I have a 2004 SeaRay 260 w/ AlpahIII out drive and Mercruiser Gas
Engine. Looking to step up in size, 35-37ft. SeaRay is Caddillac of
Bruswick Boats with Maxum being the Pontiac and BayLiner being the
Chevy. Where does Cruisers Yachts Fit in terms of Quality?
I have no real issues w/ SeaRay but I do like the layouts of the
Cruisers a bit more. Also wondering if i should step up to Diesels in
stead of gas.

Thoughts?

On Jan 29, 7:23?am, wrote:
I have a 2004 SeaRay 260 w/ AlpahIII out drive and Mercruiser Gas
Engine. Looking to step up in size, 35-37ft. SeaRay is Caddillac of
Bruswick Boats with Maxum being the Pontiac and BayLiner being the
Chevy. Where does Cruisers Yachts Fit in terms of Quality?
I have no real issues w/ SeaRay but I do like the layouts of the
Cruisers a bit more. Also wondering if i should step up to Diesels in
stead of gas.

Thoughts?

If you plan to use your boat more than just a few times a year the
potentially extended longevity of a diesel, the improved fuel economy,
stronger resale value, and potentially lower maintenance costs (no
electrical tune-ups) would be an excellent choice on a 35-37 foot
boat. It probably takes the average pleasure boater 7-10 years to
'recover' the additional investment in diesels, so if you're one of
these boaters who has to buy a new boat every 2-3 years you might
consider gas. Gas will resell for less than diesel, but the hit for
gas engines at resale time is less than the upcharge for diesel when
new.

With many boat builders choosing very high reving, small block diesels
these days, the old concept that a diesel will always outlast a gas
engine is not as absolute as it used to be. If you can choose a diesel
with no more than about 2HP per c.i.d you have a better chance of
seeing 4-5,000 hours (lucky people sometimes get a little more) before
rebuild.

I can't tell from your question whether or not you're under the
impression that a Cruisers Inc. is a Brunswick product. It isn't.
(Unless Brunswick went on another shopping spree that I failed to
notice). It wouldn't be ridiculous for a knowledgeable boater to
compare Cruisers with Sea Ray, Meridian, or Maxum.
Because people prioritize different aspects of a boat, it's almost
impossible to
objectively and definitively state that "Any brand X boat is better
than any brand Y boat." You will find people very satisfied with every
one of those brands, and quite a number will have a specific and
personally valid reason for the choice they made. Other people will
have chosed something else for equally valid reason.

When people knock a boat, it is often due to one small detail or
another that they found personally off-putting. Example, "Did you
notice the small deck cleats they used on this year's Brand Z? I think
those cleats are crap. Obviously the entire boat has to be crap if
they are going to use small deck cleats!" Of course the industry
promotes this exact sort of thinking, as Brand A will install almost
oversized cleats one year and then train all Brand A salespeople to
pitch cleat size as a good barometer of overall build quality.
'Twas ever thus, and probably always will be.

Pick the model you find the most personally appealing and consider the
best value. Any of the boats you're considering should easily prove
stout and safe enough for decades of wonderful pleasure cruising.
(Don't worry about resale value, as just like they say in the
financial services commercials "past performance is no guarantee of
future results". There's no telling how the fickle public will feel
about one brand name or another in a few years. You're going to take a
bath in a short term resale no matter what brand you wind up with.)

Great advice. However, Given the water depth at my pier, i need the
flexibilty of out-drives for minimizing draft at low-tides.

On Jan 29, 10:23 am, wrote:
I have a 2004 SeaRay 260 w/ AlpahIII out drive and Mercruiser Gas
Engine. Looking to step up in size, 35-37ft. SeaRay is Caddillac of
Bruswick Boats with Maxum being the Pontiac and BayLiner being the
Chevy. Where doesCruisers YachtsFit in terms of Quality?
I have no real issues w/ SeaRay but I do like the layouts of the
Cruisers a bit more. Also wondering if i should step up to Diesels in
stead of gas.

Thoughts?

On Jan 29, 10:52 am, "Chuck Gould" wrote:
On Jan 29, 7:23?am, wrote:

I have a 2004 SeaRay 260 w/ AlpahIII out drive and Mercruiser Gas
Engine. Looking to step up in size, 35-37ft. SeaRay is Caddillac of
Bruswick Boats with Maxum being the Pontiac and BayLiner being the
Chevy. Where doesCruisers YachtsFit in terms of Quality?
I have no real issues w/ SeaRay but I do like the layouts of the
Cruisers a bit more. Also wondering if i should step up to Diesels in
stead of gas.

Thoughts?If you plan to use your boat more than just a few times a year the
potentially extended longevity of a diesel, the improved fuel economy,
stronger resale value, and potentially lower maintenance costs (no
electrical tune-ups) would be an excellent choice on a 35-37 foot
boat. It probably takes the average pleasure boater 7-10 years to
'recover' the additional investment in diesels, so if you're one of
these boaters who has to buy a new boat every 2-3 years you might
consider gas. Gas will resell for less than diesel, but the hit for
gas engines at resale time is less than the upcharge for diesel when
new.

With many boat builders choosing very high reving, small block diesels
these days, the old concept that a diesel will always outlast a gas
engine is not as absolute as it used to be. If you can choose a diesel
with no more than about 2HP per c.i.d you have a better chance of
seeing 4-5,000 hours (lucky people sometimes get a little more) before
rebuild.

I can't tell from your question whether or not you're under the
impression that a Cruisers Inc. is a Brunswick product. It isn't.
(Unless Brunswick went on another shopping spree that I failed to
notice). It wouldn't be ridiculous for a knowledgeable boater to
compare Cruisers with Sea Ray, Meridian, or Maxum.
Because people prioritize different aspects of a boat, it's almost
impossible to
objectively and definitively state that "Any brand X boat is better
than any brand Y boat." You will find people very satisfied with every
one of those brands, and quite a number will have a specific and
personally valid reason for the choice they made. Other people will
have chosed something else for equally valid reason.

When people knock a boat, it is often due to one small detail or
another that they found personally off-putting. Example, "Did you
notice the small deck cleats they used on this year's Brand Z? I think
those cleats are crap. Obviously the entire boat has to be crap if
they are going to use small deck cleats!" Of course the industry
promotes this exact sort of thinking, as Brand A will install almost
oversized cleats one year and then train all Brand A salespeople to
pitch cleat size as a good barometer of overall build quality.
'Twas ever thus, and probably always will be.

Pick the model you find the most personally appealing and consider the
best value. Any of the boats you're considering should easily prove
stout and safe enough for decades of wonderful pleasure cruising.
(Don't worry about resale value, as just like they say in the
financial services commercials "past performance is no guarantee of
future results". There's no telling how the fickle public will feel
about one brand name or another in a few years. You're going to take a
bath in a short term resale no matter what brand you wind up with.)


I agree w/ everything you said. Well stated. I know that Cruisers is
not part of Brunswick. I'm just curious how the brand is percieved to
the knowledgeable boating public. When looking at my SeaRay, i felt
from a quality stand point that it was a tad short in that area.
Nothing serious, but little things that when what you paid is
considered, you feelt like they should have stepped it up a bit. I am
under the impression that Cruisers is regarded as either on-par or
slightly better than that of the SeaRay Brand - is this accurate?

I keep my boat out of the water on my pier on Kent Island Maryland,
Salt Water for sure. Looking to get fresh water cooled. I have to go
w/ I/Os to minimize draft as i have less than 3 feet of water at low
tide. When you take the lift I-Beam and bunks into account, that easts
up 15 inches or so. Every inch is critical if i want to get my boat
off the lift at low tide.

For me, re-sale is not a factor and the only reason i am buing a "new"
boat after 3+ years is that I want a bigger one. My first was a
"test" to see if i would use it enough to jusitfy the coast. If I had
deeper water, I'd most likely step up to a boat with 12' beam.

Thanks for the advice

On Jan 29, 11:03�am, wrote:
On Jan 29, 10:52 am, "Chuck Gould" wrote:





On Jan 29, 7:23?am, wrote:

I have a 2004 SeaRay 260 w/ AlpahIII out drive and Mercruiser Gas
Engine. Looking to step up in size, 35-37ft. SeaRay is Caddillac of
Bruswick Boats with Maxum being the Pontiac and BayLiner being the
Chevy. Where doesCruisers YachtsFit in terms of Quality?
I have no real issues w/ SeaRay but I do like the layouts of the
Cruisers a bit more. Also wondering if i should step up to Diesels in
stead of gas.

Thoughts?If you plan to use your boat more than just a few times a year the
potentially extended longevity of a diesel, the improved fuel economy,
stronger resale value, and potentially lower maintenance costs (no
electrical tune-ups) would be an excellent choice on a 35-37 foot
boat. It probably takes the average pleasure boater 7-10 years to
'recover' the additional investment in diesels, so if you're one of
these boaters who has to buy a new boat every 2-3 years you might
consider gas. Gas will resell for less than diesel, but the hit for
gas engines at resale time is less than the upcharge for diesel when
new.

With many boat builders choosing very high reving, small block diesels
these days, the old concept that a diesel will always outlast a gas
engine is not as absolute as it used to be. If you can choose a diesel
with no more than about 2HP per c.i.d you have a better chance of
seeing 4-5,000 hours (lucky people sometimes get a little more) before
rebuild.

I can't tell from your question whether or not you're under the
impression that a Cruisers Inc. is a Brunswick product. It isn't.
(Unless Brunswick went on another shopping spree that I failed to
notice). It wouldn't be ridiculous for a knowledgeable boater to
compare Cruisers with Sea Ray, Meridian, or Maxum.
Because people prioritize different aspects of a boat, it's almost
impossible to
objectively and definitively state that "Any brand X boat is better
than any brand Y boat." You will find people very satisfied with every
one of those brands, and quite a number will have a specific and
personally valid reason for the choice they made. Other people will
have chosed something else for equally valid reason.

When people knock a boat, it is often due to one small detail or
another that they found personally off-putting. Example, "Did you
notice the small deck cleats they used on this year's Brand Z? I think
those cleats are crap. Obviously the entire boat has to be crap if
they are going to use small deck cleats!" Of course the industry
promotes this exact sort of thinking, as Brand A will install almost
oversized cleats one year and then train all Brand A salespeople to
pitch cleat size as a good barometer of overall build quality.
'Twas ever thus, and probably always will be.

Pick the model you find the most personally appealing and consider the
best value. Any of the boats you're considering should easily prove
stout and safe enough for decades of wonderful pleasure cruising.
(Don't worry about resale value, as just like they say in the
financial services commercials "past performance is no guarantee of
future results". There's no telling how the fickle public will feel
about one brand name or another in a few years. You're going to take a
bath in a short term resale no matter what brand you wind up with.)I agree w/ everything you said. Well stated. *I know that Cruisers is
not part of Brunswick. I'm just curious how the brand is percieved to
the knowledgeable boating public. When looking at my SeaRay, i felt
from a quality stand point that it was a tad short in that area.
Nothing serious, but little things that when what you paid is
considered, you feelt like they should have stepped it up a bit. I am
under the impression that Cruisers is regarded as either on-par or
slightly better than that of the SeaRay Brand - is this accurate?

I keep my boat out of the water on my pier on Kent Island Maryland,
Salt Water for sure. Looking to get fresh water cooled. I have to go
w/ I/Os to minimize draft as i have less than 3 feet of water at low
tide. When you take the lift I-Beam and bunks into account, that easts
up 15 inches or so. *Every inch is critical if i want to get my boat
off the lift at low tide.

For me, re-sale is not a factor and the only reason i am buing a "new"
boat after 3+ years is that I want a bigger one. *My first was a
"test" to see if i would use it enough to jusitfy the coast. If I had
deeper water, I'd most likely step up to a boat with 12' beam.

Thanks for the advice- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -


From what I have seen, first hand, of both Sea Ray and Cruisers I
would say there is no reason to avoid either boat. If there are some
aspects of the Cruisers that subjectively appeal to you more than the
Sea Ray, that will be at least as important as any minor technical
differences. In almost every case when you compare two pretty good
boats you can make a list of a few things that Brand A does better
than Brand B, and then make another list of what Brand B does better
than Brand A. Depending on how much a person individually prioritizes
the Brand A or Brand B advantages, one boat or the other may seem like
an obvious choice.

There is no real answer to the question: "What do boaters in general
think of Sea Ray vs Cruisers." They're both good boats, but if
everybody agreed that one was always better than the other they
wouldn't both be able to remain in business. People studying the
choice to death could arrive at different conclusions for valid
reasons.

More people are probably familiar with Sea Ray than with Cruisers, so
more people might be comfortable endorsing that choice- but that
should have nothing to do with an informed decision of which boat is
the best choice for you to make, with your money, for your family's
pleasure.

On Jan 29, 3:04 pm, Harry Krause wrote:
On Jan 29, 11:03?am, wrote:There have been some serious evaluations of larger SeaRays showing
significant shortcomings in hull fiberglass builds. If you haven't found
these yourself, I can probably retrieve them.

Yes, i have seen these. There are also skeptics on the Cruisers as
built w/ Balsa below the water line. Not sure what the answer is. For
my situation, we use the boat in the chesapeak bay and tributaries and
are always w/in sight of land. If i was cruising 40 miles off-shore, i
might have a different feeling about what is below the water line!

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a 2004 SeaRay 260 w/ AlpahIII out drive and Mercruiser Gas
Engine. Looking to step up in size, 35-37ft. SeaRay is Caddillac of
Bruswick Boats with Maxum being the Pontiac and BayLiner being the
Chevy. Where does Cruisers Yachts Fit in terms of Quality?
I have no real issues w/ SeaRay but I do like the layouts of the
Cruisers a bit more. Also wondering if i should step up to Diesels in
stead of gas.

Thoughts?



Have you also looked at Regal and Maxum (a SeaRay without the *Bling*)?

On boatered.com/forum/ there is a thread in the cruisers forum that you may
find interesting. It is not pretty and may not be typical but I recomment
you have a look.

As to outdrives. Given the cost of the boat you are comtemplating you
should consider changing marinas if the depth of your marina will not allow
you to use a conventionally propped boat. I think you'll find that a boat
of that size will be very difficult to sell on the used market when the time
for that inevitably comes.

Butch
"JimH" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a 2004 SeaRay 260 w/ AlpahIII out drive and Mercruiser Gas
Engine. Looking to step up in size, 35-37ft. SeaRay is Caddillac of
Bruswick Boats with Maxum being the Pontiac and BayLiner being the
Chevy. Where does Cruisers Yachts Fit in terms of Quality?
I have no real issues w/ SeaRay but I do like the layouts of the
Cruisers a bit more. Also wondering if i should step up to Diesels in
stead of gas.

Thoughts?



Have you also looked at Regal and Maxum (a SeaRay without the *Bling*)?

On 29 Jan 2007 07:52:45 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

If you plan to use your boat more than just a few times a year the
potentially extended longevity of a diesel, the improved fuel economy,
stronger resale value, and potentially lower maintenance costs (no
electrical tune-ups) would be an excellent choice on a 35-37 foot
boat. It probably takes the average pleasure boater 7-10 years to
'recover' the additional investment in diesels, so if you're one of
these boaters who has to buy a new boat every 2-3 years you might
consider gas.

One of the most significant advantages of diesels, and one of the most
difficult to quantify, is increased range. Given the same tankage,
diesel engines will almost double the range per fill up. This can
allow more extended cruising and fishing, and can also result in
greater economy at the pump since you have more options to fuel up at
the location of your choice.

The tipping point is somewhere around 15,000 lbs of displacement.
Above that it is difficult to get decent performance with gas engines
without also incurring excessive fuel consumption.

On 29 Jan 2007 11:03:46 -0800, wrote:

I have to go
w/ I/Os to minimize draft as i have less than 3 feet of water at low
tide. When you take the lift I-Beam and bunks into account, that easts
up 15 inches or so. Every inch is critical if i want to get my boat
off the lift at low tide.

We have many of the same issues here in SWFL. It is relatively easy
to remove some of the material under your lift. Talk to your local
dock builder for some ideas.

Many people around here take their boat off the lift at high tide and
tie it further out.