Sea Ray 230 w 4.3L opinions?

[DetroitFD]

Hey guys-
Found a 94 Sea Ray 230 Sundancer for sale for a good price near me.
Says it has a 4.3L Merc w Bravo OD.
I know this boat is pretty light, but I'm wondering if that's enough motor? I'll prolly have 7-8 people in the boat here and there, mostly just 2 adults and 3 small kids. We like tubing and such, but mostly the boat will just be used to cruise to a hang out spot and sit.
I love the idea of a good mpg boat but just wanna make sure this is enough motor. Your opinions are appreciated!

 

[Mischief Managed]

That sounds like a seriously under-powered boat. A small motor won't give better MPG.

 

[jkust]

4200lb dry weight plus fuel plus gear and a crew of people along with an old fangled, prevortec, low hp 4.3 v6. Yes, that would be the definition of underpowered. Smaller engines get worse fuel economy because they have to work so much harder. Lot's of great graphs out there comparing various engines in the same boat denoting the GPH differences. Back then however, paradigms were different.

 

[Alumarine]

Doesn't sound quite right. It seems odd to me that a 4.3 would come with a bravo from the factory.
In any case, I agree with the others. Way under powered even for a couple of people.
You'd be running full throttle all the time and you'd have trouble getting it to plane with 7-8 people.

 

[tpenfield]

Not sure 4.3 engines were mated with Bravo outdrives, so check it out carefully. I agree with the under powered comment. Sea Ray is otherwise a decent boat ( except that they are often under powered)

 

[Maclin]

You could get a B3 with a 4.3, the 2.2 ratio instead of 2.0, listed on options at Merc anyway. Volvo also does a DuoProp with a 4.3 like that, 2.2 instead of 1.95.

But that is a big boat for 4.3 in any case. The only 4.3 I have seen pop up in the VP world was a 19 footer...

 

[jkust]

It wouldn't make any sense to have a low hp engine mated to a bravo 1. Bravo 1's only benefit aside from the better than the alpha technology is that it handles high HP applications compared to an Alpha. You'd get benefit from a Bravo 3 but a Bravo 1 would be nonsensicle. There's a story here.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I own and have owned the 4.3 since 97 Similar but different boats all together. Welded aluminum 20 foot probably comes in 1000 pounds less than your boat and the hull is a very deep V smooth bottom Spectum pro avenger 19.6 its a little over 20 feet long. I load the crap out of it 7 or more people at times and it will pull a skiier with 2000 pounds payload you'll need twin skiis to get up but it will handle a slalom skiier after there up. Four or five adults its still very responsive pulls skiiers well, I run a ballistic 14.5 x 21 SS prop most of the time. Fuel mileage is stellar 54 MPH top speed with 5 adults and gear. I have spent some time in a Bayliner with the same powertrain top speed 43 to 45 MPH with a 19 pitch prop lagged a lot compared to my boat the 21 foot bayliner with my prop this boat would never pull a slalom skiier with 5 or 6 adults in it. But overall boating and fuel consumption was OK but nothing compared to this in my aluminum hull. This boat with a 17" pitch prop will pull skiiers quite well but top speed going to be closer to high 30s low 40s and the fuel consumptions is going to be a lot worse.

 

[Maclin]

The OP's boat is a 23 footer fullon heavy fiberglass cuddy cabin cruiser. My opinion of the situation is that a single 4.3 would be outmatched with even with light load of say 10 gallons of fuel and a 110lb pilot, and no beer.

 

[Blind Date]

It most definitely doesn't have a Bravo, it's a 4.3 w/Alpha. I've seen quite a few of them with that power plant. Many w/5.0 and also some w/5.7. They are all Alpha's. A Bravo wasn't an option on that boat.

Seems to me like it would be a slug. That's a lot of boat to get on top of the water with a 4.3/Alpha. Especially when your talking about a stern heavy cruiser. If your not overnighting & want to do some tube pulling seems like you'd be better off with a cuddy versus an aft cabin cruiser if you want something with shelter.