Official 280 Sundancer Thread

An update on the cabinet. So I used 'power grab' to temporarily hold in the vent hose collar then put in some #6 screws from the front and back into the vent collar. I lifted up the cabinet and screwed that into the bulkhead. FYI there is a 3/8+ gap between the black strip that holds the hinge and the bulkhead - don't understand why they didn't put in a filler strip. I stuck a small piece of plywood in there and screw the entire assembly into the wall.

One less project!

 

to remove the rear facing port cushion I was able to reach all the screws from behind the inside panel with the light switch, but how about the cushioned backrest next to it ( just aft of it ) ? I was unable to reach those screws because my arm is too short! has anyone removed that one?

 

also, how can you tell what drives you have? I do not see any markings on mine, possibly due to the bottom painting?

 

Paul... did you try reaching the extra screws (nuts, actually) by going in through the speaker hole? I did the same thing on my 260DA, but I think I remembered having to pull down the mid-cabin mirror to get to some of them.

If you have twin props, it's a B3. Single prop on that boat would be an Alpha. No other choices - check the spec sheet for your model. Or just google - it's very easy to tell what you have by looking at it and comparing to pictures. Heck, just go to Merc's site and look at the drives there.

 

Getting my cockpit cover stitched up and ready for summer, what's the name of the blue canvas folks? Navy blue? Thanks in advance...

 

I believe it is Captain Navy . make sure you have the tool to put the snaps on.

 

On the a/c grill under the seat - i must be missing something like a clip. There is no way the grill can stay in place the way it is. Any ideas?

 

i didn't bookmark where it is in this thread, but remember seeing somewhere way back that someone posted the part number for the little plastic clips that hold it in. I believe other have been able to order them through a Sea Ray dealer too. They're just 4 little clear plastic clips.

 

Thanks - I search the entire forum but just found the same question. I'll stop by the sea ray dealer and see if they know.

If I do get them I'll post the part # and the source.

 

Speaking of A/C's, does anyone spray their units with any kind of cleaner?

 

Has anyone attempted this? I might try this season.

 

While this is a new boat to us - we've had A/C units for years. The only thing I ended up cleaning is the fine mesh screen.

 

You're right, when I went back to search for the part # it never got answered. I checked the parts manual that I have on hand and they are not listed in there. I am planning on stopping at my boat this weekend and will ask the parts counter and report back on findings. I'm missing 2 of them I believe.

 

Thanks - if you could identify the part and the source I'd appreciate it. I stopped by the dealer the other day - she knew what I was looking for but did't have a part number (nor is it in the 280 parts list). She was going to hunt around some parts dealer to find it. I can't believe others don't have the same issue since it's not a robust design. Worst case I'll wire tie

 

So I am going to look at an 07 280 tomorrow. Anything in particular that I should be looking at beyond maintenance history? Are there any particular issues these boats have that may be missed when looking at the boats? Any questions I should ask?
This is an 07 with blue hull twin 4.3's with about 400 hours. Will be considering trading my 05 Sundeck 240 in on this boat.

 

There's nothing on the 280 that I would say is exceptionally different than any other boat purchase per se, but a few things I saw when I was looking at 280s that might help you out. I bought an '04 blue hull with twin 4.3's a few months ago, so likely a lot of similarities.

Check the shower sump under the cabin step, if there is water outside of it, it can be indicative of leaks in the portlights/deckfittings/deck to hull joint that need to be tracked down and resolved. (2 of the 4 boats we looked at had this issue that was unresolved when we saw them) Could be as simple as tightening the portlight latches but could also mean something more involved.

Check the operation/smoothness of the cabin door and ensure that none of the plastic "rollers" are broken. This can be an expensive fix if done by a marina and requires the windshield and helm to come out to replace. Members here have found ways to do it without that level of involvement, but still a big job that you'd rather have fixed before you own it.

Take note of the condition of all the canvas and plan accordingly for cost to replace if needed. If it can wait, you can hold off until Great Lakes Boat top has a 25% off sale.

Outside of those, hit all the points you'd hit with any other boat. If you end up under contract I would obviously recommend a competent marine surveyor, and in addition, have a Mercruiser tech do a compression test on both engines as well as an ECM readout to look for anything funky.

Good luck!

 

X2 on the surveyor - don't just look at the maintenance records. Those indicate what was done vs. what needed to get done. It'll take you a while but you'll find lots of great info on the boat in all of 295 forum pages.

We bought a blue hull 05 280 this past November - don't believe there's much difference in the 2 years. Keep us posted on your purchase.

 

The boat showed well. Was surprised that it had 4.3s with b3 outdrives. The drives looked a little rough and needed zincs Other than that the boat was immaculate The asking price is 51,990, not sure if we are going to offer but it is tempting.

 

Most of the B3's near where I'm stored for winter look a bit rough. Nature of the beast I guess, but seems like more corrosion issues than the alphas. That said, the 4.3s with B3's would be a great combo. I would love the additional bite of the dual props, as well as the smooth shifting of the bravo. That said, the alphas are considerably more reasonable to replace if need be.
Price sounds good, I paid $42 for a 2004 this past fall. Very little use and optioned out, but needed detailed and some new canvas. $52 for a newer boat with B3's that's in great shape sounds like a deal, especially if you can get it down a bit. Still would highly recommend a survey prior to purchase. Good luck!

 

I have the same exact problem and haven' figured out a solution...more pressing problems right now. Let's stay in touch on this. Btw, I have a 3D printer and am thinking I may need to make something to fix.