Sea ray 330/340 amberjack

killerbe20

New Member
Dec 13, 2009
9
Racine, Wisconsin
Boat Info
2000 272 fisherman
Engines
350 Mercruiser Mag MPI
i already posted a similar post in the general section, but thought this was a more fitting section.

I have decided the 1997-2004 330/340 Amberjack (Express Cruiser) is the new boat for me. I have done extensive research in to the technical specs, professional reviews, boat values, etc. I know very little about the boat as far as performance, sea worthiness, and general owner satisfaction.

I am looking for an input i can get from owners of these boats or people with experience with them. Anything i should be looking for or stay away from, i.e: certain years, options, engines (i'm sticking with gas), etc.
 
I have the 290 AJ version, which is a different animal entirely. But, what I like about the AJs over the Sundancers is the the roomier cockpit and the mechanical layout. You carry a lot more gas then a comparable Sundancer and the boat seems "heartier" somehow. Depending on the year you buy though, they can be a little more utilitarian and not as plush as a Dancer. They are also a heavier and wider boat then the same size Sundancer.

Not sure if this helps at all. Just wanted to give you a few pro-AJ remarks about them.
 
Captain,

In the order as you posed them.

I cannot really comment on performance as mine is a diesel boat.

Regarding the sea worthiness of the boat, I will tell you that I have been absolutely happy with this aspect. In my opinion the hull rides quite "wet", but I have never lost confidence in her ability to get through the sloppy stuff. As a family with young ones aboard, this was most important to me.

As far as general owner satisfaction goes, I have had NO regrets with this boat. The systems are well thought out and laid out and the quality of the installation is such that I have had no real issues at ALL with her. Just the typical maintenance items.

Do a search here on the word "amberjack" and you will find additional information on the boat you are looking at (although only a thread or 2).

One quirk that I have noticed, along with others here, has to do with the height of the windshield. The top of the frame does interfere with ones line if sight if you are just the right height. Because the boat does ride wet, removing the eisenglass to see above the windshield is only an option on the nicest of days unless you like getting a face full of water (not good for the electronics either). My solution was to replace the canvas and to use strataglass so you could clearly see through it day and night and basically leave it on at all times.

A second quirk has to do with the louvered looking "vents" on the sides of the arch. They do tend to hold water after washing the boat or after a rain shower. There is a small drain line that drains into front of the lower cockpit just to the stern of the step down from the upper part of the cockpit. In other words they drain into the inside of the cockpit instead of to the exterior of the boat. You need to make sure that these lines stay clear so they can do their job. Also pay attention to the fiberglass around the base of these louvers as even with the drain lines clear, water does tend to lay trapped in this area. Make sure the surveyor takes moisture reading around them. I am NOT saying that this is any kind of recurring problem. In fact my boat tested bone dry all around the vents. It just seemed odd to me and is an area that I keep as dry as possible so as not to have any issues down the road.

If you have more specific questions, I would be happy to try to respond to them. Hope this helps and good luck.
 
I bought a 97 330EC this past August and couldn't be happier. The wide beam is great and is real comfortable when you have guests onboard. It has the feel of a boat much larger in size.

As for preformance, I cruise at 20-22 knots and max out at 34 knots. Fuel consumtion at cruising speed is about 30GPH and at max lets just say it's a lot. This boat can handle all kinds of conditions and ran really well in some rough seas on one trip.

I think it's the perfect boat, after owning one I'm surprised they were not more popular.
 
Thank you all for the responses!

Not seeing many of them and not knowing anyone who owns one makes getting owner in site difficult. I am also surprised they are not more popular boats.

jruhh - does your 330 have the mercruiser 454's or the horizon models? i believe the hp varies by about 70hp between the two.

thanks again!
 
My boat has the 340HP 454's, these are a slight upgrade from the base model 310HP. I'm not sure of the differance but these engines have fuel injection and electronic ignition.

I guess they weren't as popular as the sundancer because they were more expensive but the extra 2 feet in beam makes a big differance when you have a crowd on board.
 
I sea trialed the 330 and had two observations about the boat. I'm 6'4" tall and sitting down at the helm I was looking at the top of the windshield frame. So I had to duck my head down or stand up and look through eisenglass. The boat had 454 310 HP and seemed underpowered. It was slow to get up on plan and unresponsive compared to my 370 express. This could have been a propping problem. The windshield was a deal killer for me. The other would have been too unless there was a reason for it that could have been easily fixed.
 
thanks for all the input guys! Great to have a site such as this to come with questions and get legitimate answers.

I am surprised to hear the boat is a "wet" boat, but then my current boat is not what i would consider a dry ride either. The hull looks like it has a nice high freeboard, but i guess there isn't much of a "carolina" type flair to it.

I have been leery about the 330's I have found with the 310hp engines. I feel my current boat is underpowered and I really don't want to make that mistake again. It seems all the owners on this site have the upgraded engines or the Cats. I would love the Cats but they are few and far between, plus i am trying to find one on the lower price end that may need a little "love." At least looking for what i believe is the best deal.

thanks again guys!
 
I recently purchased a 2000 model in florida. a few minor neglect issues but seems like a nice boat. I moved to this layout from a flybridge sport fish to get a more family friendly layout. Mine has the 380hp horizons. it sea trialed just fine but did not perform as well as I liked but the survey showed bad cutless bearings and a bent prop(slight). props have been re-done and cutless bearings replaced. I wil let you know how it does when I get it in the water. I have the bench seat from the cockpit that I will not need and do not want. Anyone interested in the factory cockpit seat? it is a bit faded but in o.k. condition. I am not sure what it might be worth.
 

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