Value of A/C, Shower, and Hot Water?

[teamgomez]

Going to look at a couple 240's tomorrow and curious how y'all would value a/c, a shower and hot h2o. Got a line on 2 240's listed as follows:
#1: 1997 210 hp, new transom seals+shift+throttle cables, new refer, new lights, new EZ roller disc brakes trailer listed for 22k. Private party who is trading up and knows his boat well.

#2: 1999 brokered 250hp 240 that has A/C, shower and hot water + some electronic toys. Avg trailer, exterior photos avg. Recent lower unit service and electrical gremlin repaired (shore power was an issue of some sort). Not excited so far about mech history but like idea of A/C and 250 ponies.

I think after all is said and done I'd be into the '99 for about 3.5k more...Think it is worth it? :huh: Vessel objective is to keep Admiral and kids happy while overnighting at the docks...

 

[CJ Martin]

The shower in a 240 is small. Really small. We never used the shower on our 260DA (in fact we haven't used the one on the 320 either). Until you get to the 360 the shower is not seperate from the rest of the head - everything gets wet when you use it.

Hot water? Nice to have, but not a big deal IMHO in that size boat.

We try to stay at marinas with decent facilities - it's a lot easier for us. On the hook we've used the transom shower and then hot water is nice. :smt001

Forgot to add - A/C is great! Even on a small boat, so long as you have shore power.

Don't overlook the maintenance history of both boats. I'd prefer an older, well maintained boat over one a bit newer with no history - assuming both had A/C, of course. :wink:



-CJ

 

[280 SeaRay]

depends how you boat.... we stay on the hook 99% of the time. Being on the hook... plus the fact that I enjoy having all of the comforts of home onboard.... so AC/Heat, shower, hot H20(more for the wife) are "musts" for us.

I really like the shower on our boat.... dealing with the small water capacity is the drawback (in early stages of a water maker design to get rid of this issue). I dont care to use marina showers, public toilets, etc... I am kinda weird about cleanliness.

AC in our area of the country is a must.... being able to cool the cabin to a nice 68 when it is 105 outside makes for happy crew who do not do well with constant hot temps/sun..... the heater makes the wife happy on winter trips... 60 and brisk outside and she will have it 80 in the cabin.... AC and heat work perfectly on genset... (not sure if this is available on the boats you are looking at)

Hot H20 makes quick work of dishes (less water use).... and hot showers makes the wife happy (see a trend :grin: )

Not familiar with either boat.... but I wish you the best of luck!!! Try and get both of them out for a test ride if possible.

 

[teamgomez]

Thanks for the comments, fellas. Used to do quite a bit of boating as a kid on the Sacto River (Riverview Marina) and Stockton Delta and appreciated the fact that my folks had A/C. I remember the day when my Dad was cussing b/c he couldn't use the head on our 260 w/o leaving door open and we had a 30' the next month...I'm not as financially 'gifted' so I'm going to be getting used to a tiny shower if we end up with the hot water option. Seeing as how this is my family's first attempt at cohabitation in tiny quarters (I have two boys ages 6 and 4 who I think will dig the aft cabin immensely) and can't help but think that the cabin a/c will keep them coming back on the humid nights docked on the Potomac River.

Anybody ever used those portable hatch a/c units? Another boat I'm looking at comes w/ a brand new portable unit (they retail for 900 bucks). Could be a decent option if the '99 falls thru....

 

[Alex F]

teamgomez,

I pretty much agree with Jeremy, although we don't stay on the hook over night, yet. But, even at the marina, we prefer our own shower and head (we have vacuflush). No question that the shower is not most convenient, but it still very imortant to have one, if nothing better is available at the end of the day. VacuFlush, I think is also very convenient. All you have to do is just pump it out. The Carry-on A/C works really well. We decided to invest in one and save $2,500-$3,000 for built-in unit. Hot water, I wouldn't get any boat without it. In general, I think this is a great boat when fully equipt. It has everything, just compact. We don't have genset. If we did (it would be like mini 320), we could go anywhere and would have every comfort. I consider installed search light and windlass as more of a nice to have items.

Good luck with your search and get as much as you can in your boat, so you don't regret saving on important items.

Alex.

 

[Turtlesboat]

The water here in NY is pretty nippy so a hot shower on the swim platform is really nice. A/C in the cabin is great even if it's only on shore power. Shower on the boat has been used more than anything so far. I don't have a Gen so a nice cold shower on the hook is the next best thing to a Gen powering A/C.

 

[tphinney]

TeamGoMez;

having a 240DA, my input is if you don't have it you'll miss it when you really want it.

it's always good to have more engine. although on the potomac you may be able to get by with less ponies. because you don't waves like on open water. Once you start venturing out towards the Bay you need more horse power to stay on plane. My 240 has the 5.0L Merc w/ 260Hp and when fully loaded down + crew (me, 2 kids, wife)+ friends. it can take a bit to get on plane.

Also remember more motor, means it's not working as hard and not sucking down as much fuels. fuel down here on the water is at 4.40 a gallon so getting 2.5 to 3 MPG means a lot.

The Hot water, Shower and A/C (don't forget the SantiPottie) are a must once you decided not to come back home until the weekends over. Although the 240 is small. it's still nice to be able to wash up from a day on the water to go out on the town where ever you might by tied up for the night. (head up to georgetown for a night on the town or annapolis). it's nice not to have too pay for a hotel room since you brought your's with you.

Either way get the boat that makes sense for you and that will get the most use out of.

 

[Sea Ray 300]

Having spent 12 years on a slip in a boat without A/C, and now that we have it, I'd never do it again.
And we live in New England.
If you're going to spend any summer nights on her, A/C is very important.
Best of luck...

 

[chazaroo]

Besides A/C which really is a must here in Florida, I would recommend you not rush into choosing your boat. There's a lot of inventory out there at the moment. So take your time and find one that's in great shape with low hours. And once you decide, get it surveyed! That will be the smartest money you ever spend.

Chazaroo

 

[goblue]

We live on our boat for much of the summer (all of Jully and lots of w/ends) and having the comforts of home is a must for us. We visit many great ports on Lakes Michigan, Huron and the North Channel. Some of the nicest places to visit have dirty public boater restrooms. For us, it's important to be self sufficient. Buy the most ammenities you can afford. You will do more boating and enjoy it more.

 

[teamgomez]

Thanks for all the great notes- went on the hunt again today and saw a great 240 w/ only 210 ponies and a 250 hp '99 that will probably burn to the waterline after seeing the boogered A/C wiring (and it is being sold by a broker...YGTBWM).

I'm going to post some test points on a new thread for comments- the '97 has a lot of bennies going for her and I'm having a hard time turning away. Catch the new thread in a moment...have some relaxin' to do after a day of searchin' (read: the humidor and the deck are going to get some company).

Cheers!

 

[teamgomez]

Offer accepted on a '97 240 w/ 5.7LX

Been working the owner of a '97 240 DA w/ 5.7LX down to reality over the past couple weeks and he accepted my offer this morning (boat is 300 miles away and my Brother just happened to be passing thru owner's city and dropped by this am for a peek...got the :thumbsup: as the exterior/interior looked brand new...stored indoors and she's a fresh water boat). Looks like I won't sweat the 210 ponies any longer...really wasn't impressed with the test point results yesterday (below). I asked the owner to run a virtual test drive for me today and map out his speed ratings at the same points so we'll see how she does.

Going to schedule a surveyor to check her out asap and then make the trek to pick her up. She comes with a hatch a/c...not perfect but beats sweatin' all night!

Thanks again for the thoughts-

~John