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1989 SEA RAY 340 Sundancer
A quick response to a question
Remember the late 80's the era of the fat boat, this is when beams exploded this 340 had an 11ft 11 inch beam and is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. The 340 Sundancer was one of those boats that put Sea Ray firmly on the boat builder map. It was this style of big beam express cruiser that made this design so popular today.
There is no doubt that the 340 Sundancer was built to stand the test of time. All you have to do is go on any yacht trader site and you will find no less than one on every site. As a matter of fact I think the first 340 Sundancer Sea Ray built is still making waves some were, they just will not die. Hurricane Katrina tried to level many of these 1989 Sea Rays but even her force was hardly a match for these boats construction. New boats were torn apart but these old girls were still all together in most of the insurance review fields in the southern US.
When you consider the popularity of the 1989 340 Sundancer you would think that they would be relatively flawless but this is not so! This boat has only a couple of draw backs but they are significant.
What doesn't work:
First major draw back is the engine compartment, or should I say closet. If you have small blocks (350 CID V8 motors) you will just be able to reach between the two motors. If you have to go outboard on the motors you will need to remove the exhaust cross over. If you have big blocks (454 CID V8 Motors) you are in for a world of hurt when it comes to even a tune up. Add a generator to the mix and you can hardly find enough room to stick a screw driver in the engine compartment. As a matter of fact you need to put the bilge pump on a very long removable bracket. just so you can service it (this is the only way). As a matter of fact this engine room creates such problems that I have been on 340's that are so beautiful, better than new. But open the hatch and no one has dared go there. Its a shame but true! These motors are usually run until they don't run any more in need of tune ups and a host of other issues. This compact area does allow these engines to seem to run on indefinitely though. The heat from these motors in such a contained area seems to have the effect of slowing down corrosion in parts and places that generally suffer. This really does make a difference. So A major pain in the ass has an up side.
The second design flaw is the cabin side windows, anyone who has owned one knows what I am talking about. You will see these windows all sealed up with silicone inside and out they become leakers. The windows are plexi glass and plexi will grow and contract 30% in the heat and the cold (for starters). the part that slides relies on felt tracks to do so. Now the issue with these felt tracks is they love to grow moss. Leaves and dust and what ever other crap is floating around lands here when it rains and they never dry out and mildew and moss grow like grass here. If you remove the small black covers on the outside of the frame. Then grab a hose and straight screw driver and clear the drains every time you wash the boat these tracks will dry out and if you keep the areas of the frame clean you will find that the leak problem will almost entirely go away. You can rebuild these windows with better products available today that can stop the mossy growth. However it is not cheap. But if you compare the fix to wads of silicone its worth it.
By the way once you clean up the factory window tracks and windows the maintenance never stops. Once the moss and mildew are set in, it may look clean but leave it for a month and the green will be right back even if you give the tracks a bleach treatment.
The Third Design Flaw is the fact that these boats were not built to stack on a ton of electronics the dash is not laid out for big screens. I have seen all kinds of boxes and non sense built for this application and all they do is plug up the view thru the windshield. If you own this boat or are going to buy one of these boats be electronics aware.
A few other considerations
Over the side entrance to the cockpit area (with the camper back cover on, this can be a bit annoying), Teak trim all over that requires attention (some consider any more extra maintenance a draw back), Aft seat box that is a pain to deal with when servicing the already too tight engine area ( get it off the boat if you can), Exhaust tunnels thru the hull side were to much filler was used to finish to hull ( this area is always cracking).
What works:
This boat is a very well laid out comfortable boat to spend a lot of time on. It has enough storage room that you can fill two pickup trucks at the end of the season and not be aware that there is that much gear on the boat. One of the most solid felling boats that you will ever have the pleasure of driving. If you get lucky and find a stock un molested Sea Ray 340 Sundancer you will have a boat that even today people turn to look at. A clean 340 Sundancer is as nice as any boat on the dock and if you think that they are just an old boat take a ride on one that runs as good as it looks.You may have some second thoughts about how your brand new boat rides!. These are no fear hulls, were the boat will take more than the captain will.
I have used this line before: A boat that has been and still is one of the most popular Express Cruisers ever built has to be right in almost every way. Sure there are quirks and little issues that I could pick apart just to create a list but that doesn't respect a boat that truly deserves all the respect it has earned. These boats are getting older now and it will be a sad day when a walk down any dock doesn't reveal a 340 Dancer from this time. I am not sure how long owners will continue to sink money into this 1989 icon, probably not very long. Boaters want gadgets and toys and the value of a great hull has been diminished to a joystick on the dash. Wouldn't it be great to buy up these old boats and resurrect them with todays technology and modify the former flaws. If only we could, but no one will pay for that kind of project. Yet!
A last note when it comes to the 1989 340 Sundancer, Be Care Full when you buy one. Many the 340 Sundancer has been ruined by over zealous owner who want to bring their boat up to todays standard. Beware the boat that is all flash and looks so nice, so up to date. Why are they for sale? In some cases I believe the owner is trying to turn a profit in other cases the owner has destroyed the performance of the boat. Which one are you looking at?
BE AWARE this is a boat that can be ignored for long, long lengths of time and be revived fairly easy. This is a blessing for an owner who has lost interest for a while. A curse for a buyer who believes they have stumbled on a gem. You don't want to have to start big mechanicals on this boat they can eat you alive......
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I do not agree fully with this review I own a 1989 Sea ray Sundancer DA. I have added an Icom 1010 mr ii as well as a hummingbird helix 7 sonar. They can be retrofitted as long as you are willing to do the work. I just polished the hull and teak and it looks brand new
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