Sea Ray / Crownline / Larson

[On_plane]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a early-mid 90s cuddy, in the 20' range, mostly for day cruising in fairly sheltered ocean waters, and some lakes. I would also like to be able to sleep on it now and then with my wife and our young child. It will be kept on a trailer when not in use.

I'm looking at 3 right now:

1992 Sea Ray 200 overnighter, with 4 year old Mercruiser 4.3.

1994 Crownline 220 (?), with 5.7 L Magnum Mercruiser.

1995 Larson Hampton 200 with 5.7 L Mercruiser with thunderbolt (what's that?) ignition.

All are in similar cosmetic condition, all have Alpha One drives, and all are roughly around the same price.

The Crownline seems to have a very tight cockpit, with slightly larger cuddy. Both it and the Larson have a sink and single burner stove...I don't believe the Sea Ray has them.

We're not into wakeboarding etc., so I don't need a ton of power, and was looking more at 4.3s for fuel efficiency, but it sounds like the 5.7 won't be much different for fuel consumption anyway.

All engines are carbs. I believe the 5.7 magnum makes more hp than the standard 5.7, but I'm not sure if there are any other real differences.

I've heard that year range of Sea Rays are prone to rot, so I'm leaning more towards the Larson, but I know Sea Ray is regarded as the higher quality brand.

Any suggestions about any clear stand-out option?

Thanks.

 

[thumpar]

I am partial to the Crownline. They are a higher end than the others but condition is key. The 4.3l will not get you any more fuel efficiency and maybe get you less in a big boat. The V8s will cruise at a speed a V6 might have to be close to WOT and burning tons of fuel. The only time a bigger engine will burn any considerable amount of fuel it when you use the extra power. I can blow 40 gallons on a 50 mile trip but if I take it easy it can last a few trips.

 

[tpenfield]

All of those boats are prone to rot, so don't discount the SeaRay in that regard. It may actually be the better built of the 3 brands that you are considering.

A 20 footer and overnight don't actually go together, but if there is a camper enclosure, it can help.

You are right about the bigger engines not using that much more fuel . . generally, they do not.

Your biggest challenge will be to find a boat of that vintage that does not have moisture or rot issues, as those boats, being 20+ years old are in the 'prime time' for rot to be appearing or taking over.

Used boats are all about condition, which tends to be independent of brand after 15-20 years.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Welcome aboard. First rule in old boats is condition condition condition.

There is a sticky at the top of the forum that should be read, and understood for buying a new to you boat.

Regarding fuel economy, I would also recommend against the 4.3 as you will be requiring more throttle most of the time. Its a boat, not a car. If you want fuel economy in a boat, get one powered by oars or sails

 

[JASinIL2006]

Sometime in the mid-90s, Larson moved away from wooden stringers/bulkheads, but I don't know if that would have been the case with a '95. My '97 has the engineered fiberglass-and-foam stringers, but my recollection is that Larson started that with the '96 or '97 model year. In any case, the transom would still be a wood core, so you'd want to check that out.

My Larson has a 350 Mag (essentially a 5.7) and it moves pretty well. I'm not sure the fit-and-finish of a Larson is as nice as a Crownline, but probably comparable to a Sea Ray. Mine was pretty solidly built, with the exception of the wood transom core. (I don't know if Larson bolted a boarding ladder to the back of the transom, but if the one you're looking at has that, look very carefully around the bolts. That's where water got into my transom and rotted. Terrible design for a ladder.)

EDIT: I just looked at some pics online and I think the Hampton may have a ladder that drops down from the swim deck, so the risk of rot from those thru-hull bolts probably isn't a concern.

 

[Blind Date]

I had a '95 Larson 220 Hampton before my SeaRay. it was a great overighter. Take a look at one of those, Larson sold quite few.

It had a hatch plus w/4 port holes that opened with screens. And the cuddy entrance was huge so it had great ventilation. It also had a separate head compartment. It also had a fiberglass lined cockpit, and lots of storage. A great boat. The biggest drawback was that it didn't have a walk -thru windshield so access to the bow was not great.

Th Crownline 210 CCR and SeaRay 215 Express Cruiser are also great cuddles in the 21 foot range.

And my advice is to not buy on condition first. Buy based on styling, layout and amenities. I would never buy a boat I didn't really want because it was the one in the best condition of the 3 I looked at. Buy a washing machine that way, not a boat. Once you figure out what you really like(maybe thats more than one boat) find one worth buying. I live in Minneapolis, MN and my Larson came form Atlanta, GA.

 

[On_plane]

Thanks everyone for your input. I agree that condition is important, but so is finding a boat we like.

When I checked boatspecs.iboat.com, it shows the Sea Ray dry weight at 2600 lbs, Larson at just over 2700, and the Crownline at 3900 lbs. That seems to be a huge weight difference for the Crownline. I know heavier boats may handle rough water better, but pushing an extra 1000 lbs seems like it would take a toll on the engine and fuel economy. Does 3900 seem right for a boat that size? I just don't see what would account for such a huge difference...

 

[thumpar]

Thanks everyone for your input. I agree that condition is important, but so is finding a boat we like.

When I checked boatspecs.iboat.com, it shows the Sea Ray dry weight at 2600 lbs, Larson at just over 2700, and the Crownline at 3900 lbs. That seems to be a huge weight difference for the Crownline. I know heavier boats may handle rough water better, but pushing an extra 1000 lbs seems like it would take a toll on the engine and fuel economy. Does 3900 seem right for a boat that size? I just don't see what would account for such a huge difference...

Crownline boats are heavy. The beam is is 8'6" when you get into the 20 footers so you gain room. They are not all the same by model. Some are custom built so the weight wont be the same. Mine was ordered with a 5.7l EFI and Bravo drive so it weighs more that the normal spec. Here is the grid for 1994.

 

[Blind Date]

I would say the main reason the Crownline is heavier is because it is a bigger boat than the other two. 22' versus 20'. Also I'd take published manufacturer weights with a grain of salt. They generally aren't that accurate. Even table above says "Approximate".

Also I'd like to add that if you plan on doing overnighting, a cuddy with a separate head compartment versus a port-potty stuck under the v-berth cushions your sleeping on is huge. That advice was given to me by someone that had "been there, done that" and I'm glad I listened to it.

 

[On_plane]

Thanks for the table Thumpar.

Being that both the Larson and the Crownline have 5.7 l engines, but the Crownline is approximately 1200 lbs heavier, any guesses on what the difference in fuel consumption would be, or how many more rpm the Crownline would turn at cruise? If all other things end up being equal, I'm trying to decide how worth it the separate head compartment really is

 

[tpenfield]

For over nighting, the separate head compartment will be a big improvement. In small cuddy cabin boats, the head is usually under the v-berth, which makes it useless in an over night situation. (been there done that)

 

[Blind Date]

"In small cuddy cabin boats, the head is usually under the v-berth, which makes it useless in an over night situation. (been there done that)"

Exactly. So someone needs to go #1 early in the morning and now everyone has to get up, and peel the bedding/cushions back. Plus who wants to sleep over a toilet. In my Hampton, the portapotty was mounted permanently & had a pump out so no need to walk around with a full portapotty looking for a place to dump it. I think some people may move it out into the cockpit for the night which helps but after having the set-up I did in my Hampton I could have never been happy with that.

Still just something for you to think about and consider at this point. I knew I was going to do a lot of overnighting with my cuddy, so that was important to me. You might decide that it's not that important. No right or wrong, just different strokes for different folks.

 

[hosteter]

I didnt have a larson but i had a searay and i have a crownline 202 now.crownline in very big boat for a 20 ft.i think thay have the most place inside of all.its 8 and half feet wide.