[homer1958]

Hope you are polite and don't stick you nose up.
Just kidding... How do you do in seas next to them? Of course speed is somewhat based on power, but power for power, I know for a fact the 38' Roamer smokes a Sear Ray of like size. How do you compare the ride, seas, speed ect next to you 41.. fans want to know?

I bet your Roamer is more stable and does not roll as much... what's your take?

[Jim Reed]

You know, I'm really glad you asked that question, Knoxville is the home to the University of Tennessee Volunteers and Neyland Stadium is right on the Tennessee River sooo a lot of boats travel up stream to the football game. Most of these boats are Sea Ray and we have a regular boat race upstream. Most of the Sea Rays are the sundancer type and the sedan bridges have small catwalks and the passangers are crowded in the aft end of the boat.
On the other hand, my Roamer has wide catwalks and my passangers are walking around the boat, drink in hand, setting on the forward bench seat and sunpads. Now some of these 55 and 60 foot Sea Rays cruse at 35 knots and I won't even try to pass them but I do run with most of them. Usually our falls are so wonderful, I don't like the trip to end. I start out at 25 RPM's when I leave the marina and continue to speed up as I continue to run upstream. By the time I get to the stadium I'm running at 34 RPM and running at 22 to 25 MPH depending on how I'm loaded. I have had her up to 36 RPM
before and she did great. I just like to baby my boys. She has new 427's and only have 75 hours on them. The attached picture is at the big Sea Ray Aquaploosa floatella they have every year. My beloved really shines and stands tall.

[homer1958]

Really, she beautiful.... keep soothing our eyes. I agree with you. Roamers have a nice wide walk--around, seat upfront, bridge... just a lot more machine. They could never build them now as they are so hand crafted. They would cost a fortune. I find on mine.. everyone likes to ride upfront on a nice day and sit on the forward lounge. The most people I ever had was 21 and she was fine. People have so many places to sit.

I just think this is a superior design.. sure the new boats direct more to the cabin, but when I am on my Roamer.. I do not want to be in a cave. If I want a cave, I will go to the mountains.. So many boats are caves now.. What's with that?

Question I have is... if you are in a let's say running with a 46 Sea Ray vs. a 41 Roamer (about the same waterline since Sea Ray cheats with that snout).. does your Roamer bash the waves better than the Sea Ray or what is the difference in all aroud ride characteristics in your opinion if you could share this with us?

According to Jim Wick/LPX, formally of Chris Craft back then in Holland michigan, mid to late 60's Roamers do much better in a following sea than Commanders. That surpirsed me as I thought Commanders would do better but he says not.

So what is your take, followng sea, broad sea, rolling sea, head sea, sitting still?.... this is a question Romerfiles would enjoy hearing your answer to. Do you find the qualtity in rough seas to be better, worse or the same? You know 40 years is a long time.. your thoughts/experiences?

Are you steel or aluminium?
Also, thsoe 427's need to hit 4000 to have the right load on them... you probalby know that. I wish I never sold my 427 blocks frankly.

[Jim Reed]

Remember, we are on the Tennessee River and we don't get a lot of challanging seas here. The only following seas we get is when we have to go in reverse to retrieve a can of beer. I will say that everyone stays out of my way and most boats especially Sea Rays understate the preformance of my Roamer.
We were on our way to a Football game while a 29 foot Sea Ray tried to pass me. This idiot had one of his female passengers actually up on that small bow with her legs dangling off the boat. When the 29 tried to pass me a giant spray shot up and we couldn't even see the boat. When the giant sprayed cleared we were shocked to see the woman dangling off the Sea Ray and holding on to the life rail. Scared the heck out of me. The Roamer indeed makes a statement. I mentioned in one of my earlier entries that, while anchoring out on a hot summer day in a popular cove the Senior V.P. of Sea Ray swam over to the Roamer and wanted a tour. After I gave him a tour he wanted to buy her. While Payton Manning was at the marina, visiting one of his friends, he wanted to see her. He also gave me a autograph which I have hanging on the boat. The Roamer is really a heck of a boat and stands out. I really like to read all the threads of my fellow Roamer owners regarding going out on the Great Lakes and the waves they can take. The Tennessee River is not in your league as big waves and stormes. We get a some thunderstormes in the summer but they usually don't last long or produce the kind of seas you fellows get into. I think you would laugh at our storms.

[homer1958]

What's that saying? Thing is, they need to be in nice shape.. that's the key. They can take the seas, yours even better as it has higher free-board.
We have had her in two Great Lakes, down the Atlantic coast in a bad offshore storm from New York Habor to Cape May... never an issue. I mean you have to slow down, but the bow kicked the sea right away.... I mean you can get sea sick and all.. but the boat just keeps going. Our largest waves were 12 footers in Lake Ontario, Hell, I was about to put on some Gordon Lightfoot Edmund Fitzgerald tunes as I plucked the barley corn off my Mae West. That was nasty.. 427's 12 mph up the swell, 25 mph down the swell.

Today, she is pushing tremendous torque/ 730 lb each engine plus she is 2.4 gear ratio and 23 by 31 props (4blade).. She just blasts though anything. She is hitting 36.5, but had she's geared her higher otherwise would be in the 38-39 mph range. She goes the same speed with 10 people or 1... does not matter. Frankly, she putts along best at about 25. After that the wind is blowing the cubes out of your Tin and Tonic. When first repowered, we were cruising at about 28 and two new 35 foot Sea Rays came up on us.., about 4 foot swells in the Cheapeake. I waited until they were a bit ahead... they probably thought she was some tired old barge with a sweet paint job. I put the pedal to the medal, twin turbos kicked, sqealed and she lunged rd with that wine you often heard on 18 wheelers (thats' what she does.. squeals, leeps like a cat as turbos kick. The Sea Rays speeded up, but we kept blasting farther ahead... had them by about 5 MPH I would say. The would need at least 425 hp a side to beat us it seemed. They probably has twin 454's is my guess.

This was important as it feeds into Homer's terminal immaturity

[homer1958]

These are just baby swells compared to the big stuff... looks good to me.. this is a 38' on Lake Michigan

[Jim Reed]

Wow, that's great to here. I think the new Sea Ray's have 8.1's or 496ci. Doesn't matter though. Makes your Chris even more superior to the plastic hole boats. My 427's put out 428 lbs of torque per engine at 2900 RPM. Not as great as a diesel but I'm proud of her. I really would like to have seen you blister those Sea Rays. That's Great!!!

[homer1958]

There is near zero chance a Sea Ray would win a head-on.. Roamer would crush it... like a Hummer spanking a Camry.

[watjam]

Sure every body likes those big Roamers, but those little ones need love too!
I like taking my Custom Comet out and surprizing the heck out of the local sea ray contingency too! Those little 283's can get her up and moving.
So let's hear it for the little guy! Hooray!

Admin Edit: Pictures Removed. Please read the rules on image sizes.

[Seafarer]

This one is practically in my backyard, and would be willing to go check it out for anyone interested... the most expensive $1500 anyone could ever spend... http://bit.ly/cYMRxq

[Jim Reed]

Wow, what a beautiful boat. Big or small, these are terrific boats. I agree with Roamer Homer, you just can't beat these boats. Plus, you don't have to break the bank getting one and you get to be a much better capt. working and maintaining them. My neighbor at the marina was in a panic this past summer. He is a very wealthy man and his generator would't work in his new 42 Sea Ray. He told me that he was having a big crowd on his boat that day and needed the A/C to work along with the rest of the Elec. Systems. He asked me to take a look. Seems his Generator would run for a short time and then shut down. It turns out to be a simple fix. The generator was getting hot do to a simple impeller problem and would protect itself by shutting down. I told him I would not fix it but would lend him my tools and show him how to correct the problem but he had to turn the wrenches. He looked at me like I was crazy but realizing he had no choice he agreed. We had that ol' impeller replaced and running great within 30 minutes. He turned to me with a grin that was a mile wide and I explained to him that a good capt. knows his vessel inside and out . I think this was the first time he ever had a wrench in his hands and he liked it. Knowing how to fix and maintain you boat is half the fun and your boat shows like she has a great capt. (Copy Cat)

[homer1958]

My gosh.. I did not know about this one! This boat looks perfect too.. What's going on with all these choice Roamers popping out of the woodwork? This is the greatest stuff.. people are eating this up.. were else can we see these but here... more more more Roamer photos.

This is the Roamer Revolution.... a disjointed group of floating alloy junkies starting to strut their stuff. The Chris Craft alloyed tradition wages a friendly competitive war on the plastic Sea Ray. Now, when Murray and his boys and that Piper acquisition mess lost Chris Craft (we all know about these years).. Sea Ray was just a good little speed boat, but no Chirs Craft. We are coming back for our seat.. You've had it for a while but we are coming back. Chris is a little more expensive, but go look at a new one and you will know why... best design team in the world.. came form Riva. Anyone who knows Riva knows what this means.
Watch out Sea Ray.. Chris Craft is coming back for our turf, the quality is higher as is their all new neo classic Italian good looks. Thanks to Oxford Educated Stephen Julius and the design team he hired from Riva Italy. Go Chris Craft Go!! Rupert Murdoch grabbed the Chris Craft name and Julius bought it back as well as rights to Indian Motorcycle.

Please tell us more abpout her?.. her history ect....

Sea Ray history? What's that?

[watjam]

Originally Posted by watjam

Sure every body likes those big Roamers, but those little ones need love too!
I like taking my Custom Comet out and surprizing the heck out of the local sea ray contingency too! Those little 283's can get her up and moving.
So let's hear it for the little guy! Hooray!

Admin Edit: Pictures Removed. Please read the rules on image sizes.

Hopefully I got it right this time

[YachtForums]

Nope, not even close. Your last image was 1600 pixels wide! For now, I have reduced the image for you. Please use a photo editing program to bring images down to YF's required size before uploading again.

[watjam]

Originally Posted by YachtForums

Nope, not even close. Your last image was 1600 pixels wide! For now, I have reduced the image for you. Please use a photo editing program to bring images down to YF's required size before uploading again.

Many thanks to you Mr. Administrator and sorry for the inconveniance. Tried to photo editing softwares - evidently without much luck. The learning curve
continues.