Going to look at an older 280 SS tomorrow. General thoughts and conerns.


D

drewm3i

New member
Considering selling my immaculate Chaparral '99 2335 SS and upgrading to a Formula 280 SS.

I'm going to be looking at one tomorrow. Anything in particular to look out for? Obviously I'll look for rot and general neglect as much as I can. Anyway to make sure the fuel tank is not corroded or leaking? I know all Formulas are equipped with fume detectors so maybe that will help?

Also, has anybody found a way to add a drain to the head of the 280 to add a shower? What are you guys doing for ac? On our current boat, we use a portable unit powered by shore power and it works great, even in the summer. I figured we could do that again.

Our boat is a bit cramped for what we do (lots of diving, cruising, and extended trips), especially in the cockpit. One concern I have about the 280 is the size of the berth. How big is it? On our current boat (only 24'), the berth has plenty of room and that's a must. Ideally, I would prefer to find a 330 SS or a newer 280 with built in ac, but that is too much boat and too much $ for us right now.

Besides, I like to buy one for cheap, keep it for a year or two while I fix and upgrade it, then sell it and move up. That way our boat fund pays for itself. Our budget is around 20k this time around and I am not interested in any type of cruiser (too tippy and unstable in the ocean for the smaller ones and just too large and too much upkeep to get into a proper PC right now).

We are located in Florida and would be willing to buy a boat from out of the state if necessary, but prefer to find one here. I appreciate all feedback!

Thanks,
Drew
 
Outdrive and engines...then of course you MUST get a survey to make sure the hull is in good shape. Normally Formula's are not prone to rot, but you never know.

As for your other questions, others with similar boats will have to chime in!
 
I can't comment on the 280 other than I did look at one before I bought the 330. The v berth in the 330 was just ok for me and gf. I'm 5'10". We still enjoyed it.
 
I have 2006 280ss I can’t think of anything to look for, formulas 280ss were built well and I had no problems at all besides the normal wear and tear and maintenance.
I believe a good surveyor is the most important thing when buying a used boat good luck keep us updated
 
Thanks guys, my main concern is the size of the v berth, but coming from a 24' boat hopefully it will be at least the same size. I will be careful to look for hull damage, delamination, rot, etc. Last year I looked at a 252 LS and I was able to find some fiberglass repairs in the bilge/rot so I steered clear. Truthfully, I'm going more to look at the 280 SS, rather than this particular one. I need to see if this model works for us before officially listing my boat and getting in the market again. I usually don't get a survey as I am a boat guy who basically does all the engine, fiberglass, and miscellaneous work on a boat. That said, I generally won't buy a boat with a major defect, there are just too many boats on the market.
 
I looked at 7-8 280 SS boats before buying my 330 SS. When you say 'older' are we talking mid-late 1990's? The 280 came out in 1995 and the 330 was added in 1996. I see that there is a 1996 280 in Florida on Boat Trader.

Typical power of the 280 is the Merc 5.7's The 4.3's are generally considered to be lighter powered and a tougher sell. 5.0's would be OK, but you don't see too many of those. Presumably if you are buying local, the boat will have been used in salt water (?) Look at the outdrives carefully for corrosion. There is a bearing carrier for the Bravo3 outdrives that will be subject to corrosion, if the outdrive does not have adequate protection. They are about $400 each.

The hull on the 280's are a 21 degree V, so it does OK in the slop . . . a bit better than the 330, which has only a 20 degree V.
 
tpenfield said:
I looked at 7-8 280 SS boats before buying my 330 SS. When you say 'older' are we talking mid-late 1990's? The 280 came out in 1995 and the 330 was added in 1996. I see that there is a 1996 280 in Florida on Boat Trader.

Typical power of the 280 is the Merc 5.7's The 4.3's are generally considered to be lighter powered and a tougher sell. 5.0's would be OK, but you don't see too many of those. Presumably if you are buying local, the boat will have been used in salt water (?) Look at the outdrives carefully for corrosion. There is a bearing carrier for the Bravo3 outdrives that will be subject to corrosion, if the outdrive does not have adequate protection. They are about $400 each.

The hull on the 280's are a 21 degree V, so it does OK in the slop . . . a bit better than the 330, which has only a 20 degree V.
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I am looking at the '95-'00 models specifically. I prefer the look and flashy imron colors of the early models. Also the price is much more reasonable, but I'm going to have to find a well-cared for one. I don't plan on buying junk. No rot, no crappy upholstery, and no corrosion. I am looking at Florida boats and also boats from out of the area if necessary.

My current boat came from Maryland. My boat before that came from 10 hours away. My current boat also has a bravo 3 drive so I am familiar with the crappy carbon steel steering pin (I have a mod for this where I install a grease fitting where the bushing goes through the gimbal ring) and corrosion issues. If taken care of (mercathode, ground wires, anodes, paint) and dry stored, the bravos do just fine in the salt. I would much rather buy a boat with mechanical issues (two boats ago I bought a beautiful, but mechanically neglected boat that sat inside for over 10 years), than one that needs a new fuel tank or stringer work.

Tpenfield, I have seen your repairs on the 242 and also the 330. That does make me a bit leery, but I will try my best to avoid a slipped boat as those seem to rot more. I know the 2000 models on use Perma Panel wood, so we will see what I can find. Again, I'm just seeing if the 280 works for us. If not, I'll probably just wait five years and then get a 330.

I appreciate the feedback guys!
 
Thing with the bigger boats is that they are the ones that will more likely be kept in the water seasonally, as opposed to a 24 footer, which would be trailered or rack stored.
 
tpenfield said:
Thing with the bigger boats is that they are the ones that will more likely be kept in the water seasonally, as opposed to a 24 footer, which would be trailered or rack stored.
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Fair point, but in Florida boats up to 40' can easily be dry stacked or kept on a lift.
 
One question I'd have is without high bow rails, how would one tie off to a mooring ball in 1-2' waves? We never anchor here (reef), so a windlass is useless.
 
I have a windlass, but without a windlass I would use a Stainless Steel Mooring Hook to tie off to a mooring ball
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Looked at the boat today. I was very impressed with the looks, spaciousness of the cockpit, layout, and amenities.

This boat had a shower in the head compartment and drain. It had a fridge. I loved the dive tank storage, that would be huge for us. I loved the engine hatch and the walkthrough. Loved the self-bailing deck liner and scuppers. Loved all the storage and hinged compartments. Loved the wet bar. I fit on the v Beth, but it is a relatively tight squeeze, still think I can sleep on it though.

However, this boat was a mess and very neglected. The upholstery was pretty worn and the bilge was disgusting. The aft bilge bulkhead was rotten. The cabin carpet was gross. The engine had about 685 hours, but the boat had clearly sat outside a lot (owners had it on a lift).

I was also a little shocked at some of the fit and finish of this boat. The cabin ventilation hatches were all plastic (ours are all aluminum and ss). All the latches were plastic (ours are ss). Also, the vinyl seemed a little thin compared to ours except in the cabin.

There is another 280 close by, so I think we will go look at that one before deciding if we want to upgrade or not!
 
Be sure the boat layout meets your needs and is cosmetically in good shape. Then, if you are serious make an offer contingent on a complete boat survey and sea trial.
 
Just read your other post...I'm always concerned when the boat has been neglected. If the owner has been careless with what I can see, what about the areas that I can't see! I would also be concerned that engines and other mechanicals have not been serviced properly and on schedule.

Walk away and be patient. There is always another boat!
 
Seaduction said:
Just read your other post...I'm always concerned when the boat has been neglected. If the owner has been careless with what I can see, what about the areas that I can't see! I would also be concerned that engines and other mechanicals have not been serviced properly and on schedule.

Walk away and be patient. There is always another boat!
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I'm for sure not buying that boat. I agree with you completely. However, I'm going to look at a promising 280 on Friday. I'm still torn though because first I love my current boat(a '99 Chaparral 2335) and it's a great boat, but I'm almost done with it and want to cash in on all my work and upgrades (engine maintenance, faux teak throughout, gps and sonar shorepower, etc.). It also doesn't have a walk through, wet bar, a place to store dive gear, or enclosed head.

That said, I love the 280 and always have, but the 285 ssi Chaparral has more fuel capacity, a shower in the head, a refrigerator, built in ac, and a bigger berth, but it doesn't have the same sex appeal. I want a Formula, but the latter seems more logical. We want to make runs to the Dry Tortuga's from KW, and the extra 23 gallons would help a lot. So I'm torn, tomorrow should help. A 330 ss is just too big and my budget this time around is about 20k give or take. So we will see.
 
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I looked at similar boats to the 280 in the Chaparral, Cobalt and Sea Ray brands. Formula seems to have the best design when it comes to accessing the bow for docking and anchoring. I could see my Admiral injuring herself trying to navigate some of the other step designs, whereas the Formula design is pretty much goof proof.

So, don't under estimate the little things.

I thought all 280's the head set up with a shower drain (???) The 330's certainly do.
 
Went to look at a beautiful (close to mint) 280 today. She shined, the motors were clean and seemed to run well. The bilge was fairly clean with minimal water. The 4.3 motors leave lots of room in the bilge to work. The upholstery was very nice minus one cushion that needs to be replaced (engine hatch bench). Every switch and light worked. She had a beautiful 7 inch Garmin GPS and sonar. She even came in my favorite color! The snap in carpet had been replaced, in addition to the cabin carpet.

Now for the bad, the cabin bilge had some water in it and the wood had soaked it up. From what I could tell, the wood was still mostly solid. It seemed to me a bad design by formula as the drain wasn't at the bottom of the compartment. Thus, water gets trapped and the only gel coated wicks it up. I could probably get her for $19,500 no trailer. I'm thinking my boat would probably sell for around 20 so I'm looking at an even swap minus all the paper work and taxes. Decisions, decisions.
 
My 280 a very small amount of water has to do with placement of bilge also any water that gets on deck drains into bilge yes bad design but minimal also the cabin bilge always small amount of water I still can’t find cause but think it’s the step down to cabin drain when done for the day a washcloth to gets dry, I always put a small DampRid down keep cabin like new
 
formula280ss said:
My 280 a very small amount of water has to do with placement of bilge also any water that gets on deck drains into bilge yes bad design but minimal also the cabin bilge always small amount of water I still can’t find cause but think it’s the step down to cabin drain when done for the day a washcloth to gets dry, I always put a small DampRid down keep cabin like new
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How do you deal with the minor rot and squishy wood? I know all boats have their quirks and design flaws. My boat has some too and they leave me shaking my head lol.

Also how do you sleep on this boat? On my current cuddy, we sleep head at the bow, feet towards the stern. On the Formula, it seems the other way is best. I prefer the former I think because it gives more leg room.
 
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