Searay vs Stingray

[Jwers74]

As the title says.

I'm open to used or new under $45k. Preferably a deck boat with a capacity of 4-5 adults and a few children

Thoughts on the brands, in terms of quality and longevity (Yes I understand that this is subject to how well you take care of it, and for the sake of this comparison, they are equally taken care of)?

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

however since you dont specify if your looking at a 17' boat or a 40' boat, i will leave this general

searay - thicker/heavier hull
stingray - thinner/lighter hull

depending on which hull, the searay will be a deeper vee, riding better in chop

the stingray will be a slight bit faster on glass smooth water, however may beat you up on chop

searay may have better bits and pieces

YMMV

 

[JimS123]

I've had both. The SeaRay is still in its first year, while we had the Stingray for 35 years. Both are about the same size.

No complaints re. either one. Ride quality is about the same, even though the Searay has a deeper V and more weight. The fit and finish is better for the SeaRay, but even after 35 years the Stingray was solid with no issues.

We switched brands because of the better seating layout, plus our view of a 2018 Stingray showed poor build quality.

 

[roffey]

Ive never owned at Searay so I can't comment. My stingray is exactly as described above. Its a light fast boat and does not handle chop very well. Im on a lake in eastern Ontario and we don't see many storms and when we do I watch from inside my cottage with rum and coke in hand... I am a fair weather boater for sure. I check the skys and reports before I go out.

 

[tpenfield]

Sea Ray is a better boat all-round IMO.

 

[cptbill]

I know you said Searay - Stingray but you also said deck boat anyway for that 45K you could end up with a nice big "toon", could be worth thing about for that many people

 

[cptbill]

I know you said Searay - Stingray but you also said deck boat, anyway for that 45K you could end up with a nice big "toon", could be worth thinking about for that many people

 

[roffey]

IMHO, the Stingray is an entry to mid level boat and the Searay is a upper level boat. You get what you pay for, lol.

 

[JimS123]

IMHO, the Stingray is an entry to mid level boat and the Searay is a upper level boat. You get what you pay for, lol.

I agree with your level assessment, but price doesn't always tell the whole story.

We bought a 2019 SeaRay this year. The sticker price for a comparable Stingray was actually $600 higher, with comparable equipment. I don't know what the discount would have been since we didn't like the layout of the Stingray, thus we never priced out the actuall selling price...

 

[Scott06]

Never owned a stingray, but both of my Sea Rays have held up very well, especially the interior fabric. My '91 was 25 years old when I sold it, while certainly not perfect the interior was still very presentable, hull and floor held up well. When I was ready to step up I was impressed enough with the durability to get a new (to me) one, which is a 2004. Interior and exterior still look very good with minimal cleaning and one buff and wax.

 

[wahlejim]

I can't dispute anything that has been said about either brand. I have a Sea Ray from 1979 still going strong, that thing handles chop really well compared to my neighbors sting ray, however, his boat is faster with a 4.3 in it compared to my 5.0

I would echo a previous comment as well about a pontoon. 4-5 adults and kids will get cramped in a deck boat. Depending on your use, a good tri-toon with a 200hp outboard on it can be had in great condition in your price range. It will have a better layout for your crowd but you may sacrifice some performance if water sports are the primary usage. It will still handle water sports, but not as well as a deck boat.

 

[mr 88]

IMHO, the Stingray is an entry to mid level boat and the Searay is a upper level boat. You get what you pay for, lol.

Not to start a P war but IMHO opinion Sea Ray is far from a upper level boat. They mass produce those as much as Bayliner. They do a great job of marketing them and most owners think they are the Cadillac of boats. More like the Chevy of boats at best. Again just my opinion.

 

[Marinetraffic24]

[h=2]Searay hands down the better quality boat .[/h]

 

[JimS123]

Not to start a P war but IMHO opinion Sea Ray is far from a upper level boat. They mass produce those as much as Bayliner. They do a great job of marketing them and most owners think they are the Cadillac of boats. More like the Chevy of boats at best. Again just my opinion.

Back when Stingray was a young company one of their bowriders was reviewed by Powerboat Magazine. They called it a "Floating Oldsmobile", referring to the quality level.

Bayliner is certainly a Chevy. I'd put SeaRay more in the Pontiac class.

(You have to be a car person to understand the analogy. I once called something Cadillac and nobody in the room understood the meaning. OTOH, quality references are always toward GM. You never heard someone say it was the Ford of boats....)

 

[StingrayMike]

I have a 2017 234LR Stingray. Overall I am happy with it, but this is what issues I have had since I bought it in 2018:
1. Multiple screws stripped out throughout the boat in different areas- I fixed
2. Gel coat cracking at transom. Assume do to weight of OB and thin transom- Warranty Repair
3. Steering pump at helm leaking multiple times- Warranty Repair
4. Windshield framing developing rust bubbles- still an issue
5. Dual battery setup not wired properly- I fixed
6. Gel coat is EXTREMELY THIN- could only buff out minor scratches before fiberglass fibers starting to show- still an issue. Just the way it is

Luckily I am handy and some were covered under warranty. To me the list is too long for a new boat, but that being said, I did boat for a few years in FL (Intra coastal and ocean). On the flat, very fast and rides well, but as stated by Scott, chop/wakes was a bit rough, but I would slow down and take them slow.

We went with Stingray due to the size of the day head with the porta potty and the seating up front was roomy/comfortable. Again overall I am pleased with the performance and handling of the boat, just the workmanship could use improvement

I had an older Searay, very stable and solid boat. Only reason I sold it was due to moving and wanting to get a bigger one. I have worked with other marine technicians/mechanics and they all have said that the quality of Searay has gone down over the years.

Take it for what it is worth

 

[JimS123]

In the early 1990's our friend bought a new SeaRay 180, which was their entry level model. Not as cheap as a Seville, but the fit and finish was no where near our 1980's vintage Stingray.

Last year when we wanted to upgrade I looked at a 2018 Stingray and what I saw convinced me to look elsewhere.

So far our 2019 SeaRay has met all of our expectations and the fit, finish and overall quality is excellent.

 

[QBhoy]

Not to start a P war but IMHO opinion Sea Ray is far from a upper level boat. They mass produce those as much as Bayliner. They do a great job of marketing them and most owners think they are the Cadillac of boats. More like the Chevy of boats at best. Again just my opinion.

Agree. Have never heard the thought that a searay was an upper or even mid level boat. Surely not.
They were good enough in the 80’s and late 70’s maybe but that’s their lot I’d say. Maybe a tiny whiff above a bayliner at best I’d think.

Maybe things in the us are different but they don’t hold up well here in the U.K. like most that come across the pond.

Even my fairly well built campion from Canada is easy to wither if not tended to really fussily

 

[jkust]

I'll bite because a 45k new bowrider with a trailer would be a small, entry level type of boat much less a large deck boat.
Cheapest new bowrider I know on my lake (easy since almost nobody is buying them any more around me since the tritoon explosion) was 55k which was a Glastron and that was possibly the lowest quality of any contemporary boat I've seen in a long time? I can't fathom what 45k gets a person.

 

[RE2Master]

Well being around several boat manufacturing companies both choices have pretty much equal pros and cons. In the long run the bottom line to divide is personal preference from taking both out on the water and giving them a good run to see which feels like a better fit for long term ownership. With Brunswick shuttering most of the SeaRay line and closing both plants in Florida moving all remaining assets to the Boston Whaler plant in Edgewater buying new will definitely be limited. Definately spend good time with each of your choices, take lots of pictures to mull over and definately take the family along when going in the water because they will be the best judge to rely on in the long run.

 

[JimS123]

Not to start a P war but IMHO opinion Sea Ray is far from a upper level boat. They mass produce those as much as Bayliner. They do a great job of marketing them and most owners think they are the Cadillac of boats. More like the Chevy of boats at best. Again just my opinion.

We all have opinions and some of us value the opinions of others.

So, what would you consider the mid level competitors and what are the cadillac brands?