The official 2009 270DA ~ 2010 280DA thread

[Kaoru]

Hello,

Add one more 2010 280DA to the forum. I took delivery last month, and found posts on this forum very helpful, especially posts from Dave S as I was strongly considering a leftover 260. This is my third Sea Ray, and we have only had a few minor issues so far and are very pleased with the ride and performance. The boat is slipped at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.

Congrats :grin: and welcome to the club! I've finally completed all the tweaks and kinks for my "Summer Dreams" culminating in my maiden voyage down the scenic Rideau Canal for 9 days/8 nights straight. The kinks I had were mostly minor like issues with the canvas (snaps/fit) and cosmetic details. The largest of the kinks was a leaking prop shaft seal which, prior to my voyage, I went through a quart of gear lube. Of course, there was a factory recall on the seals, so that was taken care of by my dealer. In short order, they removed the out drive, replaced the seals, pressure tested, and I was back on the water. During and after my voyage, I never needed a drop of gear lube.

Other kinks include the holding tank level indicators/senders not working and error code 62 (which is NOT documented in the Kohler manual) that occurs from time to time. I discovered that the error code 62 is for the pressure switch in the exhaust cooling manifold indicating over/under water pressure; shutting down the genny. Of course, that's caused by a blocked strainer and/or damaged impeller. In my case, both occurred though the damaged impeller was more significant. My dealer gave me a replacement impeller, I easily replaced it myself.

The other kink is that there is no limiter switch on the hatch lift. It seems that when closing the hatch, if you hold down the rocker too long after the hatch is closed the current draw will blow the fuse. I've gone thru a few 15A fuses because of this.

On to the tweaks, my radar and satdome work beautiful. Already, I've done a moon light cruise and the radar shows all the boats fishing with no [anchor] lights in the middle of the navigation channel/canal. The good returns means that I can set safe zone/ring on the plotter and I get a warning/alarm when something get to close.

The Admiral loves the satdome, and besides a hiccup with which satellite I should point to, works beautifully. The only time we didn't receive a good signal was during a thunder squall with unbelievable driving rain.

As for performance, my trip down the Rideau was enlightening for the whole family. The Admiral *loves* the boat, loved the trip, and wants to do more. If you've read my post How I became a 2009 270 Sundancer owner..., you'll understand how significant that is. As for me, here's my take on performance:

• Coming onto the Big Rideau lake with 2' whitecaps, just on plane/bow high, she handled the waves no problem with little pounding. Admiral was scared at first (first time on a *big* lake; hated not being near shore) but got use to it. Didn't even acknowledge the waves... I attribute this to the 21 degree deadrise and 10000 lbs of weight which equals better stability.
• Had an informal race with a Four Winns 26 footer. We were leap frogger each other crossing the Big Rideau and at the end we both were trying to reach the Narrows first. I was behind him. Since it was a beautiful day, had the canvas down, fenders stowed, and trim tricked out; went WOT to get 39 mph SOG and overtook the Four Winns. Though the Four Winns accelerated I was still making distance, I got a thumbs up later at the locks.
• At the Shangri La camping resort, there was no dockage left. As I was travelling as part of Aquapalooza, the main cruiser, a 2001 Sea Ray 460 known as "Hurst One", had a reservation. The next cruiser, a brand new 2010 Sea Ray 500 known as "Sand Say Ocean" didn't have one like me. James, the owner of Sand Say Ocean, rafted off Hurst One and I rafted off Sand Say Ocean. Because James and I were rafted, we ran our generators for the night. In the evening, James the owner of Sand Say Ocean, visited my lowly 270 and was impressed. We spent the evening having a beer and watching the new Star Trek movie on my cockpit TV. At the end of the evening James was questioning why he even needed a 50' boat since mine proved to be more than the size suggests. He was impressed.

There's a lot more about my trip but I'll save it for other posts (with pics!)...

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[BC Sea Ray!]

My wife and I bought a new 2009 270DA in the spring and have enjoyed using it this summer on Lake Okanagan. We have certainly had our fair share of glitches but they have all been taken care of by our dealer. The local Sea Ray dealer here in Kelowna, BC has been very good to deal with.

 

[StephenOvalle]

My wife and I bought a new 2009 270DA in the spring and have enjoyed using it this summer on Lake Okanagan.

Congratulations on your new boat - good to hear you're enjoying it!

 

[Spot]

My wife and I bought a new 2009 270DA in the spring and have enjoyed using it this summer on Lake Okanagan. We have certainly had our fair share of glitches but they have all been taken care of by our dealer. The local Sea Ray dealer here in Kelowna, BC has been very good to deal with.

I would love to hear about some of your glitches.... It helps us the same boat.

Welcome to the 270/280 group.

 

[BC Sea Ray!]

We have had the following issues with our boat:
-Leaking trim tab (BIG glitch). They ended up removing every thru hull fitting and resealed all of them as well as resealing every screw etc. Apparently this has happened to several 270DA’s…
-Ongoing generator issues, now finally fixed. We had a damaged impeller, incorrect wiring from the factory and a fuel pump problem.
-CD changer not functioning
-IPOD dock damaged
-Cockpit cover canvas is a terrible fit
-Some minor fit and finish issues with the transom door and storage doors behind the helm seat.
-A recurring issue with the flip down transom seat mechanism. The idea of the flip down seat is good but the mechanism is very poorly designed and not heavy duty enough for the application.

I think that covers the larger, more aggravating items.

Once again the dealer has been very good about dealing with our issues and even lent us a 2008 280 Sundancer when the leak was being located and fixed. When they took our boat out of the water a few weeks ago to address the generator they polished the hull and detailed the entire boat.

 

[Spot]

I appreciate the list of challenges.

It helps us that own the same boat to look at possible issues. My transom door also had issues with screws stripped and not closing well. I fixed it my self with larger screws. I am sure glad that my through hulls are not leaking, the boat has been on the water since April.

Sure glad they too good care of you... sure love our 270/280

 

[Kaoru]

-Leaking trim tab (BIG glitch). They ended up removing every thru hull fitting and resealed all of them as well as resealing every screw etc. Apparently this has happened to several 270DA’s…

How did you discover the leak? I've noticed that my bilge always has some water in it but don't see any leaks. Only once have I seen the bilge pump turn on; when I stepped onto the platform however it did rain some days earlier. Most of my through hulls are above the water line so if water is coming in it's either the trim tabs, bellows, transducer, and sea cocks (genny & AC). The grill's run off drain empties into the bilge; if you get a hole in the aluminum drip tray (like I did) the bilge is the next stop for water, grease, etc. Speaking of the grill, the control side of the grill is sealed only by some caulking which on mine didn't seal well so it leaked into the cockpit bar cabinet. I replaced the drip tray but I'm trying to find some heat resistant caulking to seal things again.

-Ongoing generator issues, now finally fixed. We had a damaged impeller, incorrect wiring from the factory and a fuel pump problem.

I too went through an impeller before its time, though being on a canal I suck in debris all the time. Checking the strainer is a routine I've gotten use to.

-IPOD dock damaged

The IPOD dock (mine is a DICE one) is a piece of crap and doesn't work with an iPhone 3G though the actual Sony head end connector works (doesn't support charging though). I replaced it with a cradle; the actual cable is quite long if remove the quick tie that bundles it up.

-Cockpit cover canvas is a terrible fit

On mine it's the camper canvas the doesn't fit right. I adjusted many of the snaps myself but the bungee cord posts are *completely* out of whack. I'm still trying to get this fixed as my dealer is waiting on parts...

All my doors fit well but the cabin hatch that lifts up seems to shift where the latch becomes problematic. Loosening the hinge screws, shifting, and tightening the screws fix the problem. Some of the hardware like the head door and transom door had loose screws; also the helm seat had a loose bolt on the back rest swivel.

All in all it was mostly very small issues which I can take care of myself. The main item was the leaking prop seals but that was taken care of. Basically, my warranty is up in September and I want to make sure that any items are down on paper so that their addressed.

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[Spot]

The leaking prop seal is a know issue with the newest b-3, they are replacing the seal from a singal lip to a double lip. I was told that they will take care of it even if out of warrenty. My dealer told me that it was a tough one to find since the seal does not leak while just sitting. The shaft has to be spinning under load to leak.

Keep an eye on the lube bottle and keep it topped off to make sure you do not create a bigger issue. If you have to replace fluid often, get it in and the dealer will fix it. The issue is corrected however a few early 09 units had challeges. For any new guys that have not heard about it...

Scott

 

[BC Sea Ray!]

Leak: We originally had a little water in the bilge, but after the boat was in the water for three days water appeared on the floor of the cabin. We discovered this on a Sunday when the dealer was closed, so I called our sales rep and sales manager. Within 30 minutes the sales rep was at our boat and within 1.5 hours our boat was out of the water.

Unfortunately it was not easy to locate the slow leak and it uncovered a few other issues (I forgot to mention) like a pin hole in the sump for the bathroom as well as one broken hose fitting going into the sump box… The dealer thought this was the initial cause, so back the boat went into the water to be tested, 3.5 days later the same water showed up again. At that point Sea Ray suggested to the dealer to remove all of the thru hulls/sea cocks and re-seal all the other penetration points. The boat has been in the water since April with no water anywhere including the bilge.

Generator: Checked the strainer the first time it actually ran without a problem but it was clean. When the impeller was replaced it was missing one of the fins. My guess is that it was not debris that damaged it but just the fact that as a 2009, it would have been manufactured in 2008… the rubber probably deteriorated and was not flexible enough. From reading other peoples issues with impellers it seems like a common place for this to occur early on. Probably with all of the trouble shooting and multiple attempts to start the generator it took its toll on the fuel pump…

IPOD Dock: We also had a Dice dock but someone tried to hook it up by jamming the connector coming down from the head unit upside down. This damaged the Dice unit. The dealer replaced it with a universal mount that seems to work fine. We use a 30G ipod video and it works well and charges the ipod nicely.

Cockpit cover: The dealer is going to have a local company manufacture a replacement with Sea Rays support. One of the rubberized loops at the back is way off in its location, and the seams are literally pulling apart in other areas.

The camper canvas is very tight but fits well. We have a few zippers that are a little stressed because of the tight fit. What seems to be wrong with the posts?

 

[BC Sea Ray!]

Despite the challenges we have had we really enjoy the boat. We love the layout with dedicated access to the cabin, rather then the rolling/sliding stairs that you find on so many layouts.

The power is great with the 496 Merc and seems up to the task of confidently getting us where we want to go, even with full fuel, water and many guests and supplies. A couple of times the weather has changed with no notice and we easily took on head winds up to 30 kts.

Our boat also has the optional bow thruster, although not a necessity in a boat this size it has been very helpful when docking. It makes the boat VERY maneuverable.

Has anyone tried to install a swim platform? When we asked our dealer about it they checked with Sea Ray and we were told Sea Ray would not “endorse” the installation. Basically if a leak occurred because of the installation it could affect our warranty, not something we are willing to risk given how things started off.

Also has anyone found a good davit system that extends the brackets off the stern to allow reasonable access along the integrated swim platform with a dinghy in place?

 

[mpk19]

Closing next week on a 2009 270

I'm closing next week on a new, leftover 09 270! I'm really happy with the deal I am getting and it was a no brainer after looking at a ton of boats. I'm over six feet tall and the 270 is the only boat in this class that I can lay down flat on. Every other boat's v-berth is moved away from the hull sacrificing space or a salon is added below sacrificing the v-berth again.

I've been boating on a smaller fish/ski for several years but this is my first time with a cruiser. I won't be putting her in the water this year (non boating complications) but I have so many apprehensions.

1. The dealer is landlocked and about an hour and 1/2 from the marina I will be keeping the boat. The marina's mechanics are Mercruiser certified so I am not worried about engine/drive problems. What concerns me is any hull or finish concerns under warranty. I didn't plan on getting a trailer for several reasons, but the two most pressing are (1) I would need a new tow vehicle and (2)my wife HATES trailering.

I plan on winter storing at the marina so I didn't get the trailer. Is this a huge mistake? I figure it will cost me 300-400 to have the boat pulled, delivered to the dealer and returned for any hull warranty repair. I was hedging my bets that I wouldn't have to have it pulled that often for hull problems, but now BC's leaking issue has me concerned!

2. I also have no clue on how to operate the systems on this cruiser. I know the dealership does an onwater orientation at delivery, but until then I just wonder about so much; battery maintenance, power management (what do I keep hooked up when away?) using and maintaining the vaccuflush and freshwater system, learning and maintaining all the various pumps, etc.

It feels like such a big leap from the boat stored in my driveway! I'm 44, but I feel like a kid getting handed the keys to Dad's car for the first time!

 

[StephenOvalle]

I'm closing next week on a new, leftover 09 270!

Congratulations on your new boat! It sounds exciting...

 

[Kaoru]

... What seems to be wrong with the posts?

My posts are not even close to where the bungee cords are on the canvas. If you put on the bungees, the whole canvas is off kilter. The cockpit cover however fits perfectly so my dealer is going to add additional posts.

As for seams on the canvas, mine too are stressed (from wind, etc.) especially in the corners where the zippers are. I take care but at some point I will have to have the corners reinforced with a basting (the black tape used where snaps are).

I've never had any water in the cabin, just an inch and half in the bilge; the pump can't get it out. I think I'll bring my shop vac and vacuum the bilge then see what happens. May be it's just rain.

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[Kaoru]

...The power is great with the 496 Merc...

Our boat also has the optional bow thruster...

Has anyone tried to install a swim platform? When we asked our dealer about it they checked with Sea Ray and we were told Sea Ray would not “endorse” the installation. Basically if a leak occurred because of the installation it could affect our warranty...

Also has anyone found a good davit system...

Well, I'm jealous... My 270 has the 350 Mag instead of the 496. Don't get me wrong, the performance is good. With full gas, water, supplies, crew (3-4 persons) I can plane ok and I get good numbers; 38 mph/62 kph SOG at WOT. However, if I have 3-4 people in the cockpit (on top of crew) and full gas, planing takes a lot longer and requires full tabs. It is very rare for me to have a crowd on board anyway.

The other point of being jealous is the bow thruster. I wish I had one but getting one installed non-OEM would be pricey I think. How does Sea Ray do it? Do you have three batteries? How are your battery switches wired and where does the thruster sit? I assume in the v-berth compartment. I ask these questions since I looking into such a mod; though I'm leaning towards a "SideShift" bow thruster (which requires no tunnel).

I too was looking for a swim platform and/or davit. There is slim pickings but something like this might work. I've sourced a hydraulic swim platform but it's $$$ and custom.

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[Kaoru]

Re: Closing next week on a 2009 270

I'm closing next week on a new, leftover 09 270! I'm over six feet tall...

I plan on winter storing at the marina so I didn't get the trailer. Is this a huge mistake? I figure it will cost me 300-400... BC's leaking issue has me concerned!

2. I also have no clue on how to operate the systems on this cruiser...

Congratulations! :thumbsup:

I can help you in this regard... First, the 270's beam in 8' 10"; 4 inches over the generally accepted limit of 8 1/2' for towing without permit. You could sneak by this technicality and round down... :smt001 It costs about $300 to pull the boat with a grace period to put it back NC; my dealer is 2 hours. But going off site and back I would assume it will double the cost (and you have to pay for the tow).

I didn't get a trailer for mine but I plan to buy in the near future. It's going to be aluminum tri-axle; about $5-6K. Already have a F150 with maxtow; 11,000 lbs max with is more than enough. It depends on your situation... However, don't worry about leaks and such since I've had my 270 for almost a year (the 1 year full warranty is almost up) and my boat was only pulled once to replace the prop seals; a recall. Other than that, all the kinks were all minor and could be done on the water.

As for the electrical systems, ask away! Having installed a radar, satdome, and a lot of other gadgets, I'm fully versed in the systems. The only thing I don't know is which battery (I have a deep cycle and a cranking battery; the deep cycle is further stern than the cranking) is on what position (1 or 2) for the battery switch. This would be handy to know (and maybe could be answered easily).

Cheers,
Kaoru

 

[mpk19]

Thanks, Karu! I think it's more general anxiety over the unknown! I don't have a generator (hopefully a future purchase), so what can I run without the engine running and for how long?

What can I expect when docking the first few times out? The boat is rather large for a single engine and I recall trouble times in high winds with my 18' boat.

How easy are the fluid checks? (oil, gear, powerstearing) I checked out the engine compartment, but can't remember where everything was.

What type of tools and supplies do you keep onboard when going for an extended cruise? Types and number of fuses, lubes, etc.

Thanks, I'm just trying to learn as much as possible before I step on board. Believe me, Its going to be a long winter!

 

[BC Sea Ray!]

Re: Closing next week on a 2009 270

I'm closing next week on a new, leftover 09 270! I'm really happy with the deal I am getting and it was a no brainer after looking at a ton of boats. I'm over six feet tall and the 270 is the only boat in this class that I can lay down flat on. Every other boat's v-berth is moved away from the hull sacrificing space or a salon is added below sacrificing the v-berth again.

I've been boating on a smaller fish/ski for several years but this is my first time with a cruiser. I won't be putting her in the water this year (non boating complications) but I have so many apprehensions.

1. The dealer is landlocked and about an hour and 1/2 from the marina I will be keeping the boat. The marina's mechanics are Mercruiser certified so I am not worried about engine/drive problems. What concerns me is any hull or finish concerns under warranty. I didn't plan on getting a trailer for several reasons, but the two most pressing are (1) I would need a new tow vehicle and (2)my wife HATES trailering.

I plan on winter storing at the marina so I didn't get the trailer. Is this a huge mistake? I figure it will cost me 300-400 to have the boat pulled, delivered to the dealer and returned for any hull warranty repair. I was hedging my bets that I wouldn't have to have it pulled that often for hull problems, but now BC's leaking issue has me concerned!

2. I also have no clue on how to operate the systems on this cruiser. I know the dealership does an onwater orientation at delivery, but until then I just wonder about so much; battery maintenance, power management (what do I keep hooked up when away?) using and maintaining the vaccuflush and freshwater system, learning and maintaining all the various pumps, etc.

It feels like such a big leap from the boat stored in my driveway! I'm 44, but I feel like a kid getting handed the keys to Dad's car for the first time!

mpk19: Our leaking issue could happen on any boat, new or old, large or small. Many boats do not have this issue, and I would not let our experience dissuade you from closing on your 270. Would the dealer charge to trailer the boat IF you had an issue with the hull? This would be a warranty issue and they "should" be able to charge Sea Ray back for this IF it were to happen. Perhaps you can get them to give you a written warranty to cover transportation etc... For the first month when the boat goes in the water IF any issues arise.

We did buy a trailer with the idea that some day we would like to take our boat to the numerous lakes in our area and to the west coast (Vancouver) some day. For us it saves us the cost of blocking in the winter when we store it. That said we don’t have a truck that can tow it at this point. You can pay for a lot of towing for the $5K-$10K trailer and $40K++ one ton truck! If you do buy a trailer make sure it can handle the "full" weight of the 270 with fuel etc... Extra capacity is better then bare minimum.

I know exactly how you feel regarding getting into a boat like this. Read the manuals as they cover a great deal of how things work. When you get the boat just spend some time by yourself on the boat and go over each system one by one. It seems complicated at first but it just takes a little time to get to know how everything works.

Our biggest anxiety is docking, which is the case with most people who move up to a cruiser for the first time. Practice makes perfect and have a plan when you come into dock. We put fenders on both sides of our 270 when we come into dock and we put dock edge in our slip. It is a small price to pay to give you piece of mind when you are docking.

Good luck with your purchase and let us know how things go!

BC Sea Ray!

 

[BC Sea Ray!]

My posts are not even close to where the bungee cords are on the canvas. If you put on the bungees, the whole canvas is off kilter. The cockpit cover however fits perfectly so my dealer is going to add additional posts.

As for seams on the canvas, mine too are stressed (from wind, etc.) especially in the corners where the zippers are. I take care but at some point I will have to have the corners reinforced with a basting (the black tape used where snaps are).

I've never had any water in the cabin, just an inch and half in the bilge; the pump can't get it out. I think I'll bring my shop vac and vacuum the bilge then see what happens. May be it's just rain.

Cheers,
Kaoru

Kaoru, the one mechanic I talked to at our dealer said a new boat should not have water in the bilge... we were on ours today and I checked the fluid levels and it is bone dry. I would talk to your dealer and get them to check things out.

BC Sea Ray!

 

[Kaoru]

Thanks, Karu! I think it's more general anxiety over the unknown! I don't have a generator (hopefully a future purchase), so what can I run without the engine running and for how long? ...

I have a generator so my electrical use is different but I start the genny not very often due to being on a canal and all the debris that could be sucked in. In terms of running 12V systems off battery, you should use your deep cycle/house battery and not your cranking battery. If the engine is running, the battery switch should be on both since the alternator is what is charging the batteries. When on shore power or anchored (engine off) then switch to the house battery only. On shore power, the battery charger will charge both batteries regardless of the switch. If your anchored and drain the house battery, you can still start the engine via the cranking battery. REMEMBER never turn the battery switch to off while the engine is running or bad things happen; but you can switch from 1 - both - 2 with no problems.

Remember that the CO monitor, bilge/sump pumps, and stereo memory are connected directly to the batteries and can't be turned off (they will always draw power). The rest is through the battery switch. The bilge blower, pumps (bilge/water/vacuum), and VHF radio draws a good chunk of amperage when operating. There's no power switch on the Ray 240 so it's always on. If you hold down the 16/9 button, it will go into standby/low power mode. As for the pumps, they're momentary use so not a big deal. Also, most of the lights are LED except for the reading lights and the main cabin light; these lights will draw power when on. Finally, the fridge is the biggest consumer of battery power but not opening the fridge/turning down the thermostat while on battery will lessen the time the compressor kicks in. Unfortunately, I don't know how long the deep cycle battery will last but I would guess only a few hours with heavy usage; the entire night if need be with low consumption.

A point of safety... if you idle the engine to charge the batteries (don't forget to switch to both batteries), run the bilge blower and make sure the cockpit is ventilated with the cabin door closed. The factory CO monitor in the cabin is not enough if you have the camper canvas. I suggest adding a CO detector for the cockpit. I installed CO in the cockpit and I have CO sensors on the generator. All my CO detectors have gone off for one reason or another. One for idling my engine on a calm day/no wind and blower off. Another time via the station wagon effect of the canvas, as well as, wind blowing back into the cockpit.

CARBON MONOXIDE IS TOXIC! Most people know that... so when one reads that 200-800 ppm is lethal (800 ppm will kill you in less five minutes) but 9 ppm is not so bad (50 ppm is the occupational safety limit). WRONG! CO IS ACCUMULATIVE in the blood stream stopping your bloods ability to carry oxygen. At 9 ppm for more than 8 hours, it just means that you'll probably die in hospital (or suffer permanent brain/organ damage) instead of being found dead.

Just a public service message...

Cheers,
Ed

 

[BC Sea Ray!]

Well, I'm jealous... My 270 has the 350 Mag instead of the 496. Don't get me wrong, the performance is good. With full gas, water, supplies, crew (3-4 persons) I can plane ok and I get good numbers; 38 mph/62 kph SOG at WOT. However, if I have 3-4 people in the cockpit (on top of crew) and full gas, planing takes a lot longer and requires full tabs. It is very rare for me to have a crowd on board anyway.

The other point of being jealous is the bow thruster. I wish I had one but getting one installed non-OEM would be pricey I think. How does Sea Ray do it? Do you have three batteries? How are your battery switches wired and where does the thruster sit? I assume in the v-berth compartment. I ask these questions since I looking into such a mod; though I'm leaning towards a "SideShift" bow thruster (which requires no tunnel).

I too was looking for a swim platform and/or davit. There is slim pickings but something like this might work. I've sourced a hydraulic swim platform but it's $$$ and custom.

Cheers,
Kaoru

Kaoru, the 496 has been great, I've never touched the trim tabs even with up to eight people on board! The 496 is nice but a little overkill for day to day cruising, when as in most cases you don't have more then a couple of people on board. It has been nice to have the extra power when the wind is not cooperating!

The bow thruster is accessed in the V-berth compartment and we have three batteries. I'm not sure how the batteries are wired in relation to the switch... we have a normal battery switch under the portside cushion. You could probably find the wiring details in you Sea Ray manual for the specific wiring diagram.

The thruster has certainly made maneuvering very easy, and you get a few smiles when you parallel park the boat into a tight spot on a busy day at the fuel dock! But where I really appreciate it is when we are docking and the bow gets caught by the wind or current or trying to maneuver close to a mooring buoy.

BC Sea Ray!