Just testing the water

[oldscoolSR]

Hello All ,
New to the forum and fairly new to powerboating . I have inherited my uncle's treasured Sea Ray (' 83 Express Cruiser 26 ft ) and although it has been very well maintained and can still raise eyebrows , my first season with it was a learning curve to say the least. I put it back on the Great Lakes after 25 years being on an inland lake so , back on big water.
I'm still going to consider the first season a success because despite everything I did not end up needing any rescues . Although it was very well maintained as mentioned I still went through it and discovered plenty of accidents waiting to happen. I was well into the season before I felt comfortable enough to order a full survey on it which it easily passed and then got myself a well and launched .
So , because it is my nature to think everything through like an astronaut , I am turning to other more experienced members to ask ; what areas should get some focus / arouse caution given that the boat is as old as it is and approaching estimated 1300 hours. I should mention : 5.7L OMC with Prestolite points distributor , Q jet carb (I rebuilt) and as far as I can tell the drive ( 982743 J serial# ) is original, S.S prop. The engine stringers were professionally replaced with aluminum plate setup. The engine is strong although I did not lean on it much as yet . Just cruising at this point .
I wish it came with more maintenance records other than those for seasonal upkeep so I'm flying kind of blind . Any advice on upgrades , bad experiences , things to be on the lookout for , I'm all ears and would be appreciated.

 

[spikedaddy99]

We need pictures!!

 

[oldscoolSR]

We need pictures!!

yes of course , how rude of me

 

[Golfman25]

my biggest concern would be the OMC drive. Keep it religiously maintained. And keep your eyes open for good sources of hard to find parts.

 

[oldscoolSR]

yep , you read my mind . Believe it or not there is a full service marina near me selling a matching rebuild . Toying with buying it just because ... going going gone . Thanks

 

[keokie]

Yes, I have owned that boat in the Sundancer configuration and re-did everything except structural. They are great boats. Still miss mine.

I have also owned an OMC 800. Boy, those are tough. Learned eventually that it was worth changing the oil in the drive about every 20 hours of run time. It is very hard to keep water out of those old 800's. That leads to many issues, including that the run hot. Running hot warps the housing which pushes the shafts out of alignment, and then they break.

Change the outdrive oil.

Worst case, the conversion to a Merc is not awful to do right.

 

[oldscoolSR]

Duly noted . The drive is the grey area for me on this boat . No history . Thanks and I am drooling over that 310 . So fine !

 

[Scott215]

Beautiful boat

 

[spikedaddy99]

yes of course , how rude of me

Wow! She's a beauty.

 

[oldscoolSR]

Beautiful boat

well , its a ' classic ' , I realize , but it means a lot to the family to keep it going . My uncle was a righteous dude . Thanks

 

[oldscoolSR]

Wow! She's a beauty.

Nice lines for an old girl , yes . Thanks . It means a lot to the family to keep it going .

 

[Motorvader]

Great to see older boats that are well maintained. Biggest hassle on my 2001 is gradually resealing all of the deck hardware to prevent water damage to the interior. Hatch(es), rail stanchions, windshield frame, cleats, snaps, sun pad rails, port lights etc.. When I was shopping for my 310 2 years ago I came across a boat with a wet, moldy interior but it had 2 new Mercuiser FWC engines. Thought it might be worth repairing the interior to have new engines but I was quoted $12K to replace all cushions, interior fabric and hull liner. I passed on this one and found a much nicer boat 500 miles away. Maintaining the interior is a huge part of preserving the boat's value and making it enjoyable to stay overnight on.

 

[oldscoolSR]

Great to see older boats that are well maintained. Biggest hassle on my 2001 is gradually resealing all of the deck hardware to prevent water damage to the interior. Hatch(es), rail stanchions, windshield frame, cleats, snaps, sun pad rails, port lights etc.. When I was shopping for my 310 2 years ago I came across a boat with a wet, moldy interior but 2 new Mercuiser FWC engines. Thought it might be worth repairing the interior to have new engines but I was quoted $12K to replace all cushions, interior fabric and hull liner. I passed on this one and found a much nicer boat 500 miles away. Maintaining the interior is a huge part of preserving the boat's value and making it enjoyable to stay overnight on.

yes I'm at the point where I'm all in now so going next level on things like window and hatch seals etc. Pretty sure I will end up fabricating much of it myself ( as I have been) because I have'nt been finding parts on any street corner. But its also been pretty cool seeing this craft gradually improving and getting back to its original glory.