I need a Hull Vent cover for a 1995 370 sundancer part number 777342

M

MikeD

New Member
Jan 14, 2013
5
Connecticut
Boat Info
1995 370DA Sundancer
Engines
Twin caterpillar 3116 6 cyl 300 HP
I need a Hull Vent cover for a 1995 370 sundancer part number 777342
 
Good luck with that Mike. I needed one for my '97 330 & they were nowhere to be found. I ended up borrowing one & having my fiberglass guy make a mold from it. He then produced my new one from fiberglass & gelcoated it to match my boat.


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Todd
 
Past FP Marine, I would have no idea where to look. I have spent the last two weeks of my spare time attempting to find a Plan-B for my water tank level indicator system. Maybe we should start a new thread where owners post about parts they could no find? Seems to me that (for most of us) buying a boat involves selling an older one. Speaks well for Sea Ray that there are so many 16-20 year old boats still going strong. You would think someone at Brunswick would understand the commercial value in helping owners of older boats keep the secondary market alive. Maintaining boats that look nice (Have the correct freaking vents), work well (are not all hacked with aftermarket electrical parts), and make boating look like a hobby other people may want to try. I can still go to Chevy Dealer and purchase most parts for my 1999 Tahoe factory new. Parts no longer available at my local dealer are almost always available at my local Monument car parts, or Kragen Auto Center. I can not, for the life of me, understand how items like vents would simply not be available. You had to have a body shop make one custom?? Seriously? is Brunswick hiring rejects from the CA DMV for their customer and Product support??
 
and, you would probably want the replacement vent to sell for $2.50 too.

Examine the costs associated with servicing repair parts for 15 year old boats that are long out of production. It isn't just the shelf space for the inventory. There are as many as 50 different fiberglass molds needed for a mid-sided cruiser. Where do you store the molds and how to you keep them in condition to cast new parts? The last time I visited one of the factories, there were acres of molds for current models in storage. The cost associated with servicing parts for out of production models when amortized over the actual sales to owners of 15 year old boats would be so high that the clamshell vent cover would be astronomical. That would be a whole 'nuther' discussion.

The comparison to the auto industry doesn't work, either. The 2 industries just are not parallel. GM probably made 150,000 Tahoe/Yukons in '99; There may have been 75 370's produced in a year in the 90's. The numbers just don't support indefinite parts support.

I've got an older boat and this just hasn't been a problem for me. I try to find what I need thru online sources, local supply houses,or my local dealer. If that doesn't work, I repair the OEM part or I replace it with one I make or with something better than OEM.
 
Frank, I understand both sides of this discussion as I was at a loss to find anything that could remotely be used to replace my extremely custom vent cover. I couldn't repair the old one as it shattered at the mouth of my marina as I got pushed sideways in a 20+ knot wind and rode a 3' wave up into a dock support. More than half of it sank to the bottom of the bay. I also understand that it's impossible to keep all parts available for every old boat ever produced. I was fortunate to get a loaner for the mold & had one reproduced for about $150. I recently had a pair made for another member here who contacted me after finding himself in the same predicament I was in. I had an extra pair produced for spares figuring if I have them, I will never need them! Lol


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Todd
 
fwebster said:
and, you would probably want the replacement vent to sell for $2.50 too.

The comparison to the auto industry doesn't work, either. The 2 industries just are not parallel. GM probably made 150,000 Tahoe/Yukons in '99; There may have been 75 370's produced in a year in the 90's.
Click to expand...
OK, so I am a 16 year Jouneyman car mechanic, with a full ASE Master Tech Certification. I can probably do an elegant 'hack' on most any system on the boat. That is not how I like to do things. Also I am not looking for a $2.50 solution. Turns out to replace the water level systems there are some nice options ranging between $300 and $500. Most would require reworking the main DC electrical panel. If you could show me a direct replacement for the sender and indicator at $500 I would buy it tomorrow. I do not care that the pricing used to be $85+$20. In fact, I found the email to Sea Ray customer service. They were very responsive and said they would contact the original manufacturer of the part tomorrow and see if there is an updated replacement available. I told them if they found the parts I would buy them on the spot.
I personally think that if your boats are lasting 20 years you should support that market. It speaks well of your brand. If you came aboard my 2000 boat, you would see it is in immaculate condition. No funky smells. Super clean. Everything works, and if it stops working it goes on the list. You could bring down passports and some supplies and leave for Mexico tomorrow. Looking for a new boat? Why not buy one with a pedigree of looking that good after 16 years? I am a Past Commodore of our Yacht Club, and a USCG Licensed Captain. My wife and I go on every club cruise, and I write the captains package for each YC outing. I think it is people like me, holding up the secondary market, making boating look fun, encouraging participation in the sport, and teaching basic skills and safety, that get people interested in buying new boats. Our Clubs last ocean cruise, for 2015, the weather was marginal and of the 12 boats signed up, only four made the trip. One sixty footer was turned around by conditions. Took on water, and shredded their Bimini. Most just stayed tied to the dock. No matter what they might read in THT or what the Viking or Tierra rep might tell them, our Club members have a real world opinion of Sea Ray, and Club pictures include a lively cocktail party on a 38 foot Sundancer in Pillar Point Harbor. I like to set the bar. When people come aboard for a drink or to check out my boat, I want it to look factory stock. No effort visible. Just a 2000 Sundancer like they came from the factory. Why?
but that's just me. Everyone has an opinion
 
We have that in common, i.e. keeping the boat as stock as possible. I keep my boat at a marina in FLorida owned by the local Sea Ray dealer and sales customers frequently ask me: "Which model is that; I can't find it in the brochure the salesman gave me." I agree that it can be a struggle to find parts resources when Sea Ray has changed vendors, and/or the vendor no longer produces a particular item that was used on new boats produced 15+ years ago.

That said, Sea Ray only manufactures the fiberglass, cabinetry and some upholstery parts of the boats. Everything else is supplied by vendors like Mercruiser, Cummins, Perko, Garelick, Dometic, etc. and Sea Ray has no direct control over them or their products, once the original purchase agreement expires. It really isn't fair to criticize Sea Ray because Sealand sold its marine sanitation business to Dometic, Cruise Air was acquired by Dometic, Whale stopped producing the white plastic faucet assy used in many cockpit sinks, or the clamshell vent the original poster asked about is no longer produced by the OEM vendor.

If owners can track down the original manufacturer of a part he needs, most Sea Ray vendors are professionally managed and will try to help. A simple request to their customer service departments usually bears fruit. For example, just last week I had the synchronizer tach drive shear off just from 1500 hours of wear. Glendenning no longer makes the drive for my system but they offered to make a couple for me and in 4 days the new drives arrived via UPS...for $37 ea.

Sometimes that won't work and we have to do a work-around.

Then, sometimes the manufacturer just isn't helpful. I can understand and accept the fact that sometimes parts just no longer exist, but I find it to be maddening.when a vendor just refuses to help. Garelick won't sell parts to its telescopic seat bases......I either have to buy a whole new pedestal @ $175 to get a $15 aluminum extrusion that is 10" long, or I have to do have the repair part machined by a local machine shop.......which will probably cost as much as the entire pedestal.

Ive got a great boat that suits our needs perfectly. Nobody and no company is going to prevent me from enjoying it fully, and keeping it as original as possible. Whenever I have to change something because of exact replacements not being available, I try to improve the looks and function..........I replaced the white plastic faucet in the cockpit with a Sandvick stainless one that fits perfectly. I replaced my old Teleflex tachs with Aetna digital ones, even though that required new dash panels, I replaced the old analog A/C controllers with newer Dometic digital ones, and I will continue to update/upgrade and time goes on and more and more OEM replacements are not available. I have a list of people who want to know if I ever decide to sell my "old" boat.
 
OK Frank , I might be whining a little bit. It does seem wrong to me that I can buy grill for a 1933 Ford, and almost every part for my Winchester 1873, and yet we have two posts below that can not find vents for 1995 and 1997 boats. Having to custom manufacture parts for products that are 50-60 years newer. I think there is room for some improvement. However I am very enthusiastic about the response I got from SeaRay yesterday, on my water level indicator, and if they come through for me I am going to have to eat some words. Oddly, my cockpit sink faucet is no longer plastic either. It was replaced by the original owner with a very cool marine grade stainless faucet that looks like a whale. It is not stock but it is a cute, and subtle, upgrade. I love it. I also replaced the tachometers with new ones from FP Marine. They do not have the SeaRay logo, but are made by the same company. I kept the old ones (only one was faulty) and will probably try to repair them (or get them repaired) at some point when I temporarily run out of real projects.
 
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I have neither the brains nor the tech expertise to mold my own parts. However, I would think that a CAD and a 3D printer may be a place to start a niche business. NASA sent a wrench to the space station that way.
 
Just ran across "Searayman13" on eBay. He has a selection of vents. might be worth a look!
 
Frank,
Sea Ray was helpful when I called trying to find a replacement. They gave me the manufacturers number as I recall along with the part number. When I called I was told that they were asked to destroy the molds when the original contract was up. That seemed odd to me but stranger things have happened I guess. My work around worked out fine. They look OEM & are stronger than the originals!


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Todd
 
The Sea Ray parts list shows the vent as NLA (no longer available). The notes say "Do not order from Vendor; molds were returned to PD&E" at Merritt Island Fla about 10 years ago. They most probably have been destroyed because PD&E had no storage space prior to their getting part so the Sykes Creek floor space.
 
tdschafer said:
Frank, I understand both sides of this discussion as I was at a loss to find anything that could remotely be used to replace my extremely custom vent cover. I couldn't repair the old one as it shattered at the mouth of my marina as I got pushed sideways in a 20+ knot wind and rode a 3' wave up into a dock support. More than half of it sank to the bottom of the bay. I also understand that it's impossible to keep all parts available for every old boat ever produced. I was fortunate to get a loaner for the mold & had one reproduced for about $150. I recently had a pair made for another member here who contacted me after finding himself in the same predicament I was in. I had an extra pair produced for spares figuring if I have them, I will never need them! Lol


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Todd
Click to expand...


You said you had a pair made for another member, is it possible to get more produced? I need those vent covers for my 1997 330.
 
btye1 said:
You said you had a pair made for another member, is it possible to get more produced? I need those vent covers for my 1997 330.
Click to expand...
I COULD USE A PAIR OF THOSE VENT COVERS FOR THE 330. ANY CHANCE YOU CAN HELP ME. THANKS, GLENN
 
tdschafer said:
Frank,
Sea Ray was helpful when I called trying to find a replacement. They gave me the manufacturers number as I recall along with the part number. When I called I was told that they were asked to destroy the molds when the original contract was up. That seemed odd to me but stranger things have happened I guess. My work around worked out fine. They look OEM & are stronger than the originals!


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Todd
Click to expand...
tdschafer,

Do you mind my asking what was your work around? I am not having any luck finding someone to reproduce the starboard vent cover for my 330DA.
 
Jackie Hartgrove said:
tdschafer,

Do you mind my asking what was your work around? I am not having any luck finding someone to reproduce the starboard vent cover for my 330DA.
Click to expand...
Jackie,
I had my fiberglass guy make a new set. I borrowed the port vent cover from a friend then my fiberglass guy made a mold then produced the vent & gel coated it to match the boat. He is retired now but, another member here- Tony Clark was producing them in the UK. Pretty sure a member bought a pair from him not too long ago. I would send him a DM & ask. I dont think he's active on this forum much anymore. Good luck!
 
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