Official 280 Sundancer Thread

[Tonka Boater]

Here goes a controversial question. What would be the minimum fuel amount you would start out on a 14 mile trip across the Lake to fill up with cheap gas? No weather or adverse winds to consider.

I'm shooting from the hip but I'd say 1/4 tank if you aren't going WOT. I took a 15 mile trip yesterday and the needle moved a little less than an 1/8....that's with a single 496 vs. your twins.

 

[jason78]

Here goes a controversial question. What would be the minimum fuel amount you would start out on a 14 mile trip across the Lake to fill up with cheap gas? No weather or adverse winds to consider.

No less than 25 Gallons for me probably just to be sure. Assuming you get 1.5MPG (which I believe is about average for most of the 280s) how cheap is the Gas at the other place that you can justify burning an extra ~18.7 gallons to get there and back rather than fill up where you normally do? I guess if you were going there anyway it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[Jetmart]

No less than 25 Gallons for me probably just to be sure. Assuming you get 1.5MPG (which I believe is about average for most of the 280s) how cheap is the Gas at the other place that you can justify burning an extra 18.7 gallons to get there and back rather than fill up where you normally do?

The main reason for the trip is lunch. Auto gas is $1.50 per gallon cheaper in Michigan then Ontario at the pumps. I assume this differential will hold on marine gas. My marina is charging $5.15 per US gallon today.

Taking on 80 gallons will more then pay for lunch and the trip. I have to boat somewhere why not to a cheap fuel destination

 

[jason78]

The main reason for the trip is lunch. Auto gas is $1.50 per gallon cheaper in Michigan then Ontario at the pumps. I assume this differential will hold on marine gas. My marina is charging $5.15 per US gallon today.

Taking on 80 gallons will more then pay for lunch and the trip. I have to boat somewhere why not to a cheap fuel destination

OK, I didn't realize you were in Ontario, definitely makes sense then. What is Marina gas going for in Michigan right now? It is 4.29 on our lake.

 

[Jetmart]

OK, I didn't realize you were in Ontario, definitely makes sense then. What is Marina gas going for in Michigan right now? It is 4.29 on our lake.

I'll find out tomorrow. I would hope that it is less then $4.29.
any lake st clair michigan boaters out there?

 

[Jetmart]

OK, I didn't realize you were in Ontario, definitely makes sense then. What is Marina gas going for in Michigan right now? It is 4.29 on our lake.

I'll find out tomorrow. I would hope that it is less then $4.29.
any lake st clair michigan boaters out there?

 

[jasontbrant]

Since finding this site last summer you all have been a tremendous asset and I appreciate it! You have not only helped me to problem solve my boat issues, but you have assisted in emptying my bank account on items such as a grill, tri-color LED cockpit lighting, LCD digital televisions, replacement exterior carpeting, etc. This evening I am looking for advice in a "what would you do" manner. Last Saturday I ran the boat from Baltimore to Annapolis. When I got into town there weren't any slips available so I tied-up to one of the city's mooring buoys. For dinner downtown Saturday evening we had a water taxi pick-up and deliver us to the boat. We attempted the same routine for brunch Sunday morning however during an out of control approach the water taxi crashed into the starboard aft vent cover we have all read so much about in this forum recently. In front of my eyes two-thirds of the now broken piece sank into the dark water, while the other third remained attached firmly to the boat. I pulled this little piece off of the boat and took it to shore where I was met by a representative of the water taxi company. To make a long story short, I have copied and pasted an e-mail he sent to me yesterday and would like to get your thoughts. Thank you in advance!



Sorry for not replying yesterday with an update. Be assured we've been working on it and have made great progress.



We contacted Sea Ray and they can remake the part in an unfinished black plastic that would then need gel coated and color matched. The time for them to make and ship the part alone is 4 weeks! Then there is the finishing time to gel coat and color match.



Thinking outside the box, we have lined up a diver to go to the site where it dropped and recover the rest of the other half of the existing piece. Given the conditions of St. Mary's Cove and knowing which mooring and which direction your boat was swinging, the diver says it should be a quick and easy find. Assuming the piece is found, then our maintenance team will be able to make quick work of putting it back together and making it look new next week. An added advantage to this approach is that the piece will match the rest of your boat better than any brand new piece would.

 

[jason78]

We contacted Sea Ray and they can remake the part in an unfinished black plastic that would then need gel coated and color matched. The time for them to make and ship the part alone is 4 weeks! Then there is the finishing time to gel coat and color match.



Thinking outside the box, we have lined up a diver to go to the site where it dropped and recover the rest of the other half of the existing piece. Given the conditions of St. Mary's Cove and knowing which mooring and which direction your boat was swinging, the diver says it should be a quick and easy find. Assuming the piece is found, then our maintenance team will be able to make quick work of putting it back together and making it look new next week. An added advantage to this approach is that the piece will match the rest of your boat better than any brand new piece would.

I would not accept this. I believe this is simply a piece of Gel Coated plastic so it is not like they can really fix it 100% or enough to guarantee it. They broke it and they need to replace it plain and simple. A good Gel Coat person should be able to match it. I had several spider cracks repaired after the boat was 5 years old and they matched the Gelcoat perfectly after grinding the areas down.

Comparing what they told you to what others have reported, it sounds like they really did check with Sea Ray and found out how much the part cost so they are trying to pull a fast one to save a few bucks. Bottom line, they have insurance to cover these types of things. What do you think they will tell you if it comes apart in 2 years or fals off in a few months. I say make them fix it right the first time and have it done by a Sea Ray dealer. When someone hits you with their car, YOU pick the body shop. This is no different. Tell them not to waste the time on the diver. They have (or should have) insurance for this type of thing. No one wants to shell out $1,000 to fix something one of their employees damaged but that is part of the business.

Just my 2 cents.....

 

[Presentation]

Hi Jason,
I don’t have an answer for you but did want to thank you for sharing your situation.
I don’t think I’d want either option but I also would not want it left uncovered.
There is just not a good answer.

 

[JimT]

Since finding this site last summer you all have been a tremendous asset and I appreciate it! You have not only helped me to problem solve my boat issues, but you have assisted in emptying my bank account on items such as a grill, tri-color LED cockpit lighting, LCD digital televisions, replacement exterior carpeting, etc. This evening I am looking for advice in a "what would you do" manner. Last Saturday I ran the boat from Baltimore to Annapolis. When I got into town there weren't any slips available so I tied-up to one of the city's mooring buoys. For dinner downtown Saturday evening we had a water taxi pick-up and deliver us to the boat. We attempted the same routine for brunch Sunday morning however during an out of control approach the water taxi crashed into the starboard aft vent cover we have all read so much about in this forum recently. In front of my eyes two-thirds of the now broken piece sank into the dark water, while the other third remained attached firmly to the boat. I pulled this little piece off of the boat and took it to shore where I was met by a representative of the water taxi company. To make a long story short, I have copied and pasted an e-mail he sent to me yesterday and would like to get your thoughts. Thank you in advance!



Sorry for not replying yesterday with an update. Be assured we've been working on it and have made great progress.



We contacted Sea Ray and they can remake the part in an unfinished black plastic that would then need gel coated and color matched. The time for them to make and ship the part alone is 4 weeks! Then there is the finishing time to gel coat and color match.



Thinking outside the box, we have lined up a diver to go to the site where it dropped and recover the rest of the other half of the existing piece. Given the conditions of St. Mary's Cove and knowing which mooring and which direction your boat was swinging, the diver says it should be a quick and easy find. Assuming the piece is found, then our maintenance team will be able to make quick work of putting it back together and making it look new next week. An added advantage to this approach is that the piece will match the rest of your boat better than any brand new piece would.

Another option would be to try to locate a used vent cover from a salvage boat. Even if it had to be gelcoated to match your boat it would be cheaper and faster. I would not accept a glued togther cover.

 

[floriduramax1]

I removed, cleaned and reinstalled both my vents as well as caulked all seams on the entire boat. I don't know what is going on, but my covers are plastic and molded in the color. How do I know for sure??? My starboard side vent didn't fit as well as I like (I'm a little anal about seams and gaps) so I sanded the vent down 1/4" along the top side to close the gap. There is no gelcoat on my plastic vents and they are not black!

I would be interested to see how long gel coat will stick to that plastic part.

 

[themikehyde]

This kind of goes back to how to find used boat parts. I have still been unable to find a good boat salvage yard. I looked for a port side glass for over a year and ended up having it replaced with plexiglas. Of course, 2 weeks later, someone posts one on eBay!

 

[floriduramax1]

Well after all day of maintenance and upgrading the radio, I am officially not impressed with Sea Ray workmanship on my boat! I installed a sub and pulled wires (coax and a Couple cat 5 cables) from the tv to the radio and ran across several problems. My sink and ice bucket at the wet bar are falling down! I cannot believe how they were installed! No sealant and large gaps between sink and under side of countertop I pulled them down, cleaned the mold (and mildew) and reinstalled them sealing the large gaps with silicone so the water won't splash and get all over my sub! I also can't believe SR wouldn't seal up the bulkhead better behind the side wall under the wet bar. I will be insulating and sealing this area. I have the whole interior pulled apart tonight and got tired and called it a day! I have to get up early tomorrow and get her back together as she has an appointment with a wet slip in preparation for front row seating at the fireworks show! Guys, check your sinks and ice bucket!

 

[Gunn]

When out after dark for a fireworks display this past Friday, I noticed that the blue light bulb of my starboard side multi-gauge at the helm (the one with volts, temp, oil pressure, etc.) must be burned out. I went behind the helm through the access door expecting to see a blue wire with a socket attached, but there is none. The bulb must be inside the gauge itself.

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get at this bulb so I can replace it?

Thanks, Tom

 

[Henry Boyd]

I removed, cleaned and reinstalled both my vents as well as caulked all seams on the entire boat. I don't know what is going on, but my covers are plastic and molded in the color. How do I know for sure??? My starboard side vent didn't fit as well as I like (I'm a little anal about seams and gaps) so I sanded the vent down 1/4" along the top side to close the gap. There is no gelcoat on my plastic vents and they are not black!

I would be interested to see how long gel coat will stick to that plastic part.

Sea Ray just switched over from moulded in color to black last spring/summer. I ordered a starboard to replace mine that had cracked. The local dealer ordered one for each side. The port one came in the right color, the starboard came in black. And yes, it was a four to six week turnaround. The salvage yard may not bear fruit. When the fiberglass guy removed my old one it completely shattered and he was trying to save it.

As I recall the vent cover was about $ 295 plus another $ 250 to have a fiberglass guy remove the old one, gel coat and install the new one.

As for the water taxi company, it seems to me they need to get a temp fix taken care of and then replaced with a new part.

Henry

 

[Hanger18]

I have been reviewing all of the battery recommendations and I think I am going to go with the Optima Blue D31M but I am a bit nervous as I am 156 miles from the boat and unable to measure. I have a 2004 280. Can one of you experts confirm that the Optima Blue D31M will fit in the battery trays??

Thank you
Chris

 

[Tonka Boater]

I have been reviewing all of the battery recommendations and I think I am going to go with the Optima Blue D31M but I am a bit nervous as I am 156 miles from the boat and unable to measure. I have a 2004 280. Can one of you experts confirm that the Optima Blue D31M will fit in the battery trays??

Thank you
Chris

I just upgraded to the D31M's and they will fit in the trays. The trays are actually too big for the Optima's so you need to strap them down tight.

Here's a pic:

 

[JimFromMD]

As for the water taxi company, it seems to me they need to get a temp fix taken care of and then replaced with a new part.

+1 on havnig them come up with a temp fix while you wait for them to have a new cover made. I just resealed mine which were loose on my 300DA (thanks to the suggestions/support of folks here) and I dont think you want a glued together part either. Not sure if it's the same on the 280, but on the 300 its got a solid curve and also has 2 support legs in the middle of the vent to help ease the pressure of improperly placed bumbers or not-so-graceful water taxi drivers. Unless they do a really good job of stiffening and reinforcing behind the crack repair, Im betting it will likely just crack again, or at least get spider cracks in the new gelcoat covering.

I'm typically not a "go after the deep pokets" kind of guy, but in this case, they need to get you back to where you were pre-taxi. That wasn't with a glued together part... it was a solid, color-matching, vent cover. Not your fault that they are no longer available in the right color or hard to come by.

The only wild-card from my perspective, is how long you can hold out and look at an open vent or band-aid while they get something fabricated for you. It can definitely be hard!

Just my $.02.

-James

 

[old-thirty-three]

Here is a random electronics question . . .

Has anyone had any issues w/their stock Clarion remote. I am talking about the wired remote mounted on the lower left of the dash in the cockpit. My volume control buttons do not work - although every other button works fine. Before I replace the unit - just want to double check there isn't some setting I am missing on the main unit? I know you remove the boat batteries, you have to set the lo-pass filter to get the speakers in the cockpit working, just wondering if there is some other odd-ball config thing I am missing? Or has anyone else had random buttons just stop working on the unit - not sure how common?

Thx in advance for your input.

 

[themikehyde]

There is a port side cover on eBay. I can't remember which side you said was damaged.