Which Power Option

oGaryo

oGaryo

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Hi, I posted something in the practical boating forum without much response, apart from a helpful pm, so thought I'd try the trusty mobo section:D

Interested in two boats at present, a yr 2000 Doral 250SE with a new Volvo 5.7ltr GXi 320HP power house coupled to a new duoprop leg and then there's a slightly newer Rinker 250 with 7 year old Merc 5.0l MPI 260hp engine and same age Alpha 1 Gen 2 leg, both well maintained... the Rinker is cheaper, newer (2003) and likely to be cheaper to run with a 5.0l fitted but I do like the Doral very much.. what may sway it is whether the engine and sterndrive for the Rinker is more suited to lakes and rivers and whether the photos that show it's in pristine condition, is atually the case..

what's the opinion of you guys engine wise, is the Rinker underpowered for the Solent? and is there really that much difference in terms of economy between the two setups?

Will be viewing the Rinker for a sea trial and then deciding whether to revisit the Doral or indeed, sit on my hands for a bit longer and see what else turns up as the winter approaches. I guess the sea trial will ultimately give me the answer to the power question but would be good up front to know if it's worth a visit considering the distance I'll be travelling.


please advise
 
at, say 25 knots, the Doral will be significantly more fuel efficient because of the drive...

neither will be underpowered - but if you are planning 6 adults and vast supplies of booze in the lockers (with all the safety equipement of course) etc etc you might want more - I am happy enough with 240 diesel on a B3 in a similar weight / length boat.
 
Gary my choice would be the Doral because the duoprop is a better drive , the engine has more available power ( you can close the throttle ) , Year 2000 compared to 2003 would only show up with the condition of the boats , and anyway with you owning it , it wouldnt look like a year 2000 boat for long
 
I would take the Doral over the Rinker any day even if it hadn't got the new engine, but that's just me, the new engine and drive is a big bonus.

It's not often you get the chance at buying a 10 yr old boat that's been repowered, besides the cosmetic requirements it's going to be like buying a new one, well almost, only things to do is make sure the service history and warranties are in order, and the installation has been carried out by the supplying dealer.
Go and see the dealer if possible and check that the engine has been paid for etc

Not been on a Rinker for quite some time but was disappointed by the build quality last time, Doral interiors are far better IMHO.

Not sure of budget but this one looks to be a nice example, and diesel!
http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/MjIzMjM0NH5CQVJCMDE=-Doral_250_SE.html
 
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Agree with the others - when we looked at similar boast a couple years back, Doral were definitely the better quality end, seemed to be well made with a good rep. We were never impressed by the build quality of Rinkers. Not sure about Rinkers at Sea (we never trialed one) - but the Doral we went out in was excellent.
 
Can't comment on the boat comparison Gaz, but the others seem to agree the Doral is the go.
On the power issue, the bigger cubed engine will serve you better generally, the 5.0 litre in the 25 footer will be marginal with a decent load aboard.

Several of our boat club members run the 5.0 litre MPI's in 23' cruisers, and there isn't one of them that doesn't want to upgrade to the 5.7 lt., due to sluggish performance when loaded up.
I'm currently upgrading to the 5.7 MPI 300hp for the same reason.
 
oGaryo said:
whether the engine and sterndrive for the Rinker is more suited to lakes and rivers
Click to expand...
What make you think so?
I'm a tad biased 'cause I hate Alphas with passion, but I can't imagine ANY situation where an Alpha is better than a VP duoprop.
 
Two reasons mainly:
1) they can't take as much power and torque as I like to have on an outdrive boat :D
2) their grind noise drive me nuts - though in later models they did improve (=reduce) that.
 
I have just ordered an Alpha Gen 2 drive with the new motor mainly for the physical size difference.
The Alpha when tilted up, allows the keel to sit flat on the sand at low tide without leaning on the drive as well as providing plenty of clearance on the trailer when manoeurving up steep driveways and over curbs, both issues my friends with Bravos find a problem.
 
There is some difference in opinion as regards a sea trial, but to my mind it is to test the mechanical parts of a boat that you cant test any other way. If you intend to use a sea trial to see if you feel a boat has the right engine for you- and that is a personal opinion- I suggest you get that agreed with the seller, or you just might find it difficult, if not impossible to get any deposit back.
Otherwise, I would go for the Doral. The Rinker maybe cheaper, but then there is less in the package anyway.
 
oGaryo said:
Hi, I posted something in the practical boating forum without much response, apart from a helpful pm, so thought I'd try the trusty mobo section:D

Interested in two boats at present, a yr 2000 Doral 250SE with a new Volvo 5.7ltr GXi 320HP power house coupled to a new duoprop leg and then there's a slightly newer Rinker 250 with 7 year old Merc 5.0l MPI 260hp engine and same age Alpha 1 Gen 2 leg, both well maintained... the Rinker is cheaper, newer (2003) and likely to be cheaper to run with a 5.0l fitted but I do like the Doral very much.. what may sway it is whether the engine and sterndrive for the Rinker is more suited to lakes and rivers and whether the photos that show it's in pristine condition, is atually the case..

what's the opinion of you guys engine wise, is the Rinker underpowered for the Solent? and is there really that much difference in terms of economy between the two setups?

Will be viewing the Rinker for a sea trial and then deciding whether to revisit the Doral or indeed, sit on my hands for a bit longer and see what else turns up as the winter approaches. I guess the sea trial will ultimately give me the answer to the power question but would be good up front to know if it's worth a visit considering the distance I'll be travelling.


please advise
Click to expand...
Not sure what peoples issues are with the Rinker build quality, but I found them to be excellent.

I ordered a new Rinker 232 in 2003, I spec'ed the 5.0MPI Mercruiser engine but paid extra for the B3 duo prop. It was an excellent boat, never had an issue with the build quality, as regards to typical mid ranged American sportsboats its by far one of the best. The performance of that engine in our boat was fantastic. We could cruise quite comfortably at 48knts WOT. Fuel burn wasn't too bad either. We liked the Rinker so much we ordered a brand new 250 in 2005, but I felt the 260php wasn't enough, so it was a toss up between the 350MAG or the Volvo 5.7 with DP, in the end I went for the Volvo. I never found out what it was like as we cancelled the order before it was delivered due to change in circumstances, ended up with a Sealine S24 instead.:eek:
Of your choice, I would echo what others have said and go for the Doral with Volvo 5.7 in it, I personally felt the 5.0l Merc would be fine in the Rinker 250 for a couple, but add a couple of friends and loads of gear, i think it would struggle, and I always wanted power in reserve.

The Doral is always one boat I liked, but it was more than the Rinker and out of our price range, the finishing on the boat is just that bit better than the Rinkers, thus I said they were in a league above the Rinkers.

I'd have either boat, but not the Merc 5.0MPI in a boat of that size if you are thinking of entertaining.

Sea trial both and enjoy the decision making.:D

Cheers

Al.
 
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We had the luxury at looking at a lot of Rinker models during a short break in the USA last year and I thought they were all nice inside. The 320 was was my favorite at the time, that is of the models I could have stretched to.

When we were seriously looking in the UK we looked at a number of Dorals and indeed they looked very nice too.

I'm sure you will choose the right boat for you.

You may want to take a look at the Monterey's if you like the Dorals ;-)
 
Seahope said:
We had the luxury at looking at a lot of Rinker models during a short break in the USA last year and I thought they were all nice inside. The 320 was was my favorite at the time, that is of the models I could have stretched to.

When we were seriously looking in the UK we looked at a number of Dorals and indeed they looked very nice too.

I'm sure you will choose the right boat for you.

You may want to take a look at the Monterey's if you like the Dorals ;-)
Click to expand...

If your thinking of taking a look at Monterey, give David a call at Southwater Marine. I've no connection, just I've always had top service from them and David is always very open and honest with advice.

Enjoy looking.
 
MapisM said:
Two reasons mainly:
1) they can't take as much power and torque as I like to have on an outdrive boat :D
2) their grind noise drive me nuts - though in later models they did improve (=reduce) that.
Click to expand...
1) As long as the engine rating is within the drive's spec so what? Why have a more expensive heavier drive if you don't need it for your engine?
2) It doesn't grind, it clunks (if you are doing it properly that is). :D
 
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