Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruiser?

Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

Chris Nowell said:
Be sure to keep us in the loop about what you're doing and looking at; include links to the listings if ya can.
Click to expand...

thanks! I will plan to keep you all In the loop with what I am looking at. More eyes and opinions, the better.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

I have had smaller boats all my life and started with my first cruiser, a 240 DA and thought that boat would last many years... After the first year, I was amazed at how quickly the boat shrank. I will say I really loved her and having a generator built in, allowed me to keep her for four years. Now I have a 360 and love It! Start with a reasonable sized boat that you can afford, and hope to fight the dreaded twofootittis as long as you can. The 260 is a great boat and should meet your needs for a few years. If the bug bites you, you will start looking for your next boat in a year or two.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

One thing to keep in mind on a boat of that size with a single engine is that a boat with a Bravo 3 will be way easier to handle around the dock than the same boat with a single prop. The counter rotating props on the Bravo 3 cancel the torque steer of a single prop. This is really noticeable when backing the boat up.
I went from a 230DA to a 260DA and the 260DA is much easier to handle and easier to adjust the trim tabs on too.
The 99 to 2003 260DA are about the biggest boat you would be able to tow with a good half ton truck.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

Just thought of somthin' else; I think they started making the 240's and 260's with the integral swim grids again around 2005 or so. It seems to me that the 240 that we have, (pre integral swim grid era), has just as much room on it as our neighbor's 260, ( integral swim grid era). You may want to get opinions on this matter too because an older 260 with the square transom and bolt on swim grid may have more room than a newer one with the built in swim grid. Sure hope I'm not confusing matters here. Have a look on the "archives" site and download the spec sheets for the various years that you'll be looking at. You'll see that the LOA's differ slightly in certain years, which, IMHO, equates to more or less room in the same size boat.

Edit: Archives only goes up to 2002 so I don't know where to get the more current info from. As an example though, compare the 1999 240DA with the 2000 240DA. The '99 model has an LOA of 23'6" that includes the swim platform, and a weight of 4300 lbs. The 2000 model has an LOA of 26' that includes the swim platform, and a weight of 5500 lbs. See? They're both 240's but the one is way more boat than the other.
 
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Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

Kiteboarder85 said:
Do you think jumping into a 280 would be harder to learn docking and navigation for a beginner over a 260?
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That is a concern that the wife has. With twins it should be easier and I am getting time with a Capt.which will train me. Long week of waiting. I'm ready to go.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cr...

Hello fellas,

Can a 260da be pulled with a Silverado Z71 1500? Tow capacity is 9700#. If so, would it be ok to tow long distances?
 
Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cr...

Towed yes, stopped no.

I pulled with a 2500 duramax. It was no problem for that truck but I knew she was back there.

A 1500 is not enough truck for that boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cr...

Zorba said:
Towed yes, stopped no.

I pulled with a 2500 duramax. It was no problem for that truck but I knew she was back there.

A 1500 is not enough truck for that boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Any truck you recommend?
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

What year of 260DA? The dry weight of the 1999 to 2003 (I think it was 2003 or mayber 2002) was 6200 lbs. After 2003 the weight went up by another 2000 lbs.

I tow my 2001 260DA with a 2010 Tundra. I estimate the total load is close to or just over 9000 lbs. I tow it from Calgary to Vancouver every summer and have no issues and there are alot of mountain passes on that trip.
As far a stopping goes, truck brakes stop the truck and trailer brakes stop the boat and trailer. I have electric over hydraulic brakes on both axles of the trailer and it stops the boat very well.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

the hull style changed in 2005 . Apparently to improve the planing problem.. the 240 is a nice boat but be sure you get a 5.7 or 6.2 engine. the 5.0 is underpowered for this heavy of a boat , especially at high altitudes. I learned the hardway.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

The '99-'04 260DAs are the same boat and it has been a great boat for us. Yes, bigger is always better, but there are also many other costs to consider.
The 240DA is a nice boat as well. It does not have a cockpit sink or microwave however. The newer 260DAs are really more similar to the older 240DAs. The '05-'08 260DAs have the tippy issue, which most say is manageable, but I've ridden in one in some less than pleasant weather and I'll take my 260DA all day long.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

This "Sundancer" topic is almost as complex as tax accounting.:smt101
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

Chris Nowell said:
This "Sundancer" topic is almost as complex as tax accounting.:smt101
Click to expand...
Sounds like it! My graduate degree is in Finance and you have that spot on as far as what I am finding. I really wish these boats would fit a half ton Chevy 1500! I was hoping I didn't need to trade in a vehicle!
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

Kiteboarder85 said:
Sounds like it! My graduate degree is in Finance and you have that spot on as far as what I am finding. I really wish these boats would fit a half ton Chevy 1500! I was hoping I didn't need to trade in a vehicle!
Click to expand...

I had to when I upgraded from my 230OV to the 260DA. It's worth it. It really opens up a whole new type of boating for you. Good luck in your search.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cruise

kiteboarder, welcome to CSR.

When talking with a person who is new to boating one of the pieces of advice I always give is to buy your second boat first. By that I mean don't waste your money buying a small boat as a "learning boat" with the thought that you'll trade it for a bigger one in a couple of years. That gets VERY expensive. So buck up and buy the bigger boat now. The learning curve won't be that much greater on a bigger boat, plus you'll have the advantage of twin engines which makes maneuvering much easier.

If you buy a 240 and get it out on Saginaw Bay and the wind kicks up you'll wish you'd bought the bigger one, and your wife will never let you forget it. Especially when you're out around the Charity Islands or over near the thumb. (FYI, I grew up on Lake Huron/Saginaw Bay and know those waters well!)

My advice is to buy the biggest boat you can afford then buy a used tow vehicle that can safely tow it. The money you save by not buying the 240 first will probably pay for the tow vehicle which you'd have to buy in a couple of years when you upgraded to the bigger boat.
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cr...

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Step #1 done, traded my 575HP 2013 2SS Camaro for a Silverado. I did go with the 1500 LTZ with the big rear and max trailering package. I'm rated at near 12k in weight to pull. Hopefully the 240 Sundancer we select will be ok with this!
 
Re: Potential Sea Ray Owner: Is the 240 models from 2000-2006 a good beginner cr...

The 1500 is plenty of truck for the 240DA. I pulled my 2002 240DA for 11 years with a Chevrolet Avalanche and it did just fine in the Ohio rolling hills and in the mountains of KY and TN. I averaged 9 mpg towing (not to great) but you should do much better than that with the full size truck.
 
My F-250 super duty pulling my 240 is like getting a bulldozer to move a shovel full of dirt! The 1500 should be fine if the trailering package includes a transmission cooler?


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