]

I don't think you want stern drives in salt water. Much more maintenance cost. If you don't overnight much I would look at the express rather than the sun dancer. The 330 express I think has a much wider beam and are straight shaft not vDrives. You lose the mid cabin but gain a lot of cockpit space.

 

[JVM225]

Mine doesn't have the arch on it, so I don't have the overall height info for you. It was an option that the original owner didn't go for. I've never actually measured the boat when it was up on blocks for the winter, but you should be able to come pretty close with an estimate.
The boat is pretty roomy for a 30' boat and minimal issues with the stern drives in salt water. Just as long as you maintain everything you should be OK. I did change my transom assemblies last fall, but they were original from 1987 and they spent their entire life in salt water. They seemed to have suffered more from an old owners neglect than anything else.
I put new motors in two years ago. The old motors were raw water cooled, the new ones have half fresh water systems on them.
My fuel burn is about the same as Scorpios. I'm running 15.5 X 17 Stainless props and the boat jumps out of the water and gets right up on plane. It handles like a much smaller boat once you get going.
Depending on conditions, I need to stay somewhere between 3100 and 3200 to stay up on plane. But can keep the secondary's closed at that speed. The boat flies when it's nice and flat out, and still moves and handles great in a slight chop.
It was an absolute pig with the stock 14X19 aluminum props.
It was also a PIA around the dock until I located and installed a counter rotating drive on the port side. That made a big difference in backing in to a slip.
The downside as compared to the 340 Sundancer of the same vintage is sleeping space. The 340 has a bigger and more comfortable full width type berth up front as opposed to the long slanted one on my 300, and the 340's aft berth is a little roomier too. Neither boat has a separate shower stall, and both of the dinettes appear to be pretty close in size. The 340 has more space between the dinette and galley, but the 300's space is pretty good in that area too.
If you want the Sterndrives, the 300 is the way to go. It is an overall fantastic family boat.
If you want the inboards, I would take a closer look at the 340. You may burn slightly more fuel the way you describe your intended use than you would with the 300, but it may be a small price to pay for the extra room the 340 has to offer if you intend to overnight a lot.

 

[SCORPIO]

I can hold plane using the Bennet trim tabs down to around 2700+/-, much below that and she will drop off plane. I think four blade props would help keep her on plane at lower speeds. I did what JVM did and installed a counter rotating lower on my port engine this spring. I haven't had her out since so I can't speak to the improvement but I'm betting she will be much better mannered around the dock now.
Forum member Sundancer trails his 300DA, its overwidth and requires permits but it can be done if you have the proper tow vehicle and trailer. Its something I'm considering for the future should I ever need to do major work, I can bring her home and work on her over a winter at my own pace.

I keep my boat slipped in salt water from April to end of Nov. and I haven't had any corrosion issues. Fouling is the main issue, but if you clean at haul out and paint each spring, that is not a big problem either. Mercathodes work well controlling corrosion.


We looked at 88-89 340 Dancers before we got the 300. My slip at the time would not accomodate a 340 and slips in my area at that time were very hard to get so I compromised and went with the 300 as she fit my slip and had similar ammenities to the 340. As JVM225 noted, the v-berth on the 340 is huge, either an island bed or the full sized bed with storage underneath.

 

[Saverio]

We went on a cruise last year and my wife would get sick evey once in a while. When we go out on the boat and we are moving she is fine. she has problem when we are drifing to go fishing or to hang out. when another boat passes us and we get their wake.

 

[vernh59]

I don't think you want stern drives in salt water. Much more maintenance cost. If you don't overnight much I would look at the express rather than the sun dancer. The 330 express I think has a much wider beam and are straight shaft not vDrives. You lose the mid cabin but gain a lot of cockpit space.

+1 I would not leave a boat with stern drives in salt water. I had one once and I was constantly replacing the zincs on the drives. Inboards are the only way to go in a salt water wet slip.

 

[dpmulvey]

At the risk of sounding intrusive, what kind of budget are we talking about? When I jumped from a 2465 Regal to a 330 Dancer, the extra costs shocked me.

If you decide to make the leap, don't rule out the Amberjack line. There is a lot more beam.

 

[Rixram]

Sd 30'

Okay, I have made headway with the boat for sale. The owner seems to be a good man, and is upfront with information and willing to help me out on the price. My intent is to have it stored at my home until the water heats up (oh, and until I'm off of crutches from my recent surgery).

That being said, for a boat that has not been in the water for 3 seasons, with the exception of the following 2 items, what should I change/inspect prior to attempting to launch it? Considering mid-to-late July for splash.

Need to change:
-Fuel
-Impellers
-Bellows

Boat is an 89' Sundancer 30.

 

[SCORPIO]

Change drive oil and also engine oil and filters after you get her running.

 

[270win]

Survey...thorough survey on any used boat, but especially a boat on the hard for 3 years.

I'm in the same situation as you kinda'...

I've been into boating my entire life. But my family just isn't as interested as I am. We've gone from 22' cuddy's to 32' Express Cruiser and back to a 22' cuddy. The bigger boat will be staggeringly more expensive to run, store, insure, maintain etc. and that's whether you do the work yourself or not. When you lose the option to trailer you lose a lot of freedom and you put yourself at the mercy of others.

As for the more important issue, your family, I'm having to face the possibility that I'm just going to get out of boating. It's in my blood but my wife and girls just don't enjoy it like I do. They go, but they would rather go "camping". I say "camping" because we have a big nice motorhome and as I'm typing we're in the 3rd week of a 3 week trip out west...Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, South Dakota. So it's not like they're into roughing it. And I'm enjoying it too, but I'm looking forward to getting home to go out on the boat. They are not. Don't get me wrong, they don't hate the boat or boating, but they just aren't motivated to go often.

This current boat has undergone major modifications and updates and it really a super nice boat now. And while they're impressed with all that I've done to it, they still aren't any more motivated to go than they were before. I had hoped they would be but it's just the way it's turning out. I'd be sure to take your wife out in a similar boat even if you have to charter someone for 4 hours or so to get a feel. I've pumped a lot of money into boats and boating trying to make people that aren't into boating into boaters...and it hasn't worked out.

Best of luck to you buddy!

 

[Rixram]

Okay, thanks for the reality check. I think I need to take this all slowly, and be damn sure before I pull the trigger on anything.

Thanks again!

 

[270win]

Okay, thanks for the reality check. I think I need to take this all slowly, and be damn sure before I pull the trigger on anything.

Thanks again!

Yep, you heard exactly what I was trying to say. I do hope it works out for you both!