thinking of buying a 2008 330 da.

dantheman1966

New Member
Jul 9, 2012
17
mentor,ohio
Boat Info
2005 320 sundancer
Engines
twin350 mercruiser
Hi-looking to replace my 2005 32a with the 330da(2008) with 8.1's and DTS. Any opinions on this boat? Fuel consumption at cruise speed?
 
I assume it's a V drive. I have a 2010 350 (same boat as the '08 330) with 8.1's DTS and you should expect to burn a ton of gas. We average about .65-.7 GPM. The newer 8.2's are more fuel efficient.

With thy that said, there is no shortage of power. The 8.1's will get you up on plane quick. We found best cruise is about 25-26 MPH at 3500 RPM. Effective range about 120 Miles, leaving just under a 1/4 tank in reserve. Burns about 39-40 GPH at cruise.

We just ust did a 4-day, 275 mile cruise and used 2.5 tanks of gas, around $2500.

The boat itself is great. We like the forward facing seat on the port side in the cockpit. We just had a dinner party on the boat last night with 7 people and the U shaped seating area woks well. (For up to 5 at a time) The boat handles well. When going out for the day it's easily comfortable with six adults.

A few items I'm glad we have:
-Bow thruster
-Bow sun pads
-Anchor wash down. (We anchor in mud often)
-Cabin vaccum system

It's a solid boat all around. I had been looking at 350's and 370's and the right opportunity presented itself when I bought this boat last year.

Quick question, your current boat is about the same size as the '08 330. Any reason for the switch?
 
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Going from a 320 to a 330 is going to get you a big depreciation hit on both boats with no real net increase in size. The style is different and the 330 is a little bigger and more modern. If you can absorb the hit then go for it. The '08 330 is a well designed and constructed boat. If you like the style of the '08 330, I might suggest finding an '08 350 with Sea Core BIII. You may find one for a similar price as the 330 and get a much larger boat with similar gas mileage as a v-drive 330. I found my Sea Core BIIIs bullet and corrosion proof. They run the boat much faster and more efficiently than v-drives.
 
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Going from a 320 to a 330 is going to get you a big depreciation hit on both boats with no real net increase in size. The style is different and the 330 is a little bigger and more modern. If you can absorb the hit then go for it. The '08 330 is a well designed and constructed boat. If you like the style of the '08 330, I might suggest finding an '08 370 with Sea Core BIII. You may find one for a similar price as the 330 and get a much larger boat with similar gas mileage as a v-drive 330. I found my Sea Core BIIIs bullet and corrosion proof. They run the boat much faster and more efficiently than v-drives.

I agree with this. The '08 350 (current 370) gives you more space as well. The bravo 3's will give you better performance than a v drive.
 
Two reasons:1. my 2005 has the old shifter set up with 2 throttles and two gear shifters. I have found it very difficult to master. DTS seems much smoother and easier to operate. 2.-I have twin 350 mags in my 320 Da. I have to push it to 4000 RPM's to cruise at 22-25 mph. It's slow.
 
Two reasons:1. my 2005 has the old shifter set up with 2 throttles and two gear shifters. I have found it very difficult to master. DTS seems much smoother and easier to operate. 2.-I have twin 350 mags in my 320 Da. I have to push it to 4000 RPM's to cruise at 22-25 mph. It's slow.

You won't have that problem with 8.1's. They just guzzle the gas.

If it fits your budget, look at 8.2's with bravo 3's. They started in 2010. They will give you better gas mileage.
 
I agree that the DTS feature is a major improvement. I enjoyed my outdrives mostly because it provided a large open bilge area vs V-drive but had some corrosion issues due to electrical currents in my marina. The layout of the boat was great. At 30 MPH I was burning about 29-30 GPH between both engines. Performance was great (45+ MPH)
 
I agree that the DTS feature is a major improvement. I enjoyed my outdrives mostly because it provided a large open bilge area vs V-drive but had some corrosion issues due to electrical currents in my marina. The layout of the boat was great. At 30 MPH I was burning about 29-30 GPH between both engines. Performance was great (45+ MPH)

Yeah, you just won't get that fuel burn with v drives.
Th DTS is nice.

The engine compartment is much roomier with outdrives. With the v drives it's tight. Also, the engines face aft in the v drive, making it much more difficult to change the impellers, belts, etc.
 
I have a 09 350 with 8.1 and v drives I average .7 to .8 mpg if I cruise at 3200 to 3400 rpm and trimmed with full water and half to 3/4 fuel two adults.
 
I have a 09 350 with 8.1 and v drives I average .7 to .8 mpg if I cruise at 3200 to 3400 rpm and trimmed with full water and half to 3/4 fuel two adults.

We can get closer to .8 when our gas tank is about 50% and the water is flat calm.
In good conditions we can usually get around .75 with 2 adults on board.
 
I have the 08 330 with 8.1s and v-drives. While the B3's do provide higher speed, better fuel economy, and more engine room, I still would rather have the v-drives. I boat in saltwater and just don't want to deal with the corrosion issues. Additionally, I like that the engines sit further forward, i have no need to reach speeds over 40 mph, and while the engine room is more crowded, its still workable. Fuel burn is high on these boats but the amount of power is staggering. This boat, as heavy as it is, will jump out of the water with all tanks full and a boatload of people. Im on plane in seconds without any concerns. Until I find the right 40+ footer with full glass cockpit, diesels, and twin staterooms and heads, this will be my boat of choice. (Dare I mention the Cruisers 420 sports coupe) ;)

Sent from my Nokia Lumia 928 using Tapatalk
 
Fuel burn is high on these boats but the amount of power is staggering. This boat, as heavy as it is, will jump out of the water with all tanks full and a boatload of people. Im on plane in seconds without any concerns.
You are so right. Let us not forget they put these same engines all the way up to the 450DA. They are torque monsters and in the 330, they are rocket engines.

Until I find the right 40+ footer with full glass cockpit, diesels, and twin staterooms and heads, this will be my boat of choice. (Dare I mention the Cruisers 420 sports coupe) ;)
That is the only reason I'm in this boat and not the 330DA. I found what you are describing and the fuel bill is the same as a 350/370DA.
 

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