What's the Difference

N

Nehalennia II

New Member
Oct 6, 2006
1,200
Marysville, WA
Boat Info
sold '99 230OV
Engines
5.7 EFI w/Alpha one
Ok the Admiral is onboard now with the move to sell Nehalennia II and begin seriously moving toward the 260DA we've been eyeing which I'm sure will be named Nehalennia III.
Here's the question for you all.
What has been the biggest difference from the boat you have now to the own you owned before?
If the one you have now is the first..........what are you looking for ?

For us it's more sleeping space, maybe more comfortable ride. All the kids are much bigger so every inch of space will be welcomed and .....it's time :cool:
 
I think for me it has been an increase (or most recently a decrease) in beam.

Other things that have made a big difference:

* Twin engines
* Inboard vs. I/O
* Dedicated bed... not having to raise/lower the vberth
* Generator... ability to run A/C and micro when needed

Esteban
 
We made the move from a 19 foot cuddy to the 250 DA in 2000. We did it for the same reason, sleeping capacity. We can leave more stuff in the boat on the trailer so that all we have to load each weekend is ice, some clothes and perishable food. Before the cuddy was packed to the gills with clothes, food, sleeping bags, chairs and all the stuff we needed for the weekend, but now it's neatly tucked away somewhere. We still have room for friends if they want to ride along for the day or bring a tent and stay on shore. We don't water ski anymore, but can still go tubing. It's nice to have a bathroom and that makes a day trip anywhere easier on the group. I'd say the only thing we lost is the skiing portion. The rest is a huge improvement in boating life style! We can spread out and the kids still feel like they have some privacy if they need it.

We've toyed with a bigger boat and it would include a heater and hot water (Generator?). Those are the only two features we're missing now. In the summer, the hot water isn't really missed, but if we could extend the season a month or so, it would be nice to have a heater and a shower. We love the fact that it's still trailerable and we aren't stuck on the same lake every weekend. We can get away to visit friends at different lakes or for a change of scenery like Flathead or eventually the San Juans.
 
Granted, it is just my wife and I and our two dogs (both 60 pound babies), but here are a few things that make me look lovingly at 260s and 280s....
1) bigger v-berth
2)generator - it is a pain to not be able to use everything (micro) that is on the boat
3)even slightly bigger head
4) better bimini canvas for better shade (my black dog gets hot)

I love the 240 come trailering time, but would love even a slightly bigger boat on the water.
 
Well congrats on the upcoming upgrade....

Previous Boat 220BR (now called Select), current boat 280DA

Going from a sport boat to a cruiser is one of the best decisions we ever made. We have yet to day trip in the 280DA... as we always seem to stay a few days..... because we can. Our boating "boundaries" have expanded exponentially as you can stay out as long as you wish. With a sport boat we would log 6-10 hours onboard on an average week of use. With the cruiser we average 48-72 hours aboard during that same average week of use. Having your own head facilities aboard is huge.... do your business comfortably on a real toilet.... that you know is clean. The shower is fantastic..... I like to shower.

If you are out for a week or long weekend... you may find that you or others in your party just do not care to be outside in the heat, sun, etc for a day after a extended trip in the sun and fun... fine no problem go downstairs (cabin) flip on the AC cooling the cabin quickly to 70 degrees... and watch DVD's, TV, read, surf the web, until you are ready to come out again.... you can make the cabin really dark on a very bright day. The same would apply for getting out of the Pac NW rain :smt001 . A real full camper canvas makes the boat very usable even in cool weather. Chilly 65 outside.... put the canvas up and keep cruising.... I have not done this yet... but I always wanted to take a cruise when the forecast is rain... and listen to the peaceful rain sound on the hook....

280 is not as quick as the BR... but close enough.... the twin engine nimbal-ness... is fantastic... the 120v, microwave, AC/heat, hot water on demand with the genset is priceless.... none of this could be really done on my 220BR....

There really is a sense of calm when you are heading out friday night.... towards your favorite anchorage knowing you will only be relaxing on the boat until Monday morning (unless you call in "sick"). The cruiser has change "how fast can I get there" to "it is all about how I get there".

The best part is saving your bow rider/ski boat friends from chewing on a sandwich left over from lunch by inviting them aboard for grilled shrimp with garlic butter, mashed potatoes, and fresh sliced fruit.....

Windlass, genset, AC/Heat..... all must haves... We have every option except the Premium sound system.... the same money will go much further outside the dealership for a better system. The macerator is a maint item that will never be used..... I would rather not have it..... other than that... I like it all....
 
Todd, the move I made was from a 1962 18ft Glasspar to the 1996 270 DA. So I am not sure many comparisons are really in order.

But you mention you are looking at the 260, you might consider the mid-90's 270 also. It has an 8 1/2 ft beam, so is easily trailerable. The front berth I think is larger than the 260 or 280 with dinette. The table, when up, seats 5 or 6, not just 4. I think the boat needs the 7.4L engine, I saw quite a few with small blocks. The boat, with a Bravo II, is also slower than a twin alpha 280.

I have AC power from a 2 KW inverter and house batteries. Since I don't have A/C, this provides all the AC I need. I ran for a week in the San Juans two years ago without plugging in to shore power (had wrong plug). In the San Juans, I can't really imagine needing A/C. Maybe that is just me though.

Mine has engine heated hot water tank, so you have hot water for at least 8 hours after running the engine in my experience. Works fine for a shower at night after shutting down in early afternoon. So the boat does not need a genny to get hot water, run the fridge or the MW.

My boat lacks a windlass, I really would like to have that. You really need to consider how you use the boat, not what someone else's needs are. Here on the Columbia I commonly use two anchors. Some places you need three. During the week spent in the San Juans, we nevered used an anchor at all. I know some places you could, but you know better what you will be doing there.

I saw a thread about storing a dingy and small outboard. The week in the islands we used a dingy, and just rowed where we wanted to go. Did not need the outboard, it was left behind for the trip.
 
One thing was brought home to me in rather dramatic fashion when I took my last ride in my 240SD last month before it went to it's new owner. The acceleration and handling are just so superior in the 240SD compared to Sundancer. It was really fun to feel that difference again. You will notice the same thing between your OV and a 260 as well.

The other thing you are going to notice with a 260DA is the side to side movement you feel while on board. It can get a bit uncomfortable at times while underway depending on the waves you are dealing with especially if they are comming at you from side. That's because you sit a lot higher in the air on a Cruiser and you have such a steep deadrise and a relatively narrow beam.

Just the same, there are so many more pluses (for us) to having the 260DA over our old Sundeck that I don't regret the decision at all.
 
2002 380DA to 2003 410DA-D.......by the numbers.....ONE year newer...THREE Feet longer, ONE foot wider, and ONE extra Head..... but to me, the driving force to make the move was TWO diesel engines (three counting the genie)....all else was the same.....heck, some of my neighbors didn't even know it was a different boat.....other than going from black to navy canvas....they look pretty much the same.....OH....and the most important number.....after all was said and done....about $90K more.... :smt089
 
We went from an 84 225SRV to an 87 270DA. Five feet longer! Two feet wider!

The final decision was four days on the boat last summer where it seemed like half our day was moving stuff on and off the boat or to a different part of the boat so we could, eat, sleep or sit. Meanwhile My brother-in-law on his 27 footer was just enjoying the time.

We stated looking three weeks later. I wanted to jump right up to a 30+ boat and the wife things the 270DA will be enough. We'll see.
 
We just got our 2006 240 Sundeck last Oct 2006 and we are already thinking bigger.

First off we got a great deal on the boat we have now and thought we would be into the sporting pulling skiers and rafts and fishing but for me atleast we have quickly realized we are more of a cruiser then anything else.

We have been back to the dealer lots of times (it's fun to look) and for us the 310 Sundancer seems like a better fit.

I'm no expert at the positives and negatives but I definitly know 2 engines are better then 1.

Also on the 310 we liked how the bed was put in diagnolly which made for a longer bed which is nice when your 6'1"

Although we have not made any final decisions on anything I know personally I wouldn't move up to anything smaller then a 310.
 
The last move was from a 225 weekender to the current 260 sundancer.

The big difference was how the boat is used. With the addition of a generator and air conditioning, we do more overnighting than before. We have better food now - it is not all sandwiches anymore. Having a cool cabin makes it much nicer to just hang on the hook all day.

It also started another change in boating habits in that the boat has become the focal point rather than the destination. I am rarely in a hurry to get anywhere, and frequently will run slower so that it is easy to walk around and to have a conversation.

Looking forward, the next boat will have inboards and stay in the water year round.
 
It is interesting reading these comments. I am noticing again that "location" is very important to how you perceive your boat.

Here in eastern OR the tendency of the boat to situate itself broadside to the wind and waves when just sitting dead in the water is really irritating. Rocks a lot with very small wave action. Also the tendency of the boat to change direction randomly at 800 to 1000 RPM is irritating. In the San Juans I did not notice these things. Every place we stopped was well protected from wave action, and distances are large enough we never tried to go slow.
 
We moved from a 1997 19' bowrider to a 1997 25' DA.

I had wanted a Cobalt or Formula cuddy to keep some performance in the equation, but the Admiral wanted an enclosed head. We got a good deal on the boat and we like the greater roominess of the DA and the enclosed head, of course.

Ours doesn't have a/c or genny. Does have fridge, hot/cold water and we like that the head is vacuflush. No microwave, which we don't have at home either. No TV, yet.

We have an extended swimplatform with a ss grille mounted on the starboard side. As others have said, escaping from sandwiches is luxury in itself. We even make latte. I recommend a portable butane stove to augment the single/double burner that comes with the boat.

The trade-offs are bigger and harder to manoeuver than the old boat. More expensive to run. More gadgets to break.

But, hey, I wanted more......
 
go *cough* to a *cough* 280 would be my opinion, but opinions are cheap when it ain't your money.

My previous boat;


76649_102_pic.jpg


My current boat = 240 Sundeck


Any questions?
 
Todd:

I went from a vintage 1975 18'Penn Yan runabout to my 2000 260DA. Positives have mostly been mentioned here, sleepover ability, bigger, heavier boat able to to cope with rougher water, just being aboard as the focal point (as wastinaweigh pointed out), all of that and more.

Negatives - much more complex, many new systems to learn and to maintain, the annoying wandering around when at anchor (I don't have to deal with current, only winds), and that !@#$%^&* camper canvas with the extrusion thingie around the windshield!
The worst part as you've seen from pics I've posted before is having had to deal with the results of a poorly (that is to say non-) maintained Bravo III that spent its previous life in salt water. There's been plenty written on that topic here, I don't need to go into any further detail.

All in all, a terrific boat for my needs, and one that will last me a very long time.

Best of luck in your transition to 'Dancerhood!

Bill
 
I suppose, but I was spoiled by being able to winterize and summerize the Penn Yan in a half hour! Still, there's a price to pay for having all those extra conveniences I guess.

Speaking of those, Todd, if I had it to do again I wish I had the cockpit refrigerator option and a generator. It would sure be nice to be able to use the microwave and the cabin stove when overnighting on the hook, and not to have to worry about pulling the battery flat with the fridge. I manage to get by with the gas grill, but it would still be nice. Maybe on my next yacht..... :grin:

Off tomorrow morning to ME to wake the old girl up and get her overboard. Happy Memorial Day to everyone!

Bill
 
I have really like all of our boats. The 260 we had for 4-1/2 years and it was a great boat. Why we went to a 320. Primarily more room. The cabin and cockpit seemed crowded after spending almost every weekend on it. Plus tripping over the 60lb dog in the cabin. BTW, the dog is still in the way on the 320.

The 260 - I thought the Aft Area was perfect for sleeping other than being about 2 inches too short. I like dedicated sleeping areas.

The 260 was great for a long cruise. Fairly fuel efficient. I loved the big block in that boat. It would run and felt sporty - the 320 doesn't feel sporty. The 260 was tight in the head - We had very few problems in general with the 260. It is a great boat. It's just each size larger is even better - other than the $$.
 
We went from a 230CC to the 280. I love the '91 280, but given that it's not on a trailer, I wish we went to something more like an older 340. My point is, as long as you're making a big jump, make the biggest one you can do. I'm a fan of the older Sea Rays as you can buy a lot more for the money.

It looks like you like to cover some distance. Maybe the 260 would be a good solution considering fuel burn.

Good luck with your decision.
 
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