Any opinions on 280 Dancer with twin Alpha 1s

[johnrb3]

Hey all, I'm still fairly new to boating and need help. I'm looking at a 2008 280da with twin Alpha 1's. Any feedback on the Alpha? I'll be wet slipping the boat in freshwater and won't be able to pull it without paying the marina. I've heard concerns about changing the impeller on these and that you can't in the water. How often do you have to change the impeller? Do you have to regularly inspect it out of the water? They also have the same boat standard with a single brave3...any opinions on preferences? ...negatives of Alpha 1? I can't afford the twin B3's.

Also, I see a ton of the 280's on the market...is this because it's a popular boat, or because there is an excess in the market? Would one or the other option have better resale? I'd luv to trade up in a year or two or would hate to be in a situation where I'd lose a ton of dough.

Also, any opinions on resale of this vs. a 310da with axius?

Thanks!

 

[Tippy Canoe]

You raise a lot of valid questions. I have twin 4.3's with Alpha drives and I really like the set up. Everyone has opinions on this but the Alpha has been around a long time and if serviced properly it is a very dependable unit. The early B3's had issues and in salt water where I am, my mechanic prefers the Alpha over the B3 big time. Alphas are also cheaper to replace in the unfortunate event that you have to.

As far as the twin Vs. single screw again you will find people squarely oppsed on this issue. It truly is a matter of preference, especially on fresh water. If you were on salt and liked to venture offshore then I would highly recommend twins and I think that resale would be a little easier with twins. Fuel burn on twin 4.3's is not that much more than a single since they are not working as hard so I wouldn't buy a single thinking you would save a lot on fuel.

There are a lot of 280s on the market primarily because there were a lot of them made for many years. It's a great boat but boats are lousy investments so I would recommend really figuring out which boat suits your needs best and try to make it happen. If you move up in increments your bank account will move down in much larger increments. If the 310 is really what you want then be patient for the best deal you can get and it will be cheaper in the long run.

Good luck and welcome to the love affair and curse of boating!!

KV

 

[beerman]

Do a quick search and you will find a lot of discussion on the different engine/drive combos. It does not sound like one is better than the other two, it is is more of a preference. Though the BIII does have more corosion issues. It looks like you have a 270. Is that a Sundancer? If it is, moving to a 280 or a 310 may not be that much of a move. Maybe consider waiting till you can aford a larger boat or even an older one. Good luck.

 

[Presentation]

Several members at CSR have this setup and I have not heard even one of them complain about it being underpowered so a 280 Sundancer with twin 4.3 V6 + alpha I drives is a good combination.

One member TurtleTone (Mike) has a 2003 280 Sundancer with twin 4.3’s + Aplha 1’s for sale. Here is his ad http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...d=2032074&back=boatDetail.jsp&boat_id=2032074
He’s asking $59,000.

The 280 Sundancer is a success story for Sea Ray. It’s popular and that is why you see so many of them.

Also the Alpha 1’s are not as bad as the Bravo III’s when it comes to corrosion but it’s still a outdrive so you need to keep on it, use the proper anodes, keep it painted and maintained.

I recommend changing the impellers every 3 years. You need to change the anodes on either Alpha 1 or Bravo III drive about every 6 months so simply change the impeller when you have the boat out anyways. I guess you could try to change the anodes with the boat in the water. I never have.

You will need to bottom paint, at least do a touch up paint, at least once per year so again, the boat will need to be pulled. You cannot bottom paint with the boat in the water.
In the Alpha I you do need to have the boat out of the water to change the impeller. The impeller is inside the Alpha I drive. Actually, you can change the BIII impeller in the water but it’s not easy and you will get wet so most, like 99.9% of the Bravo III impeller changes occur with the boat out of the water. I’ve never heard of someone changing the Bravo III impeller in the water because they were too cheap to get the boat hauled. The reason to change it in the water is because you are out boating and have no way to get the boat out of the water. I guess if you are the type of person that would jump into a dumpster to pull out a hose clamp that someone else threw away you may be the type that would attempt to change the impeller with the boat in the water.

With the Bravo III drive the impeller is inside a water pump attached to the bottom left corner of the motor if you are standing in front of the motor with the belt closest to you. As soon as you take the hose off water will come pouring out of it. Some people flip the hose up. It tends to flip back down about 100 times as you are changing the impeller, pouring water out every time. Again, changing an impeller on a boat with a Bravo III drive with the boat in the water is possible but it’s not easy and you will get wet.
As to comparing this boat to a 310 Sundancer with Axius, the 310 with Axuis would need to be a 2008 or newer and it’s a bigger and more expensive boat. Your additional depreciation of the 310 would be more then what you can buy a used 280 Sundancer for. I’m not saying to not buy a 310 Sundancer, simply stating that it’s a larger and more expensive boat.

By the way, I see in your signature you own a 2009 270 Sundancer. I’m surprised you are looking to change boats already. If you do, what are you trying to gain? That may help you decide on what boat you should get next.

In my opinion, going from a 2009 270 Sundancer to a 2008 280 Sundancer is not worth it. But that is just my opinion. If the 2009 270 Sundancer is too small the 280 Sundancer will be too small in a short time.

 

[Y Knot]

I've got the 4.3's and alpha one's on mine and they do just fine. I can hold it on plane at 22-23 knots and burn between 15 and 18 gallons an hour. I hope this helps!

 

[lope4946]

I have the twin 4.3's with Alpha's and my buddy has the exact same boat with a single/bravo setup. He would much rather have my setup because it makes the boat so much more maneuverable with twin screws and mine is also faster. He wishes he had my boat and I love mine. His name is Roy and I almost named my boat "Faster than Roy's" but didn't want to hurt his ego too bad.

 

[SMC]

johnrb3,

Your signature says Lake Lewisville, I assume you are in Lewisville, Texas? I have my boat slipped at Pier 121 on Lake Lewisville in Texas that’s why I ask.

Anyhow, I have a 280DA with twin 4.3s w/ Alpha 1's and love it. The main thing for me has been the easy maneuverability around the dock and getting the boat in the slip. I'm still amazed at how easy it is to maneuver the boat in tighter areas even though I had no prior experience with twins. I'm sure for some guys with more experience than me using a single screw they can maneuver just as well as I can with twins, but for me it really made a difference in building my confidence around the dock.

Like Presentation said, you are going to need to have the boat hauled out once a year to clean the bottom off and touch up the paint. By the end of last season I had accumulated quite a bit of growth on the bottom, so just get the impellers changed out when the boat is out of the water.

As everyone else has noted, if you already have a 270 going to a 280 isn't much of a jump. Ive had my 280 for just over a year now, and I am already wanting to move up (although I am forcing myself to wait at least one more year before doing so). Personally I think Ill be looking at slightly older, but larger boats when I do get ready to move, that way I can hopefully get a larger boat but still fit within my budget.

 

[Jeff Mc]

We love our 310. I think that it is the perfect size boat to own. We've owned boats from 19' to 80'. With the inboards she handles so well, less maintaince with no outdrives to service, water pump impeller is engine mounted. There is on for sale at High Port Marina. Cedar Mills has a very nice 340 for sale with less than 150 hours. This is a very clean boat, berthed next to us. We never see the owner, but the boat is always clean, check it out, it is priced right IMO. Good luck:grin: