Questions about 2003 Sea Ray 200BR

[jmoffett]

I finally got the opportunity to launch my new to me 2003 Sea Ray 200BR. The water was fairly choppy, but this might be the roughest riding 21-foot boat I've ever been in. My 1987 Bayliner 2250 Cobra would have handled this water with no effort at all, but the 200 was very rough. I varied my speed everywhere between 20-50 and I couldn't find a speed that wasn't uncomfortable. Does this boat have a reputation for riding rough, and would Smart Tabs noticeably improve the ride?

My operating temperature was running about 175 in cool water. This is 15-25 degrees warmer than I'm accustomed to seeing in a boat. Is 175 degrees normal for a 5.0 MPI?

While I was idling at the ramp waiting for my wife to back in the trailer, I got a double beep alarm three times in probably a 10 minute span. My oil pressure showed to be fine, my gear drive oil was midway between Min and Max, the operating temperature was 175 (although it was running 175 earlier and I heard no alarm then), and the engine ran and idled just fine. This evening, I looked in the bilge and there was water a couple inches above the top of the bilge pump. Does this boat have a bilge alarm, or was this alarm telling me something else?

Thanks.

 

[tmh]

Re: Questions about 2003 Sea Ray 200BR

I don't think that's the heaviest or deepest V 20' boat around so it will ride rough in chop, but go faster I guess. Your previous 1987 boat was likely a "true" 22' boat whereas newer boats include the molded swim platform in the length for model #. So, a 200 model is more like a 19' model of old - bottom line, you have a small boat that will run rough in chop.

That boat is a good candidate for Smart tabs or helm controlled trim tabs. They don't solve the rough running, but do make it run like a slightly bigger boat in the chop.

I'll let the engine guys comment on the temp and alarms. My older boat has no alarms, so i can operate it in blissful ignorance all the time ... until it dies.

 

[jkust]

Re: Questions about 2003 Sea Ray 200BR

Your boat shows a 21' loa and a weight of 3550 lbs which is very heavy regardless if it includes a swim platform. I am sure that it is much heavier than your Cobra. A comprable Glastron is around 500lbs lighter as an example of a light 21 footer. How big was the chop because that boat should ride nice? Does your hull have a big overhang...smaller than 21 foot running surface? My 18.3 footer has a running surface of many 20 foot boats thus providing a smoother than average ride. The opposite effect is true of many small bowriders but at 21 feet you likely have at least 20 feed of surface.