Need some advice on lifts for a 340 (37 ft)

W

Wargreg

New Member
Jul 4, 2011
2
Chesapeake Bay
Boat Info
2006 340 Searay Sundancer
Engines
8.1s
Just bought my first Sea Ray (2006) and am interested in a good lift. It looks like a lift (eg sealift) on a 340 can easily handle a dinghy without performance being impacted. What about the additional weight of a jet ski...does anyone have any experience or advice? Would like a three seat jet ski so we can tube or tow a skier but do not know whether this is realistic and my boat could actually plane with the additional weight in the back. Any counsel much appreciated!
 
My recommendation is to figure something else out. They are the crack of boating, you know it will kill you but you'll keep pumping money into it for the high.
 
Don't go any further with this until you call Sea Ray customer service and ask if the 340DA will support a lift.

The vessel's internal structure must be designed to support 800 lbs. hanging 4 ft behind the transom and I don't think the 340 is constructed for it. Adding a lift to a boat without the necessary supporting structure will be an expensive mistake........I've seen the transom literally peeled off the back of a 420DA and a 440DA when lifts were added and the boat s got caught in moderate seas.
 
A friend of mine had a 350 DA pool boat (for SR corporate execs, free test boat) when they first came out in '08 or so (can't remember the exact year). It had a lift on it but it could only support 4-500 lbs. Definitely not enough for a jetski.

He also had a small, 8 ft Mercury inflatable with a 10 hp outboard. It was a nightmare getting that on/off the lift because it was just too small to handle it. It was always in the way.

My advice is to tow your dingy. I had both an 11 ft Zodiac and a Jetski with my 348 Vista (37' LOA). It towed them fine.

Just make sure you follow the manufacturer's directions for towing jetskis. I had to install "tow-taps" in my Kawasaki to prevent water from backing up into the exhaust manifold above 5 MPH.

FWIW, I tow behind my 420 DB too. I'm told it would support a lift with some transom mods, but I find that buying a $25K lift to haul a $7K jetski is a bit excessive...
 
I'd also recommend calling Sea-Lift and discuss with them, as they are the original OEM for lifts installed at the factory on new boats, they are more than credible, and from my dealings very upfront and honest.
 
I just tried towing my new hard bottom dink. It was not pretty. I had 120 ' line out ( dingy was 60' off the stern ) To see where it would sit as I planed off. Well we never got that far. The dink was all over the road. I even added another 60' of line so i HAd a total of 180' of line that put the dink about 90 ' off the stern . Again. trying to get on plane sent the dingy out of control. The tow line was run tru the eye of the dink so it could self center itself. Guess im still doing something wrong ?

Rob
 
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I tried mine 60 feet back too - I towed it about 15 miles in the open ocean in calm conditions (1-2 ft) it "skated" back and fourth in the wake but never jumped outside it. It was scary though, my wife and kids watched it the whole way. A buddy towed his larger cc inflatable on the same trip 100 feet back and he said it "was fine".
 
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