Sealine 290, any good?

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madabouttheboat

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Browsing around the brokerage market, as you do, I have seen a Sealine 290. This represents the next step up from my singled engined 25 footer but have no real experience of this boat.

Any owners, or ex owners, care to pass on their wisdom. What are they like in any sort of sea? Any known faults to look out for when viewing?

Cheers
 
They suffer chine walking in a following sea, and slam quite a bit with anything over force 4. I also know quite a few who ripped stringers, which is then shown in the various cracks you see on the hull sides.
The problem you will get if you are in the UK is that I imagine these can be had for a good price, so if you have a budget limit there is not much to look at....
I would consider a Sunseeker 32 Portofino, Fairline 28/29 Targa or 30 Targa and a Cranchi 29/30 Giada
 
Sealine 290

I had one of them in the early 90s. It was my third Sealine (of 8) and we had a lot of fun with it. Did my first Channel crossing with it and later took her from Menai Straits to the Clyde via the Isle of Man and Strangford Loch. Kept her for three or four years and had no serious problems except for one that was self inflicted. Touched the Winner Bank (Chichester Harbour) which was not good for the props! As you may gather she was a quite capable sea boat and comfortable for a week or two for two people.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy her if you go ahead.

Richard.
 
There is one for sale in our marina at a very competitive price (£35k). It isnt the best to look at but really only needs a good clean up. The engines have hardly been run in.
 
Looked at the 290 when we were looking to upsize from an s240, we also looked at the 260 and 270.

To be brutal and I know I will be flamed for this because we have never owned one (290,270 or 260, even though we tried) but please make sure you are more than satisfied with the basic structure before you have a professional survey, it will save you both time and expense.

Things to look for on the boat are detached tabbing, signs of hull flexing and stress crazing, check the bulkheads are sound and access to the main tanks are good (if not already replaced you may need to do it).

Look at as much of the hull to deck joint as possible, also the stringers and engine mounting pads.

I'm talking from experience here and it maybe that we were unlucky when choosing the boats we had surveyed but it did teach us a very good lesson, do your homework before you put on the rose tinted spectacles.

Boats surveyed , 3 sealine s240's, 1 s260, 1 s270 and 1 Fairline Targa 28 (which we now own)

I guess the mechanicals will be the most important to check over, definitely get them checked by a professional, at the age they are going to be it could turn the whole thing into a nightmare, however for piece of mind a professional survey is well worth the outlay.

Unless you can live with the interior hold back a budget of around £2k for refit, £1.5k for canopies and around £2k for engine and drive servicing.

Of course all of the above applies to any older boat but choosing wisely is easier than you might think, if it's cheap then take extra care, the saying "you get what you pay for" definitely applies.
 
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