I am very impressed with our twins and prop pockets (29 " draft). I find the around dock/slip manouvering excellent and simple to learn. Center the helm and don't mess with it. Also make sure your trim tabs are fully retracted. Easy to forget and manouvering becomes messy very quickly.
Make small adjustments using the shifters and allow time for the boat to react (very very important).
Boat will easily rotate 360 degrees in its own length.
Make sure throttles at idle.
Would never go back to a single.

Good luck
Ken

Forgot one point
Learn the pivot point of the boat. Mine is just forward of the radar arch base. Basically were I stand at the helm.
Of course if working with a current or breeze I move this(pivot point) forward or aft to compensate.

 

I love the prop pockets. When underway the boat is smooth and handles great. In and out of the docks is easy. While the engines are in idle, I bring the rpm up to about 900 to 1000. On my steering wheel I have Davis mechanical rudder position indicator which helps me ensure the rudders are straight at a quick glance. Maneuvering is done only with the transmissions. Like driving a tank. The boat is great and again I would never go back to singles.

 

I agree with the above statements although I do find that my friends who have open pockets which are further apart (props are closer to both the port and starboard side) have a much greater "bite" when put in gear.

 

My props have never cavitated at either slow or high speed and I have tunnels just like the 340
And being in tunnels they are more protected from bottom/ strikes
I had a 300 with out drives and the 390 with inboards handles much better in docking situations. Spins in a smaller radius

 

I don't think it is a question of are prop pockets good as much as it is whether or not the entire hull performs as it should. I am not aware of Sea Ray making a hull that doesn't perform. From there, it becomes a matter of selecting the boat that best suits your needs and adapting to the hull characteristics in that particular boat. Some prop pocket attributed that come to mind are that the prop are mostly protected by the keel. On the 390 I had, the props were not the lowest protrusion on the bottom and more than once we skimmed over sand bars 30" or less under the water with no damage. Pockets do limit what you can do with your props since you are limited in diameter to hull clearance. Water disruption ahead of the props can be an issue so care must be taken in where and how you locate transducers. It isn't a prop pocket thing, but Sea rays in the late 80's tend to have smallish 3 blade props so it is going to take some throttle to get them to react in close quarters.

If I were you, I would include the 390EC in your list. The 390 is the best selling midsized cruiser of that era. It had a 5 year life span and the dealers wouldn't let Sea Ray replace it. The 390 has ample room for maintenance, whereas, the 340EC or DA is tight and the 39 has tons more interior room and is a better sea boat.

Good luck with your search.........

 

Thank you all for the very good responses. I’m feeling pockets are the way to go for me. Just so many clean fresh water boats up here I want to end up with a keeper.

 

About a year ago, I watched an interview with the former CEO of Sea Ray. He was an engineer from Volvo. The pockets are there to be able to mount the engines lower. No more. No less.

 

About a year ago, I watched an interview with the former CEO of Sea Ray. He was an engineer from Volvo. The pockets are there to be able to mount the engines lower. No more. No less.

Interesting: It would be nice to study the two hull designs out of the water.

 

The Wellcraft St Tropaz is a 32 ft boat and I think it has V Drives and interior headroom is 6 ft or less . The Sea Ray 34 ft Express is by far a better running boat with straight drives and the interior is much more functional. I agree with Frank that if you do it go for a 390 Express and you won't need to move up for a long time. My 390 has large prop pockets and handles docking just fine with the right touch and a little throttle. We love the room, separate shower, island bed and full size fridge.

 

We love the room, separate shower, island bed and full size fridge.

Ok, ok. Now you're making me jealous!! :grin:

 

Yep, love my pockets as well. They are solid boats as long as they are cared for. And the room inside compared to newer models with same length doesn't compare!

 

My last boat was a 1987 St Tropez with twin 350"s. It was a very good problem free boat and we moved up mainly for a newer model with a larger cockpit for entertaining. I don't notice any deficiencies with our current prop pocket design vs the St. Tropez open prop design. I prefer the additional safety margin that the pockets provide when it comes to shallow water operation.

The St Tropez has a nicer layout in the cabin (IMHO) than Sea Ray due to having an Island Bed, 4 person dinette, a 6' long couch opposite the dinette, and a separate galley area that's infringing on the center area of the boat. One negative thing is the lack of head room. I'm 6' and the ceiling needed to be a couple of inches higher in the cabin and the radar arch was also a skull crusher if you leave the light dome in place (which hangs down about an inch right between the front two seats). OUCH!!

I think the 340 Sea Ray would be a better overall value, and would attract more potential buyers when it comes time to sell.

 

I actually notice a difference between my old prop pocket boat and my new non pocketed boat. The pockets seemed to hinder the boats movement stern. The boat without pockets seems to maneuver a little quicker (even though it's a larger, taller, heavier boat).

Call me blasphemous but have you looked at the 34x Silvertons? They are huge 34' boats. Inboards, with an aft cabin, island berth up front, and I believe a stalk shower. I have seen a lot of them priced reasonably lately.

 

Like Frank and some others have said, pockets are great going forward and are good for shallow draft. They limit the wheel size and these boats have tiny 3 blade props as standard equipment. Something like 16 or 17" diameter. Reversing is fair. but at times, will need some throttle to get bite.... I would also agree that the 39 is an awesome boat! But then again, the 34 isnt a slouch either.

As to the "blasphemous" (lol) Silverton comment. I have a buddy with one from 1987. Yes its a big boat, but the quality isnt anywhere close to the SR. I see cleats pulling out and gelcoat cracking all over the place on his. The interior is decent, but the sleeping accomodations just plain stink. plus the hull is tapered sharply and the real beam isnt carrier all the way forward like the 34 SR's does... just a different type of boat, like apples and oranges. I do like the newer silvertons alot however....

 

Sounds like your friends had a rough life, I've never paid much attention to the 34X but never saw those issues on the dozens of 34, 37 and 40 Convertibles I've been on. I would like to climb aboard a 340 dancer to see how roomy they are!

 

You guys are killing me with the 390EC comments. I’m afraid I could pull it off since we wont be trailering anymore! Just not sure on the operating costs and the ability to go sandbaring.

It's time to get the wife on the 340 for a closer look.

 

Or the 390EC......:grin:

 

My previous boat was a 1985 st. tropez with small blocks. my current boat is a 1990 390 ec with big blocks.
low speed handling and reversing has no comparison between the 2 boats. the st. tropez handles much better than the sea ray.
thats the only thing I liked better about my wellcraft over my sea ray.
just my opinion.

 

Prop pockets are not such a big deal as you get used to them and become a better skipper. Big props that are widely spaced with big rudders improve things a great deal. The 340 will not fall into the category as being great around the dock, but it is manageable. The thing about the 340 that has not been mentioned is fuel consumption. Figure .5 mpg. It was known a gas hog when it first came out. I ended up buying a 370 later that was not great on fuel but it was noticeably better than the 340. The older 340s were also very prone to headliner stains as they pretty much all leaked. Good layout overall with the typical annoying issues of that era. Check the stringers and transom before getting to far into a deal.

 

The tunnels are nice to keep the props a little shallower, but serve little other purpose. Cavitation? Not a low-speed problem, cavitation has to do with boiling the water due to flow issues and typically is a high-speed / high-suction issue.

I prefer diesels over gas, safety and efficiency, simplicity and durability. The 3208 CAT is a decent engine but is somewhere between a gas engine and a heavy-duty diesel, I've had some issues with the 3208 but none terminal, and they seldom wear out but can be killed with oil and coolant issues or abuse. Treated properly if under 390hp it will last thousands of hours.

I can't say that I've been able to feel the difference between the 50DA and the 48FB in handling with the same CAT engines and props being that the DA has big tunnels, the bigger difference in handling is made by rudder size and the spacing between the engines. SeaRay has a tendency to put small rudders on their boats, compare them out of the water to a big-water boat rudders and you'll see it's significant. Rudders can be used in low speed maneuvering, when you have the skills and spend some time learning. full-over rudders with cross-shifted engines can crab a boat or spin it on its midpoint better, but for the occasional boater it is far better to leave them straight to avoid the trouble that will quickly occur if you mess it up. We now have rotating powerheads beneath the boats to create the same vectored thrust, I love slipping a boat sideways into a tight slip or backing out straight with a strong cross-current using the rudders and engines, ... get puzzled looks from the dock hands who think you must have thrusters.

The only way to really assess which boat's handling really suits you and your type of boatiing is a sea-trial, find a diesel with two big props for big water and long trips, small prop gassers are better for occasional use (cheaper maintenance and less draft) and shallower / river use.

 

Thank you all for the valuable info. My home work tells me both boats are close as far as power, beam & weight. Sea Ray seems to have a deeper dead rise!

Old 390EC’s are defiantly affordable in gas power. However; it seems the cost of the 3208 option, (even used) is what I’m looking to get the 340 for!

 

That is about right...but its all relative. You pay more on the front end, but the boat doesn't depreciate .....hardly any at all considering that it's 25 year old boat....and you get all the premium back when you sell or trade. If you plan to keep it, with your experience, you can expect the 3208's to cost next to nothing to maintain, whereas, you are looking at $4000+ every 5-6 yers for exhaust castings with 7.4's. The diesel 390EC is one of the true values in boats.....treat her right, make it look nicer when you sell than when you buy and you can probably boat in a 39 for nothing.

 

That is about right...but its all relative. You pay more on the front end, but the boat doesn't depreciate .....hardly any at all considering that it's 25 year old boat....and you get all the premium back when you sell or trade. If you plan to keep it, with your experience, you can expect the 3208's to cost next to nothing to maintain, whereas, you are looking at $4000+ every 5-6 yers for exhaust castings with 7.4's. .

Not so up here in The Great Lakes. If I had to make a choice between the two in a salt environment I would pick the Diesel in a hearbeat. The diesel 390 will cost 2-3 times the price of a nice 340...

 

I looooovvvvveeeee my diesel 390!
My diesels have performed flawlessly the 2 years I've used them. Instant starting every time. Ungodly amounts of torque. Low speed maneuvering is simply a matter of bumping in and out of gear, throttle not required.
And the boat itself is very roomy. The master cabin has a closing door, separate shower.......
To quote the commercial from the '70s "try it, you'll like it"

 

It would be a good idea to have the CATs surveyed by someone who KNOWS the 3208s, they are a good engine if in good condition.

The injection pumps fail, I believe that mine cost $3500/each about 10 years ago, if its over ~390hp they have some head/valve problems, be sure that the cooling system is properly maintained with CAT coolant and SCAs checked at least annually, and an oil analysis is an excellent idea, a meticulous owner will be able to show you the analysis results from the past few changes to verify the engines' condition. A good one should idle with 65psi of oil pressure hot.

The block is no longer in production, you will need reman parts if you need an engine.

I do love them, they are the small-block Chevy of medium-duty diesels IMO, but be sure that they are sound and also that anodes have been maintained.

 

Had a 1985 st. tropez with big blocks. Now havw a 1989 390ec. Granted the wellcraft was quicker than snot but other than that there is no way i would ever go back. It's almist like having a second home. Lots of room, at dock and sea.