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JOHNNYRENO
RO# 3058
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 Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 18:59:37
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im ready to buy another 2-3 year old yacht 50 plus footer im gonna buy it in florida from marinemax does anyone know a good marinemax dealer , the reason being is they are all over for warranty and service and trade up later on in a couple years i am willing to listen to the bad along with the good i finally am pulling the plug and will do it in fl. waters east and west fl. keys etc, also looking at the 50 to 55 ft sea ray sedan bridges no more than 4 years old will be writing a check and biting the bullet at one time i know i may eat a bit if i trade up in a couple years but im willing to take the hit for a peaceful retirement thx for any comments
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"Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." Thomas Jefferson
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Homeport: LAS VEGAS
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 19:19:44
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from what i've sene helping a dock neighbor who bought a late model 60 footer from Marine Max, i would avoid them at all cost! warranty service is useless if the people they employ can't fix anything and have be called back multiple times.
example? they installed a thru hull just above waterline to re route a drain. simple job... drill, seal, instal, tighten. well, they screwed that up and underway, the higher water level as the boat squat causes a stream of water to come in and spray on the genset sound shield...
how about a transducer cable with a splice in the bilge and routed so that it rested on an air con blower? big surprise, the sounder wasn't working more than half the time. they could figure out that the fan / blower woudl cause interference!
when they replaced the batteries on delivery, they forgot one of the jumper cable and only hooked up one of the two 8Ds...
and the list goes on...
i'm sure some MM locations are better than others but i would never buy a boat from their network and pay more overall hoping to get good warranty service.
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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psalzer
RO# 4570
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Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 21:43:26
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I also have little faith in MM .... They told me I needed a valve job on my 7.4., claimed they had pulled the head....lied, when they pulled the head they found a broken piston.
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| Pete |
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Homeport: Fayetteville, Ga
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marathon man
RO# 23428
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Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 22:03:38
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x3 on MM.
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Homeport: Ketchum, Grand Lake O' The Cherokees
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Phillbo
RO# 2553
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 10:17:40
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I've never heard anything good about them so I avoid them.
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Homeport: Arizona
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In the know
RO# 20824
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 10:33:31
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If you want a peaceful retirement, then no way no how should you be dealing with Marine Max.
A deal with Marine Max is akin to sticking an ice pick in your own eye.
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The enemy of society - the HUTAL |
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Homeport: The Ocean State
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Ghost
RO# 689
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 10:46:53
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I've never dealt with them being on the wrong coast, but then again a guy living in Seattle has a lot of experience dealing with many many stories over the years concerning BS explanations given by that outfit. What does that tell ya?
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| What part of GALE WARNING did you not understand? |
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Homeport: Everett Wa
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Capt. Bill1
RO# 2017
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 11:31:34
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Why buy a 50 - 55 foot boat now if you are just going to go up in size in a couple of years? Just get what you want now while the prices are down and be done with it.
And I never seem to hear anything good about MM either.
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The two most common elements on Earth are oxygen and stupidity.
Great, now take it to NBR. |
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Homeport: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 13:34:11
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marine max and sea ray??? with all the good choices out there starting with such limited fixed plans is a set up for dissatisfaction.
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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jtybt15
RO# 3300
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 14:03:26
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I was thinking along the same lines as brucie.
Ask for opinions, ...
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Charlie
There is much to be said, in a world like ours, for taking the world as you find it and fishing with a worm.-Bliss Perry, 1904
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Homeport: Ca
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Veg
RO# 20854
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 16:24:56
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+2 (I'm with Bruce and Charlie) (and with pretty much everyone else apparently)... It boggles my mind when I see people with that kind of money going the MM/Sea Ray route...
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| 2001 Tiara 2900 Open - "O Sole Mio" - Stillwater, MN |
Edited by - Veg on Apr 25 2012 16:25:55 |
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Homeport: Stillwater, MN
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JOHNNYRENO
RO# 3058
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 18:39:44
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i like sea rays ive had 3 of them and they were all solid,other boats too i just was thinking about parts and availability a meridian would not be out of the question it just seems that mmax seem to get a lot of good vessels being mostly sea rays and even meridians when it comes to having this kind of money well it didnt get given to me i have just never sat on the couch waiting for a handout :) 2 or 3 jobs each for me and the wife had boats all my life too so no stranger to brands i like some of the italian made yachts but was worried about parts and qualified mechanics i can do most of the work but dont want to tackle stuff i m not sure of,,, i guess my main question has been answerted about marinemax, thx for all the input too folks
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"Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." Thomas Jefferson
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Homeport: LAS VEGAS
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caltexfla
RO# 14522
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Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 19:08:09
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Things might be just fine there on Lake Mead, but now you are talking salt water and oceans. Different game. Not to say some of the modern larger Sea Rays aren't ok boats, but you are going to want to spend sometime evaluating what is really getting used regularly out there on the briny blue, and holding up to it, vs. looking good in the marina. Unless of course, you are looking for an occasional use ICW/dock queen. Nothing wrong with that either but there are definitely horses for courses as they say at Gulfstream and Calder.
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Homeport: Wherever
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rduhon
RO# 29321
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 06:53:42
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You don't have to use Marine Max to buy a good used Searay.
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Homeport: Lake Charles, La
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JVM225
RO# 28365
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 09:04:11
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I've never bought a bot from them or had one serviced, but I have had the opportuntiy to do some engine work on a boat after they were the last ones to work on it and I was not too impressed with their work.
Bottom line is that a bug name doesn't always mean that their work is good.
I would rather shop aroun for the boat I want, have a survey done, and go with the report I get on the boat.
Muc more likely that you wouldn't need much, if any, warranty work that way.
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87 Sea Ray, 30' Sundancer
Merri Mack
MMSI #338122779
95 Eastern 22'
C6 Corvette Convertible
68 GTO
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Homeport: Farmingdale NY
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Silver Lining
RO# 29390
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 09:31:17
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I would add a few different names to your list. For FL waters and offshore cruising in a flybridge sport cruiser style boat my short list would be Princess yachts/Viking Sport Cruiser and Fairline, both British built boats. Although the Italian boats are popular, parts and service can be much harder to get. We went with the Princess/Viking SC because they have excellent parts and servcice here in the US with several service centers on the East Coast and a major parts warehouse in New Jersy with excellent customer service. These are both good rough water boats that have modern styling and superb construction and fabication quality.
Along the lines of George's comment, when we are cruising in the Bahamas, I think the most common brands we see in the 50-65 ft range are Viking SC, Fairline, and Azimut. You do see some Sea Rays, and they are fairly well built boats (our previous boat was a Sea Ray), as well as Hatteras, Tiaras, Ocean Alexanders, and many sport fishing boats. We do a lot of offshore cruising and fishing, maybe 2500 miles per year typical, and the boat most importantly needs to be reliable and well built. Offshore crsuing is definitely harder on the boat and you will hit rougher seas, so a very well engineered and constructed hull as well as interior fabrication methods that can take the extra abuse. The other thing I think is important if you are cruising a lot is a boat that is easy to dock in unknown marinas, not too much windage.
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-Rick
Viking Sport Cruiser 50FY
"Silver Lining" |
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Homeport: Chesapeake, MD
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Veg
RO# 20854
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 09:55:55
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I guess to each their own, but what I was trying to say is I wouldn't want to be caught in bad weather crossing the stream in a Sea Ray or Meridian. If you can afford it, I'd look into real blue water boats. In any case, good luck!!!
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| 2001 Tiara 2900 Open - "O Sole Mio" - Stillwater, MN |
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Homeport: Stillwater, MN
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 10:04:26
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Funny how folks attribute certain performance to brand names. IMO one would be better off deciding on hull shape and deck design then finding a boat that meets those criteria. Brand names have been bought and sold often over the years and models change often as do designs and therefore performance.
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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Bliss
RO# 2743
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 10:32:58
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I am not anti dealer or broker. I bought new and used from both on many occasions. At the same time there have been direct opportunities that have been advantageous as well. As to after sale warrantee work, I've enjoyed receiving the very best and suffered the very worst. In this market I would not hesitate approaching an owner directly and ask where I might find a boat for sale like his ESPECIALLY IN THIS MARKET. It worked out very well with my last two purchases. One I found while aimlessly wondering around a boat yard and one I found while cruising past it in a marina. Sea Ray dealers - MarineMax and Skipper Bud's - the anegdotal service horror stories are endless. I would view promises of future services, warranteed or not, with several grains of salt. Good luck!
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Edited by - Bliss on Apr 26 2012 10:34:31 |
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Homeport: Reef Point Racine, WI
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Veg
RO# 20854
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 10:37:23
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Bruce, in "hull shape and deck design" I'm assuming you're including stringer design and layout, lamination materials and technologies, hull to deck joint assembly, structural bulkhead design, etc etc etc... While I definitely agree with you that within brands there are huge difference between models (frequently very much on purpose as boat models are designed to serve different markets), I also think there is significant difference between many brands when it comes to overall quality and open water performance. All of us have bought the wrong boat at some point and learned by experience. Heck, I once bought a fancy express once with lots of glitzy stuff that I realized wasn't going to age very well, particularly when I was in saltwater.
As to "brand names", I have to guess that the mention of brands in Rick's reply are a response to the original poster's limiting his choices to one brand (or two). If the original question was about deadrise at point of entry or tradeoffs of prop tunnels, then the thread may have gone in what you would consider to be a more "substantial" direction. That said, I do think that when looking for a blue water boat, I would have rather started with something like Viking than something like Sea Ray, and I would make that decision any day of the week regardless of difference between particular models.
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| 2001 Tiara 2900 Open - "O Sole Mio" - Stillwater, MN |
Edited by - Veg on Apr 26 2012 10:38:47 |
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Homeport: Stillwater, MN
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L. Keith
RO# 1615
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 11:09:57
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If you have that much coin, why go to the marine equivalent of "Wally World" and purchase a production boat? Get a custom boat built and get exactly what you want.
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Homeport: N. Gulf of Mexico
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Silver Lining
RO# 29390
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 12:29:31
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Bruce, the main point I was trying to make was that certain brands are generally known to use respected building practices and hull designs in a given size range. As an example when we bought our Viking SC the most important criteria for me was solid laminant hull, a deep vee deadrise, steep entry and forefoot. A substantial stringer system, ours has 6 structural bulkheads and a very large extensive stringer system that goes up the hull sides with no coring in the hull at all. A fully screwed, glued and glassed over hull to deck joint, Trend port holes and sliding cockpit doors both with stainless steel hull and glass framing. A well built rigid hull doesnt flex and so the interior cabinets etc. dont creek and last longer. A low center of mass is imporatnt for both ultimate stability and low windage. We also like having two fully redundant helms and water and fuel tank materials are also important. Prop tunnels are standard which help fuel mileage and reduce draft. All of these fabrication methods are standard practice on 50-65 ft Viking SC and Fairline boats. There are many more details like these that separate the various builders.
The buyer really needs to study the building materials and details, measure the deadrise and entry angles, crawl through the bilges and thoroughly study the the inetrior hardware, materials and methods. How is access and quality of electrical system, etc. While all builders make mistakes or have flaws, there are fundamental differences in design criteria, design tradeoffs, construction methods and materials.
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-Rick
Viking Sport Cruiser 50FY
"Silver Lining" |
Edited by - Silver Lining on Apr 26 2012 12:33:21 |
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Homeport: Chesapeake, MD
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 12:38:27
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What I advocate is deciding what’s important in a coastal boat such as solid bottom, good side decks, safe access forward, no ladders, inside stairs sea kindly hull shape, good ratio of volume to advertised length, sufficient tankage, good ground tackle, reasonably maintainable engines. etc etc. After figuring out what you want then go find those features.
Except for those guys who go fishing in any conditions most boaters will not be bashing into big waves at 25 Kts but a boat that handles well and is reasonable safe for normal use would be my choice.
A friend bought a 55’ boat where the side decks are very difficult to use and the primary access forward is via an opening in the windshield. I would not want to go forward on that boat to deal with anchoring or docking but it has a beautiful interior and wowie IPS drives.
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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sabrejocky
RO# 12195
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 12:50:56
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Although I fully agree with Rick on a boat owner needing to know what he is buying it still leaves me speechless when I meet an owner that has never seen the engine hatches up.
How is it possible that these clueless "captains" can run a boat for many years and live to tell about it while someone like me can not get out of the slip with out running across a technical problem?
Cor
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"Pretty Penny"
1990 50' High Tech Euro
Wellington, Florida
You ain't much if you ain't Dutch |
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Homeport: Miami, Florida
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sabrejocky
RO# 12195
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 12:54:02
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Just noticed the OP is from Las Vegas, that explains his willingness to "gamble" on MM and Sea Ray, he must be used to it ;-)
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"Pretty Penny"
1990 50' High Tech Euro
Wellington, Florida
You ain't much if you ain't Dutch |
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Homeport: Miami, Florida
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JOHNNYRENO
RO# 3058
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 17:25:02
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thx for all the help and education thats why i ran it out here cuz i knew i would get the ttruth no sugar coating we like the interior look of the srays and meridians we will be just putting around the state town to town in the new vessel til we find a nice condo with a dock. we will be heading to the keys a lot and bahamas occasionally and around to the gulf side and back to east coast side town to town visiting type stuff as mentioned by someone earlier, couple days at a time we have been to florida almost every year now for years and love the state were gonna keep the place in nevada for visits but this is the main reason we are asking everyone on here with all the expert experience and knowledge..
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"Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." Thomas Jefferson
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Homeport: LAS VEGAS
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JOHNNYRENO
RO# 3058
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 17:34:25
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so we have now started opening up to other brands of boats i was telling my wife the same but she likes and loves the looks of the sea ray and meridian interiors shes not thinking about how quick it can get rough out there
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"Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." Thomas Jefferson
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Homeport: LAS VEGAS
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 18:17:22
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for most buyers, the typical SR, Meridian, Carver, Cruiser, whatever... works just fine. i see many SRs all the way to the Exumas and they're having a good time.
Reality check: all of those boats can handle a lot more than most owner, wifey, kiddie, kitty and doggy will ever put up with. it's just 2 1/2 hours across to the bahamas, storms just don't come out of the blue and these boats arent going to fall apart under their owners' behinds :)
perrsonally i find construction, serviceability and boatability to be a lot more important than the name plate.
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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JOHNNYRENO
RO# 3058
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Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 19:32:40
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thx again if i cross to the bamas im absolutely making plans and travelling with and or following a group and im surely investing in a decent life raft auto blow up type but mainly the first few months will be searching for a good deal on a piece of real estate to perch the vessel while i travel in the state of florida learning the history of the state and looking for cool destinations to swim snorkel fish anchor out and down some vino and crash for the evening.
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"Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." Thomas Jefferson
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Homeport: LAS VEGAS
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sabrejocky
RO# 12195
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Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 08:18:40
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Johnny I have worked for some very wealthy people (200mil+) and I can tell you that when I bought a brand new boat in 2001 those same people told me I was out of my mind. Warranties in general are not worth the paper it is written on, their position was buy a little older boat use the money you saved to pay for any repairs and or upgades.
Now for your choice of boat I think you need to broaden your horizon a bid. The 70" boat that PascalG runs is the same make as my boat and if you look on this forum you will see that Pascal has been nothing but positive about this boat. These boats are VERY well build and beautfully finished, much nicer than any Searay, EVER! If you go on Yachtworld you will find a number of them for sale from 50' to over 100', nowhere near as many as Searays because this is not a production boat and therefore build in smaller numbers.
Don't go buy yourself a boat now to then move up in a couple of years, buy the right boat now, doing it twice will only cost you more money. Figure on what you really want in a boat and how big. Don't go to small but also don't go to big too, if a 50 footer is all you really need than having a 60 footer is going to hit you verytime you pull into a marina, plus bigger boats need bigger slips and most marinas have many more small slips than big ones.
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"Pretty Penny"
1990 50' High Tech Euro
Wellington, Florida
You ain't much if you ain't Dutch |
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Homeport: Miami, Florida
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rduhon
RO# 29321
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Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 10:35:23
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If you buy a boat, be sure you can run her with a minimum crew. Don't get something that is too much to handle, unless you are getting a crew together.
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Homeport: Lake Charles, La
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2-3 year old boat purchase
