Sea Ray build quality -- is newer better?

Each was a new boat. 1979 26' weekender. Good looking in its day. Bones were not good although we put lots of hours on it. Not all of the stringers were tabbed to the hull. Nothing broke but pretty shoody build. 1986 30' weekender. Maybe the best looking build quality. Everything was glassed together, but we still had loose screws that pulled out of the mounts that secured lockers, seats and what not. Next owner redid stringers which rotted after 8 years. 1993 37 express. Most frustrating to own. Leaks, doors came off as screws separated from their mounts, TV would not stay in its place when running. We picked up newly discovered screws after cruising. Not a good Lake Michigan boat and the last straw for us. 2004Tiara. In it's 6th year of cruising. Still looks brand new and is structurally rock solid. Nothing breaks, most comfortable boat we've owned and far an away the best in rough water. We also had a '67 30' Chris Craft that was essentially junk. A 1973 23' Formula that was very nice with twin volvo penta drives, and a 1984 13' Boston Whaler for the kids. I enjoyed that boat as well. It was very well built and nothing broke on it after years of hard use.
 
On average the older boats were neither thicker nor heavier than the newer ones. My '02 is a far better built boat than my '83.

Don't get me wrong... I love '80's Sea Ray's and would own another.

Some examples: '83 very rough/inconsistent fiberglass work especially evident in the bilge and under the gas tank. Only exterior glass is gel coated, the rest like the bilge and storage compartments are painted. Significant use of a chop gun where hand laid cloth should have been used. Tons of hardware installed in cored areas with only silicone (often poorly applied) to stave off water intrusion. 1.5 inch wood screws used to attach almost everything. Very little is through-bolted. Lots of print-through on gelcoated surfaces.

My '02 has beautiful fiberglass work that is finished with gel coat on all surfaces. No chop gun. The coring is backed away around rail fittings/cleats, etc. Very little goes through the core. Extensive use of through bolting. Oh and far,far better rigging and wiring on the '02.

Again, I would own another '80's or '90's Sea Ray. They are great boats. But the build quality definitely improved, at least as far as the early 2000's. I am not as familiar with the last several model years, so I don't know which way it is currently trending.
 
sfergson727 said:
I have to apologize, but that strikes me as funny. Practically break ice? Maybe true, but very subjective. Sure, an ice cube maybe. I'm quite certain that my boat could practically break ice here on Lake Michigan too, as it would make a slight depression before the hull shattered and the boat sank like a ton of bricks. (hhhmmmm, may be on to something here, but I need to have my insurance season extended a bit......)

But back on what I find funny, all boat salesman/factory workers/CEO's etc. have one thing in common with politicians. You can tell when they are lying, whenever their lips are moving.
Click to expand...

Figuratively speaking. This guy told me that the 80s hulls were not mil spec like the newer one??

Grant you I have had my issues like Keokie has stated. I totally agree with the chop saw concept and screws on EVERYTHING!

I think he was making the point that the hulls were just mad differently with very little if any computer stuff. Now everything is by computer. Of course i don't understand all of it as I am not a boat maker.....


BTW I have gone through thin ice when the fresh water from rivers freezes on top of the salt water. An un-easy sound at night, along with the popping and thunder of glaciers at night!!:wow:
 
hack4alivin said:
I think you might be confusing quality with technology. I cannot speak on the quality of the older boats, but what I can say is we bought a Sea Ray mainly because of the reputation behind them. Reputation is something that is build, and given over time, so by that right I would say the quality of the “older” Sea Rays must have been good.

Now when the technology comes into the picture of course the newer boats have the advances in technology that may make you feel you have better quality. With the newer engines being monitored with all the latest sensors and computer modules you would think the quality is better? That’s not quality, it is just technology.
Click to expand...

Excellent point, Bill. I agree that most of the improvements made over the years are probably due to technological advancement.

I still think it's kind of interesting to discuss whether craftsmanship and actual OR perceived quality has improved or declined over the years.
 
EricW said:
I'm only referring to quality of overall construction. Things like gelcoat resin, bow rails, hinges, cleats, wiring, and some design features are certainly better each year, right?

But, maybe some of the older hulls had a better built structure?

An example of a design feature -- 93 and older DA models have the big tinted triangle side windows that have a reputation for leaking and making the foredeck flex. In 94, they went to portholes in the deck instead. Result --stronger foredeck and less leaking.

Remember, I'm not talking about styling and layouts.
Click to expand...

In the 80s and early 90s, raw materials and labor were cheaper and you could lay down a lot of glass versus having to use (relatively) exotic coring to make a structure which was "as strong" at a lower cost. There's NOTHING "wrong" with cored structures, they are just as strong as plain FRP except for puncture resistance. (They're also quieter and lighter, for some pros!)

There's not a lot of changes in the boating industry. The portlights on my 89 are still used to this day. The power inlet is still made by Marinco and sold everywhere. Hinges and cleats are mostly "standard" designs which have been around forever. Gelcoat/resin have not changed much, and there are old boats from the 80s which will shine up better than a brand new 45'.

Better built is also relative. The older boats were heavier in construction, but this also means less fuel economy, more noise/vibrations, etc. There were improvements to some issues, and new issues were created.

I think it's a horse a piece and you'll find a lot of different answers. Personally, I like the look of a new boat more and I know how much money you can stick into an old one to get it where you want it, so I'll be buying 2003+ on my next boat.
 
The listed dry weights of Sea Rays have steadily increased over the years. Why?

Were the older numbers just underestimated? Do newer boats have heavier interiors with more amenities? Or, do the newer boats have heavier built hulls & decks?

A 2009 330DA has a listed weight of 15,400 lbs. A 1987 340DA has a listed weight of only 10,500 lbs. The old 340 is even a bigger boat! Almost 5000 lbs difference?

I'm thinking some of this weight difference has to be due to more hull/deck materials on the newer boats.
 
EricW said:
The listed dry weights of Sea Rays have steadily increased over the years. Why?

Were the older numbers just underestimated? Do newer boats have heavier interiors with more amenities? Or, do the newer boats have heavier built hulls & decks?

A 2009 330DA has a listed weight of 15,400 lbs. A 1987 340DA has a listed weight of only 10,500 lbs. The old 340 is even a bigger boat! Almost 5000 lbs difference?

I'm thinking some of this weight difference has to be due to more hull/deck materials on the newer boats.
Click to expand...

I often wonder about the published weights of boats. My 300da is listed as 9500 dry. I know the wet weight is 13,500, that's what it shows on the lift and on the road weight scales. I do have a generator but that is less than 300 lbs.
I don't like the reverse radar arch, not on any model they make the boat look ugly.

Ken
 
SORRY>>REALLY FRUSTRATED..Bought my srv180 from my English teacher1975 !LOL..Cant help wonderering why the bulls-it on new models length /size while rebadging older models to be longer/bigger and IMHOpretty ugly..and cheaper and MUCH MOREC$ ...only owned sea ray;s since 1975....so dont .shoot the messenger..goin 2 my English teachers wake.funeral @ low tide .gotta go..PAX
 
I have been in the large equipment manufacturing field for almost 15 years. I have worked as a Design Engineer, a Quality Engineer and a Manufacturing Engineer. I believe over the years the competition for almost any manufactured product has gotten tougher and tougher.

Just to stay in business, or even competitive, some corners do get cut....

You have to remember, whatever you are buying it was built by parts from the lowest bidder....
 
jollymonsrv said:
SORRY>>REALLY FRUSTRATED..Bought my srv180 from my English teacher1975 !LOL..Cant help wonderering why the bulls-it on new models length /size while rebadging older models to be longer/bigger and IMHOpretty ugly..and cheaper and MUCH MOREC$ ...only owned sea ray;s since 1975....so dont .shoot the messenger..goin 2 my English teachers wake.funeral @ low tide .gotta go..PAX
Click to expand...


Scott…… translation request. Is this texting dialect?
 
I think the Gov maybe looking for the wrong type of translators, never mind Ebonics, I think they need TXT translators.

My wife was trying to make plans with her sister over the weekend, she finally had to call her because she couldn’t understand any of her msg.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,172
Messages
1,427,842
Members
61,085
Latest member
Martin ruther
Back
Top