I have been looking for another boat project with the first requirement a cabin cruiser newer than 1991 with length of 26-28 for easier trailering and cheaper storage/moorage cost. I also wanted a table and bed in lower cabin which newer boats consolidate into a combo table/bed. I wanted twin engines for maneuverability and redundancy and AC/heat for relief in cabin and generator so everything is useable while underway. I was open to all brands except Bayliner which doesn't have a cabin cruiser under 30' with twin engines but was partial to Sea Rays and Formulas. Formulas tend to be top notch quality and fast with twin 5.7l's but their 27PC doesn't have enough cabin space (separate table) and they have a higher price premium for their reputation. Sea Ray's are good quality boats (I've owned 2 previously) but only offer the 4.3L's for their twins in the 27-28 foot Sundancer and their 29' Sundancer with twin 5.0l's is larger than I would want to trailer and basically out of my budget. I narrowed my search to a 1999 Sea Ray 270 located on Lake of the Ozarks. The seller owned it for 14 years and it was all fresh water useage and under 500 hours for engines. The seller said it was the Special Edition but that model was the value model with less options narrower beam and lower quality finishings. Of all the sellers I contacted he was very cordial (some were downright nasty) and responsive to my questions. I wanted to correct him on his model but figured he might raise the price so I just verified all of the non SE options including walk through windshield and generator to make sure it was the non SE edition. I asked for name and he said Generac which isn't factory on Sea Rays but he later sent pics of generator that showed it was Kohler which was a relief because many listings state generator and they are just including a cheap portable one that may or may not be safe to operate depending how they mount and wire it. Like most listers not a lot of pictures nor not a lot of detail in his listings but I was hoping that would deter the other value conscious/cheap shoppers.
He seemed very busy so not a lot of communication but I drove out there with my buddy's F350 (a previous project I sold him) to check it out and bring it back if I liked it. First thing guy was really down to earth and friendly and boat was on lift so I could see the gelcoat was in very good condition and the cockpit upholstery was also in good condition. He had another boat and a jet ski and when we discussed occupations he stated Automotive but later found out he owns a Honda dealership. While checking it out I noticed things he didn't mention including it has upgraded blue tooth stereo with amp, auto trim tab, and a 2014 really nice Trailmaster custom built trailer (prolly paid 12K). He lowered it into water and we took it out and I drove it for a few minutes but my primary concern was oil pressure, starting issues, engine cooling water temps and noises when shifting. Everything seemed fine but the steering effort was strong and I didn't test anything else because for the price I was willing to fix minor issues and I had small window to get back home. The boat was so nice that I didn't negotiate anymore which is rare for me but I have learned that sometimes you can kill an already excellent deal by trying to be greedy. We loaded up the boat and broke the boat winch strap (which was already tied on) so I had him just cut off the bad piece and tie it back on to the hook until I get new strap. He didn't use transom straps which I luckily brought 2 with me from my last boat that fit fine on this one. Having a boat tied down to trailer at just the bow is very risky especially if that strap breaks. I brought some spare rachet straps so we also used the bow eyelet to rachet bow down to trailer directly so between those and the transom straps the boat was securely on the trailer. I started on my 500 mile trip back and spent a hour driving through some of the most winding and hilly terrain until I got back on the interstate.
He seemed very busy so not a lot of communication but I drove out there with my buddy's F350 (a previous project I sold him) to check it out and bring it back if I liked it. First thing guy was really down to earth and friendly and boat was on lift so I could see the gelcoat was in very good condition and the cockpit upholstery was also in good condition. He had another boat and a jet ski and when we discussed occupations he stated Automotive but later found out he owns a Honda dealership. While checking it out I noticed things he didn't mention including it has upgraded blue tooth stereo with amp, auto trim tab, and a 2014 really nice Trailmaster custom built trailer (prolly paid 12K). He lowered it into water and we took it out and I drove it for a few minutes but my primary concern was oil pressure, starting issues, engine cooling water temps and noises when shifting. Everything seemed fine but the steering effort was strong and I didn't test anything else because for the price I was willing to fix minor issues and I had small window to get back home. The boat was so nice that I didn't negotiate anymore which is rare for me but I have learned that sometimes you can kill an already excellent deal by trying to be greedy. We loaded up the boat and broke the boat winch strap (which was already tied on) so I had him just cut off the bad piece and tie it back on to the hook until I get new strap. He didn't use transom straps which I luckily brought 2 with me from my last boat that fit fine on this one. Having a boat tied down to trailer at just the bow is very risky especially if that strap breaks. I brought some spare rachet straps so we also used the bow eyelet to rachet bow down to trailer directly so between those and the transom straps the boat was securely on the trailer. I started on my 500 mile trip back and spent a hour driving through some of the most winding and hilly terrain until I got back on the interstate.
