delaney

i can't think of a time that while i was driving my boat that my right hand isn't on the throttles and thumb on the trim tabs - if the active system adjusts the lenco system that is one thing to keep the boat level but the outdrive seems like a lot of cost and electronics that will eventually go bad and cost $$$ to fix. the range of trim really goes from 0-7 % while on plane. above that the props cavitate so seems to me a huge overkill. maybe on a 40' cruiser to gain efficiency - not trying to knock something i don't have but i fail to see the compelling reason to put that in aftermarket if your boat didn't come with it? as far as the chartplotter, that is an upgrade that is worth it. if you don't want to spend the $$ all at once. just get chartplotter, tranducer and sounder and everything else can be added on as you wish, Garmin makes a nice system and the flush mounted screens are made for your dash

nope on the 327 that is your forward bilge. everything in the bow drains overboard - no add'l bilge in the cabin or bow

its directly below the step inside the center storage locker - it can get moldy if not cleaned out - use simple green or equal.

enjoy the new boat. since you will be in NJ - you will need to either store in heated storage or winterize. to avoid that cost, learn how to do this DIY. Fresh water system - remove the pump (just a hand tightened connection at the water tank in the center storage locker. Drain the water, reconnect, open the hot water heater, drain both and remove your drain plug, also, open the forward bilge pump and clean out. use 3 gallons of RV fluid and turn on the water pump but keep the hot water heater off its drained and good, turn on each faucet on at a time until you see pink, repeat for toilet as well. Engines, - if you store inside and heated i still remove the (4) blue drain plugs on each engine and drain the blocks and manifolds. since you have a merc, removing the water pump is now a PITA, vs a Volvo so you can decide how to do this. i just unbolt the housing and drain the water pump as well and i coat the inside with Dawn detergent and reseal up. ( i change my impeller every other year but that is because water is very clear and deep and i don't pick that much up to tear it up) Air Conditioner. this is easy, close the valve between the hull and strainer. open the strainer and turn on the AC unit. simply pour RV fluid into the strainer and the AC unit will suck that into the coils. once you see pink come out the discharge on the side of the boat (or hear it coming out) turn off the breaker for the AC unit and top off the strainer - you can also ope the valve back up and drain the remaining. important part is getting any water out of the AC coils. i always power buff and wax (especially the arch top) - i bottom paint touch up in the spring. disconnect or remove the batteries change oil and drive fluid either in fall or spring - everyone has their preference, as long as you do it that the important part. get a 30mm socket & torque wrench and buy a prop removal tool to remove the forward props so you can clean up the shafts and re-grease i change the head vent filter as needed - we don't use our head very often - so the filter is replaced about every other year as well or as needed. that is hard to reach as well.

i've have had both the sunesta 264 and my current SSX. in "normal" chop - meaning a chop that you deal with but stay on the lake the boats are both dry. the ssx does continue the angle to the deck while the sunesta's fork flares out. that flare will cause the the spray to sometimes hit the windshield. the ssx in same conditions may have the spray hit the side windshield, so subtle differences but neither is anything to complain about. the sunesta will sit lower in the water at the bow & has a boarding ladder in the bow as well if that is something important to you. i had problems with the bow light on the sunesta and had to have it replaced twice. i much prefer the lights where the ssx have them vs the flip light. - lastly, the sunesta's horn is embarrassing. the ssx horn on mine is still not masculine enough for the lines of the boat but better. the sunesta's horn sounds like it belongs on a clown car.

whether you have single engine, twins, joystick or none - follow the basic rule - never approach a dock, boat or object at a speed your not willing to hit it with. the joystick is nice a certain upgrade with electronic controls however a gust of wind, miscalculation or whatever the joystick response is not instant there is a slight delay. my boat is probably a rare 327 - it has 8.1L engines, without CATs and classic throttles - it took me a few trips and tips from others to learn but i can turn 360 deg move diagonally, etc. the joysticks would be a nice upgrade but for maint. alone and the skills i was forced to learn I am very happy without it. - nice to see what saltwater boats with smaller engines are fetching across the country. wonder what mine would get?? less than 200 hours, lift kept, white bottom paint (new every year), freshwater, underwater lights, original owner??

https://ceramicpro.com/marine-industry/ there is a guy i was talking to at one of our Marina's and i was complimenting his beautiful new Beneteau sailboat. - navy blue top and hull w/ a white boot stripe - i asked him did it take research to find a bottom paint to match above the waterline. he told me he had his entire boat covered in ceramic marine (see link above) he was a full 1 1/2 seasons into it and said at end of year no acid wash just a pressure hose and soap with some mild scrubbing and all stains and any growers were gone. if i had a new boat and was considering bottom paint vs this coating i would in a second take that chance. it is supposed to be guaranteed for i think he said 5 years - then you have it detailed and re-applied on the bottom. i have no idea what he paid vs traditional bottom paint but his boat was a 40' so i imagine around 300k so even if it cost double to apply the benefits between both the hull and all gelcoat above the waterline seem worth it. that boat did not have a waterspot on it and halfway through this season his waterline only had a normal light stain like all the other boats including those w/ bottom paint.

the cabin below and engine compartment is fairly well sealed - any wave that caught you from behind would flow through the walkway on starboard side and enter the main seating area / cockpit. the topside is free draining and works well - but a large wave is a lot of water - mostly when you slow down from plane to idle too fast your wake catches up to you and splashes over the platform - water doesn't reach the cockpit from that but it comes close

no problem, i would say that the swim platform sits about 6" above the waterline. my bottom paint runs about 2" below where the white hull and blue gelcoat line is and runs about 2" above the top of the sterndrives. the platform bumps up a bit from exhaust ports so approx 6" above waterline.

no - my platform fully covers the engines with room to spare - what i am saying in following seas on waves greater than 5 foot and are spaced very close together you need to be careful when coming about. you need to watch that a wave doesn't break on your platform. if that happens you run the risk of flooding your engine compartment. no design other than removing the platform would stop this. but yes, i also agree that another 8" to a foot of platform would be great as well. Ocean waves are typically farther apart so driving straight on may not be too much to ask - but when the waves are narrow and tall you cannot head straight into them you need to 1/4 them or you will slam your bow down and then the next wave will get you wet. when its 3 foot or bigger we just go into our connecting lake and enjoy the day - i would do the same thing if i had a 50' boat

i would say, quite well. 3-4 footers for those on the Great Lakes are different as they are on top of each other and very steep. i will come in when it gets like that but for sea worthy its solid. i tested my boat in 6-9 footers and i was not at the helm for it - the captain 1/4 the waves and it sliced nicely but both my wife and i requested we turn around and in a larger set like those the rear seat and low swim platform is something to be careful of as you come about in large waves so you don't get caught by one. if you do the wave can and will hit that platform and spill into the main cabin - didn't happen at that time but i have been slow in coming about and had that happen to me once. i execute those turns carefully but quickly as it was a lesson i plan on not relearning.

nice addition and i was at the Annapolis boat show last year and saw a few boats with this feature. Galeon is another one that does this. in this boat having outboards takes away from the swim space so the side boards compensate. i guess if you boat in salt water the outboards are easier on the maint. for us salt-free boaters, i'll take the I/O or a pod drive in a boat this size and maximize my square footage.

only difference i see from my model year vs newer ones (aside from the dashboard and color scheme) is the full beam or near full beam rear facing seat. they eliminated the port side anchor locker. i keep fins / snorkels and my rear anchor in there. one of the popular things on Lake Mich is to anchor slightly offshore - cant really beach the boat as sometimes the sandbars & waves are too frequent and you will never get the boat off the beach. also, who wants to scratch up the bottom anyways. when areas around the sand dunes get crowded, you need a stern anchor to lock you in. not sure where you stow that in the new design but i am sure that there is plenty of spots in the main cabin. having a full beam rear seat is nice and probably a good tradeoff. i think Chap should on these larger models take a page from Formula and make an extended swim platform - they are calling the boat a 347 but its a foot shorter. extend that platform another foot and make it a true 34' boat

lesson i learned last season, if you keep your boat on a lift keep the exhaust switch closed - i had a small bird make a nest right where the solenoid closes the damper. that was unfortunate for the bird and made it even harder to remove the remnants of her nest.

yeah - owning a big bowrider is great for dayboating. there is a drawback, if you like doing any watersports it "can" do it but the wake is so big and not in a good way its very turbulent for kids to learn and even tubing can be bit dangerous as they launch pretty high. we use the seadoo wake as our water sport tow boat. the big boat is for cruising on the lake and anchoring and swimming. all of those 35'-40' open bow are awesome boats - my wife thinks they are big water pontoon boats - IMO a 40' boat i would go for the center console w/ quads but the wife would say i am compensating for something with that many engines. always someone with a bigger boat out there