mcollinstn

Bayliner is owned under the same corporate umbrella as Sea Ray.

So are:
Baja,
Boston Whaler,
Hatteras,
Maxum,
Meridian,
Princecraft,
Sealine,
&
Trophy

Not to mention:
Mercury
Mariner
Mercruiser
Teignbridge
Motor Guide
Land N Sea
&
Attwood

Are you going to stand here with a straight face and blurt out that Hatteras and Boston Whaler come from the same place as a Bayliner? Are you serious?

Are you one of those guys that thinks that a Sears Roebuck - purchased Pirelli-built radial "Roadhandler" tire is the same in quality of construction as the Pirelli P-Zero tire that is factory supplied on a Porsche ?? (or the Michelin Pilot Sport tire on the BMW M5, since both Pirelli and Michelin have made Roadhandlers thru the years).

Without taking this thread deeper into babyland, Sea Ray makes a line of cost-cutter boats, designed to compete strictly on price points against other disposable boats. This is the same strategy used by the reputable John Deere company to offer cheapo models to compete against the MTD and Murray mowers. Same brand name, same paint job, total reduction of content and basically a Deere-badged Murray. These are available at Home Depot. These are NOT the same mowers that you will find in the standard John Deere model lineup. If you believe they are, then you are falling for exactly what they are hoping for.

The Sea Ray 190 my friend bought two years ago was crap. Just a good-looking basic boat. Priced about a grand more than a Marada that he looked at. Not much to brag about.

Got a buddy with an '00 260 Dancer. I've been over and under that boat and can find nothing to cause concern. Not positive which plant it is mfd in, but I believe it did come from the Knoxville plant that also mfrs the crap boats you speak of (in a different building with a different crew).

I have no experience with smaller Formulas other than having been in and driven many of them. That doesn't tell me anything about their build quality. I do know that my 311 has several areas that are historically susceptible to waterlogging and rot. Does this mean that my 311 is junk or that all Formulas are junk? I honestly hold Formula boats in the highest regards as far as a production boat is concerned. I know that Formula used crappy screws and caulk to hold the top deck on my 311. I know the silent thunder platform is apt to rot out. I know the whole area around the foamed-in tank is susceptible to rot completely out, destroying the structural integrity of my hull. Does this make my Formula a piece of crap? I don't think so, but maybe you do.

The guy asking questions is of course wanting to know the good and bad about his two offerings, and it is good to point out bad history on either brand. This gives him things to look for on the particular boats he is considering (remember that things such as unsealed stringer holes and such are usually due to the assemblers' oversight as opposed to factory policy - maybe that boat was handled by a three guy team that had been drunk all weekend).

We owned a houseboat that sunk as a result of a mechanic not securing the exhaust hose up high when the heads were getting reworked. After raising the boat it weighed so much that the semi and another semi tow truck couldn't pull the trailer out of the water. Come to find out, the guy in charge of drilling the holes between hull compartments just didn't do it. Each compartment was holding its own load of water instead of allowing the boat to drain towards the stern. The mfr assured us that this was not the way it was intended to be.

Is there a difference in quality control at different mfr facilities. Sure. I would expect the Porters to have better QC than Sea Ray, especially on the mass market boats.

I still stand FIRMLY behind my statement on the '99 260 Dancer. In my opinion, if it were comparably equipped, it would be a viable option for our friend to consider.

ThirdBird

OK mcollinstn,,,,,, I'll back down a bit. The word "junk" as I used it was really a bit harsh. I don't really think Searays are "junk". I'm just not a big fan of their boats because of some of the things I've seen and because they charge a premium price for them.

However, you brought up some very valid points regarding Formula. I too own a 311 and have had to fix some problems that I shouldn't have had to deal with, like the platform.

So, I'll end this by saying you've made some really good points and that after re-reading your posts, I agree with most of what you said. And, sorry if I pushed some wrong buttons.

Beers are on me if we ever meet!!

mcollinstn

I don't reckon that you pushed my buttons. I just felt I needed to further elaborate the points (which I often feel I need to do).

I've got a BAAAAAAD attitude towards all Jaguar cars from only ONE encounter with the sad sack of crap my sister bought and then I had to work on ALL the time. This is unfair to current-era Jags cause they have been building some serious cars for the past 9 or so years but I will NEVER get over my disgust for them due to my single experience with them. This is no different than what you describe your Sea Ray experiences as having been like.

So don't sweat it.
But I'll take the free beers.

ThirdBird

Fair enough buddy.

Beck's and limes (better than Corona and limes).

Formula Outlaw

The Formula.....

bford1

Geez

Anyway, those mild motors can last for a very long time IF serviced properly. Again, we have 1492 hours with no rebuild on both of the 260s in our F272. One engine is starting to use a little oil. The other uses none.

Don't let the 400 hours scare you away from the Formula.