So if I did not buy a Sea Ray I would buy...

Well, he has actually done more that that...I am impressed and think I found my next broker.
 
We saw real improvement in Cruiser Yachts with new models at the AC boat show. If previouse years they were lacking some items here and there, but the new models are very nice. BTW, we were looking in range 35'-40'+
 
Alex F said:
We saw real improvement in Cruiser Yachts with new models at the AC boat show. If previouse years they were lacking some items here and there, but the new models are very nice. BTW, we were looking in range 35'-40'+
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Just don't buy from D&R Boats. Trust me on that.

Best regards,
Frank
 
i got my CL there. no problems.
 
Todd,
Beautiful boat-identical to my 02 260DA with navy blue canvas.
The boat that started the Sea Ray disease.

Skip
 
We love what a Cruisers offers for the money. We have looked at a few 40+ ones. They just feel thin to us.

Good friends of ours own one and in our opinion the quality is about 1/2 of that of a Sea Ray. Theirs is 5 years newer, seats have turned yellow, lots of surface rust, after 3-4 hours on the hook they have to run their genny to charge up their 1 house battery, hull does not shine near as nice as ours even after a waxing.....Same size as ours and it rides a bit bouncier/rougher than ours. I am not attacking Cruiiers or Cruiser owners, just an opinion.
 
rondds said:
i got my CL there. no problems.
Click to expand...

I have at least half dozen negative references for them. Either customers or former customers. Many years ago, D&R was a Sea Ray dealership. Sea Ray pulled the franchise from them and Clark's Landing got it. Not a lot of reasons for Sea Ray to pull a franchise. One is lousy sales and the other is lousy customer service. Clark's setup a shop right down the road from D&R and did pretty well, so it can't be location, environment, area, or economy causing poor sales. Must have been the people.

Another alternative to a Sea Ray would be if I didn't buy a boat, then my wife's "You can have a boat or a plane, but not both," would allow me to get either a new Cessna 400 (Cessna bought Columbia) or a used 337 with the super rocket upgrades.


Best regards,
Frank
 
This is really a question of personal taste.

I'd keep my 270SD since I can handle it by myself easily and it is a reliable honest old friend.

I would probably get a get a True North 47 hardtop, GB 55SX or a San Juan 48. The Talaria 44 is interesting, too. But the SJ48 is truly an object of desire. Beauty, brawn and capability.

My 270SD with 425HP has spoiled me into needing speed. Sustained cruise at 40mph opens up alot of possibilities. But I truly love the fast down east style boats so I would be willing to slow a little for one of those.

Larger than 48 or 50, I'd just charter. That is not the kind of boating I love, that is luxuriating in exotic locations on board a floating condo.
 
So far, all my research has brought me back to Sea Ray and hopefully I'll get one for next season, but if I was to get something else, I'd buy a Meridian.
 
We are looking into the Tiara 39 Open. It's a large version of the wide body 37 Sea Ray Express which is our favorite Sea Ray. The 39 has the same layout as all of the boats we've been buying over the years, and with lots more space. It is scheduled for production some time next year.
 
sbw1 said:
We are looking into the Tiara 39 Open. It's a large version of the wide body 37 Sea Ray Express which is our favorite Sea Ray. The 39 has the same layout as all of the boats we've been buying over the years, and with lots more space. It is scheduled for production some time next year.
Click to expand...

The 3900 is a very nice boat, and perfectly suited to the boating we have here in West Michigan and the Big Lake.
 
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I have at least half dozen negative references for them
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negative: they offered to fill it up with gas on land as they trailed it down from greenbrook to normandy beach. they forgot.

positive: the first written price quote i got was from a dealer up in PA. that dealer accidentally listed the price for the cockpit cover (an option i wanted) as $200. i was stunned but they quickly pointed out that it should have been $800. they also said they'd stand by it. thinking it'd be a better idea to buy the boat locally, i took the quote to D&R, where they directed my attention to the error. i stated that i didnt expect them to match that price but they did, no questions asked. they matched the other guys quote (which was obscenely low right after 9/11/01) AND they threw in the 2 additional years of warranty (Q-Gard).

positive: they painted the bottom for me, didnt carry the water line hi up enough. i called, they came, pulled the boat on their trailer, repainted correctly and put the boat back in the slip. i didnt even know they were there.

positive: there was a small nickle sized chip in the foredeck no-skid. i called, they came down, did the repair nicely and i didnt even know the were there.

positive: when i went to sell the boat, i couldnt find any of the paperwork on that two year warranty. i called merc, they had no record. i called D&R and they pushed the paperwork through and apologized for the oversight. my fault for not catching that at closing but good job by them making the correction.

maybe i just got lucky, but it wasnt a big sale for them and yet, given several opportunities to ignore the guy buying the little crownline, they did NOT.
 
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A Grand Banks or a Meridian in the 50 foot range would be my dream boats. Now for a boat that I can afford and like is a 320 Bayliner with diesel options and all the goodies. It comes in around $160,000.00 and seems to have good value for the money. Now don't jump on me to hard for picking a Bayliner, I have had a 1989 2755 for 4 years and it has been a great boat but not near as nice as my 300DA.

Ken
 
Is Meridian really that bad?
 
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