Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

[Black Snow Slide]

Hi guys, Looking for oppinions on two boats. One is the Stingray 240cs

http://www.stingrayboats.com/products/models08/models.php?model=240CS&nostart=1

Or the Monterey 250 FSC

http://www.montereyboats.com/monterey.html

Like them bolth but hard to find quality info on the stingray. Any feed back would be great.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

You can't find a lot of info on the Stringray because they have their own private forum, and you have to own one to get in there. However, there is a place where you can ask questions of current owners. Its the only part that is open to the public. Go to stingrayboats.com. You can try asking questions down in the cellar of iboats too, but it seems the Stingray area down there is seldom visited.

Mine is much smaller than the 240. I have only had it one year. I have no quality complaints. I hear good things about Monterey's, though, too.


Good luck -- both would be sweet boats.

 

[KCook]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Both have their fans, both work. The style of the Monterey is more attractive to me. But otherwise I would try to get test drives, and also factor in how good my local dealers are (or are not). I think any quality differences are going to be mostly a perception deal, not of huge significance.

Kelly Cook

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

I have noticed that Stingray doesnt want information about there boats out. If I go with the Monterey it might be because of lack of information on the Searay. Just because they are "secret squeral" about there products doesnt mean they are not as good. It does raise my eye brow wondering if they are hiding something. I am wanting to like the Stingray but I need more then a few paragraphs of fluff on there wedsite to make me willing to part with 70k for a hot new ride. I found one review of a Searay in 2005, then the next one I could find was in 1995.

The Montery I am finding alot on but I like the cruiser style of the Stingray better. A friend has a Monterey and It is nice except all the seating is on the starboardside and being 25' long and 8.5' beam even weight distribution is important. Keep the feed ack comeing.. thanks

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

You are having a very different impression of Stingray than mine. However, I was looking used. When looking at a 2 year old Stingray the wealth of info on their website was the tipper. There are even detailed spreadsheets where you can find out exact details like weight with different engines and prop pitch. Plus there is a performance calculator where you can play around with a top speed. I looked at many a used boat that I could not tell what it weighed besides looking at the nada values page for a weight.

Regarding the boating magazine reviews, I will tell you what I have heard here and other places. You will never read a bad review! Take them for what they are worth, partial information and partial advertising, with a few "constructive criticisms" thrown into the mix.

Now, back to the Stingray versus Monterey. I took a little while to look around the Monterey website (thanks for the links). I would personally take some comfort it the fact that they make many boats larger than the 250, where as at 25 ft is Stingrays max. Clearly, Monterey has more experience with bigger boats than Stingray, and the 25 ft version is not the maximum extension of their hull. I think that is a positive. Then again, I see many Stingray owners in the forum writing about wanting the 24 and 25 ft rays. The only other thing that comes to mind from the forum is to plan on adding trim tabs to any Stingray over 23 ft.

I think the true test will be getting into each and trying them out.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Are you sure you are searching the right website? You keep typing Stingray and Searay (two very different boat companies).

Also, when I go to Stingray's website I see 4 articles 2005 or newer on their 25 ft boat (the LR version),

http://www.stingrayboats.com/cgi-bin/cgiwrap?user=www&script=show_reviews.pl&sort=0#250CS

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

I have a Stingray 250cs. I bought it new in 2006 and haven't had any problems with it. The fit and finish is nice and the layout is excellent.

The Monterey looks real nice also.

Even with the 5.0 mpi, it jumps on plane and is very fast. I hear people tell me all the time how the 5.0 is too small for a 25' and then I take them for a ride- they never say that again. Stingray makes a very fast hull.

I wouldn't worry too much that Stingray doesn't make a boat over 25', they have this one down just right.

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Now this is why I love this web site. You put a question out there and the feed back is awsome. Thank you for answering and keep any feed back going. If anyone can find reviews on any of these boats please hook me up.

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Wife and I are going to the Providence boat show on Saturday. Sitter for the kid all taken care of so no distractions. Stingray will be there but no Monterey. It will help in the decissions.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Just another little bit of info to chew on, Stringray has gone all Volvo. If you have your heart set on a merc power plant, then this would elevate the Monterey.

 

[rndn]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Don't own either one however I just want to share my brothers experience with a 22 foot Monteray. He picked the boat up at the dealer new. About two weeks later he was stepping up onto the swim platform in the driveway and his foot went right through the gel coat at the molded edge where the swim platform meets the transom. Obviously he freaked out and called the dealer. He was told it was very common for this to happen on larger boats and he should take a rubber mallet all around the boat to find all of the air pockets so it could all be fixed at one time. He found 22 air pockets at various spots around the boat from bow to stern top to bottom. He also has a crack going from the bottom to the top of the steps on the walk-thru windshield. Monteray was notified and asked if they could take the boat to Florida to have it fixed at the factory. (Pretty sure it was Florida). My brother told them if the boat left NY then he wanted a new boat. Monteray refused so they both agreed to have it fixed at Great Lakes Marine Works. One month later after the boat was repaired it was 600 pounds heavier because they had to add a bunch of glass to stiffen up the boat to stop the flexing and cracking of the stairs. They had to remove the entire interior of the boat to be able to work on it. The boat only had a 5.0 Mercruiser and was already over 4000 pounds so the extra weight just made the thing a real dog getting out of the water. Great Lakes told my brother the air pockets were likely caused by someone taking a lunch break in between the layers of the glass allowing one layer to setup too much before the next layer was installed. Two years later the boat had the cracking back in the steps as well as several other places that was obviously caused from flexing. He traded in the boat on an aluminum outboard powered boat and swore off fiberglass boats forever. I'm sure this is a rare problem for Monteray as they have been in business for quite some time, however they really should have just replaced the boat and allowed my brother to have a new one especially since it was only two weeks old.

 

[KCook]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Err, just what year was that Monterey rndn? They really did get a poor rep back in the '90s. Current customers seem a lot more satisfied.

Kelly

 

[rndn]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

He must have purchased the boat new somewhere around 1992 to 1993.

 

[KCook]

Re: Stingray240cs or Monterey250fsc

Not surprised at all in that case ....