New to Boating

J

jadunbar

New Member
Mar 13, 2010
12
Minnesota
Boat Info
Boatless
Engines
Boatless
My husband and I are new to the boating world. We are looking to purchase our first boat in the next month and are looking at a 24-26 foot Sea Ray cruiser. Looking forward to reading posts for any information helpful to a novice.
 
A 24' will feel a little more top heavy...depending on your experince go with the biggest you can afford....you will learn to contol It after replacing the dock....lol
 
First, welcome to CSR.
Best advice you'll get this week...........Read as much here on CSR as you have time for. If you have specific questions, fire away! There is more real world experience here than you can imagine.

Again, welcome to CSR.
 
Are you looking to trailer this cruiser or moore it? Do you have family and kids that you'll be bringing aboard? Do you plan to fish, overnight, entertain or just hangout with your hubby? Just trying to get you thinking about how you will use it, where you will use it, where you will store it and who will do the maintenance? All things to consider! Do you need a generator? Invertor? Camper canvas or slantback? What body of water will you use it on? Just trying to find some fodder so we can assist!
 
Thanks for the replies and the good questions. We will be keeping the boat at a marina - either wet slip or dry dock. We plan to keep it on the St. Croix river for the first year, maybe moving to Lake Minnetonka the next. Mostly it will be used just to boat, swim, weekend overnights. We have four adult children and we'd like them to use the boat often as well. Probably do some fishing but not a whole lot. In answer to your questions about what we'll need - being a total novice, I have no idea so any recommendations are appreciated. I'm thinking yes to a generator, have no idea what an invertor is, hoping to get a camper canvas and again, have no idea what a slantback is. Guess that tells you that I'm a total beginner. But I am very thankful for this site and since I discovered it, I have been reading alot and gaining a much needed education.
 
A 24' or 26' will seem big and overwhelming at first. But that will fade very quickly, especially when you overnight on it. If you are not going to trailer, then I'd recommend you go bigger. I think the 280 is a fantastic boat, and very easy to handle. Obviously, I think the 320 is even better, but the 280 would be a great first boat that I think you'd get at least 3 years out of it before the itch to go bigger set in.

Going 280 first will probably save you some money in the long run.

Scott
 
I just sold a 2001 Sea Ray Weekender - it was my first boat and a great one to start with. Small enough to handle, large enough to not be tossed around.
 
Have you thought about taking a boating course together? There are typically a few courses offered in the spring by Power Squadron or Coast Guard Axillary groups.
 
If you are slipping it I would look at a 280DA. The extra width and space over my 260DA is ideal since you don't need to trailer it. I trailer mine and didn't want to have such a large boat on a trailer. I love my 260DA and there is a lot for you to consider in the 24-28' range.

One thing I do like about the '99-'04 260DA is that is much less tippy than the '05 to '08 260DA.
 
Welcome to the boating world. It's a great activity to do. We have a 260 DA, 2001, and its a great dayboat for a group. We also have four adult children, so the 260 is about as small as you want to go if 75% of the gang show up along with their friends or yours. Too small for more that 4 to overnight in - ideally just two, which is preferable and a good excuse not to invite the whole tribe.

We started with a bowrider to learn the rope (well actually - lines ) about boating, and took a full term Power Squadron course, so we are confident about the rules of the road, docking, weather, navigation, etc.

Then we started moving up in size and power. Very happy with what we have now - an older well kept SeaRay. I personally think the fit and finish is better on the pre-'05 Searays in your preferrred size range.

Oh, and don't forget the wallet. Best advise we ever got from a boat dealer - if you think you can afford the monthly payment for the boat, then double it becasue there are always more costs than just the purchase price. It delayed our purchase for a number of years, but now its well worth the expense.

Happy boating!
 
Welcome to the addiction! I had a 260 for twenty plus years. Great for small groups, as previously stated 2 is perfect, but small when the whole family is onboard to sleep. Ok for day trips with the clan though. My best friend jumped right in with a 280, 2003 and is ready to move up so don't be too scared to go there if you can swing the $$. To answer a couple of your previous questions: An inverter converts DC (battery) current to AC (household) current so you can power things like blenders, microwaves etc when you are not hooked up to shore power. By the way, shore power is a plug you can hook-up to your boat (if your vessel is equipped with it as most bigger ones are) to connect to the 110V AC household current at the dock. A slantback top basically attaches to your bimini top or sunshade and then slants down to the transom of the boat. This still covers your cockpit but basically renders the rear bench seat useless when it is on due to the lack of headroom. The camper top is definitely the way to go! Good Luck!! Todd:thumbsup:
 
sb in gp said:
A 24' or 26' will seem big and overwhelming at first. But that will fade very quickly, especially when you overnight on it. If you are not going to trailer, then I'd recommend you go bigger. I think the 280 is a fantastic boat, and very easy to handle. Obviously, I think the 320 is even better, but the 280 would be a great first boat that I think you'd get at least 3 years out of it before the itch to go bigger set in.

Going 280 first will probably save you some money in the long run.

Scott
Click to expand...

Welcome......I agree with Scott here and would look at the 280. My first boat period is the 300DA I have now. We originally looked at the 24-26ft range but most lacked the headroom in the cabin I need at 6'2". And the larger beam makes all the difference, especially if you are not going to trailer it.

Sure, I was intimidated at first but now know I made the right call.

Good luck and I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever boat you decide on.
 
The 280 is a great boat, but don't limit yourself. In this economy there are some larger boats being sold at fire sale prices! Don't be afraid to make a low offer either. If you see a 300 DA (I'm partial to my 11 foot beam!) and the price is right, jump on and check it out. The same goes with any of the larger boats. Don't be afraid to go older, but make SURE you get it surveyed by a marine surveyor. They will inspect it and check it over and give you a report stating any shortcomings on the boat. You can then use THAT to negotiate the cost of having it brought up to snuff with the current owner.

I can't stand going to the same lake every week, so we trailer ours. That way we can visit friends on any of the lakes around here when it's convenient(or avoid other "friends" if we need to!). We can head to the San Juans, Idaho or Montana as the mood strikes us.
 
Just a thought. A friend of mine purchased an older boat (~16 years old) with the intention of keeping it one year to see if the boating life was for him. As it turned out it was so he traded it on a bigger boat. Since the depreciation curve is way less on older boats, it was a cheap way to see what size/options... he wanted on his next boat. Now, like us all he's thinking about upgrading again.

I had an 1989 250 Sundancer and just purchased a 2004 300 Sundancer. I looked at the 280 Sundancer and found it a little small given the extra cost of twin engines. The 300 was a better solution. Although sleeping 6 adults on any size boat will be a challenge, consider something older to see if it will suit your plan. Just take the extra time to get a good survey.
 
Oar Play said:
A 24' will feel a little more top heavy...depending on your experince go with the biggest you can afford....you will learn to contol It after replacing the dock....lol
Click to expand...


That was awesome!!!:grin::thumbsup: I resemble that remark!

Anyway, wow..what a great amazing world your about to get into and discover. Minnetonka and the St. Croix, yeah, that is going to be awesome. Originally from Wisconsin and have relatives your way, familiar with the area. Some one said it's an addiction earlier....that's putting it mild for me. I stand at the gas pump with a smile on my face! Best money I have spent and spend!

Anyway, do I wish I had a bigger boat? Sure. Do I love my current boat? You bet. I think everything everyone has said to ya"ll so far is valid. I started out with a 18 foot Bayliner and immediately was aware I needed a bigger boat because indeed overnighting was a factor. 2 years later, I am driving to Alabama to throw some dough down on my girl.

Point is, I started small and knew immediately that I wanted more room.

This may sound weird but, when ya'll go out shopping, see if you can't get some folks to come along with you and everyone sit, walkaround eachother, throw a couple folks downstairs and see if they (and you) can tolerate the closer quarters. I was originally between a 240 and a 260 just because I want to trailer as i am in salt. I did the 5-6 people test while shopping and hands down....260 won.

Just a shopping idea.
 
Last edited:
Welcome aboard! As others have stated - get out and on as many boats as you can find in your price range; different models/years/size boats will have different cockpit (up) and galley (below) layouts. See what works for you. We were in you position a number of years ago and settled on a 270. It worked but within 3 years we wanted something bigger (was looking for 320-240) and ended up with a 380. There are deals out there. When you find what you want make sure you get a sea trial (test drive) and a marine survey (inspection by someone trained in inspecting boats). You can skip the survey (you'll pay $$ for the survey), but it's the BEST way to protect your investment. Remember the downside (depreciation) on new boats. You best value is going to be on a boat a couple of years old. Good Luck!
 
Sundancer said:
I can't stand going to the same lake every week, so we trailer ours. That way we can visit friends on any of the lakes around here when it's convenient(or avoid other "friends" if we need to!). We can head to the San Juans, Idaho or Montana as the mood strikes us.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. The dealer I met with told me that you couldn't trailer anything larger than 26' because of the width. I was hoping to keep it in a slip, but be able to take it to other lakes if we wanted to. Since you have a 30', it sounds like that might not be true.
 
jadunbar said:
Thanks for the input. The dealer I met with told me that you couldn't trailer anything larger than 26' because of the width. I was hoping to keep it in a slip, but be able to take it to other lakes if we wanted to. Since you have a 30', it sounds like that might not be true.
Click to expand...

The beam (width) can be a factor for sure. The trick is to see what your local regulations are for towing in your area. I "heard" and don't know if this is a fact....that in my county you may have up to a 10 foot beam and trailer in our county with out permits.

Also, I have seen the Searay dealer trailer the 380 and 400 Dancers to the local boat shows. Would you want to do that on a regular basis?? I am sure that would be a big NO. And I am sure they had to get permits as well.

Anyway, check your local rules and reg.s you may be surprised.
 
+1 for Stray Cat and taking a boating course. You will learn a lot when it comes to boating. The Coast Guard classes are nice since you get the info you need from people that have been boating for years and also from the people that will inspect your boat!
Don't know about other states but it is required by law now in Virginia (or is a federal law?) to take a course in boating. Eventually by some year (don't know when) everyone has to take it even if you've been boating for decades.
 
I have a 24'-0" sundancer. It is a great boat and can be towed easily with my current vehicle. I agree after a year or two you will start to want a larger boat. I'd start by looking at the 28'-0" boats and looking at what you can tow both legally in your state and with you curret vehicle. I'd like to have a bigger boat but do not want to have a buy a new truck to tow it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,186
Messages
1,428,171
Members
61,097
Latest member
Mdeluca407
Back
Top