Twins or Single engine ?

S

searay1987

Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
RO Number
27429
Messages
35
Hi
I'm looking to upgrade my Searay - I have a 1987 270 with Twin 4 cylinder 165 Hp. I'm looking at model year 2000 -2005 , same size - 270 / Sundancer . Are the single engine boats in this range OK ? I don't like the twins because of the extra maintenance and operation , starting / synching , etc.. I'd prefer one engine . I'm thinking a single is more fuel efficient and I don't care about going fast . Does a twin handle any better or offer any advantage other than the security of 2 engines ? I usually dock with only one engine .
 
boy...are you gonna miss that 10' beam when you go from the '87 to the 8'6" beam of the '02 to '05.
 
I would have to believe so do to the fact the newer boat is smaller. so you may be going up in year but down sizing in size.
 
i'm looking at the 2000 -2001 270 - they have a 9'2" beam i think - not much smaller than my 10"
 
any searay owners have or familiar with this boat ? 2000 - 2001 270 w/ single i/o
i'm wondering if the single engine is suitable for this size and weight ?

thanks
bob
 
searay1987,
I have a 1999 SeaRay 270, which is the 9'2" beam boat with a single engine. As a point of reference, I have also owned a SeaRay 330 and 290 both with twin engines.

While you won't have the ability to spin around like you can with twins, I believe you will find that the 270 runs and handles great with the single engine. I have never once wished I had twins on this boat and I have personally put over 600 hours on it.

I cruise around 25 mph and it will go up to 35 mph. I keep detailed records on the boat, check the gas consumption everytime and I get anywhere from 5.5 GPH to 6.5 GPH regardless of how fast I go.

The Bravo 3 is a great drive for the boat and gives you a lot of control when backing. I frequently dock at waterside resturants where the whole crowd is watching me come in as most of the other boats are the typical 20 Ft. ski boats and the 270 dwarfs them. So far, no great side shows (except that time I was leaving on my birthday and got confused about "red on right returning", but I don't blame that on the boat, it may have been wine).

I've already experienced the "joy" of larger boats and am very happy with the size of my 270 which I use to go everywhere. I don't miss paying double for every maintenance job and I'll never have twins again.
 
I recently was asking the same question on another forum site. Wondering about the 9'2" beam 270's no one complained about them at all. One guy said he had power to spare with his single 7.4 Same for the boat's replacement the 280 in single engine. I believe that model started in 2001. That was a little different however. I was told to stay away from 6.2 single engine model offered in 2001. But the 7.4's and 8.1 single engine performed quite well I was told by the owners.
 
to longboatsailing
that's encouraging - i burn twice that in my old 270 with twins . that's one of my main reasons to upgrade to a newer year . what engine do you have - the 7.4 liter ? any other things to look out for when buying this year boat ? any difference between a 1999 and 2000 ?

thanks !

bob
 
I have a 2000 270 with the twin 4.3's . I came from a 26 ft with a single 5.7 , I love the control(and safety) of the twins over the single. In our last year with the 26 we broke down on the West Coast ,we were lucky that we were tied to a mooring buoy at the time ( it would not start). I don't think that the twins burn that much more than the single did . It has a 100 gal US( 378 litres) fuel tank and I can make it close to 12 hrs combitation of slow and cruise speeds .I guess it does cost a little more but for me it is worth it.My top speed (GPS) with no canvas but loaded ,full water(two tanks) and fuel is 44 mph.
 
I have the the single 7.4 MPI, Bravo III on our 1999 270. I have never for a moment felt like the boat was underpowered. We pull the kids on their water toys (the large wake can make the ride interesting). We usually cruise in the 25-30 MPH range and the boat easily gets up on a plane when taking off.

I've owned boats with twins and a single. My preference is a single engine as I think you save significantly on maintenance and running costs. However, it really depends upon what is important to you. Twins and single both have their pros and cons.

If your main question is will the 270 be underpowered with a single, the answer is no. It is not underpowered with the single 7.4 MPI, Bravo III
 
i'm probarly going with the single - mostly cause the maintenance is less and having run twins for 5 years - i've gotten tired of starting 2 engines, synching them up , always watching the guages - i would imagine one large engine gets better gas mileage than 2 small ones -especially stop and go -i do alot of start and stopping when i fish .
is the rear bench on the 270 a fold down ? it looks too big to fold down .

thanks everyone
 
Searay1987, yes, you can fold down the rear seat when fishing. I used to fish exclusively out of my 270 for a couple of years, but where I live, 1 to 2 ft of water is where the good fishing is, so I eventually got a 2nd flats boat for fishing.

Besides the shallow water, the only other real downside I had fishing out of the 270 was that the boat is big. I can fish the exact same spot, same time of day in the 270 or my flats boat and catch twice as much in the flats boat. I finally figured out it must be they could see the boat and hear the water slap the sides.

I would also recommend you get a 2nd anchor to tie off the stern. Depending on the direction of the wind or current, you will sometimes want to anchor off the stern when fishing.
 
does anyone know what the "DA" stands for in this model . I see Searay 270 DA sometimes listed .
 
The "DA" designation is Sea Ray's code for the Sundancer. The "WE" is for the Weekender and "DB" is the Sedan Bridge (I think!).
 
I think your correct....also SD= sun deck......SS= sun sport....EC= express cruiser.
 
I can only say that I had a 1990 Bayliner with the 9-6'' beam and when I looked at the new Bayliners they were 8-6'' beam. I asked one of my friends that make boat here in Seattle and he said it was the Goverment, they wanted those boat to fit a trailer and be towable.
Single or twin engines, well its a choice you have to make. I think All good boaters can handle either. I rather have the twin here in Seattle. The current around here can get real wild real fast and the twin's work better for me.
Well good luck and find the boat that fits your needs first!
 
You could blank the transom and put a bigazz outboard on a bracket a bunch cheaper.
 
Not exactly on topic, but to comment on post by kbradatzke. I had a similar experiance. Namely- went from a 1983 (I think) 250DA with a single 5.7 up to 1988 270DA with twin 4.3s.I keep accurate records on fuel usage. It took me the whole season to accept the fact that the two 4.3s burned no more gas than the single 5.7 on the smaller boat.
For whatever that may be worth. Good luck.
 
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