Newbie with 2002 230 Signature

Gary Lewis

New Member
Feb 19, 2015
153
Tulsa area
Boat Info
Tabs, Halon, dual batteries & switches, & aluminum trailer. Towed w/a 2015 F150 w/3.5L EB
Engines
6.2L MPI w/BIII spinning 22" Hill Marine FourX4's
Hello folks. Let me introduce myself. Yes, my name is Gary Lewis - I'm on too many forums to try to remember anything but my real name. And, I'm in the Tulsa area.

I just bought a 2002 SeaRay 230, which apparently is the Signature series? Is there a difference? I know what a Select is as I looked at two of them, but....


Anyway, it has 330 hours on the clock and has these options:


  • 6.2L
  • Bravo III
  • Halon - I think
  • Dual batteries
  • Trim tabs
  • Fresh water system
  • Bow filler cushions
  • Two-tone graphics
  • Aluminum trailer

We haven't actually taken delivery of it yet, but I already have questions. First, is there a specific forum for these boats?

Second, are there recommendations on a full cover for it as I hope to get a slip for it and want to keep it clean.

Third, are there any specific issues or areas that I need to check out?

Last, I hope to put trim indicators on it. Anyone done that on these boats?
 
Well, apparently this isn't the forum I'm supposed to be in? But, couldn't someone tell me which one I'm supposed to post in?
 
This is the correct area, but I have found that you will not get answers quickly here. I can't answer your questions, because I haven't done those before, but I do like your choice of engines.
 
Ok, thanks. I'm used to several immediate responses in the Ford Truck Enthusiast's forum, so I may need to adjust my expectations.

On the engine, my first I/O was a Webbcraft 19' cuddy w/a 305. What a dog out of the hole! You couldn't put anyone up front, so all of the weight was in the rear and it took forever to get on plane. I did some research and learned that 305's (5.0L now) and 350's (5.7L) weigh the same, so I hated whomever didn't tick the box to get a stronger engine with no more weight.

Given that, when I was shopping for boats this time I vowed not to go with the 5.0 and preferably not with the 5.7 since the 6.2 is the same weight. Luckily I found this boat where someone had ticked most of the boxes when ordering, including the BIII and the 6.2L.

Are you familiar with the 6.2? Experience?
 
You are in the right place. Keep in mind there are a lot of weather issues throughout the country.

What kind of cover are you looking for? You say you want to keep it clean so I would get something that covers the topside. I got a decent one for my boat from overtons. I think it was made by westland from arizona. It is a drawstring which might be hard to do in the water.
 
Given the same HP, there can be a VAST difference in performance from one hull design, or manufacturer, to another. The better the hull design, the more it can do with less engine. A great example of this was a '98 Sea Ray 230 Signature that I took my family out on (a nice perk of the job). At the time, it was just me and my wife (no kids) - we took my parents, my brother and his wife, my sister and her boyfriend. Most sat in the cockpit - only two (lighter ones) were in the front. I distinctly remember that I never lost sight of the water while we planed off (I was sitting). We later went skiing with no problems pulling someone out. It had 60HP less than what you have. You'll be very happy with the performance - even with the weight of that boat... which of course means the thing is solid-as-all-get-out when the water gets choppy.

Cover - check out Carver covers, Westland covers, Great Lakes, local upholsterers. Since you're keeping it in the water, you need one that has cutouts for the cleats. You'll need a way to secure the cover without being able to tie it down to a trailer. One way is via snaps installed below the rubrail - you'll need that cover made locally for that. Another way is with a pull cord installed in the helm - you'll need good access to where the cord comes out of the hem - typically at the stern. An even better option than the cord is a nylon strap in the helm with a ratchet.

A Select is the same thing as a Signature - the "branding" simply changed names over the years. Although some years there was a special "Signature Select" model available that had just about every option available under the sun and then some.

No "specific" issues to that model.

Trim indicators - save your money for now. Give yourself time to get used to them. Eventually you'll be doing everything by the seat of your pants and will likely never look at the indicators again.

Lastly, be patient. We sometimes get spoiled by how "quickly" information is attainable nowadays. And when we don't get what we want right away, we think something is wrong or that we are entitled to quick information. Good things come to those who wait.
 
Yes, there is a lot of weather, so that probably is part of the problem.

I'm looking for an overall cover, sometimes called a trailering cover I think. We have a slip at the local marina with a lift, so the boat will be out of the water when stored. We have bow and cockpit covers, but to ensure the birds and others don't mess it up I want to cover the whole boat.

I'll check Overton's. Thanks.
 
Welcome aboard
 
We have a slip at the local marina with a lift, so the boat will be out of the water when stored.

Ah, now that changes things a bit. You didn't mention that piece of information in the first post. So, the cutouts for the cleats are unnecessary and you may not need to have one made locally, although that should still be an option to pursue. As far as how to tie the cover tight will depend on the access you have around the boat.
 
Lazy Daze - That's good info. Thanks! Glad to hear that the boat should be very responsive. We bought it w/o testing it, but knowing SeaRays I figured it should be what I want if everything works. And, the dealer assured me he would make everything work.

On the tabs, you are telling me what everyone else is telling me. So, I guess I'll give it a try. Soon, I hope!

I like the idea of a cover with a strap and ratchet. Haven't seen one of those, but will look for it.

Patience?! Ok, I will. :wink:
 
I like the idea of a cover with a strap and ratchet. Haven't seen one of those, but will look for it.

The straps get the cover so tight, that a properly fit cover with a ratchet can even be trailered - without any tiedowns to the trailer. Hands down, it's my favorite way to snug a cover.
 
Ah, now that changes things a bit. You didn't mention that piece of information in the first post. So, the cutouts for the cleats are unnecessary and you may not need to have one made locally, although that should still be an option to pursue. As far as how to tie the cover tight will depend on the access you have around the boat.
Well, at the time we didn't have the slip nor lift. But, today I called the marina and learned that they usually sell out of slips in mid-March. So, today we went out and picked the slip and bought a lift. They had 4400 lb and 6000 lb lifts, so I went with the 6000 since the boat's dry weight is 4200 lbs and I want to make sure the boat is well out of the water.

Anyway, thanks for the advice on the cover.

Welcome aboard
Thanks! I'm glad to be here, for a couple of reasons. First, it means I bought a SeaRay. Second, this forum works. I've had a lot of experience with forums (over 20K posts on the Ford Truck Enthusiast's forum) and I checked out the Cobalt forum - dead. Then I joined another forum to ask questions about their boats, but got booted off the forum as it is only for those who already own that brand. So, I'm glad to be here where there is activity AND you welcome those who are shopping.
 
It's good you went with the 6,000lb lift. By the time you add oils/fluids, batteries, gas and toys - you're way over that 4,400lb limit.

Yup - there's a good bunch of guys (and gals) here on this forum - that's why I'm here. I happen to work at a Sea Ray dealership, but I'm here because I'm a boater. It'll get even more active once the cold-weather areas get to "boating weather".
 
Dennis - I hadn't thought about the seasonal aspect of boating vs forum activity. The guys on the truck forum are active all year - even those who are snowed in at present. But apparently boating is different. However, I have a "new" boat, so I'm gung-ho! :grin:

Yep, I'm already working on the "toy" list. We saw an inflator/deflator at a dealership and my wife said that's a must. And on and on the list goes. But I've moved the trim indicators down to the "maybe" category. And, that's where a replacement for the Lowrance 3500 depth sounder is as well. Mine is cracked, but still works, although my reading on here says that may not be for long.

So, what part of PA are you in? We lived in Kennett Square for about 10 years and boated on the Conowingo "pond". Lots of fun, but nary a beach.
 
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Gary,

Congratulations on the 230 - great boat. I have some seat time in the 2004 model of your boat (SR branded the 230s as 240s a couple of model years after yours) with a 350 Magnum, and it was not under powered by any means. You are going to love the handling characteristics of this boat. This generation (mine) and the previous generation have very little bow rise when coming on plane. In addition the 230/240 is a very smooth riding boat. Some great features too - including a windshield wiper that is more useful than you think. You will also love the fact that the swim platform is just above the water - great for water sports and playing. The trim tabs are a plus. If you are not familiar with their operation, keep in mind that the RH tab switch operates the LH Tab and vice versa. The pictogram on the switches do a good job of visualizing the corrective action. If the tabs do not interfere with the trailer bunks, you can see exactly how they work.

As far as the covers are concerned, I use the factory cockpit and tonneau covers for towing. I also had a custom sunbrella cover made, which completely envelopes the boat. In other words, the cover drops all the way down to the chine line. It has eyelets along the bottom so I can tie it off to the trailer or boat lift. This cover is not designed for towing. When I kept the boat in a covered slip on the Hyrdrohoist, I simply tied the cover to the boat lift cross members. For what it's worth, my Hydrohoist was oringinally rated for 4000 pounds, which was fine for my previous boat and I tried to use it when I purchased my 230, as it had a dry weight of 3,800 lbs. Unfortunately, it did not work. So, I added an additional tank, giving it a rating of 6,000 lbs. Going back to the cover, I recommend going with slits for all six cleats as you will need to tie off the boat in case the lift develops leak. This of course assumes you have a Hyrdrohoist or similar lift. Otherwise you can simply tie off to the bow eye. Also if you go with a cover similar to mine or one that drops to the rubrail, I would recommend going with velcro slits for the four main bimini attach points This way, you do not have to remove the bimini while the boat is stored on the lift. In addition, you can have very small slits made on top of the forward windshield frame for the straps in case you want to leave the bimini top open. If you want to use a draw string (mine does not have one), your canvas shop can use a nylon/life jacket style drawstring with buckles (life jacket style) between the velcro slits.

Good luck and enjoy. Great boat!
 
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Gary,

One other point, the 230 will maintain plane at a relatively low speed. So, it's a reasonably good platform for wakeboarding. I still slalom ski. I have very little difficulty (all 200 lbs. of me) getting up on one ski.
 
SeaRide - Thanks. I'm pretty sure we are going to love the boat as it has everything we were wanting. In fact, as I've said several times, it is as though I ticked the boxes when ordering.

As for options and models, that's a confusing thing about SeaRay. We looked at a 2006 220 Select that is the same exact length as our 230. In fact, it was the exact same layout for seating et al as the 230 except the space where the 230 has the compartment for the porta potty is essentially unused in the Select. And, the Select had no option for a compass, or the potty, or the wiper, all of which were standard on the 230. So the decision was very easy for us - although we did like the integrated swim platform on the Select.

Speaking of of the swim platform, that was another selling point on this boat. We were considering a couple of Cobalts of the same era and they didn't have what I would call a true swim platform - just the little space molded into the stern of the boat, which would be well above the water. So we compared the factory lit from both companies, which fortunately showed all of the boats dead in the water, and the SeaRay platforms were much closer to the water. And, with little grandkids that will make a huge difference.

Also, that's great input on the cover. We do have a Hydrohoist - after all, we are 24 miles from where they are made - so will need the slits for the cleats. And, you are helping me think through the way to tie it off on the hoist. Since our dock is really long north/south and opens to the east there will be little if any sun reaching the boat, so I don't think it will need to be covered much below the rub rail. However, I do think I'd like the ski platform covered so will look for something that provides that.

And, I'm really glad to see that the boat planes easily. While we have the tabs to aid in that, it will be nice if they don't always have to be used.
 
Gary,

You are welcome. I believe SR included the length of swim platform in the LOA in the 220 since it is a molded in platform. So your boat, is a true 23' boat when measuring from bow to transom. Where as the 220 is really a 21' boat when compared to your 230 using the same measuring stick. Go to the Sea Ray archives and you will find that your boat's overall length is 25'6" with the swim platform. In addition, the 230/240 has a "pointier" bow than the 220. The 230 also has a much larger anchor locker.

FYI, if you have a custom cover made, simply have the fabricator make a slitted flap that extends over the platform. You can tie it off to the outdrive rams and Hydrohoist. I am overly anal and that is why I had the extended cover made. Your canvas maker should be able to make a one piece cover, which covers the entire boat as one piece. Mine is slitted on both sides along the transom since it drops to the chines.
 
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Welcome aboard and congrats on the 230. I had a 99 230OV and loved it. It's just a great boat for all around. Enjoy.
 

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