330EC vs 330SD

[zekester]

I'm looking at purchasing a 33 foot SD or EC...in the 1994 to 1996 models. I used to run an '87 340EC, 340 inboards...

can anyone tell me the comparison betwen the SD vs the EC in the 31 to 33 foot range? opinions?

Obviously the lack of aft cabin in the EC, but how do you feel inboards vs outdrives? Is the Dancer typically faster with the drives, but the EC handles better with the engines midships?

Any opinion or comment would be of great value to me...

Thank You,

 

[fc3]

Totally different boats. The EC has a much greater beam than the DA. EC has straight shaft inboards, the DA has V-drives. No mid cabin on the EC, while the DA has a reasonably decent one. In short the EC is built to fish and the DA is built for a family to cruise.

Outdrives suck. Too many seals, gears, shafts, bellow and other failure points immersed in water. They are ok for the first couple of years, then by year 5 they are costing a few hundred to a thousand to maintain. Avoid them like the plague they are. While they are more efficient, you'll be hard pressed to burn that much more fuel to make up for the time lost on the water and maintenance costs. Dockside handling is far better with inboards than sterndrives. The props are larger and set further apart allowing thrust to maneuver the boat effectively.

I maintained the drive on my previous boat beyond the recommendations. Cost a lot to do all that extra service and still had downtime in the middle of the season or had to pull the boat early because of a major fault. Have had zero downtime with V-drives. Do you want to go boating or wait for your boat to be fixed?

Best regards,
Frank C

 

[Alegria]

To add on. I believe the deadrise on the EC is greater then the DA. Wait do you mean this model?

http://www.searay.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/company1729/1C1_27_74DERNSYJ911.pdf

Or this model

http://www.searay.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/company1729/1C1_27_74DERNRNA822.pdf

If you mean the one above then there seems to be little diffrence other then the missing aft cabin. Looks like that one has V-Drives.

If you mean the first one then what Frank said holds they are totally different, more deadrise and mis ship placement on the engine I bet would make a pretty great running boat.. Not sure if the second one has V-drives or straight drives..

 

[gattlenn1]

zekester -

i have a 2000, 330 EC. call me at 941-223-1426

 

[rcknecht]

I would buy an EC over a DA if the hours, condition, year, and cost are the same... Your are likely to find the DA to be a better deal since there are many more DAs than ECs.

 

[dpmulvey]

I would buy an EC over a DA if the hours, condition, year, and cost are the same... Your are likely to find the DA to be a better deal since there are many more DAs than ECs.

+1. Especially if there are only two travellers. The aft cabin is good for canvas storage and that's about it.

 

[zekester]

I owned an '87 SD 300, and an '87 340 EC, so could compare some things,

http://www.searay.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/company1729/1C1_27_74DERNRNA822.pdf

was the one I was looking at...I totally agree about the drives, and what a pain they are, if the SD stood out from the EC, I was considering it, and as another poster commented, SDs of that era are going cheaper...

I loved the handling, and the flat floor aft on the EC...plus ease of working on engines etc...

 

[zekester]

There are many more SDs available than the EC,

do all SDs have V drives? or some with outdrives?

performance wise, are they similar? I mean cruise and top speed...

 

[AndersonAcres]

Zekester, not all SDs have outdrives. If the listing doesn't tell you which the boat has, looking on the dash is a give-away. Outdrive boats have one combo shifter-throttle. V-drive boats have two sets on the dash.

 

[skolbe]

Some Outdrived Sea Rays have the same separate shifters like the V-Drives.

 

[dpvandy01]

I couldn't take it any longer



SD = SUNDECK

DA = SUNDANCER!

your perviously owned boats were either the largest bowriders ever made or you owned Sundancers (DA's)

As for the Mid-cabins, My wife and dog often sleep back there in our 280 and we have both spent a cramped evening down under when we've had guests overnight but she is only 5' 3" and I am 5' 10"... it's not huge by any standard.

 

[AndersonAcres]

Skolbe, thanks for correcting my mis-information about separate shifters.

 

[zekester]

your perviously owned boats were either the largest bowriders ever made or you owned Sundancers (DA's)

Thanks for the correction,