Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

[phil11]

anyone familiar with Sea Ray Overnighters? Going to look at a 1999 23'. This will be my first boat. Mostly for use on Chesapeake Bay. Wife would like something that will allow overnight trips around Bay. Family of 3 and a small dog. Advice/comments much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

If it's a '99, it should be a Signature Series, 230 Overnighter. Some of our good boating buddies bought one brand new, and it was nice. It had molded steps to walk through the windshield to toss the anchor from the bow, an anchor locker on the bow, 5.7 and was capable of 50+, and pretty much all the bells and whistles you could ask for. The only problem with your use would be the little one and the dog. This boat comes with a V-berth and filler cushions, so it is one giant mattress in the cabin. Is your child still young enough to sleep with you? Would your dog sleep in the cabin with you or in the cockpit? It might get kind of cramped for the four of you in there, but if it has the camper top (full enclosure) and the kid is old enough, the back to back seats fold down to make a make-shift bed, or there's the aft bench. Just make sure you have the cover to avoid bugs.

It really is a great boat though, and handles the chop well.

 

[lkbum]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

Shanecarrol nailed that answer. I would be looking at the Searay Sundancer or similar "mid cabin" boat in the 24' range. Similar to the overnighter but with a small berth aft of the main cabin under the helm. Here's one in the Atlanta area. Lot's of these boats around.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/1403355412.html

 

[deadstick]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/1403355412.html

i live in suwanee ga. where was this boat,when i was looking earlier this year. i did buy a cuddy cabin.


i would only ask, will you be hauling this boat back and forth or putting it in a slip?

 

[werthert]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

All depends on what you want, but would think the 240/250 small cruisers would suit the tastes of the wife more.

 

[rbh]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

If you want to stay with a beam 8 foot 6, and want all the amenities try looking up the 268 sundancer.
our 270 is 10 foot on the beam, and with three people its not bad till you start adding all the food and gear for a couple of nights out.
then it a little cramped (it wouldnt be if I packed)
rob

 

[phil11]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

Thanks to all who responded. A couple more thoughts...my daughter is almost 12 and her and the dog sleeping outside the cabin is not a problem. I guess my biggest concerns as a potential 1st time boat owner is with the ride, especially in choppy water, reliability from an operational/maintenance standpoint and ease of transport. We take an annual 2 week trip to the FL Panhandle, and it would be cool to have our boat with us. For the rest of the year, it would be kept either at a friends' pier on the Chesapeake or at a local marina.

Thanks again...this is a great forum for input from more knowledgeable people.

 

[lkbum]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

I think the ride for this sized boat would be fine in a moderate chop. As far as sleeping outside the cabin, even with full camper canvas, this gets a little uncomfortable for even the kids. I would still look at the mid-cabin for the increase in storage capacity which will be a big issue in a short period of time. Hauling a boat from Maryland to the panhandle is a big deal. Will cut your gas mileage in half and increase your travel time significantly - lower speed and a lot more stops for gas. I would look at renting a boat before I trailered that far. If you do boat in the panhandle, CAREFUL, lots of shallows that creep up quickly and sandbars.

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: Advice on Sea Ray Overnighter

If I remember correctly, this is the model that is very rounded in the bow. If this is the one, that style handled greatly in the chop. It is a heavy boat, you're gonna need a V8 or diesel to tow it. The boat is great maintenance-wise, however, that depends on how much the previous owner took care of it. You might want to check on an aft cabin, maybe check the Sea Ray 240 Sundancer, a 24 footer is probably the smallest aft cabin I have seen. The aft cabin is a complete separate cabin under the cockpit, usually with a window to view into the cockpit, but it gives you and the wife, as well as your daughter some privacy.