I would say an older 410 with diesels....

 

That's a question I have for you Gary; I'm hung up on making sure I buy a newer boat. I'm thinking an '02 would be the oldest I would buy. Now I know I'm going to get a lashing for thinking that way as I'm sure there are many boats out there that are in immaculate condition.

 

The 320 and 340 have the best cockpit design as you start to move up in the late model Sea Ray Sport Cruiser lineup.

I am not trying to disparage the 280, 290, or 300 but when you look at actual seating capacity in those boats, I don't think you have any more people seating capacity than you have on your 260DA although all of them are roomier in the cockpit than a 260DA. So if you are trying to solve that problem, I wouldn't consider anything smaller than a 320 in a late model Sea Ray.

 

There are lots of discussions here on CSR about buying used vs. new. There is nothing wrong with limiting your search to something newer than 2002. What you need to do, however, is really figure out what kind of boating you want to do and buy a boat for that. I see you are in Long Island Sound territory so I can't imagine you would think a 320 or whatever would be your last boat. Seems to me up in that area visits to Martha's Vineyard and such would be your goal and getting a bigger boat with diesels that is 3-4 years old is probably better than getting something smaller with gas... Going from a 260 to something like a 410 is a big jump but not as big as you might think... I think Skip did about the same jump a few years ago and he didn't sink anything.

I was actually joking at first because I know Frank H. has his 410 for sale... but it that size with 2 kids is something you should consider if you are going to stay on the boat for more than a weekend.... or like an 03 or later 420 type of boat.

 

I'm actually in the Great South Bay, which is on the southern part of the island. I don't forsee for years us taking long trips outside of Long Island. I really like the 320 and hope within the next year the market for that boat tanks and I can pick one up for a good price.

Dave I hear the increase in the beam makes a big difference. That's where we would probably see the advantage. Not to mention I think on the 320 you have a small walk-around versus having to go up through the windshield. For the two years that I've been boating now I haven't had the advantage of having a first mate. Mine is holding my two year old who would probably try to jump overboard if he was free!

Gary we were out this weekend at Fire Island and I have to say the sedan bridges are growing on me!

 

I can empathize - I would love to have a larger Sea Ray but my goals right now are to be able to trailer. Your signature says dream boat is the new 350 - why not wait until you can find a closeout deal or potentially a used one? Not sure how long the market will stay the way it is but I can only guess we have a little ways to go before we show real improvements. This means it may continue to be a buyer's market for quite a while.... now - this may also mean lower trade-in or resell on your 260.

 

I can empathize - I would love to have a larger Sea Ray but my goals right now are to be able to trailer. Your signature says dream boat is the new 350 - why not wait until you can find a closeout deal or potentially a used one? Not sure how long the market will stay the way it is but I can only guess we have a little ways to go before we show real improvements. This means it may continue to be a buyer's market for quite a while.... now - this may also mean lower trade-in or resell on your 260.

You're absolutely right. My gain on the purchase may in fact be negated after I trade my boat in. Believe it or not when we traded last year's boat in to the same dealer where we bought our current boat we only lost $3K. Some may say that's amazing in boating.

Hey Wes I like your link. I don't think at this point we're looking for a second mortgage though!

 

http://www.clubsearay.com/boats/viewlisting.php?view=5

 

I moved up from a Glacier Bay 2685 19 feet to a 450DA. I have not hit anyone or sunk it just YET? jc

 

In the mid-range sizes, both the 320 and 340 are great boats. The 320 will cost less to buy and cost a little less to operate. The 340 has a bigger beam, length, and usually has the 8.1's with the V-drives (which is nice). The beam is most notable inside the cabin where you can leave the table up and still walk around. The V-berth is significantly bigger in the 340. Although not roomy, you can actually work in the engine room of the 340. The 320 is very, very tight.

Good luck.

 

Our plan is to move from our 240 Sundeck, to a 320 or bigger Dancer unless we come into some kind of serious money then we will be looking at a sedan bridge in a searay or meridian.

But like Gary said you need to think of the kind of boating/trips you want to make. I myself would like to be able to go on long trips like Gary just did and I'd like to be able to go out to the bahamas or keys or to Fort Jefferson in the Dry tortuga's

 

I moved up from a 260 to a 370. My wife and I came to the same determination that you have. We are very happy that we made the move. We looked at 320's/340's and then the 370 diesel came into our dealership. We started with the same criteria as you (2002 or newer.) However once we took a serious look at this boat we were sold on it! You can get a lot more boat for the same money and as you said there are a lot of well maintained boats out there. Just make sure you get your surveys done and it should be smoth sailing from there. Another friend of mine just moved up from a 320 to a 360 to get the additional beam, just like John said.

 

I moved up from a 260 to a 370. My wife and I came to the same determination that you have. We are very happy that we made the move. We looked at 320's/340's and then the 370 diesel came into our dealership. We started with the same criteria as you (2002 or newer.) However once we took a serious look at this boat we were sold on it! You can get a lot more boat for the same money and as you said there are a lot of well maintained boats out there. Just make sure you get your surveys done and it should be smoth sailing from there. Another friend of mine just moved up from a 320 to a 360 to get the additional beam, just like John said.

How was the transition from the 260? From one engine to twins?

 

It was very easy! Now I will never go back. It's MUCH easier to dock and station keep. The strangest part is getting use to not using the steering wheel when docking! Really the only thing that I miss about the 260 was the amount of engine room access.

 

Lst season we had the 260, a 2000 model. We have a 4 1/2 year old and a six year old, and it became too small too quick.
We were hoping to get a 300/320/340 (maybe not a 340) also '02 or later, but my marina took in a 2000 310 (with the 11'2" beam) that was absolutely pristine. So we jumped. It's been great so far, and hopefully this will be it for a while now... Don't be afraid to go a bit older, if the boat's condition is good. As you go older, you can go bigger...

 

That's exactly what we're dealing with Keith. It's funny because we looked at a 300 Dancer at Surfside when we looked at the 260 that we bought. They had just brought the boat in on trade and it was in the shop when we looked at it. It was an absolute mess which turned me off of it. Knowing how good SS3 is I'm sure they made it look brand new. Ofcourse for the price I'm kicking myself now!

Where did you get your boat from?

 

I'll tell you one thing about going older: If you buy a boat that is 2 - 3 years old, there is a chance that they got away with absolutely zero maintenance. Insist that you get the maintenance records along with a survey. I had to assume that nothing was done, so I've done everything.

If you get a boat that's over 5 years old, it's already gone through one or two iterations of required replacements - impellers, fuel filters, manifolds (perhaps), spark plugs... At least you know that not everything is coming due all at once.

 

also from SS3. We bought the 260 from them last year, and traded it in on the 310 a month ago. They've been absolutely great about checking everything out and fixing what little issues we've had so far.
We keep the boat at the marina and really love it there.

 

Who did you deal with there?

Your story sounds like mine.

 

We moved up from a 215 to a 280DA this year, and although we love the boat, we're already thinking bigger to a 340DA. I can also say that after reading Gary's blog for a month, I'm becoming more interested in a sedan bridge.

Forgive my ignorance, but what are the benefits of having diesels?

 

I also boat on the south shore of LI and am considering a trade up to something bigger. I love my 30' Sundancer. It is an older boat, but in really nice shape. My wife had never been on a boat before and resisted the purchase for many years, so I went with this one so she could get a feel for it before we commited a ton of money to boating.
We also have two kids ages 8 (boy) & 11 (girl). As much as I love my boat, it is starting to get a little tight for all of us. Right now the kids sleep up in the Vee berth and my wife and I stay in the aft berth. With the irregular shape of the Vee berth, we find the aft berth more comfortable. The problem is that I don't know how much longer we can have the kids share the Vee berth, and it is too much of a PIA to drop down the dinette on any kind of regular basis.
Keeping that in mind; I'm also aware of the conditions here on the south shore and don't want to move into anything too big that would present an even bigger risk of running aground in the big puddle we run around in. Around here it is not so much a question of if you will scrape the bottom, as it is when you will do it.
You might be able to get away with somthing in the 30' range for a few years, but I would look more in the 34' to 37' range if you could. Larger than that is nice, but might really restrict the way you use it around here. I've been out on my friends 42 Sundancer and absolutely love the boat, but I could see where the draft and the visibility over the long bow in these shallow and crowded conditions could diminish the fun a little bit.
I'm looking for something with three seperate sleeping surfaces that don't require re-configuring the whole cabin to achieve. I would also rather something with a full Vee berth as opposed to the angled one we have now. Having a seperate shower stall will make the boat a whole lot more enjoyable for my wife who basically only tolerates sleeping on it now for the kids sake. The 34 range will probably provide all but the seperate shower, in a Sea Ray you probably have to move into the 37 range to get that.

 

I am a used boat fan......... for financial reasons.

Obviously, the first owners take the big hits on depreciation in years 1-3.

As the boats get bigger, so do the punch lists of stuff that needs adjustment, tweaking, repairing, etc. If you are the first owner, it can take a year and several trips to your dealer to get the your list of deficiences eliminated or at least down to a livable level. A used boat usually has all this stuff done for you by the first owner.

The level of maintenance on used boats isn't much of a concern if you do adequate due diligence and make some basic assumptions. The replaceables, like sea water impellers, risers, manifolds, canvas, isinglass, bottom paint, etc. will be in a partially used up state. Make a reasonable judjment on the replaceable's condition factor that into your offer. I advise people to discount that stuff as completely aas they can get by with because you will not want to take chances.......if an impeller has 25% useful like remaining, discount it to 100% and replace them since you will not want to take chances on your trip home or even mess with impwellers during you first year of ownership.

Warranty terms should be determined on the boat you are considering......there used to be a magic year for the optimum used boat purchase......for example: catch a nice diesel Sea Ray in its 3rd or 4th year and you would still have the hull structural warranty, some major engine component warranty, some generator warranty, and canvas warranty.......the only real substantitive risk you might incur would be would be in a bunch or compressors, motors, pumps, lights and electronics.

My last thought is to buy the biggest boat you can get your wallet around..........3-4 foot-itis is a real expensive disease if you have to buy at retail and sell or trade at wholesale several times to get to the right boat. Pick the right boat......I don't know about your use or cruising area, bu† I can tell you that with kids on their way to becoming teenagers, you will be a lot happier in a boat with a wide beam and 2 heads. As far as handling is concerned, experience helps a lot, but I find my boat is easier to handle than a lot of models that are considerably smaller.

Look at a lot of boats and the decision gets easier...........besides, shopping is free and fun!

 

Bam - We have a very similar situation as yourself. We boat in the GSB, 2 kids(ages 7 & 4) and moved from a 240 to a 320. The 320 is a great boat, reliable, Easy to handle, and just enough room for the family when doing overnighters. Our day trips consist of taking another family, total of 8(4 kids, 4 adults) and there is still enough room with out being on top of each other.

For day trips, either the 320 or 340 offer plenty of room. Advantage of the 320 is obviously the gas consumption. We burn 22 - 24 GPH while a 340 burns 32 GPH at cruise.

IF you are only doing day trips to fire island and various anchorages, the 320 is a great fit, 340 if you want a little more room and go slightly faster. Overnighters can be tough, right now the kids are small, we would not be able to do this with teens. If you intend to do more overnighters, or even sleep at the boat at the marina, i would look more towards the 38, 40, 44 range. Of course there is price to consider.

We are expecting our 3rd so it looks like we have grown out of the 320 if we want to sleep on the boat.

Good luck. :thumbsup:

Keith - See you at SS3 - Mike.

 

Hey Mike / Rocket - good to hear from you, there's another kids movie night coming up on Friday the 22nd, and I signed the kids up for the snapper derby on the 23rd...
BAM - I dealt with Mark W and he's been absolutely terrific. And everyone I've spoken with who's worked with him has been very happy also.

 

3500 Sovran w/IPS drives gets my vote. You won't need to upgrade for at least 9 months with that one.

 

Bam, many years ago a good friend of mine and long time boater gave me a piece of advice on this subject that I have passed on to many people with the same decision you're faced with. He told me to first decide on what model/size would be perfect for you and your family, and then go out and buy a boat the next size up. Saves alot of money over the years. If you ever decide on a 37' DA I know where you can get a real nice one for a good price! Good luck, Mark

 

we have owned our 2000 340da for 7 years and loved every minute of it. Don't buy too small and later find out that you wished you would have bought a larger boat. Take your time and check out the boat you are interested in.

 

I went from an 02 260DA (6.2 BIII) to an 02 320DA with 350MAG Horizons to a 420DA with Cummins Power all in the space of 18 months. With the advantage of hindsight I wish I had gone straight from the 260 to the 420--which is the perfect boat for my family of four (wife, and two boys, 7 and 4; plus two big dogs).
Having said that, when I first stood behind the helm of the 420, the foredeck looked like an Aircraft Carrier deck compared to the 320DA. Once I ran the boat once in close quarters, the inherent manevuerability of a diesel boat (big wheels, shafts set well apart, lots of torque) made it very simple. It is easier to get my 420DA in and out of a slip than the 260DA/BIII was.

 

I went from a 260 to a 320. We love the transition and the extra space. I would not - rule out a nice 40' Diesel boat. The biggest downside - I see with the 320 - is bilge space. While you can get around it is not easy. That being said, changing impellers on a 340 or 320 is extremely tight and challenging. Most regular maintenance beyond that is dueable. The problem in the bilge is the exhaust system takes up so much space and makes it hard to find a good place to put your feet.