Searay 36 sedan bridge vs Meridian 341

royal flush

Member
Oct 2, 2008
84
Oregon-Columbia River
Boat Info
2008 36 sedan bridge
Engines
Cummins diesel
I have been looking at a 2008 newSearay 36 sedan bidge and also a 2008 new Meridian 341 ( comparable boats in size/amenities except the Searay is gas and the meridian is diesel) - the price point for the Meridian is alot lower. Has anyone had experience with Meridian and can offer quality comparisons to Searay or comments in general? I know that Meridian is moving their yacht production to Knoxville from Washington and this might be a good time to pick up a good boat at a great price..
 
In my opinion Meridian wins hands down with the diesels. If you want to save money look at used boats in this range, there are plenty of deals out there.

mark
 
Obviously there's a reason that there's such a large price difference in the boats. They're both made by Brunswick. Meridian is the new "name" they gave to Bayliner to try to get away from "that" stereotype.

I don't know the details of the hull construction/layup schedule or details about fit and finish but I'm confident that's where the $$ difference lies. After looking carefully at both boats you find the fit and finish to be of the same caliber?
 
I looked at both boats a year ago at the Tulsa boat show...on the 07's....I don't thinks diesels were an option on the Mereridan 341. My overall feelings at the time, with both boats side by side, was the Sea Ray seemed to have a better fit and finish...especially on the interior.
 
Two identical Sea Ray's side by side one gas one diesel and the diesel is always far more expesnive. Right? So a gas SR and a diesel Meridian where the Meridian is cheaper really makes me wonder about where the costs were saved?
 
A big reason for the price difference is "Branding" I believe the SR name allows a higher sales price verses the Meridian. For example, the new 43 Dancer lists for about $950K. Do you really think it costs anywhere near $950K to manufacturer this boat!! You can almost have a new 45' Viking Convertable for that amount!

Meridian makes a nice boat, they just can't charge for it! SR thinks they can charge $950K for the 43 dancer. It is a nice boat but I believe they will have a rude awakening when it comes to sales.
 
Last edited:
I can only speak to Searay and not meridian..when one talks about differences, it can be taken as bad mouthing...both manufactuers are good, there are differences, but Searay (and my dealer) have been good for me for 20 years and 5 boats....the 43 is around 700K, not 900K plus....
 
I don't have a dog in this fight, but any time you look at budget priced or second tier boats, always go look at the oldest one you can find and compare it to the Sea Ray of the same vintage. The difference will be obvious.

To sell boats cheap you have to leave stuff out, use less expensive components and manufacturing methods or provide fewer services to the customer, etc. The company is owned by Brunswick so the same corporate culture exists here as at Sea Ray.......i.e. the top guys are measured by profit, so don't fool yourself into thinking that they charge less for Meridians just because they like their customers.
 
I don't have a dog in this fight, but any time you look at budget priced or second tier boats, always go look at the oldest one you can find and compare it to the Sea Ray of the same vintage. The difference will be obvious.

To sell boats cheap you have to leave stuff out, use less expensive components and manufacturing methods or provide fewer services to the customer, etc. The company is owned by Brunswick so the same corporate culture exists here as at Sea Ray.......i.e. the top guys are measured by profit, so don't fool yourself into thinking that they charge less for Meridians just because they like their customers.

What Frank's trying to say is SeaRay has to pay for Aquapalooza. Meridian doesn't have Aquapalooza......kidding.

Keep in mind Meridian just lost a ton of Dealers on the West Coast with Olympic Boat Center closing it's doors, so it may be that many models are discounted all over.

Other than that, what has been brought up above is true.
Bayliner's "Motoryacht" line was converted to the Meridian Brand. In that transistion however, many features that previously weren't on Bayliner's were implemented. That being said, I have a local friend with a 381 Meridian. It's a very nice boat, but I didn't pick it apart with a fine tooth comb. I also was able to step aboard Mad Dog's 480DB and that is a nice boat. The fit and finish that I expect to see on a SeaRay is evident all over.

I agree with Frank in that SeaRay has proven to provide a very solidly built and supported product. Yes that "brand" name and recognition will also transfer to the day you sell it.

Specifically, I would try to opt for a SeaRay with Diesels if you can.....but it ain't my money
 
Unless this is your "last" boat and don't plan on selling it within the next ten years, then resale may be a consideration. Do a quick search on the used boat market. As I suspected, resale values are real low compared to similar boats of most other brands, especially Sea Rays. I also agree with Frank who suggests looking at older Meridians and talking to their owners. Most models look great (boat models that is - not the two leg variety) at the show.

My personal choice would always be a better brand used boat than a "less expensive" new one.
 
Our dealer had a show in September and he carries both Sea Rays and Meridians. We saw most every model that they built under 50 feet. The Meridians seemed to win hands down in the overall value but there were very apparent differences in the components plus in the fit and finish.

A big negative factor in my mind, on the two Meridians that we boarded (I don't remember the models), were the aft sight lines. The two vessels would be very difficult to stern into a slip because you couldn't see either aft corner from the helm. The helm was set way forward but some people might prefer that. I really liked the view from the S.R. Sedan Bridges. If you bow into your slip or if the boat is a dock queen then either of the Meridians would be fine. Take a critical look from the helm and better yet, back one into a slip on a windy day.
 
For what it is worth, here is what we found as we shopped both boats before we bought our 36DB (shopped the last purchase for over two years). I am going to stick to the Meridian vs the Sea Ray not knowing what your money difference is and what the other factors are in your purchase.

We were looking at the 341 vs the 36 forever (we almost bought a 341 at a LOW price - but when it came time to sign the contract it was the wrong number on the contract - Sales guy made a legitimate mistake and put the allowance for our old 320 as the money difference - we walked).

I think there has been something missing on the materials and fit and finish on every 341 we looked at...even new boats. Stuff was not put together right, screws were stripped, wood was chipped, things were just rough on every single one we looked at. You do pay less - but you also get what you pay for. Older 341s that we looked at also did not hold up or look as solid as any Sea Ray product. I found that the 341 with gas was WAY UNDERPOWERED, also they did offer a 250HP Diesel option which I think is underpowered for the boat (again - don't know which diesel option you are looking at). We did not like the lack of a dinning room table to eat meals together. The galley was short on storage. We did like the bridge door to close off the bridge while underway. We did like the bridge layout and space available. We felt the cockpit was a bit small - the SR 36DB has a smaller cockpit than the Carver 34SS we were looking at but the Meridian has a SMALL cockpit.

We love our 36DB, we use it a ton. The fit and finish is typical Sport Yacht material when it comes to Sea Ray. The layout is perfect for us (family of three), you get a lot more room in the 36 salon/master stateroom/head/cockpit than the 341. The bridge layout is tighter than the 341 (Meridian wins here). The power is more than enough whether you buy the 8.1 gas or the 380 QSB option (power options that are offered in the Meridian 391 - a much bigger boat than the SR 36B). The hardtop is nice -wish it were a full hard-top with no canvas in the back. The Meridian has vents for a/c on the bridge but I am not sure how much they really work. I wish the Sea Ray had a bridge AC option...I for the life of me cannot figure out where I could squeeze a unit though. Oh - Meridian has a bridge ref for cold beers - Sea Ray does not - but I have found that the galley ref and the ice maker are adequate enough on the Sea Ray.

Again, here is another personal preference - For our money Sea Ray builds a high quality product, the issues we have had are resolved STAT by our dealer/Sea Ray, we like the people we have met that make up the companies that we buy our boats from (Sea Ray Corporate/Marine Max in Baltimore/Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh for our 320).

PM if you want any more info...
 
sorry if slightly off topic....I spoke with the Lake Union (Seattle) Sea Ray Dealer, they have just purchased most of Northwest Olympic Boat Centers and they will be selling the Meridian line.
 
sorry if slightly off topic....I spoke with the Lake Union (Seattle) Sea Ray Dealer, they have just purchased most of Northwest Olympic Boat Centers and they will be selling the Meridian line.

They actually have all of Olympic Boat Center's inventory, Bayliners, Maxums and Meridians. They are moving it all to a giant warehouse for a liquidation sale. They will only retain the Meridian's on their sales listings
 
It was hit by lightning at some point and they replaced the nav electronics and the central systems panel. The boat is fine. I see it every weekend and see it going out for a run every once in a while. Once the componnets were replaced, tehre was nothing wrong with the boat so I would not call it "fried". Lightning strike is very conceiveable for any vessel on the water.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,950
Messages
1,422,861
Members
60,932
Latest member
juliediane
Back
Top