Sweet spot in used Sundancer 280 age?

[mobocracy]

We got into boating last year and bought a 19' Yamaha jet bowrider as an intro boat. It's been a good boat for day outings and other than not buying your second boat first I don't really have any regrets. Of course after a year on the water we (two adults, one child) want to upgrade to something we can overnight in and have a little more flexibility with. We find ourselves more interested in slow cruising, anchoring, swimming and less interested in sports (tubing, skiing, etc).

Buying used seems like a good idea -- casual browsing of something like Boat Trader seems to turn up a lot of low hours Sea Rays. The 280s seem like about the right size for us. Obviously more size has a lot of appeal (more space, twin engine maneuverability, etc), but twin engines mean double the maintenance and fuel, higher marina rents, etc. We're also on an inland lake that's relatively large (14,000+ acres) but boats beyond 32' seem a bit of overkill to me on a lake this size.

What's the sweet spot in terms of age relative to condition and price? Provided the boat was reasonably cared for, hulls and decks seem to age pretty well but I'm guessing mechanicals less so and its more difficult to evaluate these kinds of things based on appearance. The value proposition seems higher in 15+ year old boats but I worry about walking into maintenance issues, but maybe there's some sense in a great hull that you sink something into knowing you have to (eg, engine overhaul, convenience updates, etc). I'm definitely not looking for a second career in marine maintenance.

 

[mwph]

First off - Welcome to CSR. This site has got to be the best place for information on Sea Rays and all things boating for that matter.

Your question might be difficult, even nearly impossible to answer. But the veteran boaters on this site are more that willing to help. I'm going to suggest you offer more specific questions, maybe even be more specific on the boat you are looking at/for. I might venture to say that there is no such thing as a "sweet spot" as so much of a boats value and mechanical condition is based on the care given to it by its current, (and past) owners. Two boats of the same year, same options & same hours, can be worlds apart in worth.

Hang in here & check back on your posts often. Like I said, these guys are very good and are a willing group of experienced boaters.
Again, welcome to CSR!

 

[AMFM3]

First of all, welcome to CSR. It is a great place to learn about your Sea Ray and just talk boating in general. I personally feel I've saved time and money because of my daily addiction of reading threads on the site. That's why I sponsor the site.

I would just like to put forward that you should buy the next size bigger than you think you want. We bought our first boat, a 26 footer, and promptly sold it the next year for a 31 footer. We had that boat for 8 years prior to buying our 370 2 years ago.

Age does matter, but condition matters more. Look for upgrades and a mechanical survey to be sure you get what you want.

Good luck!

Mark

 

[mobocracy]

First of all, welcome to CSR. It is a great place to learn about your Sea Ray and just talk boating in general. I personally feel I've saved time and money because of my daily addiction of reading threads on the site. That's why I sponsor the site.

I would just like to put forward that you should buy the next size bigger than you think you want. We bought our first boat, a 26 footer, and promptly sold it the next year for a 31 footer. We had that boat for 8 years prior to buying our 370 2 years ago.

Age does matter, but condition matters more. Look for upgrades and a mechanical survey to be sure you get what you want.

It's definitely tempting to consider a bigger boat and I appreciate the logic behind it, but on our lake 30+ ft slips are fewer than 28' slips and even more expensive, plus twin engines are more expensive to maintain (basically, twice the maintenance, twice the fuel). And then there's the cost of the boat itself.

Price wise, I could probably end up with a very nice 280 less than 10 years old for under $50k. In that price range, a 310 or 320 looks to be another 10 years older. There are some bargains 30+ that look good cosmetically (hull/deck/cockpit) but engines and drive worry me and many of the interiors look worn and especially dated. Of course all of this can be fixed, but I'm not sure I want a project boat. I'd rather sacrifice a little space for something in better overall condition and perhaps with more features.

I'm just starting with this, though, and I'm not even wed to Sea Ray specifically but they seem to have a big chunk of the market and have a reputation as a quality boat. I have a lot of learning and research before I figure out what to do.