Opinions on Sealine 305 Statesman

[SimonBunker]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a boat and have found a Sealine 305 Statesman in Bristol and would be keen to get your opinion on the 305 in general. The boat is a 1989 with 2x AQ211A Petrol engines.

Anything I need to look out for in particular?

Thanks in advance for all your help and advice
Simon

 

[Mymobo]

Hi

That boat has been up for sale for a While.

 

[Elessar]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a boat and have found a Sealine 305 Statesman in Bristol and would be keen to get your opinion on the 305 in general. The boat is a 1989 with 2x AQ211A Petrol engines.

Anything I need to look out for in particular?

Thanks in advance for all your help and advice
Simon

how many boats have you had before?

i'm a sealine fan and despite the knockers around here saying otherwise they are well built boats.

i hear their baby flybridges are a bit of a handful though, you need to hear from someone with more experience of them.

if it's petrol and that size it needs to be a rock bottom price to consider.

 

[SimonBunker]

Hi Elessar,
Thanks for the reply.
To be honest it's my first "proper" boat not sure if hooning around in ribs during my military days counts! I have heard that flybridges are not the best to get started with.
Thanks for your help

 

[Elessar]

Hi Elessar,
Thanks for the reply.
To be honest it's my first "proper" boat not sure if hooning around in ribs during my military days counts! I have heard that flybridges are not the best to get started with.
Thanks for your help

My first 2 boats were baby flybridges. It's the petrol bit that worries me. Carrying the stuff because it's hard to get or eye wateringly expensive at the waterside. And the sheer rate you'll get through the stuff. I spent most of the time with my first boat at displacement speeds (on the Thames) but still I got sick enough of petrol to rip the engine out and replace it. If you haven't had a big boat you won't appreciate just how much fuel you need to get to the boat. You'll get sick of syphoning and want to sell it all too soon.

 

[oldgit]

Hi Elessar,
Thanks for the reply.
To be honest it's my first "proper" boat not sure if hooning around in ribs during my military days counts! I have heard that flybridges are not the best to get started with.
Thanks for your help

Loads of space for the money.......but those engines ! Where are you going to use the boat?.If pottering around upriver expect a about 2-3 gallons an hour,not too bad really,BUT if you are going to use that beasty offshore something like 20 gallons an hour will be more the order of the day.
Most Marinas will charge around £7.00 yes £7.00 a gallon,so a trip of a couple of hours could cost you nearly £300 quid.
Could you stretch to this diesel one.
http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/MTc0NTk0NDZ+c3N1czAy=-Sealine_statesman_310.html

 

[mm1]

Sealing 305

Hi,we had a friend with a 305 some years ago, for it's size the seakeeping was quite good & it was a very practical boat,they liked it a lot, however contrary to elessar sealine do have build quality issues so please do have a survey,also if they are the original engines & drives they will probably need big money spent on them,but first you need to decide what you want in a boat,I know quite a few people who have regretted buying flybridge boats & have gone back to targa type,regards mm1.

 

[Mymobo]

Oldgit that 310 looks amazing if i had the cash spare i would look at this one as we would love a diesel fly. A friend bought 310 this year they are lovely boats.

 

[SimonBunker]

Loads of space for the money.......but those engines ! Where are you going to use the boat?.If pottering around upriver expect a about 2-3 gallons an hour,not too bad really,BUT if you are going to use that beasty offshore something like 20 gallons an hour will be more the order of the day.
Most Marinas will charge around £7.00 yes £7.00 a gallon,so a trip of a couple of hours could cost you nearly £300 quid.
Could you stretch to this diesel one.
http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/MTc0NTk0NDZ+c3N1czAy=-Sealine_statesman_310.html

hmm that would be costly as I would be using it in and around the bristol channel! I will have a look at the link you posted, thanks for that.

 

[MikeJ42]

Hi,we had a friend with a 305 some years ago, for it's size the seakeeping was quite good & it was a very practical boat,they liked it a lot, however contrary to elessar sealine do have build quality issues so please do have a survey,also if they are the original engines & drives they will probably need big money spent on them,but first you need to decide what you want in a boat,I know quite a few people who have regretted buying flybridge boats & have gone back to targa type,regards mm1.

"Sealine do have build quality issues". Yawn…what a lot of nonsense.

 

[oldgit]

Possibly ...but !

"Yawn…what a lot of nonsense."

You may want to have a bit of a dig round the interweb on that subject.Personally I really like the new shape Sealines and although not a fan of the design style of the earlier Sealine range,they did offer acres of interior space,a concept lost on virtually every other UK volume builder at a price that people could afford and they did not just dump the smaller starter market.
Are you listening FairPrincess and yes we all know its down to economics.

However a search for hull problems on early boats includung chine cracks will throw up the the odd example.

 

[MikeJ42]

"Yawn…what a lot of nonsense."

You may want to have a bit of a dig round the interweb on that subject.Personally I really like the new shape Sealines and although not a fan of the design style of the earlier Sealine range,they did offer acres of interior space,a concept lost on virtually every other UK volume builder at a price that people could afford and they did not just dump the smaller starter market.
Are you listening FairPrincess and yes we all know its down to economics.

However a search for hull problems on early boats includung chine cracks will throw up the the odd example.

I have owned 5 Sealines over the past 8 yrs. 2 from brand new. Nobody forced me to buy them, I did cos they have always been excellent. I guess that with so many sold you are gonna have more reported issues.

The real agenda (speaking to boat owners, as you do) is that those that have spent more on a 'premium brand' for the same size hull seem to want to continually remind themselves that their extra cash was worth the outlay.

 

[mm1]

mikej42

sir,you may wish to dilude yourself thats fine,my info was to a newcomer to our past time was thoughtful/fair &honest,i have no agenda in this matter,your remarks about my info being nonsense are quite rude to say the least,i to have owned a sealine hence my remarks, if any ones remarks are nonsense it's yours about people deriding other products to justify their purchase,what utter rubbish(imho),regards mm1

 

[MikeJ42]

sir,you may wish to dilude yourself thats fine,my info was to a newcomer to our past time was thoughtful/fair &honest,i have no agenda in this matter,your remarks about my info being nonsense are quite rude to say the least,i to have owned a sealine hence my remarks, if any ones remarks are nonsense it's yours about people deriding other products to justify their purchase,what utter rubbish(imho),regards mm1

It matters not who the comment is directed at. It is nonsense and misleading to claim that an entire brand "have build quality issues".

 

[PaulGooch]

It matters not who the comment is directed at. It is nonsense and misleading to claim that an entire brand "have build quality issues".

Of course it doesn't. Name one model of car that Yugo built that was any good

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Ahem, returning to the OP's original question regarding the 305 rather than having a slanging match over Sealine's build quality, I had a 305 many years ago. It was my first flybridge boat and my first sea boat following on from a 26ft Searay sports boat which we used on the Thames. Good points - loads of space for the money and a cheap way into a flybridge boat. Bad points - handling at both slow and fast speed. I was used to outdrives after my sports boat but I found the 305 a handful in any kind of a wind at marina speeds. It is very easily blown about; IMHO a flybridge boat and outdrives don't mix. A bowthruster is almost essential for peace of mind. At fast speeds my 305 'porpoised' quite often although only in calm conditions and was very sensitive to trim tab adjustment. Yes, my 305 was not well built. I sold it after 6 months because of all the problems I experienced both with the boat and the engines (AQAD31 diesels). To redress the balance, I later had 2 other Sealines which performed well so I'm prepared to believe my 305 was a lemon rather than subscribing to the 'all Sealines are rubbish' theory.
A 305 with petrol engines better be cheap too compared to the diesel equivalent because, as already mentioned, she will like a drink. IMHO, it would be better to save up a few more quid for a diesel 305 and to be frank, it may be better still to save even more quids and buy a shaftdrive flybridge boat. Something like a Fairline Corniche with TAMD41 engines?

 

[volvopaul]

Deleted User Id go wit the corniche theory too, ive owned 2 and what great boats they were both with tamd41s in, beat the sealine anyday in every subject thrown at it.

And said before this post is to help out newcomers not to slag sealines, mrsvolopaul wants a sealine.

 

[oldgit]

"The real agenda (speaking to boat owners, as you do) is that those that have spent more on a 'premium brand' for the same size hull seem to want to continually remind themselves that their extra cash was worth the outlay."

Why are Sealine owners so sensitive about their blimming boats,if you like it and were happy to spend your hard earned on it,whats the problem.

Try the same trick on a Broom owner and a resounding indifference to your opinion of his boat will be forthcoming.

 

[volvopaul]

"The real agenda (speaking to boat owners, as you do) is that those that have spent more on a 'premium brand' for the same size hull seem to want to continually remind themselves that their extra cash was worth the outlay."

Why are Sealine owners so sensitive about their blimming boats,if you like it and were happy to spend your hard earned on it,whats the problem.

Try the same trick on a Broom owner and a resounding indifference to your opinion of his boat will be forthcoming.

Speaking of Broom, I did hear last Friday that the foregn partner of Brooms new owners had walked out of the company, is this true I wonder?

 

[tamarind]

I must say that Sealine do offer alot of internal accomodation for its square foot. A friend of mine has a immaculate Statesman 330 with new KAD32 diesels, this superseeded the 310, more beam etc so more stable. If interested PM me as I am not sure how to post the link from ebay where it is advertised.