Considering purchase of 2006 342 Fiesta Vee

vmaxhpvmaxhp Member Posts: 2 ✭
in Rinker Express Cruisers Forum
Good evening.  I'm considering the purchase of a 2006 342 FV.  A pair of Volvo 5.7s (320hp, I think) with newer Aluminum DP stern drives.  Autopilot, ~100 hours.  From your experience, what will I like, dislike about the boat?  What is a reasonable expected cruising speed for this combo?  Have you found it to be a good "stay out for a weekend" boat?

Thanks!
Rick
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Comments

  • WeberWeber Member Posts: 249 ✭✭✭
    Excellent boat, we almost bought that same year and model but ended up getting a better deal on a 312.

    Layout of the boat is excellent, you get more value with Rinker for your dollar in my opinion.  The interior design has a great layout with a rich up date color scheme.  We looked at a lot of boats before deciding, and a lot of them had plain interiors, white cabinets, etc.  With Rinker you get a high class feel for a great price.

    Performance wise, it will run great.  The engine room is nice, and there is space to get to most things.  I'm not a fan of the Volo drives, I would have them inspected closely.  If everything has been maintained and is in good shape then you should be good to go.

    Cruising speed should be 35-45mph depending on how you like to drive and how you load the boat.
    Sin or Swim - Rinker 312
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  • StodgeStodge Member Posts: 2,738 ✭✭✭✭
    We got our 342 last season and just love it.  We have plenty of space.  The shower is useable which is great for us because most of our weekends are spent on the hook.  I just added Vessel View over the winter and was very happy to see I was getting 1.1 to 1.2 MPG with the Merc 350 mags and Bravo IIIs.  

    She does have some down sides.  Getting to the fuel, water or waste tanks is a challenge.  The engine cover could open wider.  And I had to find my own route for wires from the cabin to the cockpit as the ones that Rinker ran are impossible to locate.  Oh and the biggest dislike I have for the 342 (at least mine) is the lack of windlass control at the bow.

    Good luck with your search.

    2002 FV 342 on Lake St. Clair - Past Commodore SHC - Vessel Examiner USCGAUX

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  • Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    We love ours although we are not using it this year. 
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  • LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 7,747 mod
    Definitely a great weekend boat.  When we had ours, we could live aboard for 5-7 days easy before it started feeling small.  I am a huge fan of autopilot, especially for cruising through no-wake zones or on long trips.  

    If you like your boat's wiring to be super-neat and orderly, you'll have to do that yourself as Rinkers are not built that way.  And the air circulation in the v-berth isn't that great, so you might want a small fan when sleeping with the windows closed.  But these are minor issues.  Overall, it's a fantastic boat.  
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  • vmaxhpvmaxhp Member Posts: 2 ✭
    Thanks for the feedback!  I have heard the AC under the V-Berth -- and no duct work -- is one downside, thought not huge.  I had read in other forums the location of the AC makes the aft berth a bit warm.
    Good to hear the 300 (maybe 320hp) twin 5.7 will nicely power this boat.  I was a bit concerned about that.  What's the cruising range?  Based on the comment above, looks like it's well in excess of 200 miles.
    Here's the boat, in case anyone's interested in looking at the pretty pics of the nice teak :)
    http://hshyachts.com/2006_rinker_342_express_cruiser_boat_for_sale_houston.html#more_photos

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