Northwest Advice Please!

[Walt_Mink]

Hi All,

My wife and I are considering buying a boat and I'd very much like to hear the opinions of my fellow Seattle and pacific northwest folks. We've had a 21' bow rider before, but we're now looking for something we can camp in. We don't have any rugrats just yet, but they're on the not too distant horizon. :smt009

Anyway, we'd like something we can tow down to cruise on the Columbia and cruise around the Puget Sound in. I have a 3/4 ton diesel truck, so I can pull quite a big boat, but I don't know where the sweet spot is. I don't want to have to pull permits to pull my boat - that seems like it'd be quite difficult and I have to imagine towing something that wide would be hard too.

So, what's your opinion? We're not going to live in it, but we'd like to camp for a few days onboard. What do I need to be successful in the sound? Are there any gotchas that I'm not seeing. Any advice on where I can rent some boats to get a feel for the size we need?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[lorenbennett]

Just my opinion. 260, 280 or 290 sundancer. I own a 260 and its real easy to tow and just fine for two. Handles real well. :thumbsup:

 

[DuckBoater]

Welcome and good luck on the boat search. You might plow through a lot of the posts in the Sport Cruisers section, which will give you lots of information.
Most things about a boat involve trade offs. My wife and I settled on a 240 DA because of the redesigned cockpit. We have absolutely loved it. It's not too heavy to tow, so taking it into the mountains and longer distances is not a problem. We hardly ever have more than 4 people aboard, so the seating is great. The berth is comfortable. And the boat is affordable to run, so we never have to worry about it.
Good luck again!

 

[Sundancer]

Great advice above! It boils down to personal preferences and trade offs.

The sizes that are mentioned above (260, 280 and 290) generally include a dinette which allows a third space for 1 - 2 folks to sleep. The only one that is trailerable legally without permits is the 260 since it is 8' 6" wide by design. Most of the Sundancers have a V berth and a mid cabin (often called an aft cabin) that sleep two full size and two smaller folks comfortably. When you look at the smaller 230 - 250's they don't always have hot water for showers or a generator. Neither are required, but some folks view those as necessities.

We've owned our 250 DA for 8 seasons now and are looking for a larger boat so we can shower, spend time in the San Juans and just give everyone a little more space. My son is my size, add my wife and daughter, two dogs and sleeping space is at a premium. Somebody in our boat snores, so they need to be kept separate and that is the primary driver for a larger boat!

I'd definitely make sure you get Fresh Water Cooling (Closed loop cooling with antifreeze) to protect your engine from the salt water. This makes is easy to add a cockpit or cabin heater using the hot water available to extend the season a bit. There are some great used boats available and make sure you get a survey to assess it's real condition.

The lack of a 3/4 ton diesel is usually what prevents people from going to larger boats! Understanding the gross combined weight rating AND understanding the dry weight of the boat is an estimate (Add 1,000 to 2,000 lbs for fuel, water, gear, batteries, etc.) and then add another 1,500 to 2,000 lbs for the trailer to arrive at your total towed weight to determine if you are with in the capacity of your truck. I like the 80% rule to assure longevity so I'm trying to stay under 13,200 to assure I'm not pushing my 16,500 capacity.

Good luck in your search! There are a ton of places to look for boats in Seattle and I'm sure you'll find many that match your criteria!

 

[Dave M.]

I think all the above is true, but I have a couple of additions. But first, having the diesel truck, you are already halfway there. My truck and boat cost the same. But the truck of course is cheaper to operate!

To the list of 260, 280 and 290, there are also the 240 and 270. When the 270 is added to the list, then it becomes the largest that you can tow legally without a wide load permit. That applies only to the mid-90's version of 270, and to the late 90's 270SE, also with an 8' 6" beam. My 270 does not have a separate dinette that seats four. Instead, it has the dinette table that becomes part of the forward V-berth bed when lowered. It has an advantage in that you can seat 5 or 6 at the dinette instead of four, and I think the V-berth is longer with this arrangement. Disadvantage is that you have to convert it from day to night use.

You can have hot water and cabin heat without FWC (fresh water cooling), mine was like that when I bought it. I did add FWC to mine to keep sand out of the engine, to help the engine stay warm, and to keep salt water out of it for any salt water trips (only one week so far).

I have found that the hot water tank heated by engine coolant works quite well. In the San Juans, I had water hot enough for a 9 PM shower even when I had not run the boat since noon or 1 PM.

You mention camping, and I assume that you mean on the water. But to be perfectly clear, I will point out that the boat is not well adapted to camping when not on the water.

I think getting a wide load permit is fairly easy, and I think you can legally shop states to get the best price. That said, it does have two limitations. In OR, and I believe WA, you cannot move a wide load down the highway after dark or on a holiday weekend. That varies state by state. I personally only know two people who trailer wide load boats, one a 280 and one a 290. I think in both cases they ignore the law and just go. I'm not advising that you do that, but I know others do.

I suppose the sweet spot for everyone is different. I really like the setup I have, except for the trailer surge brakes. I wish they were electric/hydralic so I could use my electric brake controller for the trailer brakes. Maybe some day I will have that.

My boat and trailer weight about 10,000 lb. The trailer is triple axle. It is a pleasure to take it out on the highway and go.

 

[Walt_Mink]

Good advice from all - thanks very much! :grin:

Does anyone have a particular SeaRay dealer that they like working with in the Seattle area? How about covered storage? I could put a boat in my yard, but it would take up a heck of a lot of space on my fairly small lot.

Also, I really like the idea of try before you buy. Does anyone know of a yacht club or some such that would have boats to rent? I'm also on the market for a good, comprehensive, power boating class.

Thanks again!

 

[Walt_Mink]

I think all the above is true, but I have a couple of additions. But first, having the diesel truck, you are already halfway there. My truck and boat cost the same. But the truck of course is cheaper to operate!

To the list of 260, 280 and 290, there are also the 240 and 270. When the 270 is added to the list, then it becomes the largest that you can tow legally without a wide load permit. That applies only to the mid-90's version of 270, and to the late 90's 270SE, also with an 8' 6" beam. My 270 does not have a separate dinette that seats four. Instead, it has the dinette table that becomes part of the forward V-berth bed when lowered. It has an advantage in that you can seat 5 or 6 at the dinette instead of four, and I think the V-berth is longer with this arrangement. Disadvantage is that you have to convert it from day to night use.

You can have hot water and cabin heat without FWC (fresh water cooling), mine was like that when I bought it. I did add FWC to mine to keep sand out of the engine, to help the engine stay warm, and to keep salt water out of it for any salt water trips (only one week so far).

I have found that the hot water tank heated by engine coolant works quite well. In the San Juans, I had water hot enough for a 9 PM shower even when I had not run the boat since noon or 1 PM.

You mention camping, and I assume that you mean on the water. But to be perfectly clear, I will point out that the boat is not well adapted to camping when not on the water.

I think getting a wide load permit is fairly easy, and I think you can legally shop states to get the best price. That said, it does have two limitations. In OR, and I believe WA, you cannot move a wide load down the highway after dark or on a holiday weekend. That varies state by state. I personally only know two people who trailer wide load boats, one a 280 and one a 290. I think in both cases they ignore the law and just go. I'm not advising that you do that, but I know others do.

I suppose the sweet spot for everyone is different. I really like the setup I have, except for the trailer surge brakes. I wish they were electric/hydralic so I could use my electric brake controller for the trailer brakes. Maybe some day I will have that.

My boat and trailer weight about 10,000 lb. The trailer is triple axle. It is a pleasure to take it out on the highway and go.

Hi Dave,

Electric over Hydraulic is a must for me - I've towed enough friend's boats (amazing how that happens ) with surge brakes to know that it isn't fun.

I'm thinking you're right about the wide load - I've heard that from quite a few people around here. That said, I just read another post about a guy looking at a 280 and it now has me thinking about how much boat I need right now. I think I'll go find a 260 to check out this weekend. Besides, if it's too small in a couple of years ... I guess I'll just have to upgrade. :grin:

 

[Sundancer]

Don't forget you can go to Searay.com, click on "Services" and then "Archives" to pull up the brochures on many of the old boats. The brochures contain a layout along with specifications. It sure makes shopping for used boats a LOT easier!

 

[smanier]

Not sure where you live but we have had a covered slip at the Everett Marina for 5 years now and love it. 2 Hours run to the San Juan's, close to Seattle and surrounding marina's.

I would say go to the Lake Union Boat's afloat show that started today and runs through the weekend and talk to a Sea Ray dealer about the different models/layouts. Look at what fits you and your family.

We tried the trailer routine for about a year and decided that the extra stress and work took away from the experience.

We can be untying our boat 30 minutes after leaving the house. That is worth the moorage to me.

Good luck and enjoy your search. (You may want to wait until the Seattle boat show in January for your best discounts)