Any 270 Amberjack Owners out there?

2007Amberjack

2007Amberjack

New Member
Jan 27, 2009
37
Enfield CT
Boat Info
2007 Sea Ray 270 Amberjack
Engines
6.2l MPI
I just wanted to get some feedback from any current or past Amberjack 270 owners about these boats.

Looking for feedback on Handeling, top speed, overal performance, fishability, liveability, average fual burn at cruiseing speed, ect. I have yet to take delivery of mine which will probably happen on April 10th.

Just want a heads up.

Thanks
 
I owned a 2005, 270 Amberjack for 1 1/2 years. I enjoyed the boat very much while I had it. I had the 6.2L Horizon, B3 set up that you have. I found the handling of the boat to be great and the fishability was also very good. One of her strongest suits was handling choppy/rough water and while it is not the dryest boat in the world it does not bang and handles well in rough conditions. As far as peformance goes, I was a little disapointed in that top speed was in the low 30's and with 4 or more people on board it took longer than it should have to plane in my opinion. If the bottom was even slightly dirty it affected performance measurably. It is a heavy boat for a single I/O so the engine worked to get the job done so fuel economy at cruise was about 15-16 gallons per hour. Livablity is O.K. for a night or two but the cusions are quite hard and there is not a lot of room in the cabin for people to move around. In 2005 the 270AJ did not have an aft cabin so I can't comment on that although the 260DA has an identical cabin so you might want to look at posts for that boat.

All in all it is a very good boat. We ended up doing more overnighting and less fishing than anticipated so I traded her for a 280DA which suits our boating need much better but for an all around boat for people that like to fish, the 270AJ is a very good choice.

Good Luck with your new boat!!

KV
 
Count another owner here.

Love my 2006 270 AJ. There's not another boat like it on the market anywhere near it's price range. I have the 350 MAG engine, so your numbers will be a little different.

Top speed: ~34-35 MPH. Assume 1/2 fuel, 2 people, minimal water, calm seas, and clean bottom.
Fuel burn @ top speed: ~22-23 GPH
Optimal cruise: ~25 MPH @ 3400 RPM
Fuel burn @ optimal cruise: ~11-12 GPH
Preferred cruise: ~28-29 MPH @ 3800 RPM. (Where the boat feels "best")
Fuel burn @ pref. cruise: ~14-15 GPH.

Overall, it's a great boat. I have the dual back-to-back seating option which is pretty rare. It gives a ton of space and seating.

I use mine for both family time and fishing, about equally. It serves both purposes quite well even without the fishing package, although I wish I had gotten the arch. There is plenty of room for 3-4 guys to fish, esp trolling. The sides are a little high but the swim platform is great for boarding and releasing fish. When I go fishing, I just pull up the engine hatch carpet. The side rod storage is great.

For family activities, the open layout is very nice. I have a toddler and the sides are high enough to keep him in. I even have a kiddie pool I set up for him when the LI sound is too cold. The water heater is nice for this. The in-cockpit storage (where some models have the aft berth) is MASSIVE. The pool stores easily in there, along with soda, pool noodles, BBQ, tools, extra cushions, etc, etc. The rear fish box is also excellent for misc. storage.

The cabin is decent, but not huge. I also don't have the after cabin, so one night overnight is about the max. There's not much room for 2 people to stand below. As mentioned, the v-berth cushions are pretty hard for a night's sleep, but good for an afternoon nap. The full head can be a bit cramped when trying to take a shower. Overall, it's fine to 2 friendly adults. Older kids could camp in the cockpit. Or the kids can take the cabin and parents camp out.

The ride is good and usually smooth, depending on seas of course. It will cut though chop pretty well but expect some spray on the windshield as the going gets rougher. With good throttle management seas of 3-4 feet are doable but can be tiring. It's a coastal cruiser after all. The boat handles very well turning tightly and confidently even at higher speeds. Hole-shot is good, but not it's primary role. I usually fully deploy the trim tabs, then retract them once on plane. I frequently go out by myself, so no handling problems there. I'm not usually bothered by fouling; I do brush of a couple times over a season.

For myself, I'm expecting another baby this summer so we might consider moving up to a 290 Amberjack to gain an aft-cabin, especially if we overnight more often. But I'd have to take on another engine. Overall, I think the 270 AJ is a great boat and I'd buy it again.
 
Guys

Thanks for the info. Im very much looking forward to takeing delivery in less than a month. I plan on useing the boat on weekends to overnight mainly with my fiancee/soon to be wife. Getting married in August. I figured that for the two of use for overnight outings this boat will be perfect especailly because we have the mid-bearth option.

Realistically is it asking to much to expect a max speed in the 35-40 MPH range with my set up with 2 adults on board with full tank of gas, half a tank of water/waste? I've got the 6.2 MPI with B3.

B Arrington where abouts do you do your boating. Im gonna have my boat at a slip in Niantic CT.
 
For two people you'll be good.

I think you'll hit the 35 mark, but likely not 40 MPH (in calm seas). Are you planning on making frequent runs at top speed? You probably don't want to being doing max speed at WOT for sustained periods. Two reasons: 1). Marine engines like to run about at about 80% of max rated RPM, for longevity. IIRC, Max RPM is 4,800. 2) At WOT, you'll be burning a HECK of a lot of gas - about 2x as much as at 80%. Figure a realistic sustainable speed of 29-30 MPH on calm seas with the 6.2.

IMO, top speed is one of the more useless boating stats. It's really just about bragging, kind of like a car. I think I hit WOT once last year when I was fooling around in the spring.

I usually boat in and around Port Jefferson. I took a couple trips last year to Orient Point and Essex, though.

Enjoy the new boat! I can't wait to take the cover off mine.
 
I agree that it will be tough to hit 40MPH with the 270AJ and I also agree that it's not something that you would want to do often any way. I am not an expert on these matters but in my opinion the hull design with a 21 degree dead rise provides a nice ride in choppy conditions. I think that the trade off for this is top end speed and hole shot performance. The similar year 260DA had the same hull as the 270AJ and it is interesting that Sea Ray changed the dead rise on the new 270DA that replaced the 260DA from 21 to 19 degrees. Another factor that you have to consider is that the fishing package including the arch and bait station etc. adds quite a bit of weight to the boat along with the added weight of the aft cabin configuration. I made several runs to Block Island on my 270AJ and at least a couple of those times I probably should not have gone but during those runs I never thought about top speed but it sure was nice having the comfortable and secure ride.

One last bit of advice would be to get one of those "egg crate" foam toppers for your v birth to add comfort for sleeping.

KV
 
Thanks again for the input. I by no means do I plan to run the engine at full throttle for any prolonged period of time. In some very rare cases I like to know that the extra speed is there if I have run fast for one thing or an other. You never know stuff happens.

I agree that from reading old articles (by old i mean 2005) for reviews/tests done on '05 amberjacks that these boats like to cruise around 3800-4000 RPM. On good days with seas of 1-2 ft (which is normal in Long Island Sound) I like to/hope to cruise around 30 MPH. My old boat which was a 1999 Bayliner 2452 with Carbed 220 HP 5.0/alpha 1 weiging in at 6000lbs topped out at 28-30 MPH on a good day at full throttle. I just hope that I see a difference in performace compared to that old skiff.
 
while I do not currently have an Amberjack, I am a fan of this boat, and I'd like to give my observations.

the newer 270's:
aft bunk
narrow beam
single screw
nice interior/cockpit

the older 270s (1990's/earlier)
wide beam
twin screw available
no aft bunk
spartan interior/cockpit

the above are by no means either a pro/con. there are distinct differences that one may find better for certain uses.

I happen to like the wider beam (more day space for fishing, etc.) of the older models. however I also like the aft bunk of the new 270 (for overnighting). I'd also like to have twins available as an option.

What I'm saying is that in light of MY wish list, I'd most likley lean toward a 290 (little bit older) which has all of these items.

don't get me wrong, the 270 is a nice boat, and would definately be an upgrade from what I currently own, I just don't think I'd be that happy long term. I was thinking of buying one at our local baot show (the price was such that you'd be hard pressed to pass up), but I just couldn't pull the trigger.

I'm sure you'll enjoy her!
 
I'd agree that the old-style Amberjacks served a different mission than the current model. It's a much different boat for the reasons you mention. IMO, old-style was more about fishing; current model is more family friendly with short cruising capability. It would be nice for a little more beam, though.

One reason I have my 2006 270 AJ is because of the price I got. My dealer simply made an offer I couldn't refuse. Another reason is because it's a single engine, not a lack of twin. I liked the 290 AJ, but I didn't want the operating and maintenance expense of twin engines. The 270 AJ was the largest boat I could find with a single that was also reasonably fish-able.


2007AJ - I think you'll see a significant difference from your old boat. You'll cruise at your former top speed. When taking a significant trip, the difference between a 24 MPH and 29 MPH cruise is huge.

Like Tippy Canoe, I've also been out in some snotty seas in my AJ. It was a secure ride at all times. My wife had a different opinion though. Tippy is right about the egg crate too. It will make the v-berth much more comfortable if you plan on frequent overnights. It should store pretty easily in the space under the bunk, too.
 
Barrington,

I agree with your assessment, and am by no means slamming the new 270. She's layed out well, appointed well, etc. Aliitle more beam would be nice, but would most likely make it un-trailerable?

Enjoy the water!!!!
 
ghuskin said:
Barrington,

I agree with your assessment, and am by no means slamming the new 270. She's layed out well, appointed well, etc. Aliitle more beam would be nice, but would most likely make it un-trailerable?

Enjoy the water!!!!
Click to expand...

No worries - I didn't take it as a knock. Models evolve over time to meet market needs. Just look at the 1960's Dodge Charger vs. the current model.

I would guess that trailering considerations played a role in the current beam. A wider beam would be nice but at 8.5 feet, I think that's the maximum universally allowed without a special permit. Not that I plan to ever personally trailer my boat.
 
Hi All,

I take delivery of my AJ270 (Actually sold as the 275 here in Australia) next week. Lots of good info so thank you to the thread contributors.

Because we have to buy stock boats here I wasn't able to option the gen set. Instead I am thinking of installing a substantial house battery bank. Has anyone done something similar on the AJ270 and if so what were the issues encountered?

By the way noting the comments on stability with this hull. I know it's all relative but coming off a 20' 23 degree V-hull the 270 sits like a rock and where we are, head see comfort is more importatnt than all else....horses for coarses I suppose.
 
I have a 2007 270 AJ. It was the best compromise I could find. Fishing for my son and I, crusing for the ladys. Plus the full head was important to the girls. Very seaworthy, but not the dryest boat out there. Spend a lot of weekends on the boat. The rear sloped canvas is good for protection, but eats up what migh be usable space for entertaining. Has a custom rear camper package made for it, zipping upo to the factory front bimini.I am new to this site and don't know how to post pic yet. Contact me and I will give more info.

Speed around 40. JD Power did a good review along with speed, power settings, etc.

I have had the boat up to 40 mph. Depending on loading it can take a while to get on plane. I just installed a Stingray XPII hydrofoil, hoping it performs as advertized. Haven't tried it out yet. Will report soon.
 
Have considered doing this to my 270 AJ. It is recommended the inverter not be placed in the engine compartment, and batteries near the inverter. I have the storage compartment in leu of the mid cabin and it could be put in there. Not sure about placement on yours. Cost is basically the same as a 5 kw gen set. I am leaning towards the 3 kw Westerbek. It only weights 165 lbs, sips petrol at 0.4 gph, and has adequate power to run the 7000 btu reverse cycle air conditioner/heater. With freshwater cooling it has a 5 yr warantee.


The following company does this sort of work. You might check with them for recommendations.


Lakewood Yacht Service


Contact Information. sales@lakewoodyachtservice.co m. 2301 Nasa Road 1. Seabrook. TX. 77586. United States. Lakewood Yacht Service. 281 474-2885 ...
lakewoodyachtservice.com
 
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