List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

[pred02]

After extensive research we have narrowed down our list for entry level cruisers we are looking to purchase, vintage 2003+, length 24-26ft.

The list includes:
1. Sea Ray Sundancer 240
2. Four Winns Vista 248
3. Chaparral 240 Sig
4. Larson Cabrio 240
5. Crownline 250 CR

Overall there are about 18 used boats that fit this criteria and price range (30-35K) in 200 miles from our house and we'll start looking them.

These will come with various options and features of which some are more important to us than others. With people that owned or had experience with these boat, they are pretty similar in terms of features (SR is little bit less, lacking spot light, windlass, etc) varying a little bit in terms of external features.

If anyone can throw in their input if they have owned or been on these boat, in terms of fit, finish, and quality input is appreciated.

Kind regards!

 

[JoLin]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Just a couple, and my personal preference-

Given a choice between a 5.0 liter (which tends to be standard equipment in boats this size) and 5.7, go with the 5.7.

Given a choice between single prop and Mercuiser Bravo 3 or Volvo Duo-Prop, go with the duo-prop. Nothing wrong with a single, but the duo's are great both for efficiency and docking maneuvers.

The drivertrain in my C-C is a 5.7 V-P Duo Prop, and I just love it.

Don't forget a survbey. Best of luck!

 

[Tommy Monsoon]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

IMHO go slightly bigger, 27' single engine & at least '99. I have a 25' 1991(my first boat) very clean Maxum with a 5.7L engine, and looking to upgrade to a 27' SeaRay Sundancer, single engine.

I would think this would be the perfect boat for me.

 

[werthert]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

IMHO go slightly bigger, 27' single engine & at least '99. I have a 25' 1991(my first boat) very clean Maxum with a 5.7L engine, and looking to upgrade to a 27' SeaRay Sundancer, single engine.

Agreed. Why are you are looking at the very smallest cruisers available? I don't know why, but am assuming maneuverability/tow ability. If towing, you can get 270's with a 8.5 beam. If maneuverability, the difference with a 270 vs a 250 will be very minimal but the extra room will be immeasurable. When going that small every few inches count.

 

[mike343]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

The 5.7 advice is correct. You won't be happy with a 5.0.

 

[pred02]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Thanks for the feedback. We were originally looking at the Sea Ray 215 Cuddy Cabin, however 24-25ft cruiser with the head and extra sleeping space really offers more options in terms of range and spending a night or two on the boat. The boat is intended for Europe, so besides towing it we also have to look at the extra cost of shipping it and fuel. Fuel over there is about $6/gallon so extar 2-3mpg does add up. We are evaluating all options and do see more used cruisers in the 26-27ft range so we will consider those as well.

We saw this one near us that we are going to check out:
http://www.usedboats.com/boat-ad/display/ad_id/1662704

It looks like a great boat but it has 400 hours on the engine. Is that too much? We don't want to spend $$$ first summer in Europe rebuilding/repairing the engine so I am wondering what how much repair will engine with that many hours require. Originally we were looking at 100 hours or less on the engine.

Dual engine is great but hard to find under <28 ft, and again the extra fuel cost. We want a boat that will get us on a plane and crusing at about 25mpg (no skiing etc) without wasting a lot of fuel.

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

must be a typo Engine Type Inboard 6-cyl also says its a 350
Looks like a nice boat! wow

 

[Blue Crabber]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Don't know much about cruisers, but that looks like an awesome boat! Fully loaded for sure. Sounds like it would be perfect for what you are looking to do with it.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

The boat is intended for Europe, so besides towing it we also have to look at the extra cost of shipping it and fuel. Fuel over there is about $6/gallon so extar 2-3mpg does add up. We are evaluating all options and do see more used cruisers in the 26-27ft range so we will consider those as well.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's no extra 2-3 MPG on these boats. You'll be lucky to get 2-3 MPG.

I know it's very different than the boats you have listed, but a Rosborough RF246 sedan is an excellent pocket cruiser that sips fuel and feels like a much bigger boat. They are extremely seaworthy and are built to last forever. They came with many power options, inboard diesel likely being the most thrifty.

 

[fixb52s]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

I would go with the Chap 240 Sig. Well built and will hold the value. Next would be the Crownline.​

 

[pred02]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's no extra 2-3 MPG on these boats. You'll be lucky to get 2-3 MPG.

Sorry I misspoke, I meant 2-3 GPH extra.

I believe on the smaller (24-25ft) cruisers I expect 8-10 GPH usage? What is to expect on bigger 26-27ft crusiers or dual engine cruisers?

must be a typo Engine Type Inboard 6-cyl also says its a 350
Looks like a nice boat! wow

Is 400hours an engine a problem? We will pay a mechanic/survey person but don't want to ship the boat and spend the next summer rebuilding it. We were looking more at <100 hour engines..

I would go with the Chap 240 Sig. Well built and will hold the value. Next would be the Crownline.

Will check it out by Chap is rare in our neck of the wood (MA) not a lot of used ones available out there - at least not as many as Larson, SR, FW.

BTW: What do you think about Larson? They seem to be a bit cheaper in the used market but very well configured on the inside.

Thanks!

What about this 240 FW? It's kind of odd its only 22 hours on this vintage boat. We will check this one out tomorrow after the RI boat show.

http://www.yachtworld.com/privatela...&units=Feet&id=1836077&lang=en&slim=pp263280&

 

[salty87]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

400 hours on a nearly 8 yr old boat is just about perfect, about 50 hrs per year. it's been used and hopefully regularly. 100 hrs on an 8 yr old boat would mean it barely ever got used. i'd prefer the boat that has been run rather than sitting around all of the time. hopefully, the 400 hr boat doesn't look abused of course.

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

The boat is intended for Europe, so besides towing it we also have to look at the extra cost of shipping it and fuel

Here is a thought.
Buy the boat you like, and also buy a brand new package. I think that costs about 12k on ebay
ship the boat with the new package. Then have it installed in Europe and sell the running used package. This way you only need to pay shipping once and maybe the used package will be worth much more in Europe considering someone buying a motor there will have to pay to ship 1000 lbs.
Rob.

 

[pred02]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Here is a thought.
Buy the boat you like, and also buy a brand new package. I think that costs about 12k on ebay
ship the boat with the new package. Then have it installed in Europe and sell the running used package. This way you only need to pay shipping once and maybe the used package will be worth much more in Europe considering someone buying a motor there will have to pay to ship 1000 lbs.
Rob.

Can you install a diesel engine in the boats listed above? I mean swap it out? Maybe eventually we will do that because Diesel is much cheaper there and gets better fuel mileage.

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Yes Just Google, diesel volvo duoprop
That is a great idea to go diesel.
In my case it took me one day to remove the old Mercruiser out of my boat. The engine/drive I have now has More power, much better economy, quieter, and good reliability. Did all the work myself. Been boating all summer with no problems.
With a new motor you should also get a warranty.

 

[JoLin]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Hi, Pred02-

To answer one of your questions, the 12 gph figure listed on the 268 Vista is, I think, right on the money. That's an honest assessment of what you can expect to use in the real world.

In the 24-foot range, 8-10 is an okay estimate, but probably closer to 10 than 8.

In the end, though, I don't worry about consumption all that much. I don't know how you'll use your boat in Europe, but I've found in a couple of years of boating that my normal weekend use consists of going to a specific destination, then anchoring, docking or rafting up with friends. In other words, at most a couple of hours of actual run time on any given day.

We have our cruising days, too, but on the whole the fuel cost of using the boat is no more than we'd have spent that day anyway, if we weren't boating.

You have some nice candidates on your list. Hope you find a winner.

 

[pred02]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

In the 24-foot range, 8-10 is an okay estimate, but probably closer to 10 than 8

As you said, I agree that given the proximity of the islands we should not be cruising more than 1 to 1.5 hours a day. Considering all other costs - purchase, transport of boat to Europe, the slip, dry marina,etc I do not think this cost is going to be offset. It's just that in Europe everyone is into the diesel option, which makes sense for them but here it's so sparse. Nonetheless, the cost difference of buying a boat in the US versus Europe its so big that it buys a lot of fuel.

For example, we saw a 2007 Four Winns Vista 258 listed for 69,000 euros. A 2001 Sea Ray 240DA was 49,000 euros. Even with $6-8k in shipping costs you can imagine the saving.

American boats have large hulls and are heavy; however they are very sea worthy especially when it comes to the Adriatic. As our friends from the old country say, some of the best boats in the world are built in America, and us living here and having exposure to this market, it would be a damn shame to overlook the drawbacks and not purchase one of these boats.

thanks for the info!

 

[pred02]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Update. Since last time we saw a number of boats but are still undecided. First we were set on the Sea Ray 240DA, then moved to Four Winns 248, and finally Four Winns 268 but after seeing a couple of FW we realized that we don't like the cockpit seating area on the FW with the non-helm seats all being in the back and really not facing the driver. What we did like about FW is the spacious enteriror as well as the economical but efficient 280hp 5.7L Volvo Penta that usually comes standard with the rig.

We want back to Sea Ray which we like overall however the 240DA are rare in our area and command a high price. In addition, they do not have some basic ammenities such as windlass (even anchor roller) or spot light. Ok these are not a deal breaker but still. We also looked at 260DA which is probably a better deal (more used available in our area) however it is a lot heavier boat than 240DA and even the Vista 268 (7,500 displacement versus 6,300 for 268 for comparison). And with most coming with the Merc 350MGI engine I am not sure if that will be enough power for a boat that size.

On the other note, we also looked at Crowline 240CR but we do not like what they have done with the rear seating/sunpad area which expands into the swim platform (somehow doesn't seem sturdy/save for smaller kids). We still have to look at some Chaparrals but not that many available in our area.

We will also maybe look into Larson, however I am not sure if its up to quality with brands above (based on what I have read). We would like a top tier/quality boat in terms of fit and finish.

Any advice is appreciated as we continue our search for a perfect boat!

 

[JoLin]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Update. Since last time we saw a number of boats but are still undecided. First we were set on the Sea Ray 240DA, then moved to Four Winns 248, and finally Four Winns 268 but after seeing a couple of FW we realized that we don't like the cockpit seating area on the FW with the non-helm seats all being in the back and really not facing the driver. What we did like about FW is the spacious enteriror as well as the economical but efficient 280hp 5.7L Volvo Penta that usually comes standard with the rig.

We want back to Sea Ray which we like overall however the 240DA are rare in our area and command a high price. In addition, they do not have some basic ammenities such as windlass (even anchor roller) or spot light. Ok these are not a deal breaker but still. We also looked at 260DA which is probably a better deal (more used available in our area) however it is a lot heavier boat than 240DA and even the Vista 268 (7,500 displacement versus 6,300 for 268 for comparison). And with most coming with the Merc 350MGI engine I am not sure if that will be enough power for a boat that size.

On the other note, we also looked at Crowline 240CR but we do not like what they have done with the rear seating/sunpad area which expands into the swim platform (somehow doesn't seem sturdy/save for smaller kids). We still have to look at some Chaparrals but not that many available in our area.

We will also maybe look into Larson, however I am not sure if its up to quality with brands above (based on what I have read). We would like a top tier/quality boat in terms of fit and finish.

Any advice is appreciated as we continue our search for a perfect boat!

No more advice from me- you're doing all the right things. Taking your time and really studying all aspects of the boat. Good luck!

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: List Narrowed down from Entry Level Cabin Cruiser

Just a comment on engine hours. I have 5.7 Volvo DuoProp and mine has 1300 hours and runs like a champ. It is ALL about the maintenance! Don't be worried about more than 100 hours. This is almost rediculously low. Most people don't think about worrying until 1000+.