Close to making an offer on 39 EC

sprink56 · Jan 25, 2009

I am about to make an offer on a '89 390 EC and value the thoughts and opinions of the forum.

The boat is in Melbourne, Fl and I took a trip yesterday up the coast to take a look. I must say that this is the cleanest 20 year old boat that I have ever seen. I read some of the old posts re: 39's and had a leg up in looking for hatch leaks, window/windshield bedding leaks, separated bulkheads,etc....all is dry with no stains. The cockpit upholstery is near new as is all of the carpet, vinyl, headliner, cabinet laminate, electrical fixtures, wiring, hoses,etc. The bilge is spotless and all clamps are stainless,all hoses and wiring are/is properly routed and tied off.

The power is provided by twin Marine Power, Inc 7.4 Multi Port Injection big block Chevys with 600 Hrs. The generator is a 10.0 KW Kohler with about 500 Hrs. The Borg Warners were refurbished within the last 12 mos.

I took the boat out for a trial run and was inpressed with the way it handled and performed. She came up on plane quickly with "tab help" and cruised at 23 knots at 3300 RPM with a max of 27.6 knots at 4400 RPM. These speeds convert to roughly 25 MPH and 31.5 MPH. The speeds are per GPS. The bottom is clean and these numbers were achieved on a smooth (2 ft or less) sea with half fuel load and 4: adults aboard.

I plan to have an out of the water survey done this next week.

I have in hand a survey performed in April of 2008 that indicates that all is well except for a few minor cosmetic items that have since been corrected.

Attached are a couple of representative pics.

There is a complete history available from the current and previous owners.

I am securing insurance and marina quotes...that's how close we are to making this deal.

As always, thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

skolbe · Jan 25, 2009

Looks like a very nice boat. You should still survey it yourself. Can't give you any specifics of things to look for on this boat. The cockpit looks very nice. Any cabin pictures?

MarkD · Jan 25, 2009

from the pix, that boat looks very well maintained and cared for. the owner must be anal as heck. Always a good thing. I would look at things like headliner stains (which you mentioned were zero), interior stains where the bow rails attach to the hull, soft spots in the deck where fittings were attached. also look for stringer issues potentially where factory weep holes were drilled (in the bilge) for drainage. I would also check thoroughly the area near the fuel tanks for any corrosion. they are old tanks and sometimes there are telltale signs of moisture accumulation.

sprink56 · Jan 25, 2009

skolbe said:
Looks like a very nice boat. You should still survey it yourself. Can't give you any specifics of things to look for on this boat. The cockpit looks very nice. Any cabin pictures?

...here you go...and thanks for your reply.

She is being pulled out this week for my survey...I wish I was on the water today...High 75...seas 1-3 feet for the next 3~5 days!!

Sublimetime · Jan 25, 2009

#1 looks like something questionable with swim platform. Seems to be angled upoff of stern. Every one i've seen is usually level with water line.
#2 radar arch has alot of inspection plates installed.Double check inside these for possible patches/repairs. I have seen some pretty shaky arches on these,especially where the rear of windshield attaches.
#3in the cockpit there seems to be some type of bracket attached to the rear of the two rear facing seats. What are they for??? I dont think they were oem.

Check all cockpit side panels and cubby hole for rotted ply wood. They had no water protection applied at all.

Good luck ---these are great boats with much more usable room then compareabley sized newer generation.

tobnpr · Jan 25, 2009

Second Mark's comment about the fuel tanks.
The PO of my boat had them replaced shortly before I purchased the boat two years ago. I have the yard bill- five figures. Because they're saddle tanks the entire deck needs to be cut loose and removed. The fact that it had just been done was a big selling point for me.

The decks and swim platform are balsa cored as he also noted. With the exception of the center engine hatch that I needed to re-core, mine were fine but they def need to be checked. Edit: Looks like that's an aftermarket platform.

I found two other problem areas- the plywood coring for the windlass (it had the original Good rope-only) was non-existent, having rotted out long ago. I replaced it with 3/4' Seaboard, but that's not a fun job working through the access over the master berth.
I've also got a soft spot on my stbd gunnel where the end of the bow rail is through bolted, so I know the core is shot there as well. None of this would have been a deal-killer, but I would have liked to have known about them (Surveyor missed 'em) prior to purchase.

Thru-hulls, running gear, seacocks, etc. all need to be checked esp. if they're original. Has she had dripless seals installed?

I'm impressed-astounded actually- that you get a twenty-three knot cruise with gassers. I've never heard of one running that fast- those are the same numbers I get with the CATs. 'Course you already know that's going to be one thirsty beast with a rather limited range...

Mine needs full tabs all the time for best performance, but then again I've got an extra 2,000 lbs. + of iron in the bilge with the diesels.

Good luck and let us know how she surveys.

sprink56 · Jan 25, 2009

Sublimetime said:
#1 looks like something questionable with swim platform. Seems to be angled upoff of stern. Every one i've seen is usually level with water line.
#2 radar arch has alot of inspection plates installed.Double check inside these for possible patches/repairs. I have seen some pretty shaky arches on these,especially where the rear of windshield attaches.
#3in the cockpit there seems to be some type of bracket attached to the rear of the two rear facing seats. What are they for??? I dont think they were oem.

Check all cockpit side panels and cubby hole for rotted ply wood. They had no water protection applied at all.

Good luck ---these are great boats with much more usable room then compareabley sized newer generation.

Thanks for your reply...

1. The Swim Platform is an aftermarket from Swim Platforms, inc out of Arizona...I think that's the way they look but I'll check it out.

2.The radar arch has several receiver,antennas on top for TV,GPS,VHF, etc....but I will question this item.

3. The brackets you see are fold away SCUBA tank brackets.

Roger on the room...that is what attracted me to this model.:thumbsup:

Nehalennia · Jan 25, 2009

I think, by the pictures, this is a very clean and well maintained boat. I hope everything turns out for you. All the wood looks great. Good luck

Sorrento 25 · Jan 25, 2009

Does anyone know what the percentages are of boats of this type built with diesel vs. gas? Is diesel power very rare?

Congrats on the boat find. This model is high on my list too.

rondds · Jan 25, 2009

Sprink
The boat looks like a winner! Good luck with everything. I have heard nothing but good things about this model from several people.

That cruise is quite extraordinary. The 390EC weighs in at about 100lbs less than mine dry but at that RPM, load and conditions, I'll make a hair less than 20MPH (17.3 knots). Probably a wind resistance or HP thing (?).

At least you're rid of the Quicksilver generator. Looks like the PO put a good chunk of change replacing all three powerplants. I wouldnt be surprised if he pulled the fuel tanks while the engines were out, if that's possible.

http://www.searay.com/Archives_Manuals/Sea_Ray_Archives/1989/36%20feet%20and%20above/390EC_SS.pdf

tobnpr · Jan 25, 2009

Sorrento 25 said:
Does anyone know what the percentages are of boats of this type built with diesel vs. gas? Is diesel power very rare?

Congrats on the boat find. This model is high on my list too.

Yes, the CAT power is harder to find. Quick check on YW shows 137 for sale, 19 are CAT power.

sbw1 · Jan 25, 2009

I'd ask your surveyor to take a long, hard look at the stringers in this boat. Some lending institutions in Michigan stopped making loans on the 39 expresses built in the 80's because of extensive structural rot issues. This was a known issue with fresh water boats because the presence of fresh water in the bilge promoted rot. This was not the case with salt water in the bilge. If the boat passes a current survey, you should glass the limber holes and install dripless shafts. The presence of all new headliners suggests there may have been leaks, or the owner wanted to update the funky colors many of these boats contained. Dealing with cavas on this boat is a formidable task. There is lots of it and the aft area can get pretty stuffy with it up. Taking it down is a lot of work. From a layout perspective, this is one of SR's best designs. It's salon area is a very comfortable place to hang out. We spend a fair amount of time on a friend's 39, so these comments are from recent personal experiences.

headexpress · Jan 25, 2009

Best of luck on the purchase. Boat looks great!

You WILL enjoy this boat. Great for entertaining. With that beam, the raftup crowd seems to naturally gravitate towards my boat.

I'm not usually in a hurry, so I cruise at 2800-2900 rpm, 17.5-18 knots, 20gal. per hour. Bought Flow-Scans for spring installation that I hope will give more accurate burn rates and optimum cruise speed.

Only suggestion I have for you is to practice some handling-docking, in windy conditions. The shallow draft on this boat is a huge plus in most cases, but in tight quarters with a stiff wind, you'll be surprised at how much effect this has on maneuverability.

Have any more pics. of that swim platform installation? How about any from inside the cockpit that show the camper canvas supports while up, particularly from the windshield to the radar arch? Both are on my project list.

sprink56 · Jan 25, 2009

sbw1 said:
I'd ask your surveyor to take a long, hard look at the stringers in this boat. Some lending institutions in Michigan stopped making loans on the 39 expresses built in the 80's because of extensive structural rot issues. This was a known issue with fresh water boats because the presence of fresh water in the bilge promoted rot. This was not the case with salt water in the bilge. If the boat passes a current survey, you should glass the limber holes and install dripless shafts. The presence of all new headliners suggests there may have been leaks, or the owner wanted to update the funky colors many of these boats contained. Dealing with cavas on this boat is a formidable task. There is lots of it and the aft area can get pretty stuffy with it up. Taking it down is a lot of work. From a layout perspective, this is one of SR's best designs. It's salon area is a very comfortable place to hang out. We spend a fair amount of time on a friend's 39, so these comments are from recent personal experiences.

Thanks for your feed back.

I had a long talk with Frank Webster about this stringer/limber hole deal this morning. I am going to be with the surveyor when she is pulled for survey and carry a list of all of the gotchas I am learning about from you guys. :thumbsup:

sprink56 · Jan 25, 2009

headexpress said:
Have any more pics. of that swim platform installation? How about any from inside the cockpit that show the camper canvas supports while up, particularly from the windshield to the radar arch? Both are on my project list.

Thanks for your input...

Send me a PM with your e-mail and I will send you what I have.

tobnpr · Jan 25, 2009

The low arch, combined with the raised helm, is my biggest (and really only) beef with this boat. The canvas on this boat has been raised off the arch to allow standup headroom at the helm; mine is not so I cannot stand under the canvas.

I had a full mooring cover made for the cockpit this past summer. The boat came with the camper canvas, but it was too much of a PITA and I've never even used it. My canvas guy suggested remaking the fwd canvas and raising it as was done for this boat, but I gotta say I really don't like the looks of it- kinda funky IMO.

Other problem is I'm frying my brain when I run the boat standing up (which I prefer) because the raised helm puts me right in the path of the radar microwaves. Not a big deal I guess with only a 2kw radar, but I wanted to upgrade to a 4kw array and haven't because of this concern.

What I'd really like to do is have a half-tower fabricated that would give me standing room at the helm and get the radar overhead, but I've searched forever and haven't found a 39 that's had one done. Not sure how it would look with the arch...

rondds · Jan 25, 2009

All those radio waves could come in handy when you're running at night...

NorCal Boater · Jan 25, 2009

Sprink,

At the risk of giving Ron some more ammunition....

I have a SPI platform on my 34. That is the way they look. If it was mounted correctly they really are level but because the platform bottom is angled and thicker as it gets closer to the transom there is an illusion that it is not level. The original platform is uniform in thickness. Unless you do a lot of fishing you will grow to love this platform and that was about a $3000 addition not counting labor. The only downside is that everyone will hang out on it.

The boat looks great. I hope all works out for you.

Shawn

rondds · Jan 25, 2009

At the risk of giving Ron some more ammunition....

headexpress · Jan 25, 2009

tobnpr said:
The low arch, combined with the raised helm, is my biggest (and really only) beef with this boat. The canvas on this boat has been raised off the arch to allow standup headroom at the helm; mine is not so I cannot stand under the canvas.

I had a full mooring cover made for the cockpit this past summer. The boat came with the camper canvas, but it was too much of a PITA and I've never even used it. My canvas guy suggested remaking the fwd canvas and raising it as was done for this boat, but I gotta say I really don't like the looks of it- kinda funky IMO.

What I'd really like to do is have a half-tower fabricated that would give me standing room at the helm and get the radar overhead, but I've searched forever and haven't found a 39 that's had one done. Not sure how it would look with the arch...

I don't take advantage of the radar as much as I would like, for this exact reason, although it makes a good excuse for my increasing hair loss.:grin:

I would still love to find a more attractive canvas option over the helm station than the one pictured, that would allow standing.

Close to making an offer on 39 EC

sprink56

skolbe

MarkD

sprink56

Sublimetime

tobnpr

sprink56

Nehalennia

Sorrento 25

rondds

tobnpr

sbw1

headexpress

sprink56

sprink56

tobnpr

rondds

NorCal Boater

rondds

headexpress

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