Rinker EX370 product walk-through by President, Kim Slocum

MarkB

Very nice 

Dream_Inn

Very nice!  Love the windows in the galley area.  I'm not fond of the little fold out sink in the cockpits, but I guess people like them.  Very similar layout they've had for a while and started with on the 350.

Certainly love the Rinkers!  I just spent the past 11 days on our 400, with another 400 & 390. Boats ran fantastic!

Michael T

DI the sink isn't a fold-out the tap folds down when not in use then  flips up for use -  works great.... Very high quality. I liked the set-up and got rave reviews of it from guests.

Dream_Inn

Just a wrong way I stated it, but yes, the fold down/flip up faucet.  Just not my thing.  Flimsy and I've seen many, I mean many leak after several years (lots of Rinkers in my marina).  Also the counter never stays up, slams down in wind, etc.  Hey, everyone has their opinion.  I've seen them in use on many boats, for many years.  Seen many owners not happy with it.  I personally would have a hard time buying a boat with it (if it was the only thing wrong, then I'd deal with it).

Michael T

AL, do you foresee Rinker building a bigger cruiser than the present EX 370....
By that I mean 40+ footer?

Michael T

AL, the 2014 EC 360 I had was amazing. More headroom (7 feet in much of the cabin) than any other boat in its class -  even at twice the price. With the 8.2 Mags I bet that boat was the fastest hull (it GPS'd at 50 mph) of any production cruiser Rinker ever made. BTW I do not like the bolt on swim platform...waaay too much trouble for a little more real estate!

Dream_Inn

I agree with you Al.  The newer boats are much smaller than the ones just 5-10 years ago.  If mine were new, it'd be a 44' now.  I'd have a hard time giving up all the space I'm used to in the 400.  Heck, a lot of them now don't have much more than a couch in the mid cabin.  The 400 not only has two full mattress twin beds, but a sink, cabinets and a wooden door to close it off.  Oh, and you can stand in there. 

& the nice big hard top!  None of that smaller top then a piece of canvas out the back.  (FYI MT, did you see my post that last week we had two 400s GPS'd at 44mph, with almost full fuel - 25 or so gallons from top, full water, gear/food for 11 day trip?)

Michael T

Yeah DI but 44 mph is a loooooong way from 50 and your fuel burn at 44 would be waaay higher than my fuel burn at 44. You have the size, no question, but the EC 360 with 8.2 Mags would leave you on the dust.......same loads. Have you seen my posts of the EC 360s performance? :-) I drove the last 400 that was made by Rinker it was SLOW in every respect....acceleration, top end, time to plane compared to my EC 360. The "good old days are gone". I wouldn't want a new 342 compared to a 360. I have had them side by side 2002 and 2003 year models with my EC 360. There was nothing I liked better about the 342....cockpit no ehete nrsr as nice, helm no ehete near as nice, rngine bay no whrte near as nice, less cabin head room, dingy aft bed, elevated cabin table area, no flex steel pull out couches, awful front betth - not the roomy walk around like on the EC 360.....NO comparison. Yes, bigger swim platform but it was  BOLT on
no - thanks to that! Thank God Rinker is moving forward with new designs. 

craigswardmtb

I don't like to push my 05 360 but i did the other week.  The currents were in our favor and the 3-4 footers were spaced 10 seconds apart.  I got on it for a few minutes and could have gone more.  I was cranking at right around 40 knots for a short period of time.  If seas are favorable my boat likes to cruise at 29-30 knots.  I like my 360 but quite honestly want even more space.  The 360 of this era had a bigger beam and a couple extra feet compared to new.  I too would not give up my extra area.  If i went new i would need a 400 plus.  However there is something to be said for the updated electronics, mechanicals and fit and finish of the new boats.  Those 8.2's are no doubt sweet!

raybo3

I have a 2002 342FV and I rafted off my friends 2015 360EC (made in 2014) and my boat was about a foot longer than his. His V-berth bed was smaller also. I like the lay out of the 342 better but I like the aft berth better in the 360........... Just say'n

Michael T

That foot must have been your swim platform because we measured the interiors of the two boats and there was no difference. There was more interior cabin space in the 360 because the mid berth flex steel pull out couch is not U shaped and was therefore mounted closer to the boat hull sides without having to put it on a platform. As well there was waaaay more storage on the EC 360 because of the large areas under both flex steel vouches. The storage under the aft bed is awesome. BTW the head room under the hard top of the 360 was waaay higher than under the arch of the 342 and waaay easier to R&R the canvas. 360.....a GIANT step forward from a 342! IMO

raybo3

MT this is why they make different models. IMO no the 360 is not a GIANT step forward. Like I said I like the lay out better on the 342 that would be lay out. I did not say anything about storage or head room. The head room on my 342 is just fine. Plenty of it for me. The V-berth bed on the 342 is much bigger. The swim plat form is bigger also. This day and age boats are measured  by LOA so a 360 IS smaller than my 2002 342. Now I am not saying that the 360 is not nice or anything like that. I am saying that it is smaller than mine. One other thing, I do not like hard tops. I much prefer to either open up my boat or keep the top on.  

Michael T

Ray the only way the front berth of a 342 is bigger than the 360 is if you sleep sideways in it.....and you can not get off both sides of the bed  in s 342 you have to crawl over someone. Fun whe you're 25 years old..... Not so much fun later. You are the only person I know what prefers to wrestle with all of the canvas of a 342 instead of having the beautiful galss-like plexiglass and ease of canvas removal of the EC 310 and EC 360. Better keep-up with your maintenance brother 'cuase ain't no way Rinker is going backwards from the EX 370 to a 342 configuration..... IMO.

raybo3

MT like I said everyone has their opinion and preference on what they like. I like the 342 lay out better. What's wrong with that? I like the table in the cabin also. I am not the only one who likes not having the hard top. Many of my friends that got hard tops a year later say that they wish they could open their tops. So again its all preference.  

Handymans342

A 360 is just a glorified 342 and no diesels. I wouldnt buy a new boat no way. 

Dream_Inn

Well said Raybo.  (except the hard top )  I'll give up top speed to have more comfort and tons of space!  The amount of time we spend 'cruising' compared to the time just relaxing on the boat is like 100:1.  Definitely more space for relaxing!  & when we do cruise, efficiency is at a comfortable 31-33mph.  Fuel burn really doesn't mean anything to me at all.  Yes, I'll try to go where it's most efficient, but in the summer we are darn near liveaboards!  Out of the 25 days in August thus far, we have been on the boat 19 of them!

What I really don't like is most newer boats have gone with the thought that they all should be good "couple" boats.  One front berth and open up the back with seating area that you could possibly sleep another couple.  Almost every boat I saw at the show last year was that way.  And those couches....give them a few years of use and they are about as uncomfortable as you can get.  I'm looking to add more padding in it this winter.  On the 360, if you want to change clothes in privacy you either have to try to pull a curtain and stand on a step (or duck in the mid cabin closing a curtain) or use the head.

It's kind of funny how we all have our set ways and opinions.  Makes for good discussions on here.

craigswardmtb

On the flip side for our 360, when the wife has to put the bathing suit on i usually get a show due to limited places to change...

raybo3

craigswardmtb said:

On the flip side for our 360, when the wife has to put the bathing suit on i usually get a show due to limited places to change...

Or off.....lol

frodo13056

@Alswagg said " I guess I was spoiled by the 360 400 and 420. I also like the 212 232 282 of coarse the 270 and the 342. "
Al, you left out the 320....... unintentional or was there something about the 310/312/320 models that you weren't too crazy about? For us, the 320 is pretty much perfect for the type of boating we do; mostly just the two of us with occasional over-night guests and mostly day cruising on Lake Michigan.
Looking at this thread, there really is no such thing as the "perfect" boat - it's more a matter of what is perfect for the type of boating we do :-)

randy56

Different boats for different folks, In my younger days, having open bow, deck boat, tritoons, and such, I called you guys cruiser's a cave boat, could not understand why anyone would want to go down inside that cave, cannot see out, no fresh air, can't feel the wind, an old guy boat. Now I'm an old guy. 

Handymans342

When you getting that Trawler Randy? LOLOLOLOL

Michael T

Steve, you Jeep hitting stuff in the water and you'll be looking at new boats soon enough!

reneechris14

Hey trawlers have diesels just saying 

Handymans342

Are you attacking me now MT? Shame on you

Michael T

Steve, just having fun .....you did have some underwater drama on your run to the keys? We've all hit something Steve! Anyway you can't laugh at aguy who has a waterfront home, with a pool, a boat lift and a RINKER on it...you're pervious to attack!

Michael T

Agreed DI Rinker does or has over time built a boat for just about anyone and we do all have our favourites.
I think Rinker  still offers the most choice of any company. I can see Rinker up-dating models and maybe even introducing some new models to the single engine line but I think they are through with anything bigger than the 360.
IMO that segment is already flooded with boats and there is so much work that has to go into a hull of that size that I think Rinker is not interested in wasting the effort  for narrow returns and that segment of boating.
When I speak with the next generation of boaters - and I've spoken with a lot of them - when they want a cruiser they don't want their dad's cruiser they want an EXPRESS cruiser.
I would define that as the NEW  Rinker models EX 290, EX 310 and EX 360.
As Kim Slocum has said - everyone now wants Axius and sexy electronics.
My 2013 EC 310 and 2014 EC 360 used to draw people like flies at docks. .....but the group who loved it the most were the 25 to 40 year olds. They are the ones who will, going forward, dictate styling and accessories.
The older segment does not want a 400K Rinker cruiser. That segment buys Fly bridges like Meridian etc.
The younger crowd who were wowed and I do mean 90% of them loved my 310 and 360 were struck by the streamlined styling, hard top, electronics, extras and BIG time by the 8.2 Mags and Axius.
IMO -  This new generation of boaters wants a functional cruiser that looks great, has plenty of room and will ROCKET off idle like a bat out of heII,  if they want it to. 
In this regard I believe Rinker is hitting it out of the park with the NEW 290, 310 and 360. These are the shape of Rinker's cruiser profit band and Rinket's future.
The 400 is dead, the 340 should be dead and the styling of the 342 is yesterday's news...in my opinion.

Dream_Inn

Well, I guess for me personally it does not matter much cause I will be keeping this boat for a while.  And then, more than likely, go that trawler route that you all keep laughing about.  I'm still not sure about that slower top end speed, but hey, we'll see in about 10 years.  The space is just perfect for a liveaboard style boat.  & I guess at age 46, I'm beyond what MT is saying the new cruiser boats are looking at as potential buyers  

Al, that sure sounds like it'd be interesting seeing how these boats could handle in both 5 and 10' seas.  Wouldn't want to do it in my own ride though.

And the 310, absolutely loved that boat.  Well made and really well thought out.  It is the boat that got me into Rinkers!!!

Michael T

Not talking about that 310 DI, talking about the "new" EC 310 that won several boating awards the year it came out ......2011?

randy56

  Will Rinker make me  a Trawler? LOL MT your over 5000 post. 

Michael T

@randy56......yeah 5000. Maybe Steve is right and I do need a job.....or a boat!