Looking at 380DA

[Divot]

Greetings to all ...

We are looking at a 380 Sundancer but have a concern we would like to vette on the forum.

One of our boating pleasures in the Erie, PA area is to anchor in shallow water off one of the many beaches around Presque Isle. The grand kids (and grandparents :wink have a blast swimming and playing in these waters. Our concern with the 380DA is the 40" Draft, as compared to our 330DA w/ BIIIs which works just fine. How restricted will the 380 be in shallower waters?

'Would appreciate hearing experiences of others. Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

 

[Aarrhh & Aarrhh]

I just looked in the Sea Ray archives and it lists your 330's draft at 36". Do you find yourself raising the drives to park?

I just went from a 260da with a bravo3 to a 370 with v drives. I find that I am parking about the same at I did on the 260. But I boat in a very sandy area so I'm not that worried about getting a little shallow. If you deal with alot of stumps and rocks you might need to stay a little deeper.

 

[Divot]

I just looked in the Sea Ray archives and it lists your 330's draft at 36". Do you find yourself raising the drives to park?

I just went from a 260da with a bravo3 to a 370 with v drives. I find that I am parking about the same at I did on the 260. But I boat in a very sandy area so I'm not that worried about getting a little shallow. If you deal with alot of stumps and rocks you might need to stay a little deeper.

Thanks for the reply! We do typically raise the drives to park, more as a precaution than anything. However, the areas off Presque Isle also tend to be very sandy.

Sea Ray lists the Draft w/ "sterndrives up" at 25" for the '95 330DA. I take "sterndrives up" to mean at maximum trim out. Should I interpret "sterndrives up" to mean in the "trailer" position? That would certainly make a difference.

 

[Mystic Dreamer]

I have a 2001 380 and do anchor near the beach quite a bit. I used to have a 290AJ and I find the 380 no more difficult to get close to the shore. ( Of course I am very mindful of depth and tide)

The 380 is a great boat, and if you are serious, I would encourage one with diesels.

Brian