1988 340 Sundancer

[Forever Mates]

Hi everybody Thinking of moving up from the 1996 270 to a late 80,s 340 What should I be looking for as far as the age of the boat. I hate going backwards in years but we really like the room and wide beam.

 

[CaptainHarry]

Captain Harry! I have a1988, 390 Express Cruiser love it...purchased it in 2001. Your dead right, wider beam is the only way to go and for the money could be the best route if previous owners took care of the boat. Number one, no fault of maintenance, the eighties brought the fiberglass bottom blisters. Two, water holding tank, bottom will be rusted out. Three, sanitation system, pump and seals shot. Four, A/C, yes it's getting old too, pulling to many amps, blowing breaker. Five, Frig, if original your lucky, next to the top to go. Six, first to die, ice maker if you have one. Seven, hot water heater another given. Eight, sliding panel doors, made of paper, easy to replace. Nine, any thing made of plastic on the outside of the boat. And last the usual engines and everything that moves.

 

[DanW]

I have had a 1988 340 Sundancer for six years now and love it. It’s a great boat. I agree with Captain Harry. Everything he mentioned except the sliding doors and the refrigerator has been replaced on my boat. But I don’t think those should discourage you. After all, it’s a 30 year old boat and some items have been replaced.

Dan

 

[NorCal Boater]

Whoa Captain Harry....what's next? The world's end?

I owned a 1989 340da and it was a great boat and I didn't experience any of the issues you have predicted. But I have seen newer boats, that were not properly maintained, with some of the same issues. So before you talk Forever Mates completely out of boating let's address your points.

1. When I bought my boat in 2006 it was 17 years old. Survey showed a few blisters, not uncommon, and the rule is if it's smaller than a half dollar and not soft around it, leave it alone.
2. Water tanks are either plastic or stainless....neither rusts.
3. In 4 years the only thing I had to replace in my sanitation system was a vacuum breaker and the ball seal on the head.
4. Had the MarineAir AC system. Was not working well when we bought the boat. Had it checked and the system charged. Total cost....$125.
5. The Norcold fridge was bad but was discovered in survey. The seller agreed to pay for half the cost of a replacement fridge. My cost was about $500. (It was 17 years old and historically not one of Norcold's better units)
6. Ya got me here. The ice making mechanism on the ice maker stopped working but it still got cold. We used it as a freezer and bought bags of ice and dumped it in the bin. Tasted better than the system ice anyway.
7. Original water heater. Replaced the element the second year we had the boat. Cost....$18.
8. Never an issue. Always worked fine
9. Again, not an issue. Never had anything made of plastic, and there isn't that much, on the outside of the boat break
10. Engines and I'll include the genny. The boat was 17 years old when I bought it and the engines had about 750 hours on them and the genny about 500. Other than tune ups, oil changes, etc. I changed the exhaust manifolds. I did have the props tuned and I had to replace a bent shaft which was my fault as I hit a log. Other than that, just the expected normal maintenance and upkeep.

Forever Mates, ignore just about everything Captain Harry had to say. The late 80's 340 Sundancer and Express are great boats if you find the right one. In my opinion the "88 & '89 were the best years. They are beamy, roomy and the v-berth is huge. My wife and I and 2, 90 lb. dogs used to sleep in it very comfortably. It's got a great galley for a 34' boat. The 7.4L motors are well-suited for the boat. It will run in the low to mid 30s MPH and cruise easily at 22-25. And they are easy to handle. My wife handled it like a pro.

Problems and issues? The biggest that comes to mind is the stringers. Sea Ray put pieces of PVC pipe in the stringers limber holes and they were not glassed in. Some, not all, would get water behind the PVC and cause rot in the stringers. Be sure you use a surveyor that is familiar with this model and knows to look for moisture in this area. The engine room is pretty tight and I did a lot of maintenance laying above the motors. Lastly the standard swim platform is really narrow. It's only 22". If you buy the boat consider a new swim platform from Swim Platforms, Inc. www.swimplatforms.com The replacement platform is 39" deep and it was the single best upgrade we made to the boat. Wasn't cheap but very well made and so worth it. In fact, if you go to their website and look at the photos of the '83 to '89 340s you'll see a pic of my boat....Pretender.

So....keep an eye on the engine hours, get a good survey, look for service history and enjoy the boat. And don't worry about going back in years. The 1988 340 is probably a better built boat than your 1996 270. FYI When I sold my 1989 340 I bought a 1984 52' CPMY. Never thought twice about it.
Shawn

 

[Forever Mates]

Thanks for the assorted info. lol... I wont quit boating not to worry. Have a good and safe summer.

 

[dwna1a]

If it's a 34ec with FWC 454's and a Genset get the survey and buy it now. I have one next to me and I love it. I've been hunting for one, I should say "the one" I'd like to have. The neighbor has only had one issue. Both engines have been replaced both were raw water cooled and age got to them.

34ec is a great boat and the older 80's SeaRay still built them and built them very well.