Right size for family of 5?

We had a 320 for 9 years with 4 kids. Ages 8,6,3,3 when we bought it. 2 in the midberth, 1 on sofa, 1 on floor. 17,15,12,12 when we traded up. They just got too big. And the 2 older were now teenaged girls with teenaged girls need for mirrors, make up and hairspray. Of course, in 2 years the twins have already outgrown the starboard bunks in our 500. Good thing I'm still the tallest or wife and I may be ousted from the master cabin :)
 
Golfman25 said:
The reality is with 2 adults and 3 kids any boat will be "small." You need to find the best fit for your circumstances -- budget, operating costs, size, condition, etc. If you're not comfortable with a larger boat, start with the 290 with plans to move up after you learn what you need to learn. Just make sure you buy it right, so you can sell it without a lot of pain. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Great advice! Thanks.
 
Regarding the walkthru windshield... it's sort of a requirement on a smaller boat since having a decent sized walk around would take too much space away from the interior. My personal preference, though, would be to having a walk around since you don't have to keep messing with the center camper top section. It's not "horrible" to put it up and down by any means... but it's certainly easier to just walk around!
 
spikedaddy99 said:
We had a 320 for 9 years with 4 kids. Ages 8,6,3,3 when we bought it. 2 in the midberth, 1 on sofa, 1 on floor. 17,15,12,12 when we traded up. They just got too big. And the 2 older were now teenaged girls with teenaged girls need for mirrors, make up and hairspray. Of course, in 2 years the twins have already outgrown the starboard bunks in our 500. Good thing I'm still the tallest or wife and I may be ousted from the master cabin :)
Click to expand...
I’m sure there are some great memories in those 9 years :) Thanks for the reply!
 
Emshultz said:
Hi all! We are currently shopping boats. We just fell in love with a 290 Sundancer and are considering an offer. We are a family of 5. We are also newbies. We love the size and layout of the boat but are worried it will feel small fast since we plan to weekend on it and the 3 kids would be sharing the mid berth.

Looking for opinions from anyone who boats with the family and weighing the actual sleeping spots vs. the rest of the boat layout.

Thanks! Hoping to join you all soon here :)
Click to expand...
A convertible dinette works wonders. Raised 2 kids each with a friend = 2 adults 4 kids every weekend on 268. But if you just have a v-bunk and aft cabin, it may not work. Although Dad could sleep on inflatable raft in the cockpit.
 
Pirate Lady said:
So would a a 120’ yacht. But most with 3 kids can’t afford it.
Click to expand...
A 340 might be in our budget. But price is certainly still a factor and makes a smaller boat more appealing in that regard. We don’t want to be cramped. But want some financial wiggle room for our adventures. Weighing everything at this point :)
 
Lazy Daze said:
Regarding the walkthru windshield... it's sort of a requirement on a smaller boat since having a decent sized walk around would take too much space away from the interior. My personal preference, though, would be to having a walk around since you don't have to keep messing with the center camper top section. It's not "horrible" to put it up and down by any means... but it's certainly easier to just walk around!
Click to expand...
GMTA! Wife and I refuse have any boat with no gunwale and have walk thru windshield. What do you do when it’s pouring rain and you gotta go forward to handle anchor and lines? Take the top off?
 
Pirate Lady said:
A convertible dinette works wonders. Raised 2 kids each with a friend = 2 adults 4 kids every weekend on 268. But if you just have a v-bunk and aft cabin, it may not work. Although Dad could sleep on inflatable raft in the cockpit.
Click to expand...
Definitely thought about cockpit sleeping when possible!
 
Emshultz... look into the '01-'08 280DA's. They ONLY came with a dinnette, as opposed to it being an option in that era 290DA. It's a different cockpit layout, though... but they were in the Sea Ray lineup for as long as they were because they were (are) great boats and very popular. If you're looking to "get your feet wet" for a couple years, this might be a good option.
 
Emshultz said:
Wow! Thanks for all the replies already. Our kids are 3, 7, and 14. The 290 doesn’t have a dinette that converts like many of the bigger boats do. The mid berth fits all 3 lying down... for now. But it’s not what I would call roomy! Although we do plan to weekend only occasionally (6 or so times a year), I’m already wondering if it will feel tight right away.
I do agree that only we will know what that comfort level is. But the insight here is helpful nonetheless!
We had been looking at 320s and 340s but when this 290 popped up we decided to look and just enjoyed the layout. Especially the walkthrough windshield that doesn’t seem to be available on the 320s and 340s.
As a follow up... are we the only ones that hold the walkthrough windshield in such high esteem? It seems like that easy access to the bow (especially with littles) would open up the outside of the boat so much.
Thanks again!!!!
Click to expand...

A 290 will likely feel pretty tight with those ages. One thing that will make the boat feel bigger: a dinghy. We have a RIB and our kids (11 and 14) regularly take it out on exploring / adventure trips. My son has had his boater's license since he was 10. Having him be able to take the dinghy out with his sister has been a great way to get a little "breathing room". To keep tabs, I got a DSC enabled handheld VHF and set it to automatically send it's location when pinged. I can do a position request from the main VHF and get their position on my GPS. Gives my Admiral a lot of comfort, and the

On the walk-through, yes it can be nice and I see where it's attractive for younger ones. But it's not the make or break to me if the boat has decent side decks. I think they became a feature by preserving a way to get to the bow while having tiny or non-existent side decks to maximize internal space. One disadvantage is the cabin door doubles as a step so if the door is open people on the bow are kinda trapped there. My last and current boats have REALLY wide side decks and I don't miss the walk through windshield.

My wide side decks:
upload_2021-1-28_17-15-14.png


The only problem is now I get this guy hanging out by my window. It's his new favorite place.
upload_2021-1-28_17-17-12.png
 
Pirate Lady said:
GMTA! Wife and I refuse have any boat with no gunwale and have walk thru windshield. What do you do when it’s pouring rain and you gotta go forward to handle anchor and lines? Take the top off?
Click to expand...
With the newer boats, it's not all that bad since it's just a 2'x2' piece of clear vinyl as opposed to what you probably have (where you have the shorter top that the canvas buttons right to the windshield)... but it does still let in some of the wet stuff onto the dash!
 
Lazy Daze said:
With the newer boats, it's not all that bad since it's just a 2'x2' piece of clear vinyl as opposed to what you probably have (where you have the shorter top that the canvas buttons right to the windshield)... but it does still let in some of the wet stuff onto the dash!
Click to expand...
Exactly. I could release the snaps from the center window duck under the window. Although having plastic windows isn't great for boating out in rain - make it hard to see.
 
Last edited:
Some other suggestions. Camper back canvas makes a HUGE difference in the cockpit usability. Adding camper canvas to our 270 AJ massively increased the space for overnighting and using the boat in inclement weather. With the standard fastback canvas the aft bench was unusable.

A couple pics:
upload_2021-1-28_17-37-27.png

upload_2021-1-28_17-37-57.png


upload_2021-1-28_17-42-47.png


upload_2021-1-28_17-41-40.png


Front windows with customized zips and snaps.
upload_2021-1-28_17-39-9.png


Our cockpit sleeping arrangement. A double size air mattress. Kids were below.
upload_2021-1-28_17-40-18.png
 
First-year owner of a 2006 290DA here with little kids (6 and 9). I can confidently tell you that the mid-berth will fit 3 people. I lay between them and read books...however, it's tight. 2 is perfect and they love their little "nook" but 3 might be a crowd. The sofa does NOT convert to a sleeping area and a camper canvas, which we have, is awesome but you wont be able to fit an air mattress like shown above. I think you need to look at a larger boat if you really plan to do a lot of overnights. We spent 50+ nights on the boat last season and loved every minute of it! I cant really imagine where we would put a third child though.

Matt
 
Uh-oh... now there's going to be a debate on "Smilies or Frownies"... thanks, Brad! ;)

However, I have the same size mattress that I keep aboard our Grady. It only sleeps two down below, and I don't have full "camper" canvas (no rear bimini). But, the cockpit is big enough that I have a 2-man tent where the double air mattress fits right in!
 
52E757FD-9930-4BA0-A1C8-D83A7A9C7499.jpeg
b_arrington said:
Some other suggestions. Camper back canvas makes a HUGE difference in the cockpit usability. Adding camper canvas to our 270 AJ massively increased the space for overnighting and using the boat in inclement weather. With the standard fastback canvas the aft bench was unusable.

A couple pics:
View attachment 98548
View attachment 98549

View attachment 98553

View attachment 98552

Front windows with customized zips and snaps.
View attachment 98550

Our cockpit sleeping arrangement. A double size air mattress. Kids were below.
View attachment 98551
Click to expand...
OMFG! YA! We got Pirate Lady in May. Found all this camper canvas and isinglass in v bunk, brand new never used! Love it so much, wife won’t let me take it down. Wife is English, sensitive to hot sun. Mid summer, ya it’s up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,218
Messages
1,428,825
Members
61,115
Latest member
Gardnersf
Back
Top