Walkaround

Will 55

New Member
Nov 3, 2018
25
Boat Info
'87 230 Weekender
Engines
5.7 L Alpha 1
quadrajet 4 barrel

Tow with: Toyota Sequoia 5.7L
I really don't like the trend in smaller SeaRay cruisers after 1999 to eliminate the walk around for a few inches of more cabin space. Even the smallest Sundancers and Weekenders from the 80s to about '98 had a small walk around protected by the bow rail. I never liked this walk-through windshield thing.
I really think the classic Sea Rays just look better, seem well designed. My '87 230 Weekender is still running perfectly. Seats need to be restored but it's mechanically sound. If I ever upgrade, I'll be looking for a '97-98 25' Sundancer.
 
That's ok. I don't like though the windshield much either, but I really don't like bow riders. I spent a good deal of my Coast Guard career investigating boating accidents and bow riders are downright dangerous.
 
The problem is customers want it. I had it on my 260DA and thought it was nice but bearly miss it on my 340. I think many people fear the narrower path and prefer the safe inner passage.

Side note ti this: On my 260DA people would sit/lay on the hatch which always out them in the way of getting in and out of the cabin.

-Kevin
 
I really don't like the trend in smaller SeaRay cruisers after 1999 to eliminate the walk around for a few inches of more cabin space. Even the smallest Sundancers and Weekenders from the 80s to about '98 had a small walk around protected by the bow rail. I never liked this walk-through windshield thing.
I really think the classic Sea Rays just look better, seem well designed. My '87 230 Weekender is still running perfectly. Seats need to be restored but it's mechanically sound. If I ever upgrade, I'll be looking for a '97-98 25' Sundancer.
Yeah I dig being able to walk around. I always liked these when I was a kid at the lake, and now I own one. 40 years later!
 
I guess it really all comes down to personal preference - but it does seem to add a decent amount of space in the cabin when you get rid of the walkaround. With small cruisers, you only have a beam of 8'6" to deal with... so adding about a foot of interior "shoulder room" does make a noticeable difference. But then, if the cabin is not something being used on a regular basis - or just to take a nap, then that extra room doesn't matter... back to personal preference.

FYI... have you actually tried to "walk around" a '98 250DA? It's a joke. It's just for show, not for go.
 
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The narrow walk around was on of the reasons I switched brands. Plugging power into the boat in an inconvenient location on a narrow walk got old, especially after a long and tiring run. Tiaras have nice wide walk arounds and the power is in the cockpit where you can plugs things in while sitting in a comfortable chair.
 
I kinda miss the walk-around that my 270 had (although narrow as mentioned). What I don't like about the 310's walk-through, when it's raining, you have to release the isinglass to open the windshield... PIA to re-attach from inside the boat!
 
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I had a walk thru as well as a thin walk around on my 25ft Campion. When I got my 330DA I thought I would miss it, but I quickly realized I did not. With the Campion it was great because I did not have a windlass (let alone a helm switch). So when anchoring, I had to scramble to the bow and back to the helm when getting things set. Walk thru was great for that. With the 330, that scramble is not necessary. As for the extra couple of inches of space lost on my Campion from the thin walk around, its a head height and at the outboard side of the cabin mostly behind cabinets and where it does not change the layout of the boat. So the practical space lost on a small boat with a thin walk around is insignificant in my view.

But styles change. (All that brass that people renovated out of their houses is coming back bit by bit, and grays are becoming warmer shades on walls and furniture). In a few years a boat maker will adopt a "revolutionary design" to a small cruiser with walk around and more squared/angular lines again.
 
I had a walk thru as well as a thin walk around on my 25ft Campion. When I got my 330DA I thought I would miss it, but I quickly realized I did not. With the Campion it was great because I did not have a windlass (let alone a helm switch). So when anchoring, I had to scramble to the bow and back to the helm when getting things set. Walk thru was great for that. With the 330, that scramble is not necessary. As for the extra couple of inches of space lost on my Campion from the thin walk around, its a head height and at the outboard side of the cabin mostly behind cabinets and where it does not change the layout of the boat. So the practical space lost on a small boat with a thin walk around is insignificant in my view.

But styles change. (All that brass that people renovated out of their houses is coming back bit by bit, and grays are becoming warmer shades on walls and furniture). In a few years a boat maker will adopt a "revolutionary design" to a small cruiser with walk around and more squared/angular lines again.
Right then my old 268Da will be ahead of it's time again
 
That's ok. I don't like though the windshield much either, but I really don't like bow riders. I spent a good deal of my Coast Guard career investigating boating accidents and bow riders are downright dangerous.
Its a users preference and boating area requirements/limitations.
I'm not on the coast, only boat in inland fresh water lakes locally. A bow rider is all I will own and mostly all you see in my area. Its all about boat space for me. I need that bow rider space and have no use for a cuddy.
 

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