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SeaRay Information - Reviews Wanted

Discussion in 'Sea Ray Yacht' started by Tweaked Torpedo, Jan 26, 2004.

  1. Tweaked Torpedo

    Tweaked Torpedo New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2004
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    Hi all,

    I'm looking to purchase a Sea Ray Flybridge Sedan 480. Possibly a 540 if the price is right. I would appreciate any feedback from current (or past) owners of these boats.

    I've looked at the 480 carefully and I'm concerned about access to the engine room to perform maintenance or repairs. There is very limited space.

    Other than that, have owners encountered any problems, either structurally or cosmetically with owning these boats?

    Thanks in advance!
  2. brianwill

    brianwill New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2004
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    75
    Location:
    Texas
    I've never owned a SeaRay boat, but I understand that a couple of their past models had some problems with balsa core rot in the hull bottoms. It seems that SeaRay may have put balsa core in the hull below the water line and the thru-hull fittings are letting water ingress and rot out the balsa.

    You may want to check with the BoatUS consumer affairs division to see if this is true.

    Good luck.
  3. Tweaked Torpedo

    Tweaked Torpedo New Member

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    Jan 26, 2004
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    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    Hello Brian,

    Thank you for the head's up. I'll dig a little deeper into this. At the very least, you can bet I'll get a marine survey, or two! I've dealt with saturated balsa core once before. I don't want to go through that again. It's like wet paper mache'.

    Take it easy.
  4. fwebster

    fwebster New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2004
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    Location:
    Middle Tennessee;Panama City Beach, FL
    tweaked torpedo...

    I do not own a 480, but have some experience with larger Sea Rays. Our boat is a 450DA and has similar construction as those you are considering.

    You can read a lot of stuff on the web and in Power Boat Reports about Sea Ray core problems. Every one of the articles cites a surveyor named David Pascoe who apparently has a bee under his bonnet about balsa cored boats. Balsa coring is a common construction technique used by many builders to make very strong boats that are reasonable light in weight.

    I got concerned about our boat and did my own research as well as evaluated our boat for entrapped moisture. We do not have a problem. I keep our boat at a large Sea Ray dealer in NW Fla. who is also a master dealer. They do enough volume on larger Sea Rays that I think if there were core problem their service manager would have seen or at least heard of some. They repaired one '97 model 400SD with a 12"X24"void in the bottom in 2003.....no coring involved, but a delamination due to a cold cure during lay-up and Sea Ray paid for the repair even though the boat was long out of warranty. The only other boats they have fixed or have even heard about were abused or suffered from inadequate maintenance. So, my opinion is that there are not nearly as many "wet" boats as one may be led to think.

    As far as the 480SD is concerned, try to avoid the first year of production unless the seller can produce documentation that the heat/air system has been upgraded. The early boats had inadequate air circulation and there were some uncomfortable areas in parts of the cabin. I do not know specifics on model years. The other big gotcha has to do with Caterpillar 3196 aftercoolers. Cat installed a bunch of faulty ones on 3196's that caused (or soon will cause) a catestrophic engine failure when they leak. Several 480's in our area have had both engines replaced.........all by Caterpillar at no cost to the owner. Caterpillar admits the problem and in every case has stepped up to make repairs. I would want to be sure what aftercoolers were on any boat I was serious about buying.

    In addition to a marine survey, you should make any offer contingent upon the engines passing a mechanical survey that you hire done by a nearby Caterpillar dealer. Cat keeps excellent records and the dealer you select should be able to research the service history of any repairs done as well as being the best ones to evaluate the aftercoolers on the boat now. I don't know where you are in Fla, but Ringhaver Caterpillar is the company who sells to the factories in Merritt Island and Palm Coast and they, as well, should have the service history.

    Big Sea Rays are all straight forward very forgiving sea boats and there are no suprises or quirks ahead. If a sedan is the flavor of boat you prefer, a 480 Sea Ray is going to be hard to beat. As far as cramped engine rooms are concerned, the more systems there are on a boat the tighter things get, so get used to it!

    Enjoy shopping..............
  5. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    Hi Frank!

    Great info. I also agree with your comments regarding Caterpiller. I've heard similar stories about the 3196's and how Cat they stand behind their engines, even though the marine market represents a very small segment of their sales.

    Welcome aboard!

    Carl
  6. fwebster

    fwebster New Member

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    Thanks Carl........

    Looks like YachtForums.com is off to a good start.
  7. Hfkeen

    Hfkeen New Member

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    Feb 3, 2004
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    Location:
    Dallas
    Brother Pascoe definitely has some opinions, see:

    http://www.yachtsurvey.com/

    Giving the devil his due, some of his articles are quite informative.

    Fred
  8. Tweaked Torpedo

    Tweaked Torpedo New Member

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    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    Thanks to everyone for the information you gave me. I'm still seeking the right boat and actually enjoy the process. :)
  9. brianwill

    brianwill New Member

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    Location:
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    Good input. Tweaked Torpedoe--did you ever buy your boat?

    Regards,
  10. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    I was just looking at Sea Ray 480 Sedan Bridges today. Prices appear to be getting more reasonable in the used market. I found a 1998 480 SB with 600 hours on Cats & flybridge A/C for $339K. I'm sure it could be bought for less. It's a LOT of boat for the money.
  11. brianwill

    brianwill New Member

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    Location:
    Texas
    Good luck. You must be ready to get going with the nice weather kicking in for boating season; or is the prime season ending down there in FL?
  12. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    Hey Brian,

    Boating in South Florida. Let me see if I can draw a picture for you...

    During winter... when the climate is cool, we have these "NOT very cool" idle speed zones that are about as much fun as watching mold grow. Recently, the marine patrol began issuing tickets to manatees for exceeding the speed of other vessels.

    During summer... when it's too hot for human habitation, the idle speed zones are lifted in some areas, in order to allow fresh air circulation so we don't have maintain a water ambulance- rescue program.

    About the only good time to go boating in South Florida is April, as the idle speed zones are lifted, it's not too hot, the tourists have gone home with a tan, and the manatees start feeling frisky and go deep into canals to do the wild thing.

    :D
  13. Anthonyputz

    Anthonyputz New Member

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    May 5, 2008
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    Location:
    Eastern Long Island, New York
    Searay wet hull

    Hey Capt Joe and everyone else. I own a 1996 Sea Ray 44 Express Bridge, second season. Severe core damage, Boat US sent out a surveyor who determined that the water intrusion was not caused by an impact of any kind but they authorized further inspection including a lamanite specialist who took core samples. The results where not good. As the inspection progressed substancially wet core was found at every factory through hull opening, engine vents, drains,docking lights. I haven't had the top sides checked yet, I'm scared. Boat US declared the boat a "Port Risk" non navigational status, claim denied. I am now in search of legal counsel that has had first hand experience with this situation. The surveyor for Boat US stated, (5) or more years would have to elapse to reach this degree. Thanks for any info
  14. 480AR

    480AR New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2007
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    Location:
    Chicago
    480 Sedan Bridge

    I think the original post was about 480 Sedan Bridges or alternatively 540 Motor Yachts. We have a 2002 480 Sedan Bridge that we have just loved for the past 5 years (we took delivery in April 2003). It has the Cummins QMSs. All of our boating for the time being is done in the Great Lakes (with our home lake being Lake Michigan).

    Our only compliant about the 480 is the difficulty in making the bed in the master stateroom (or the VIP for that matter). So if someone was offering us a free boat, we would upgrade to a 58 Sedan Bridge. But other than the bed, we just loved our 480 and have had very few issues (those that we have had were small and fixed quickly).

    We were counseled NOT to touch a 540 -- under any circumstances. We were told that they have a very high roll rate due to the amount of weight above the water line and this was the reason for Sea Ray discontinuing them. But to be honest, we have no personal experience with the 540.

    Good luck! I think you will really enjoy a 480!

    Thanks.