Why no big Sea Rays on the West coast?

M

Mimsk

New Member
Oct 2, 2008
18
Tracy, CA
Boat Info
2003 200 5.0 Bravo 3
Engines
5.0 MPI w/Bravo 3
Howdy folks,

Been a long time boater and have always kept a Sea Ray BR for the family fun on the weekends. Even did sailboats for a while. But now that the kids are older and moved on I'm looking for a 460 Dancer for me and the wife and can't seem to find any for sale on the West Coast. While up and down the East coast, especially in Florida have a whole boatload to pick from.

There's plenty of smaller 30-40 SR's and few older larger SR's to pick from. But I'm after a particular look and style the 460 seems to offer.

Questions:

What would it cost roughly to have a early 2000's 460 Sundancer transported coast-coast? I just bring myself to consider other brands at this point at least not before exhausting all reasonable possibilities first
 
When I did my research for our 450 which is 51' loa I got bids for the transportation from Florida, Great Lakes and California... The vessel and transportation all played into my offers.
 
It was 25k to move a 540da from Lake Champlain NY to Houston TX. So... I’m guessing 40 to Cali but that’s a guess. Fred’s 460 is for sale in lake Travis and point blank it’s the nicest boat you can find.
 
Mimsk
No doubt the Sun Dancer's lines are sexy to look at and the larger ones do have quite a bit of room on them but there is a reason there are so many Fly bridge boats in the area and that is the view over the levies. We brought our 350 Rinker out of Lake Berryessa and started boating with Fly Bridge boats and we were sold. We searched wide and far for a 400 Sedan Bridge and stumbled in to the 44 DB and have never had a moment of regret. There never seems to be an abundance of the larger SR Flybridge boats on the market but they do come along now and then.
Hope you find your perfect boat, Welcome to CSR!
Carpe Diem
 
I know the large models were delivered out west. Until recently the Sea Ray factory in my town, Flagler Beach, FL, made the largest models. I knew a guy who'd been a Teamster in Detroit hauling steel who moved to Florida and pulled for Sea Ray. His stories were incredible of driving I-10 west to LA then straight up to Seattle or delivering to the end of Long Island. they made him wait till 10 pm to get on the LI Expressway with that 48 footer I think it was. I believe they made only the two largest models in my town.
 
I'm not sure it's so much the distance from the factory as it is demand. The East Coast, propelled largely by Florida, simply has a lot more boating than the West Coast.

View the shipping cost as cost of ownership, not cost of entry. If you find a really nice boat in Texas or Florida or the Great Lakes, it's probably worth the freight over a beat up one that might be in your backyard.
 
Great question -
I had the same reservations when looking for a 460 Sundancer.
After looking for over one year I found mine on Lake Erie and had it hauled to Texas, from memory it was about $8-10k. I would highly recommend C&J Transport for such a haul. They're an incredible team and communicate with you throughout the process. I just looked and Lakeway, TX to SF is only 400 miles further than my haul was.
And - As Josh mentioned, I just listed my 460 for sale in the classified section of CSR. It is a fantastic boat and would serve anyone well.
 
Mimsk said:
Howdy folks,

Been a long time boater and have always kept a Sea Ray BR for the family fun on the weekends. Even did sailboats for a while. But now that the kids are older and moved on I'm looking for a 460 Dancer for me and the wife and can't seem to find any for sale on the West Coast. While up and down the East coast, especially in Florida have a whole boatload to pick from.

There's plenty of smaller 30-40 SR's and few older larger SR's to pick from. But I'm after a particular look and style the 460 seems to offer.

Questions:

What would it cost roughly to have a early 2000's 460 Sundancer transported coast-coast? I just bring myself to consider other brands at this point at least not before exhausting all reasonable possibilities first
Click to expand...


Look under the classifieds on here. One of the best 460 is up for sale and in TX.TX to CA would be your best cost to get one to you at all the ones listed for sale in the US.That is if your wanting a fresh water boat. There are 460 for sale at the lake of the Ozraks you just have to search.

I would budget 25k at least.
 
IMG_4230.JPG
Don't have a lot of boating experience on the west coast but do spend a fair amount of time in San Francisco. It is not an easy place to run a power boat as fuel docks are not pleasure boat friendly and the state is not tax friendly for boaters. You do see lots of sailboats and seagoing trawlers, so maybe it has to do with hulls that are better suited to ocean running. Then there is the matter of ports. The distances between cities with marinas favors sailboats and trawlers over SR cruisers. My son just purchased a vacation home on the Napa River. Electric boats are common in his new neighborhood. So that might tell you something as well.
 
I have been boating in the SF Bay area for 25 + years. I can tell you for a fact that a huge percentage of recreational boaters plying the bay and delta waters have never and don't plan on ever leaving the bay. They may do a quick photo op cruise under the Golden Gate bridge and soon find out that the water beyond the bridge is a completely different animal. Serious coastal cruisers will definitely opt to buy a larger flybridge boat with a down helm or as sbw1 suggested above choose a sail boat.
Carpe Diem
 
Here's a really nice 450 DB in Discovery Bay CA https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2000/sea-ray-450-express-bridge-3528945/?refSource=enhanced listing

and a 2000 460 in San Diego (hate the red canvas though, but that's me): https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2000/sea-ray-460-sundancer-3556177/?refSource=standard listing

Here's a 2003 460 in Oregon (sale pending but you never know): https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2003/sea-ray-460-sundancer-3518446/?refSource=enhanced listing

There are quite a few on the west coast in your range. I'm with Carpe Diem ...go with the flybridge. Our next boat will undoubtedly have one.
 
When I was looking for a flybridge boat (500DB) I looked at a couple on the west coast and they all showed their time in salt water, and they seemed quite expensive. That may be due to the supply and demand for flybridge boats at the time (few boats, lots of demand).

I found mine in the Great Lakes, Detroit area. Boats there have short seasons (Memorial Day to Labor Day) so they tend not to have lots of hours, and they don't show the ravages that salt water can bring. Now before you salt water boaters start beating me up, I know that if you wash your boat frequently you can minimize that damage. Many boats don't get that care.

It cost me $20K to ship it from Detroit to Portland, OR to be reassembled and some additional equipment added.
 
If you can, find a freshwater one even if you pay a little more to buy and transport. It will benefit you in the long run.
 
Wow, thanks for all the feedback and leads guys. I'm going to take my time and pick very carefully. And I'll take the time to give the fly bridge models a close look. I boat primarily in the S.F delta waters but want to be able to cruise to the Bay and ideally just offshore during the Salmon runs and for Cods. At least that's my plan, so I'd had better take the time to choose carefully and get it right the first time.

-Kelvin
 
We have done bare boat charters in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle up into Canada. No on water experience south of Seattle. Saying that to define what I personally have experienced versus what I have only heard or read.

The Pacific NW is so wonderful, have to say one of the most outstanding boating environments in the continental US. The thought entered our mind, wow, have a boat on the west coast - could go north in the summer and south in the winter.

My observations, the west coast is very different than the east coast. I would not hesitate for a moment to buy a boat in New York or Boston and move it down to FL on the water.

I would not buy a boat in Seattle and take it to San Diego. There are significant issues cruising on the west coast. I know people make the trip - just not for me.

All that said, I think the market on the west coast tends to fragment. There is not the easy movement of boats from Bay area to southern CA. Or from Bay area to PNW. So now you have smaller pools of boats from which to draw from.

Just my thoughts, maybe I am off base about Pacific Cruising - but some of those areas are not for the faint of heart.
 
FootballFan said:
We have done bare boat charters in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle up into Canada. No on water experience south of Seattle. Saying that to define what I personally have experienced versus what I have only heard or read.

The Pacific NW is so wonderful, have to say one of the most outstanding boating environments in the continental US. The thought entered our mind, wow, have a boat on the west coast - could go north in the summer and south in the winter.

My observations, the west coast is very different than the east coast. I would not hesitate for a moment to buy a boat in New York or Boston and move it down to FL on the water.

I would not buy a boat in Seattle and take it to San Diego. There are significant issues cruising on the west coast. I know people make the trip - just not for me.

All that said, I think the market on the west coast tends to fragment. There is not the easy movement of boats from Bay area to southern CA. Or from Bay area to PNW. So now you have smaller pools of boats from which to draw from.

Just my thoughts, maybe I am off base about Pacific Cruising - but some of those areas are not for the faint of heart.
Click to expand...
I think you are right on Football Fan, I know guys who make the trek to and from SF/PNW but its a crap shoot for sure. On my bucket list is to buy my next boat (which will likely be a 56 Carver Pilot house) from the Seattle area. I want to spend several weeks exploring the San Juans and then make the off shore voyage back home to Nor Cal. If you have the time to be patient and wait for the right conditions it can be a very pleasant trip. Gethomeitis is what gets guys in trouble and makes the trip memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Mimsk, you are so smart to take your time in deciding on the right boat for you. Jumping from a 20 foot day boat to a forty something sport yacht is a big deal. If Searay is what you are leaning to you might want to think about joining the Nor Cal Searay club and visit a raft up or two and get a chance to absorb some great info by spending quality time with dedicated cruisers.
Happy hunting
 
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