Let's talk 07 290 sundancer

A Sundancer will be my next boat. Maybe the 330. Boating Mag did a review of it in their September issue. It might take about 10 years, but the Sundancer is definitely in my future. The 290 is really nice. Would you consider it trailerable at 9' 6" and almost 10,000lbs? I'm torn between having a trailerable boat and one that must be slipped as my next boat.
 
If your next boat is 10 years away, then may I politely suggest that there may be other options to consider?

Sure, you can trailer it with the right trailer/tow package. But, would you want to? Rack storage may be the better choice.
 
Sorry MTPockets....I did not even see your post. I like the 280 better than the the 290. After the 290, I like all the bigger current models.
 
The 290 is a great boat. I love my 2000. Before the buy, I looked at a 07 model and really liked the inside. Go for it, you'll love it.
 
The cockpit layout is not to my liking in the new 290DA.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Kenpcfl

If your next boat is 10 years away, then may I politely suggest that there may be other options to consider?

Click to expand...

Well, I figure I'll be buying a 10 year old boat in 10 years, so I'm looking a t 2007-2008 models now and drooling!
 
The newer 280's and 290's are very nice looking boats, the guys in the slips beside mine have them, but I don't like the narrow beams. My old 1989 280 has a 10'6" beam and twins and it really does make all the difference. I've been tempted to go to a trailerable, but then I get out and hit some big boys wakes without much problem and get second thoughts about losing the stability. (then I fuel up on the way back in, and .....)
 
Thanks for the opinions. The search is on and the 290 is the front runner at this point.
 
We have 2006 290 Sundancer and love it. We have use it for two seasons and it has been a great boat. My wife, my duaghter and I stay on it over the weekends with plenty of room. I have twin 5.0 bravo three's. Go with the genarator if you are going to stay out on the hook over night.
 
I'm glad to hear from those that have them that they like their 290s. But last month at the Norwalk Boat Show they had the 280 next to the 290. When I looked at them compared, the 280 was much more to my liking. On the 290 the windshield frame is now all straight edges and squared corners vs curved frames; the stairway had been moved to one side and made steeper (too steep) rather than centered; this affected the seating at the front of the cockpit; and the "Cave" (which I never like) was more hidden than before. Can't remember more right now.
 
I just purchased a 1995 290. I like you was looking for something I could put on a trailer. but I caution you make sure you can pull it. the listed dry weight for mine is 12.5K but I found during my trip from tulsa to columbus ohio its more. I put it on truck stop scales and was shocked. I found my total weight was 25.5 K I have a ford excursion V10 4WD with 4.30 gears the truck with gas(50 gallon) and two people weighs just over 8k so the boat and trailer was around 17K. Try to find a ball rated for that!!! anyway truck pulled very well during the 2 day trip but going down steep hills at 65 I could feel it really pushing me. Stoping is another story even with disks on all 6 trailer wheels it takes allot longer than you think. I love the 290 and have had it on 3 local lakes plus erie it's new home but it is too large to concider it a everyday trailerable boat you can spend 20 min easy at the ramp getting it on and off. on a busy day everyone will be pissed at you.
 
That's funny because we trailer our 30 footer (11 foot beam) and I can get it on the trailer faster than most other folks at the ramp. My strap is only 5 feet long, so I note the water line when I back truck up to dump the boat in. I go to the same point when I pick it up and rarely have to winch more than a foot or two. I don't have an electric winch either. Of course, a diesel dually makes the rest of the trip very easy.
 
wow you triler 11 ft on a regular basis? tHE REASON i WENT WITH THE 9'8" Beam is around these states Ohio for one 8'6" is actually the widest trailer load you can carry to go larger requires permits. I had to get a wide load permit and sticker. Each state has different laws when I went through Misouri I had to call the state police and let them know when and where I was going through. the wide load permit also limits you to daytime only monday through friday. Here anything over 10ft you have to have a chase vehicle with lights etc. Also what always seems to take me so long at the ramps is as much angle as anything. With the swim platform and bow pulpit I am just a shade over 35ft. with the angle of most of the ramps around here my bow pulpit always get caught up on the vertical on the front of the trailer. I have cut it down as short as I dare and still have the roller on the bow I am already down well below mid way. So removing the anchor and sometimes having extra people to help lift the bow up takes me forever. twice I have had to unbolt the trailer vertical piece just to get it on the trailer.
 
In the West there are seven states that honor each others oversized permit. I buy an annual permit for $90. Eleven feet is the widest I can go WITHOUT pilot cars front and rear. The permit allows travel during the daytime and I can't travel on Friday, Sunday or Monday of the holiday weekends (Memorial, 4th and Labor Day). When I talked to the folks that issue the permit, they said with the proper lights night travel was possible. I didn't bother to go there because I'm sure I'd look like an airplane on the tarmac while driving down the freeway! I also can't drive on certain roads during rush hour traffic in Seattle, but since I live 280 miles EAST of Seattle that's not a problem until I head to the San Juans. Even then, it's a small window in the morning and evening.

The trailer is a homemade, but copied based on an EZ loader design. The highest point in the front is where it contacts the bow eye so nothing really gets in the way. I've been on some steep ramps and once the bow eye is locked in, I can pull it out and it seems to center without difficulty. If you are removing a cross member, I'd look at getting the trailer modified with a deeper bend in the cross member or moving it rear wards to get it out of the way. It would save you a lot of hassle at the ramp! This might sound strange, but dunk your trailer a little farther in the water so it's below your bow eye? It will take some finagling as you start forward to make sure it centers and it's not too far forward, but it might help you avoid all the headaches at steep ramps. I know the boat will be floating, so you'll need help holding it. It might still hit your winch stand, but maybe not? On the EZ loader, the winch stand is angled about 45 degrees and you can move the base back and forth to adjust the height. I have the same setup and it doesn't get in the way at all. If it did, I could invert the winch so it's below the platform and that would give me an additional 6 inches or so.

I get funny looks at the ramp when they see us load and unload, but it's not any harder than our previous 19 or current 25 footer! I claim it's easier because I pay closer attention to WHERE the boat floats off the trailer. Before, I just backed up until the bunks were wet and then winched the 19 or 25 footer on the last 4 - 6 feet. My right arm used to be huge at the end of the season from all the cranking! It's pretty common for me to back up, load and pull our boat out in less time than other boaters. Of course, we've been doing this for over 20 years with different boats so we're pretty experienced! Once we're out of the water, I add the Wide Load signs, strap the back and we're ready to go. It doesn't take very long at all.

We go almost every weekend and I couldn't imagine going to the same marina, on the same lake, next to the same people so we could cruise to the same spot every weekend! There are too many great lakes in our neck of the woods to get stuck at one every weekend! We always to go Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Roosevelt and then over to Seattle every year. If we were stuck on one of those lakes, the explorer in me would die a slow death!
 
Thats some great information. I hink I will try to modify the angle mount. The roller is right below the bow eye but the wench sticks up above it slightly and often the wench handle strikes the bow pulpit and I cant use it to turn the wench. The trailer is new a 2006 and the previous owner of boat and trailer only used is twice kept the boat in the water. so in a way I am still trying to match a new trailer to the boat. I just purchased both in october. I still have my 20ft cuddy and yes with it I barely sink the trailer. One of the other issues I experienced in october was low water leves often 8 to 10 ft below normalthat acounted to some of my ramp issues of actually running out of ramp length. I would back up till one of the triaxles would drop off the end of the ramp but dareed not to drop the second axle for fear on not being able to pull out. I hope in the spring I will have better luck and more water in the spring.
 
It doesn't help that the ramps most convenient to CP are far from perfect. Where did you launch?

(I just sent an email to your business account)
 
Check the mount of your winch. You might be able to drill a new hole and move it an inch or two AWAY from the boat to give you enough clearance without striking the boat when you winch it up. I know what you mean and I don't know why they put those so close. I guess they own stock in bandaids or fiberglass repair kits?

The low water and ramp drop offs add their own complexities. I'd be nervous dropping ONE set of axles off the edge. Wish we could send you guys some water! We got four inches of snow over the weekend and it started raining today. It's all gone and we've got water on top of water!
 
i was thinking of moving it forward but also wondering if that would bring the boat forward and put more tounge weight. I think the truck could handle it but the jack is about maxed out it takes two hands and a bunch of effort now to crank it off the truck. The ramp I use I wish I could remember the name it's the one when you go under the Causeway toward castaway bay their are two little marina's the second one on the right has the lift I know Mike and some others use the same one. we left the boat tied up there the week before Haloween. yes and got the email I sent a quick reply sorry it was a hell day at work today.
 
ok, that's Monroeville Marine. It's the one I would have recommended.
 
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