Why do you guys bother with these old tugboats?

I absolutely love my 88 340 Sundancer. It is far superior in many ways to many of the newer models. It may be heavy and slow but it's huge inside and deals with big waves much better than most of the newer boats my friends have. In fact in the rougher waters they all fall in behind me to enjoy the flat water my slow tugboat creates for them.

That said, I've heard many people refer to the pre-Brunswick years as "Real Rays".

TeeFiftySix
1988 340 Sundancer "Molly Sea"

Previous boats:
1989 Four Winns 245 Vista Cruiser
1987 Wellcraft 220 Elite XL
 
AKBASSKING said:
.....I have found a few draw backs but all in all my boat is stable in rough seas, easy to work on and is reliable.
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ya mine is cake to work on
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Bandit, nice parallel with taste and women....that said I bet I could fit more hotties on my 270 then anything newer! althought I guess then you can make the arguement it's about quality not quantity........what were we talking about.:smt017:lol:
 
Pachanga Boy said:
ya mine is cake to work on
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Bandit, nice parallel with taste and women....that said I bet I could fit more hotties on my 270 then anything newer! althought I guess then you can make the arguement it's about quality not quantity........what were we talking about.:smt017:lol:
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Hmmmm...I must be doing something wrong on mine...I can see my engine
:grin:
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I love my classsic. Don't get me wrong. Some of the newer systems and electronics are nice. For me a boat is teak. I love the teak trim on mine. I would not want it any other way. As far as cabin layout. I love my layout. The room is huge compared to boats in my size range. Also I like the mid cabin bunk. The new ones have the lounge area that for me is not practical. If I'm lounging I want to be on the back deck (which is also large). Classics win in my book. I wouldn't trade mine for the moon. (Except the 44db)
 
ya I agree usually I'm not a big fan of the "lounge area for the midcabin, although when I saw movie theater in the 45DA at a boat show blasting "The Matrix" with the surround sound and sub thumping under the couch I suddenly saw it as a nice option although at over 50x the cost of what I paid, I think I'll cope with my punie 19" and rotten sound.
sundancer450aftcabin.jpg
 
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Pachanga Boy said:
ya I agree usually I'm not a big fan of the "lounge area for the midcabin, although when I saw movie theater in the 45DA at a boat show blasting "The Matrix" with the surround sound and sub thumping under the couch I suddenly saw it as a nice option although at over 50x the cost of what I paid, I think I'll cope with my punie 19" and rotten sound.
sundancer450aftcabin.jpg
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Have to say though I really like the new interiors as a whole. Very nice finishes. The best of both worlds really would be a mid/ late 80s sea ray with a modern updated interior and modern power.
 
I was not very impressed by the size of the new 450DA. It has the same LOA as my 410DA, has the ability to close doors on 2 separate rooms plus 2 bathrooms. I do like the power plants it had and the fit & finish was very nice. I'll keep mine and before long it will considered an old tugboat.
 
The modern Sea Rays are great looking boats too. When I bought mine it was price point mainly, but I do love the workmanship, teak, and straight lines on her.

Nik
 
I really like my boat and for a 21' it has as much room as the current 24'/25' - Aft cabin, TV, Sink, Fridge, Microwave on a 21' - Who would have thunk? -

LK
 
I've just bought an old 88 Weekender 300 and I agree with most everyone a boat should have teak! Cost was the big draw for me, 30' for under $400 per foot, but mostly, she wasn't built by Brunswick. The old SeaRays have classic lines, teak hand rails, and many of the simple things that makes a boat.... a boat.
 
dwna1a said:
The old SeaRays have classic lines, teak hand rails, and many of the simple things that makes a boat.... a boat.
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I agree.
It's nice to buy a classic, put some work into it and be ahead of the game with much more $$ to put in the tank.

Looking at the newer models I have been disappointed with the lack of efficient use of storage and living space, at least with models sized comparably with our 270DA.
I was also very surprised at the "camper trailer" type materials used in the cabins on doors and such.
I understand it's about saving corporate money along with lightening things for fuel efficiency but I'm curious to see how many of these newer boats will make it to the 25 year "classic" status.
 
Big Island Lifer said:
The older boats have character. The current models all look the same. There is hardly a difference from one manufacturer to the next. The lines are almost all the same and the layouts are all the same. With an older boat you aren't forced into the same layout with fiberglass molded seats and floor plans. I have a huge open deck that I can do with whatever I want. My boat is almost 10 ft wide and I have close to 16ft of open level cockpit. Try to find that in a new boat. You'll never do it. The older boats were designed to be more versatile. Everytime I look at a new boat I think to replace my boat in today's money would be over 100 grand. That will never happen. I'm currently in the market for an older 20 ft or so center console. I love the look of the older Mako's. They just don't make 'em like they used to. I would rather make an older boat mine than buy something brand new for a lot of $$$$$$$.
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Sea Ray made a Center Console in the middle 70's, here's a pic of mine.

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Mine maybe a slip queen this year!!:smt089:smt009

Gas went up over $0.30 a gallon overnight to $4.16 a gallon at the local gas station! Why, oh something about a refinery not starting up on time and others down for maintenance. When I bought my tug about 4 years ago gas was $1.88! I could afford her then.......where is my canoe?
 
Let me add this, 19 years ago I sold my 26'. She to was an old SeaRay, 78 if I remember correctly, but she had everything I needed, just a bit underpowered. I've looked into 15 to 20 boats since then. All were over priced and lacked character. Would it be nice to have the new dash and the fancy systems.... Yes! It's hard to become part of your boat when it's just a piece of molded fiberglass, they seem to lack the warmth and soul of a boat that has teak
 
cmount1 said:
Sea Ray made a Center Console in the middle 70's, here's a pic of mine.

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Man, I'd like to find one of these with an outboard on it! What a great spring/fall fishing boat. Beautiful boat!

I'm jumping in here late, but what sold me on the older Ray's is not only the styling, but the great use of space (storage) and great combination family cruiser/fishing machine. Being a Great Lakes fisherman, I needed something that could "camp" the family, yet allow me to sneak out while they are sleeping down below and catch a few salmon. The engine is under the floor allowing us to walk around back there without stumbling over a motor housing. It's also great to have everything you need with you when you head out on the water. I load her up with food/drinks in the spring and don't worry about extra coolers anymore. The kitchen stays stocked so we can head out anytime and not worry about loading snacks and drinks for the kids. My old boat was a 1997 22ft Starcraft Islander that I bought new. My wife thought I was nuts when I told her I wanted to buy a 10yr older boat. However, this older boat has made our cruising easier and more enjoyable.

We stayed trailerable so we can hit any port we want anytime. I can literally be fishing in Lake Huron on Saturday and anchored off the Sleeping Bear Sand dunes in Lake Michigan on Sunday.

The newer boats are either fishing boats or cruising boats. They are not very conducive to a dual purpose rig like the classic Rays.

I get compliments almost every time I take the boat out on how nice she looks. In fact, last year we had tourists stopping by the boat just to take pictures of it. It was weird, they walked right by a 50ft Viking to take pics of my old '88 Dancer. Kinda wierd, but kinda cool.
 
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not a spot of teak but....
find me anything modern with these lines :wink:
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Yep, the character of the teak, and the warmth of the interior is definitely something I miss about my old 26. My 310 has a solitary piece of teak, and it is well out of view. It does have a fake cherry interior which is nice, and the admiral prefers it, but I still prefer the fake teak panels and real teak trim of the 26. It was much more convincing (and durable).

Having said all of that, the newer sea rays are not thinner and lighter. They are substantially heavier and better built, to boot. Having said that, the old ones still hold together very well, and their construction standards were plenty up to the rigors of even heavy weather pleasure boating.

I love them all, but I am not sure Sea Ray is as far ahead of the pack as they were 20-30 years ago. That may be more a reflection of the pack than Sea Ray. My .02 anyway.
 
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