Rinker or Searay

I was also on the fence on this topic last year
I was looking at 99 rinker fiesta vee 330 and also a 95 sea ray 330. they were both a bout the same price. As I started to look at each of them, thiere were some things i really like about the rinker, and some thing I really liked about the sea ray. The rinker had a great entertaining layout on top deck, came with camper canvas, and a seperate shower in the cabin , as well as more usable cabin space

the Sea ray, had v drives (inboards) vacuflush toilet vs rinkers electric pump toilet which was broken, storeage every where. and a better build quality on the cabinets, and some of the fit and finish items that u don't notice right away, like ss grab handles all over the boat, as well as storage locker on the transom.

things i did not like about the rinker, bravo 3 drives, a/c unit that was installed in aft cabin wall, with one end the a/c compresser mounted to a 2x6 tilted (so it could drain). I thought this was a rig job by someone till i called rinker and they explained they do this by design ???. also the rear sear was bolted down to the hatch, so you could not set up for fishing well. the batteries were blocking the generater , so to change oil all batteries had to be moved ... lots of little things that annoyed me.

ultimately it was that plus the fear of the bravo iii drive in saltwater, even though they had a mercathode installed. the mercathode is only good till your battery runs out. no easy way to verify it is working.
In the I/o vs inboard debate, I/0 will give you better performance/MPG.
Inboard will give you better saltwater resistance with less under the water line to corrode

Both are fine boats, you will be happy with either one :)
The rinker has a 21 dead rise I am pretty sure so don't really worry too much about that and I agree they include a lot with the boat to start for the price
sea ray just had a bit more of what I was looking for for me. Make your choice on what works for you and your needs
and above all get a survey :)
 
When one buys a Rinker he's getting a well equipped package and it offers one of the best boat values on the market because the buyer does not have to add a lot of additional equipment after the purchase.

That being said, there is a reason the Rinker is cheaper to buy. It has to do with less expensive materials used in the construction. They use lower priced hardware, carpets, vinyls, striping, etc. The Rinkers are built to a price point and they take some short cuts to achieve that price point.

A friend who bought a 340 Rinker a few years ago is happy with the boat but wishes he could have had it with v-drives. He's had some problems with it but his Rinker dealer has been very good about taking care of him.

Being a SR fan and having owned 3 of them, it would be very hard for me to consider anything else. Construction of the boat is a big part of my preference.

When buying a used boat, make sure you buy the RIGHT boat. I've always said that THE WRONG BOAT AT THE BEST PRICE IN THE WORLD IS STILL THE WRONG BOAT.

Don't let your checkbook rule what boat you buy, use your head and your heart.
 
I have a 1988 270 Sundancer with carbs and I/Os. I have twin 4.3L engines 175 horse per. Sure I would like to have fuel injectors but I have a 1988 with a 10foot 3 inch beam.
I will also tell you that when I go out ont he water with some of the guys from our marina who have Carvers (88), Maxium (93 and 95) and others - I am the one that gets told - Wow what a nice looking boat. Can we come aboard. And that was before in got all new canvas (new 2010).
My sability on the water when I am anchored out is great (wide beam). And she loves to run. At 3200 rpms I am running around 27 to 29MPH.
Our plans are to move up to a 40 foot. Not because we don't like our 27ft. We want another Sea Ray just bigger.

Now having said all of that. Whatever you buy has to fit your eye and your wallet. When I bought mine I got lucky. One of my golf buddies knew the guy that was selling the boat. I had looked at a lot of boats. This one was wow!

You need to do the same thing. Then buy Sea Ray!!!!

Good Luck!
 
QUOTE=Creekwood;390840]Sounds to me like you are moving closer and closer to going offshore and you should shop accordingly. I think the deadrise on the Rinker is about 17 or 18 degrees vs Sea Ray at 21 degrees I think. That means less big water seaworthiness. The Rinkers I believe are higher as well (to get more interior space), but in my view they look top heavy. Not sure how that affects the handling. Its possible the 2003 DA is similar height too. I am not sure if the Rinkers only come with stern drives. If you are in salt,the stern drives will cost alot more in maintenance compared to inboard v drives.

The Rinker's look good on paper, but there is a reason why they are so much cheaper. Sea Rays cost more to buy because they cost more to make. But SR's also hold their used value better. I would guess that the total cost of ownership (depreciation included) would be about the same for the 2003 Rinker and a 2003 Sea Ray assuming you kept it 5 years or so and sold it. Try comparison shopping for 1998 Rinkers vs SR DA now and that will give you an idea.

But,if you don't use the boat much and are not venturing beyond the bays on nice days, then a Rinker might work if you get one in good shape and at a good price.[/QUOTE]

> I just put over 3 grand in my drive. From the outer transom plate to the lower unit. It was in salt part of it's life. I bought it knowing it was in salt so that was the chance I took. The boat was still worth the repair costs to me. I would much rather have an inboard though.
Less parts= less cost & maintenance :smt001
 
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Before I bought my 330 I looked seriously at the Rinker 320 and 350. The Rinker had the cost advantage and initially looked like the better buy. However, as I started to examine the detail of the hardware and the electrical and plumbing design I saw that the Sea Ray was much better. Could I live with the Rinker, probably but I know I would be second guessing myself if I did not go with the Sea Ray.
 
Please put the guns & hatches & flamethrowers away. :smt043

He only asked this !!.
Any comments or suggestions would GREATLY be appreciated, as I have not signed the paperwork yet.:huh:
Click to expand...

Brian, Still owns his Sea Ray . :smt001
 
The Rinker has a built-in blender, which is an advantage Sea Ray doesn't offer. Even as an option. That said, if you come up a few bucks and you can buy a 330DA like mine. Short of going to diesel power in a 40ish footer, you won't do better.
 
Very well explaind guys....
A lot of thinking on my part still taking place. This has been my 2nd Searay, the 1st being a 1988 Seville B.R. Great boat! My current boat is a 1987 268SD. Another great boat!
I would like to stick with the SR name and am currently looking at the 330SDs. The difference that I am finding is, the SR (In my price range) is showing a lot of wear and tear. (Maybe I'm looking at a great deal on the Rinker pricing for the year 2003??)
4 example, I am interested in the 1996 330SD. (Because that is where my pricing structure falls). The SR has a beam of 10'5" where as the Rnk has a beam of 11'4". The power in Rnk is twin 5.0MPI with Bravo3. Where as the SR is twin 7.4L MPI (I LIKE THAT).
The SR would have 311 hrs where as the RNK has 99 hrs.
I Just Don't Know :) there are SOOOOO many things to consider.?.?
Well thanks again for all of your input. The paperwork is still unsigned and my search continues.
:thumbsup:Anyone with a 2003 330SD or a 2003 310SD in the price of straight $50k and 99hrs I WILL BUY!!!! but must be in NJ:):wow:
 
if you are in nj area I am sure you can find a 1997-1998 sd 330 for less than 50k
I bought my 1995 for 27k 2 years ago. don't go by the asking price, make an offer, alot of the 330's have been on the market for a couple of seasons with no takers
just my .02 cents
 
a 7 year old boat with less than 100 hours is a questionable boat. Sitting idle isn't good for engines or systems.
 
I'm going to put my flame suit on here:

The guy that docks in front of me has a Rinker 342 Fiesta. I think it's pretty nice and a lot of boat for the money.
It's not exactly the same quality as a Sea Ray, but might be all the boat you need.
I've been thinking of moving up in both years and size and want to stay with Sea Ray, but I have to say that the 342 Fiesta seems to have a lot more creature comforts and space than a comparably sized Sundancer. I especially like the idea of picking up the seperate shower in the 342.
The outdrives are actually more appealing to me. Mine are 23 years old in salt water and still going strong. I wouldn't be afraid of them in salt water.
The water around here is very shallow and I'd rather scrape the bottom with an outdrive than with inboards. The repair bill is much lower.
I still like the fit and finish on the Sea Ray better, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at a Rinker that was priced right.
 
We had a rinker sink in our marina last year the second week it was in the water.seems the seams across the aft where the integrated swim platform is missed the seam sealer guy on the assembly line.The rain was culpret but the wire for the bilge pump were really to blame being crimped with cheap connectors they failed on one pump and the other just couldnt keep up once she got low enough in the water for the swim platrform to submerge.They didnt get a survey and then the insurance cheated them raw and only dried out the motor and changed fluids .The owner had to put the seats in a closet with a dehumidifier for two weeks to dry them out for free.I wouldnt buy one without a very thourough survey and trial run in rough water.
 
I'm going to get the rinker surveyed this Sat or Sun 8/28-29/2010. If everything goes well, adds more fuel to the decision making fire.
One thing that does stand out, and not being well versed in the Rinker, so I can't say for sure, is::huh:
I'm not positive that the unit has one of those mercathode systems.(The unit that uses electric power to reduce galvonic problems.) I posted the ??? on the Rinker site and they said that it does. Power plant for the boat is 5.0mpi bravo3.
Will keep U all informed of any and all progress.:thumbsup:
Brian
 
I have 5 friends that I boat with regularly that have Rinkers (1-300 now renamed the 312 / 3-342's / 1-410). They all range from 4 to 7 years old and none have had any major repairs. There were a few cosmetic issues: 1 342 had some water intrusion in the aluminum arch that burst a hole over one winter and the 410 has some spider cracks in the gelcoat low on the hull. Mechanically speaking, they've all been very sound boats, but they've also been properly maintained.

While I'm not a fan of the cockpit layouts on the 300 and 342's, the cabins are absolutely beautiful. Components are all the same found in most boats built by the major production manufacturers and everything seems well thought out. From a hull design standpoint, they're big, but a little boxy for my tastes. Still, alot of boat for the money and, seemingly, a dependable one at that.

Keep in mind that we boat a fresh water lake, so can't speak to how the boat would hold up to a salt water environment. Note: All of the boats are fuel injected going back to the oldest which is a 2003. The 410 has V-drives... not outdrives. One of the 342's has closed cooling (and the 410 of course).

The 300 (312) has 5.0 mpi's like your looking at. The boat runs well with this setup... I've been on it. If you have any specific questions, I'll gladly e-mail the owner for you.

Searay may be a better boat, but 'better' is often times subjective and relative to other factors... such as cost. Only you can decide that.
 
You need to think about resale value, you might be getting what looks like a good price but what is it going to be worth in 4 or 5 years. If you are looking to spend 50K I would look at some thing like this 34' Formula PC it is high quality and they hold their resale Value. From what I have seen this one is a steal.
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2001-Formula-34-PC-96622121

Look at these NADA prices a 2001 Rinker is worth 1/2 what the same year Sea Ray and Formula is worth. These are base prices with out any options.

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.a...d=1600149964&y=2001&ml=R&z=60118&gc=MR&gtc=MR

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.a...d=1600155845&y=2001&ml=S&z=60118&gc=MR&gtc=MR

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.a...d=1600186661&y=2001&ml=T&z=60118&gc=MR&gtc=MR

Like they say Pay me now or Pay me later. Just a few more things to think about.
 
Just a point: The Rinker you show in those NADA guides is not in the same size class as the Sea Ray or Formula. And if you look at percentage of suggested list to original MSRP, the Rinker actually fairs better than either.
 
The Rinker is a 33' and the Sea Ray and Formula are 34' so what is the difference? Yes the Rinker kept most of it's base retail on the NADA pricing so then the other two would be an even better deal. Real world on the Boat Trader most are still close to or over a 100k + better quality. But to each their own I have a fondness for the Formula's.

impactg said:
Just a point: The Rinker you show in those NADA guides is not in the same size class as the Sea Ray or Formula. And if you look at percentage of suggested list to original MSRP, the Rinker actually fairs better than either.
Click to expand...
 
brian kowalski said:
I'm going to get the rinker surveyed this Sat or Sun 8/28-29/2010. If everything goes well, adds more fuel to the decision making fire.
One thing that does stand out, and not being well versed in the Rinker, so I can't say for sure, is::huh:
I'm not positive that the unit has one of those mercathode systems.(The unit that uses electric power to reduce galvonic problems.) I posted the ??? on the Rinker site and they said that it does. Power plant for the boat is 5.0mpi bravo3.
Will keep U all informed of any and all progress.:thumbsup:
Brian
Click to expand...

Good luck with the boat.
 
fc3 wrote: "The Rinker has a built-in blender, which is an advantage Sea Ray doesn't offer."

Funny. I was waiting for Frank to mention the blender.
 
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