Sea Ray SSS 1993 63 ft

I will be happy to come along for the ride..
Is your ship bringing only your boat or are there others. When my boat was dropped off in Brisbane they just lowered her into the water. Mine was the last to go in so I could see what was happening once lowered. They gave the captains a little time to try and start their boat and those that didn't start (And there were a few) were towed to the edge of the shipping wharf
Luckily Sevenstar (Shipping company) had a tow boat their to drag them to the edge of the wharf. Whilst this was going on I noticed I had a dead battery which I quickly replaced
before my boat was dropped into the water. And yes, my engines did start after some cranking (phew!!) Rszarka, I hope your shipping company has a tow boat organised

cheers

Ozzie
 
rszarka said:
Wave, i am not spending 500k ... yes i did not know about waxxing boats.. first time buyer owner, got an idea and went with it... I dont have a pet pig lol actually that was a pretty funny line. Next time i am on the yacht i will take a picture with the days paper just to calm the skeptics. Why would someone bother to make up a story like this? What would they get out of it?
I am thinking about stopping posting for awhile as there is just too many people that this whole thing is bothering. I am not here to cause commotion! But to get advice help with this whole thing which i have gotten from many very cool members and i am very grateful to them!
Ozzie / Paul are you guys in Sydney? Any chance you two would want to come along when she lands in New castle in June? will be a nice ride back down to Sydney harbour i have plotted the trip its around 80 miles so should be good fun and would be a good way for me to meet some of the aussie boating community. Free beer for the trip back :)
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If I can make it I would love to acompany you from Newcastle to Sydney, please let me know expected dates for the boats arrival in Newcastle.

Do you have your VHF licence? I am guessing not, as you are new to the cruiser world. If not it would be worth doing the MROCP course and getting your licence as there is an on the spot fine for having a VHF radio onboard without having a licence to operate it ( Not that I have ever heard of anyone getting fined, but it is a possibility.)

You certainly have been fortunate with your marina berth in Sydney Harbour, well done on that one.
 
VHF license?

Obviously boating and buying boats in the land down under is different from how we do it. Maybe the OP is for real, and the boat prices here in the US are worth the risk of sinking hundreds of thousands of dollars site unseen.

Anyway, good on ya, and drink a slab of piss for me... Carlton Cold for me thanks! :thumbsup:
 
I've been reading along with the rest of you and I hate that a first time boat buyer gets started on the wrong foot with a new boat/investment.

I can offer the observation that the time to post the 630SSS story was not after the buying and survey process was well under way, but early enough in the purchasing process so the buyer could perhaps learn about the various models from those of us here with some relevant experience. One of the earlier posters, "Barlow" from New Zealand, went about buying a boat for export in exactly the right way and had no false starts. He first posted here about a year before buying, asked lots of good questions, sought out experienced owners, asked for recommendation on particular boat some of us may know are on the market, asked for references and history on particular boats. As a result, he had a very successful experience and, while the process was not completely problem free, he ended up with a great boat.

One thing I have learned, however. Don't ever sell an Aussie or New Zealander short. They are some of the most inventive and resourceful folks you will ever run across and are able to keep a boat running with not much more than tape, wire, a hammer and bubble gum. They have to have an "I'll find a way to make it work" attitude because there are very few marine resources where they live. You won't find them complaining because their dealer can't get a part by the weekend.........they just make what they need and go boating.

So I"m not worried that the original poster may get some surprises along the way......he'll figure it out.
 
paulkarlsven

My son's name is Sven..In regards to vhf radio license I don't have one and I would say 99% of the leisure boating crowd don't have one. They had an article in the "Afloat Magazine" basically discusing this issue and the authorities have turned a blind eye to it as 99% of the crowd owning a vhf radio (marine use) use it responsibly. I can't but wonder if it was policed then in an emergency
the guy who had the license had a heart attack no one could use the damn radio..stupid. However, I tried to get a mmsi number for my boat and was informed that I needed to get a VHF license before being issued one. ( My radio is tied in with my GPS) so if there was a problem on board I could set of the alarm button with the information being sent to some relay station of my position and other info like boat etc. Yet I can trigger my Epirb without a license

And Fwebster thanks for the nice words about us Aussies..if you ever head our way look us up we'll by you a beer or two..The going ones down here at the the moment are low carb "Blonde"

Ozzie
 
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Ozzie-iv said:
paulkarlsven

My son's name is Sven..In regards to vhf radio license I don't have one and I would say 99% of the leisure boating crowd don't have one. They had an article in the "Afloat Magazine" basically discusing this issue and the authorities have turned a blind eye to it as 99% of the crowd owning a vhf radio (marine use) use it responsibly. I can't but wonder if it was policed then in an emergency
the guy who had the license had a heart attack no one could use the damn radio..stupid. However, I tried to get a mmsi number for my boat and was informed that I needed to get a VHF license before being issued one. ( My radio is tied in with my GPS) so if there was a problem on board I could set of the alarm button with the information being sent to some relay station of my position and other info like boat etc. Yet I can trigger my Epirb without a license

And Fwebster thanks for the nice words about us Aussies..if you ever head our way look us up we'll by you a beer or two..The going ones down here at the the moment are low carb "Blonde"

Ozzie
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Yes Ozzie, as I said I have never heard anyone being fined but the capacity is there to do so if they wanted to. The whole MMSI issue is a right royal pita, I have my GPS connected to the radio as well, if you get it wrong when entering the MMSI into the radio for the DSC then the radio has to go back to the manufacturer to have them clear it.

Sven means "son of" in Norwegian.
 
Fwwebster: Yes that would have been the smarter way to do everything! I had an idea to buy a yacht, looked on line found the biggest one i could afford and liked, contacted a broker and away i went just like that i am kind of a fly by the seat of my pants type of guy which gets me into trouble some times..well a lot lol! Didnt even know this place existed or i would have been here asking first for sure! For this kind of sized boat, Sea Ray is definately my favorite type of boat out there! Now getting into a little bigger 68 etc kind of like the Azimut the best

The 63 was a bad experience but i got out of it relatively unscathed and so did the owner so it just turned out to be a big waste of time with minor expenses on both our sides... He is going to have a very hard time selling that boat he is very stubborn on the price and it is a wreck! The engine room is full of corrosion the generator is rusted away ..all the seals are leaking on the engine, oil, water everything..almost every single sytem on the yacht is broken or half way working..everything is rusted and broken everywhere..all the cabinet doors are broken...on the trial run it broke down right off the dock... the electrical system is fried you can not steer it if any of the navigation systems are turned on you can not turn the steering wheel..yet the owner is firm on the price and wont budge when there are others on the market that are comparatively priced but in good condition...... i made the mistake on who i used as my surveyor, everything was downplayed .... But it got me here and now i have found a boat that is in like new condition 1999 and 500 hours on the engines , fresh water kept and looks new inside and out so it is all working out good. If all goes well should be closing in around a week. If anyone is looking for a 63 SSS i know one that is amazing, its like new but was 30 k out of my price range. It is really cheap for its condition and what its is.... sooooo nice would be a hell of a boat for someone looking to get into one of those! Was so upset i could not get the owner down just another 30 k its an amazing ship litterally like brand new even though its 1992 meticulously maintained!!

Paul: Thanks so much on the info of the VHF license, again another thing i did not know about! Go figure i researched the hell out of this thing yet missed that as well .... I am here in Florida until next thursday finalizing this thing then when i get back to sydney will complete the licenses i need including the vhf.. My cuz will be the one captaining her back to Sydney and i am sure he has a vhf license. DUnno why he never mentioned that to me! The Berth is Sydney was very lucky, its in a crappy location but its a berth. Its over near a marine construction yard past that bridge that is just past darling harbor to the East dunno its name, supposedly thats the one area where you can anchor and live on your boat for an extended time in the harbor? Was hoping for a berth in Rose Bay so I had easy access to my home in Bondi, sort of spend a few days on the boat a few in Bondi type thing... Noticed there are so many docks behind big houses that have no yachts on them. Even tried the tactic of putting an ad in gumtree offering anyone that lets me use their dock use of the yacht x ammount of days per month with my captain of course to keep it safe and a small monthly fee ... figured who knows, someone that has a dock and doesnt have a yacht may go for it...get to use a nice boat like that just for letting someone use the dock they are not using anyway..help pay the rates for having a dock on the harbor or even cover them .... got one hit on it and that still may work out a dock in Vaucluse ... have to draw up a contract with conditions... things like how many days a month, how far they can go, how many people on board etc.. and to prevent traffic through their property i have to sail to a public dock to pick up people i want to bring onboard etc.... Maybe this is the kind of thing Fwebster meant by calling Aussies and New Zealanders resourceful people lol

Ozzie,Paul that would be great!! I will keep you guys updated on dates etc, will be a fun cruise back down to Sydney...want to take my time and really enjoy it... sort of a celebratory cruise that it all came together if it does lol
Do you guys have any experience cruising up the Hawkesbury and into like Berowra waters? I heard its beautiful up there and a great week end getaway. If so would those water ways accomodate a yacht of this size, I have been to Berowra years ago and know that at least it seemed like the river was wide and deep enough to accomodate most boats. Hmm and have to ask about the tow boat, Yacht Path ships hundreds of yachts a year all over and I would guess they have all the bases covered. I think multiple yachts are going on this sailing but not sure will ask. They are putting this shipment together for the end of this month as apparently the one leaving on the 12th was full and the demand is so high for it..... It seems like a whole lot of yachts are being shipped to Australia... Kind of does not make sense with the curent boat market over there.... or maybe it does, maybe thats why no one is buying boats in Australia as the prices are soooo much better where even with 60 k shipping costs and gst you still get a much better deal in the states! Maybe the boat market in oz will adjust its prices to keep up with the competition shortly... That would be good for buyers there but suck for anyone selling a yacht that had to pay an arm and a leg to get it there and now have the price swap to match the u.s ones!
 
Before getting too excited, the 54 has either 3196 Cats or 3406 Cats. The 3406's are bullet proof, but the 3196 has had some serious problems.....be careful with them and don't buy them without a full Caterpillar survey.
 
Thanks for that very much Fwebster! I went and checked my spec sheet right away, it has detroit diesels do you know anything about those type of motors?

Thanks again
Robert
 
David, you posted a link to a 500DA...

The engines are likely 8v92-DDEC's. IMO, the best engine displays and controls ever put on a boat by any manufacturer. 8V's themselves push the boat along very nicely, a friend of mine has that same combination - it flies. However, being 2-stoke, they're dirtier and thurstier than modern powerplants and that was about the twilight of their production run.
 
Hmmm, that says that 6v92's were an option... I don't think I've ever seen one so equipped, but they'll still have enough guts to do the job - the 6's have been installed in boats bigger than the 540DA.

It also says 8v92-TA though. That's entirely possible, and in that case, she'll have plain ol' hynautic controls. They work perfectly fine, but they feel like a manual bilge pump lever on a 1970's era sailboat.
 
Hi all

Thanks for the info on the engines, all sounds positive so far :)
I have just sent my broker a message asking about the model of the engines so I can post exactly what we are dealing with.
I will post it up here as soon as I get it. Anyone know a good place to buy a 13 ft tender here in Florida? Has a hydraulic platform on the back but no tender, would be cheaper to get one here before she sails.

Thanks everyone!
 
rszarka said:
You guys are not going to believe this! What I have been through is pretty amazing, buying a yacht and shipping it to Australia is something else of an experienece. Need to change the name of the thread from 1993 63ft Sea Ray to 1999 54 ft Sea Ray. Long story that I will not say here as I do not want to embaress some people. But lets just say attourneys, almost a lawsuit, broken engines, so many other crazy problems and a night mare of an experience but the 63 is no longer in the picture!

You all said I had some tough lessons to go through and I just went through one of them! But the good news is i got out of it all with only a minor loss and got myself into an immaculate yacht that is spotless, fresh water kept only 500 hours on the engines a real beauty! This thread is turning into an epic saga lol Yes the new boat is not 63 but i actually like the layout of it better. Everything is ultra modern onboard and looks brand new! THe master berth is aft with ensuite shower head, the guest berth is vshaped and up front with ensuite head shower... Also the sofa converts into a queen by the push of a button motorized. You cant even tell the galley is there all hidden under counters and in cabinets, really nice... So great yacht only real difference is the lack of the crews quarters and the salon is not as big. Has hydraulic platform on the back with 14ft tender.... otherwise as i said like new 54 ft sea ray apparently owned by a multimillionaire who spared no expense in upkeep fresh water kept in the great lakes.

There ya have it pretty crazy, got into a 63 sight unseen and learned my lesson! Managed to get out of it with a huge event and just got myself into a beauty of a 54 pictures coming in the next few days. Owner just signed contract so making payment tomorrow and shes mine. I may miss my april shipping date, if so the owners has agreed to let me keep her docked behind his house for free so no biggie there just have to wait until july to have her in Australia which will suck the anticipation will kill me!

What a crazy ordeal all around!
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Couple of questions, is the 54' still a SSS or a Sundancer and it says in this post that it already has a 14' tender so why would you be looking for a 13'. Just askin. Anyhow, best of luck in what seems like a saga that would drive me crazy!

p.s. better change your profile to the 54
 
I am pretty sure it is a SUndancer, does not say in the spec sheet. Just says 54 Sea Ray. But it is exactly like the boat in the PDF that David Paul posted... Many thanks for that David Paul! Have sent another txt to my broker asking for the exact model so i can answer this, but almost sure its a Sundancer because of it being indentical to the boat in the PDF file. So when he gets back to me will have engine models and ship model for you guys.
The tender on the back does not go with the yacht, dunno why but im not getting it so need to find one before shipping as i feel its important to have one!
Oh and thought I did change my profile to the 54 last night. Will go and check! Apparently there is a Satellite phone onboard and reciever. Anyone have any ideas on how I would go about activating that if i choose to do so?

THanks
Rob
 
There wasn't a 540 SSS, but there is something unusual about your boat. On every 540 Sundancer I've ever been on, the day/guest head is fwd of the galley on the port side, and there's no door from the fwd stateroom directly into the head. Instead, a curtain can be drawn on a track in the ceiling to provide private access.

In your picture with the brokers, there is what appears to be a large enclosure at the fwd stb bulkhead - in fact, your whole sofa appears to be set further aft than what I'm accustomed to. What's in there? Is that a head, or a storage cabinet?

Yours:

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"Typical":
1980087_5.jpg
 
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Hi, its confirmed that is a Sundancer, like Rollercoaster said there is no SSS 54.
I looked in that enclosure it was just storage, i cant remember if there was a private entrance to the head in the guest stateroom or not. I will be on the yacht in the next few days and will take more pictures and look for all of these kind of things. The owner is very wealthy and guess he did some custome things to this yacht. Still waiting to hear back on what model Detroit Diesels she has.
 
The couch is way too long so it makes sense to cut it shorter and add a cabinet section. The one issue with Dancers is the lack of storage IMHO. My 320 actually had more storage in the cockpit area than the 410 has! My 410 has aft seating that sits on braces instead of sitting on top of storage like the 320. I miss that room and I am forced to store some items under the seats (exposed) when I need to carry extra gear.
 
I have to change my answer - I hadn't looked closely at your dash pics. Based on the analog instrumentation and hynautic controls, I'm betting 8v92TA's.
 
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