Need Suggestions on Boat

N

norriscathy

New Member
Jan 21, 2013
60
east texas
Boat Info
boatless
Engines
boatless
We plan on boating on an Arkansas lake. The boat will be trailered out in the winter and moved between lakes. We will not sleep in the boat but will use the cabin to fix lunches; mainly interested in a large cockpit. Will be pulling grandkids around on tubes, doing some lake fishing for stripped bass, etc.

We have narrowed our choices down to an impossible point and need help! Would like a single engine (fuel burn); engine below the deck (open cockpit); pre-Brunswick Sea Ray; stand up head. The Amberjack looks perfect but really don't want to trailer a 10' beam. Saw an ad today for an '81 Amberjack with an 8' beam; thought all Amberjacks had wide beams.

NEED HELP !!! THANKS

Norris
 
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I had to look up when Brunswick bought Sea Ray, it was 1986 for $350M

Best of luck to you in your search for a pre-Brunswick Sea Ray that meets your criteria.
 
Opposed to cutting off your search on the day (exaggeration and you may already be thinking this) that Brunswick bought Sea Ray, look for when the design of the model that interests you actually changed.
In the case of my 340, that was 1990. 1986 to 1989 changes were more or less cosmetic.
 
I really like our AJ but it is no speed demon. With the GM 350 this boat is a pig. Many of these were built with twins and those were barely adequate. This is not a ski boat. The max speed is in the low 30 mph range and it will take a while to get there.

What about the 23-25 ft monaco's or Sevilles that offer a decent day cabin with a good floor plan.
 
Although I don’t have a specific recommendation for you, a few thoughts popped into my mind while reading your description of what you are looking for.

First, you mentioned a cabin for fixing lunches. Personally, I would not be spending much time at all in any boat cabin in the summer in Arkansas unless that cabin had air conditioning. Unless there is a very stiff breeze or the boat is moving, there’s not much air flow through most smaller boat cabins. And air conditioning while out on the water requires a generator. And most smaller boats don’t have generators. I would much rather be up in the cockpit with a breeze blowing in the shade under a big bimini top. We made lunches just fine up in the cockpit for years with a cooler, cockpit table and sink, and portable grill.

Second, pulling tubes around at slower speeds will use A LOT of gas in any sort of boat that would be big enough to have a stand up head, (or have air conditioning and generator). When our kids were younger and into towables, we had Sundecks. The Sundeck models also have heads, but they are certainly not stand up heads. I will occasionally tow a tube now, but we would burn too much gas for our budget now if we did it for a few hours a day like we used to.

Third, unless you are looking at the Amberjack (which you are) or Laguna outboard models, most Sea Rays are not ideal for fishing because of all the built-in seating and upholstery.

Fourth, I would certainly not rule out any post-Brunswick purchase Sea Ray unless you are doing that purely for budgetary reasons. In my opinion, Sea Ray has produced and continues to produce great boats that are a cut above most of the other manufacturers in this boat class.

And finally (and this will be heresy on this site) have you considered a pontoon boat? It wouldn’t be a Sea Ray, and it wouldn’t have a warm cabin when it’s colder, but it meets all the other requirements you mentioned. Some of them even have stand-up heads.
 
Thanks for your thoughts. We sold our pontoon boat a couple of years ago and neither of us want to go there again. They are impossible to dock with any precision and Arkansas lakes are large enough to have unexpected white caps. Even 2 foot "seas" make a pontoon boat unbearable! Just thinking back to earlier days when kids were young and our 21' Sea Ray Bow Rider was perfect. Now I want the comfort of a cruiser and the performance of a bow rider with the ability to go after one of those 75 # strippers, Guess my "perfect" boat doesn't exist.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

Norris
 
215 EC good all round boat ski wake board tube air chair and stand up pump out potty.
decent gas mileage. we love ours.
 
How about a 280ss or a 280br?

If you want lots of options it costs lots of money. My 280ss would do all of those things and it fished reasonably well.
 
I have a comment on your boat age criteria…………The older larger Sea Rays are not necessarily better than later model boats. Sea Ray didn't do a lot of materials testing and built boats using some materials that we now know don't work over the long haul. A prime example is using Formica covered plywood for interior cockpit panels, seat bases and cabinetry. The other big material thing is that older boats used polyester resins which were heavy and very prone to osmotic blistering, especially in freshwater.

By contrast, the newer post Brunswick boats were built with the advantage of having engineers on staff who designed layups for durability, strength and lighter weight. Vinyl ester resins used in hulls and decks are almost impervious to osmotic blistering and are lighter. Plywood in exterior panels and seat bases is gone.

In my view, a pre-Brunswick boat could pose a risk for some pretty serious updating and repair, but a mid to late 90's Sea Ray gets you the best of the best.


I also wouldn't overlook Boston Whalers as an alternative. I kept a 15 Dauntless for exploring the bays and tributaries here for several years and can tell you they are built like tanks and hold up very well. Some mid-sized ones have a head under the console.

All boats tend to be compromises so finding the perfect one is a rare event. Good luck with your search…………..
 
I agree with "the boat doesn't exist" Need to change or bend some of your requirements. Starting with the pre-Brunswick notion.
 
This is why we have 2 boats. The 175BR is great for knocking around/tubing/fishing, and the 310SD is for cruising/weekends/comfort. Since you seem to be towing, that may not be an option for you, but sometimes you just have to go with "the right tool for the right job".
 
magstang1 said:
How about a 280ss or a 280br?
Click to expand...

I went there too... They're available with a single, but I'm not convinced that a single saves much fuel anyway...

There's not a ski locker, but tons of storage for everything else. In fact, one of my problems is having so much storage that I forget where I put things. The cockpit counter w/ sink is a very convenient place to prepare food. I have the curved aft seating, which makes for awkward fishing. The rear bench option might help in that respect.
 
I'm not much help here but I completely agree with SRC. It looks as I'd you are hunting two different boats.

tubing on my size boat is like dragging the anchor down the river, I might as well dump the fuel! I have refused my girls and a tube, it's hard on my old girl and her engines. I am looking for a smaller boat just for them.

now...my old 88 IS a Sea Ray, she is a 1 ton tessie and I wouldn't trade her for a new Brunswick boat, except a 55 or 65L class!
 
There have been several times we took both boats out for the weekend. We anchor out in the 310, then use the 175 fun while we are there. A dinghy would probably serve us well, but it's hard to pull a tube carrying 3 kids with a dinghy.
 
Buy my 1988 300DA, (NW Arkansas) Diesel Generator, Central air with reverse heat in cabin. Twin 350's. All new camper canvas. I could go on and on.
(CHEAP!)





 
Really appreciate your comments. I've come to the same conclusion. The 300 WE is really looking good. We like a large open cockpit and really have no need for the extra bunk space of a Sundancer. Think the 300 WE would fit our needs. What kind of fuel burn do you have at a slow cruise ?
Thanks for your help
Norris
 
The 300 is a great boat but it's probably not the best choice for pulling tubes. Not that it can't be done, but it's going to be a huge bill and big boats just don't pull tubes well. Slow to plane and big wakes. Hard to recover a fallen tuber as well.
 
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