2008 330 DA vs 2008 340 DA

A

acs330

New Member
Jan 12, 2008
9
Northern Virginia
Boat Info
2007 38DA
Engines
T 8.1
I am considering trading in my 98 330 da for either an 08 330 or 340 da.
Has anyone compared or tested either? They are both powered the same and have comparable options. I was curious about the 330 hull - haven't seen one pulled to look at the design, prop pockets etc.
 
acs330. If I were you, I would change my screen name - to acs340. The 340 is one of the best boats SR ever produced. The new lines of boats, including the 330, are a different breed. There is a lot of discussion on this website about the new 290, 310, and 330. The younger, newer SR crowd seems to be attracted to the new lines. Most long-time SR owners seem to prefer the classis lines.

Unlike cheap cars, boats hang around for quite a while. Re-sale is important. In $100,000+ and certainly in $200,000+ boats, I'd stray away from fads and stick to classic designs. Look at the threads regarding late 90's 370's. These are still in demand.

On a more practical level, try to clean the gen strainer on a 330. Then, try it on a 340. We have to do this everyday out on the hook. In the 330, it's a major procedure. Also, I felt like the plastic doors, panels, trim on the 330 were really cheap. The engine rooms are extremely cramped in the 330. If you or anyone else buys a 330, there is no doubt in my mind that you will have a great boat for you and your family. I, personally, believe the 340 is a better boat.

If you do decide on the 340, realize that the price is artificially inflated an extra 40,000 or so to make room and demand for the 330.
 
One of the major differences is size of the boat. The 340 is much more boat. 12 foot beam vs 11'6" for the 330. 37 feet long vs 35 for the 330. You need to justify to yourself if the "more boat" is worth 40 - 50k more premium for the 340. The 340 was priced at the boat show in New York for 279,900 2 weeks ago whereas the 330 was priced at 229,900. If i were you i would look to buy a 2005 - 2006 340 lightly used. My buddy just picked up an 05 at the end of last summer with 150 hrs on it for 150k with full electronics, warranty and dinghy with motor. This is the way to go unless you completely fall in love with the 330 design in my opinion. Buying an 08 340 at that inflated price makes no sense to me at all.
 
While I happen to be one of those who really likes the new 330DA, if given a choice I would still pick the 340DA. The current 340DA has to be one of the nicest cruisers Sea Ray ever produced and because of that will probably still be in great demand on the used market once they stop producing it. On the other hand, rumor has it this is the last year for the 340DA. So if you want to wait, by late summer you may be able to choose it's replacement (350da....maybe?) which will in all likelihood be along the same style as the newer 310DA and 330DA.
 
John,
Thanks - I tend to agree on looks only the 340 has more classic lines, curves and overall grace while running. I wasn't sure if Sea Ray had worked on their hull bottom design w/ the new 330 or had just re-worked the 340. We're still negotiating w/ the dealer on both to see where they'll give the most.
I did like the engine room on the 340 - much easier to move around in compared to our 98 330 which requires you to be small or be a contortionist to service strainers, tune up etc.
One thing the 340 has which I wasnt familiar with was the DTS controls. Not sure if the single lever per engine will be better than the "gold" levers I have now - just have to figure it out at sea trial.
Thanks again
 
acs330 said:
John,
I wasn't sure if Sea Ray had worked on their hull bottom design w/ the new 330 or had just re-worked the 340.

One thing the 340 has which I wasnt familiar with was the DTS controls. Not sure if the single lever per engine will be better than the "gold" levers I have now - just have to figure it out at sea trial.
Thanks again
Click to expand...

The comparison should be between the 320 and the 330 hulls, not the 340 and 330 hulls. The 330 is the replacement for the 320. They are the same size. I have to think that the majority of the weight difference is in the big blocks when comparing the 320 to the 330.

I've heard that using the DTS is a matter of getting used to it. I'm going to have to write that one off to a pure preference sort of thing. I can tell you that the dual levers are likely to be a thing of the past in coming years.
 
If you want to see the difference in size between a 320 and 340, install the tables in the salons, and walk through each. Most people don't see the difference because in the 340, the tables are left up most of the time while in the 320, they are usually stowed. Just my observations. The 330 is the size of the 320.
 
Well, you asked for opinions, and I'm scratching my head on this one.

You own one of the top 10 boats Sea Ray has ever produced. You are considering another of the top 10 in the current 340DA. Your boat is 11'3" in beam and LOA is 37'6". The 340Da is 12' in beam and 35'10" in length. For roughly $200K difference on a trade you are getting new fabrics and new motors and essentially the same size boat. If I were going to increase my boating investment by nearly 1/4 mil, I'd be shopping for more boat.

For example, one of our members has a pristine 450DA listed in the classifieds......and then you'd have one of the top 3 boat Sea Ray ever produced, have diesel engines and spend less money.

Perhaps I'm missing something..............
 
Frank - we're trying to get back to 1 boat. When we bought our 330DA on a brokerage deal (through a dealer) we were to have a coincidental sale of our 01 280 ss. The 280ss deal tanked, so we now have had 2 for over a year w/ no help from the same dealer.
The only way I can see to get back to 1 is to buy new and trade both, which is what another dealer is helping with. Would love to go larger but don't have the budget. We'd keep the 330 if we could sell the 280 - know any one looking for a very clean low hour 280 ss w/ t-5.7 B-1 180 hrs.?
Thanks for the responses
 
I am positive the LOAs are reversed. The 340DA is 37.6 LOA

SPECIFICATIONS

Overall Length : 37' 6" / 11.43 m
Beam : 12' / 3.66 m
Draft - Stern Drive Down : 32" / 83 cm
Draft - Stern Drive Up : 27" / 68.6 cm
Draft (Inboards) : 34" / 88 cm
Dry Weight : 15,500 lbs / 7,031 kg
Fuel Capacity : 225 gal / 851.6 L
Usable Fuel : 203 gal / 770 L
Water Capacity : 40 gal / 150 L
Holding Tank : 28 gal / 106 L
Gray Water Tank : 28 gal / 106 L
Dead Rise : 21° / 21°
 
We went on a new 330DA yesterday in the showroom. Very nice indeed. There was more to like about the changes than not. Keep in mind that while the 330DA is the replacement for the 320DA it's just as heavy as the 340DA (15,400) So I'm glad SeaRay is offering this boat with twin 8.1 V-drives (unlike the 320DA). I'm guessing the new 350DA when it comes out later this year will be around 17,000 lbs.
 
I know this has been a controversial issue on this forum, comparing the “new” design direction to the “classic” Sea Ray cruiser designs. The classic design of the current 280, 320 and 340 definitely has its merits. The new direction Sea Ray is taking is more European with the higher bow and plunging shear line. If you look at the 330 and 320 side by side in photographs, the differences are striking. The same is true between the 280 and 290.

The old design:____________________New Design:
diving shear line forward_____________Rising shear line forward
bow down attitude_________________Bow up attitude
Mass centered effect_______________Mass forward effect
Ports above rub rail________________Ports under rub rail in the hull
Level shear line aft_________________Plunging shear line aft

The side-by-side comparison IMO shows that the 330 and 290 have more visual presence and attitude. I think, more character. The issue with less engine room space is clearly a consequence of cosmetic design. They have some work to do in order to get that and the layout of the 290 perfect.

Also, Sea Ray is probably putting much attention toward international sales, which may have a different design flavor than we Americans. I think that is a good thing for us all in order to maintain jobs on the production line and keep the purchase price from continuing to rocket out of control. Sell more Sea Rays overseas!
 
Last edited:
teekster said:
why are these boats getting so heavy?
Click to expand...

Rather than compare the 330DA to the 340DA, look at the specifications of the boat the 330DA replaces and that is the 320DA. the 320DA weighs 13,800 pounds whereas the 330DA weighs 15,400 or a 1600 pound increase. The 320DA and the 330DA are identical in length but the beam went from 11.5 to 11.6. I believe the free-board is also greater on the 330DA contributing to more mass in that area of the boat. Plus the 330DA has a partial hardtop as well which probably also adds weight. Whether those factors are the sole reason for the weight gain, they obviously contribute greatly to the increase.
 
8.1 big blocks vs 6.2 small blocks. There's a few hundred pounds - each?
 
Wow no question in my mind, 340 supercedes the 330 in my mind, too many looks and too many better options and not to mention the looks, the 340 beats the 330 hands down......

Robert
 
waterlogged & WFYB-

The specs weren't reversed but I did key in the wrong LOA for the 340DA.......should have been 37'-6" instead of 35'-10". But, the 20" error is a moot point anyway since acs330 explained his reason for considering the 340DA trade.
 
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