Cincy Aquaholic wrote:
Sierra- I'd love to hear some good/bad on that boat. Love the color combo.
And that hull color (Sea Ray calls it 'pewter') looks even better in person. It was definitely a sweet combo offset by the black canvas. There are comprehensive threads on the 260DA on the Sea Ray owner's site which have great detail on the good and the bad, so I would encourage you to lurk over there.
It is a well-built, great looking boat with terrific fit and finish. Mine had the Merc 350 Mag BIII which cruised efficiently at 28 MPH (about 24 kts). I would have gotten the 6.2 or 496 engine if I could have found one optioned out as I wanted it (I lucked into a leftover). The biggest complaint you'll read about is the constant need to work the trim tabs. The hull design lends itself to real balance issues when cruising and it can become very tedious maintaining a level ride. You get the hang of it, but I always felt it to be an unfortunate characteristic of the boat.
I didn't compare it to anything else in the class as I was coming out of a Sea Ray Sundeck that I loved and was happy to stay with the brand, so I have no real idea how any of what I considered to the boat's shortcomings compare to others (realizing that all cruisers are a series of compromises and those compromises are greater the smaller the boat). So here you go...
-Wow, does the boat tip when someone boards from the side of the swim-platform. This maybe the norm in boats this size, but it always seemed severe to me. The boat's LOA is 28'/Beam 8 1/2 - really the limit as far as I'm concerned with this hull design.
-Didn't love the steps integrated in the cabin door. It seemed like a good idea until the first time someone almost took a header coming off the foredeck when the door wasn't solidly latched.
-The helm is not well-designed for electronics. I did a custom mount for a GPS with a 6.4" screen that allowed it to be closer to eye-level. Using the designated GPS location would force you to take your eyes off the road too much in my opinion.
-I could not stand up at the head. I am 6' tall and had to lean my knees on the bowl.
-My feet would hang off the forward berth unless I slept at an angle.
-I attempted to sleep in the mid-cabin once with another person. Way too much of a coffin-feeling for me and unless you modify the A/C vent, it can get uncomfortably hot or cold.
-Storage. I realize this is a pocket cruiser, but if I had along one or two other people and a couple of overnight bags, they had to get moved out to the cockpit at night.
Reality - I like you decided I wanted to move out of sport boat into a cruiser as I loved the idea of going on overnight trips and being self-sufficient. I thought this would be the perfect size. I was afraid anything bigger might keep me at the dock more. As you see, I moved into my V358 after one six-month season with the 260. I didn't think the compromises would frustrate me so much in one season, but the more I used it, the more I wished I had more space and a more stable boat. As much of this will apply to most boats in this class, I encourage you to really do some forward thinking about how your boating will evolve as you move into a cruiser. I think mine is a pretty common story and, while I don't regret my path, I might have done things differently knowing what I now know. I don't use my V358 any less than I used the 260DA (which was always slipped). All that said, if you really think you'll use it primarily as a day boat with occasional overnight trips and plan to trailer, it's definitely one to consider.
Things to look out for if you start shopping for one...
-Yellowing of non-skid. Sea Ray has a well-earned reputation for great gel-coat, but my boat was among many that experienced a yellowing of the diamond-cut non-skid in a few spots. I believe that Sea Ray fixed it under warranty for the person who ended up buying mine.
-Corrosion with the Bravo III drive. Very common and very well-documented.
Cincy - please let me know if there is anything I missed or could be more specific about. And I have LOTS of pictures.
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