Sundancer 230 Questions

[SantaCruzin]

Howdy, all!

Apologies if this is not the right forum for this boat, but it didn't seem appropriate in Sport Boats either. Straight to the questions if you want to skip the background below:

1. Would a Sundancer 230 be an appropriate (safe) boat for a Bay (the Monterey Bay, to be exact)
   
2. Does anyone know the weight of a mid-90s Sundancer 230? I've found a few contradictory answers on the internet but since I sold my diesel F250 and bought a new Ranger (I've added a brake-controller, but it still has a tow rating of 'only' 7,500 lbs) I need to be sure I get a correct answer.

I currently have an '89 180 BR which I LOVE and ultimately has made me a Sea Ray fan for life. We're taking it out today for a few days on the California Delta but our last trip left us scratching our heads a bit. In short, California lakes are drying up at alarming rates. At our annual camping spot our normal 30 second walk from our RV to our boat took over 10 minutes because the water was so low and even in the middle of the lake I had to regularly navigate shallow water.

This got us thinking about the fact that we live in Santa Cruz, CA, a 10 minute drive from the harbor launch ramp compared to the 2 hour drive to the nearest real lake. I've been down the harbor slip path before and after seeing what a year in the harbor can do to a boat, I don't want to go that route again. That said, with another dry year forecasted I don't see lakes being a fun option anytime in the near future.

Seemingly, a Sundancer 230 seems to be a good option. It appears to be Bay-worthy, have enough room for our family of 4, allow for some level of watersports (?) and still be towable by my truck.

 

[JimG]

A 95 230DA dry weight is 4,300lbs.
https://owners-resources.searayweb.com/model-archive-files/1C1_27_74DERNRDR801.pdf

 

[SantaCruzin]

Thank you for that information!

Just wanted to bump this thread up to see if anyone might have any insights on the 230DA's bay-worthiness. I used to have a 21 foot Proline Walk-around in the harbor so I know that the relatively short length will make for a bit rougher ride, but in regards to safety (if not comfort) on the water, would I be okay?

We had a fantastic weekend on the CA Delta with the 180 and while my "little" Ford Ranger had plenty of power to tow the boat, the stability of a larger boat over some of the big mountain passes makes me a bit nervous. So our tentative plan will be to keep the 180 for lakes/the Delta and find a 230 or similar for use near home (out of the Santa Cruz Harbor).