blaster
Well-Known Member
- May 23, 2011
- 3,467
- Boat Info
- 2010 sea ray 205 sport
F-250 CCLB 6.2 4x4 3.73 rear.
- Engines
- Mercruiser 4.3 mpi alpha 1.62
I have a very close bond with boats. It's different than with any car I've ever owned. All boats bring me pleasure but most especially my 205 sport. The 205 sport is the best running boat I have ever driven in its size range. It rides and handles like the name implies. A lot of times you will see something labled as sport and its a piece of crap but the 205 earned it. For what I like to do it is perfect for me. I find it difficult to articulate the quality of the performance of the 205 sport to the Glastron 205 or even the 21' Bayliner I drove when someone wanted me to tow them. The power of the Mercruiser 4.3 mpi is well matched to the 205 and in this case unless you want to go a few miles per hour faster you don't need to get the 5.0 mpi to get decent performance with a full load.
Having said that I have had my share of problems with the quality of the finishing. None of the problems were major but a couple were especially annoying including the power steering pump bracket causing a miss allignment and subsequent shredding of serpentine belts. The really poor design to fasten the cooler with a hand full of screws instead of a rail or strap like you would a fuel tank. The horn with no drain that filled with water and stopped working after 2 trips. Think about the poor guy who garages his boat and has his horn fail the first time its left in the weather after the warranty expires. Hopefully he would be prepaired with a whistle but probably not unless they have experience. There were many other finishing problems but it was not a huge deal only because my dealer made everything right within a week every time. Buying a Sea Ray is a better choice because they have the highest quality dealers who are concerned about your happiness and of your impression of them. My particular dealer reminds me of the level of service from the 1950's my parents would tell me about. In todays age I have not experienced this type of customer service ever. To all those who bought a new Sea Ray and you think the quality is poor because the trim wasn't fastened tight or the cooler fell out or the horn doesn't work just consider the overall quality instead of being distracted by the little things. I met a guy with a Cobalt 200 and he had problems too. Even my friend with a formula had a couple issues with his new boat, it happens. All Sea Ray boats are of superior design and engineering compared to any boat in its class. Sure there may be some issues and sea ray could improve a little on the details but overall they are the best value. You get what you pay for and I am very happy with my decision.
Having said that I have had my share of problems with the quality of the finishing. None of the problems were major but a couple were especially annoying including the power steering pump bracket causing a miss allignment and subsequent shredding of serpentine belts. The really poor design to fasten the cooler with a hand full of screws instead of a rail or strap like you would a fuel tank. The horn with no drain that filled with water and stopped working after 2 trips. Think about the poor guy who garages his boat and has his horn fail the first time its left in the weather after the warranty expires. Hopefully he would be prepaired with a whistle but probably not unless they have experience. There were many other finishing problems but it was not a huge deal only because my dealer made everything right within a week every time. Buying a Sea Ray is a better choice because they have the highest quality dealers who are concerned about your happiness and of your impression of them. My particular dealer reminds me of the level of service from the 1950's my parents would tell me about. In todays age I have not experienced this type of customer service ever. To all those who bought a new Sea Ray and you think the quality is poor because the trim wasn't fastened tight or the cooler fell out or the horn doesn't work just consider the overall quality instead of being distracted by the little things. I met a guy with a Cobalt 200 and he had problems too. Even my friend with a formula had a couple issues with his new boat, it happens. All Sea Ray boats are of superior design and engineering compared to any boat in its class. Sure there may be some issues and sea ray could improve a little on the details but overall they are the best value. You get what you pay for and I am very happy with my decision.
