Looking for update on Sea Ray L650

The experiences may or may not be particularly relevant to your looking at used models. I'll explain.

The boat was often delivered with enormous lists of issues. Even those owners who loved the boat, had punch lists approaching 100 items. These issues were across the board from electronics to simple fit issues. Now, Sea Ray was willing to address them all and diligent owners likely got them all fixed even though it took a long time and was a lot of hassle.

The design and performance of the boat were very good. The 650 is a far superior boat compared to the 590. Based on design, we absolutely would have bought one. Just the customer experiences stopped us. A used one then is as good as the survey says it is. Were the issues all resolved or not. I'd say a 650 working right is a great boat.

I looked at one for an owner and it seems the fit and finish of the small stuff and general build quality were lacking a little bit. I've run a bunch of 590's for some reason (around 12 different ones) but never a 65'. The Sunseeker 65' Manhattan would absolutely be my go to yacht in that size, without a doubt. I've run a new 66' Manhattan extensively and very impressed with the ride, the sidepower zero speed curved stabilizers are amazing in all conditions, and most all aspects of the boat. I believe Olderboater will concur on the 65' Manhattan. A member on here whose screen name Is along the lines of Sea Gull used to own a 65' Searay flybridge, try PM'ing him

Get them out of the factory ASAP and off the books, then let the dealer IE. MarineMax deal with the issues. I witnessed first hand SeaRay trying to get a boat out the door as quick as possible so the sale went into a certain 1/4's books...….they did try to fix any issues, but it was like a fire drill and only got so many done.

I have dealt with new boats from another manufacturer that would come with a lot of small issues and they'd let the warranty end deal with them also. But they did deal with them in a very quick manner.

The L Series required opening back up factories where the employees really didn't trust them any more. And, with it now dead, you can see why that might be. Also, just pulling in people. They rushed something they weren't prepared for and sales were good, only increasing the issue. Design good. Execution dismal. Even electronics, rushing Raymarine for a new, greatest model, and it wasn't tried or proven and issues, all corrected by Raymarine, but source of several items on list.

What was the warranty period for the Searay L650 ?

What factory are you talking about?

They had Palm Coast and Sykes Creek as ongoing manufacturing locations, neither were opened “back up” for the L-Series production as they were open to begin with.

There were physical limitations to one of the Plants that caused the headaches, not the employees trust, need to get the story straight. If you don’t know what that limitation was, you don’t know the story behind the L-Series.

I'm assuming you hadn't been to the two plants during this time period nor talked to the employees on Merritt Island. Opened "Back Up" might have been interpreted by you as having been 100% shut down. I write it as including plants that had many fewer employees and were producing less and those that had encountered lay offs and shut downs over time. When you go from 50 employees working to 200, I call that opening back up. On Merritt Island with the two plants there and all that was done in that area, they were unable to get many of the better workers back and many others lacked trust that it would be long term. Now, some were as dedicated as they'd ever been. You can't jerk employees around time after time and get good results.

The problem OB is you have a habit of assuming too much and creating a fictional account of events. How in the world would you even venture to guess who I talk to, let alone my past and present colleagues at SR?

You don't understand the continuity of the SR Plants and the Plant workers. The fact that they kept many experienced tradesman throughout the last 10 - 12 years of during difficult times. The fact that the Merritt Island Plant and the Sykes Creek Plant had two separate staffs and work cultures, from Management to Production. They were not joined together at the hip and were not run that way. And why does that even come into this conversation?

Trying to pin L 650 issues on the execution of production line workers without knowing why certain issues were doomed from the start based on the limitations of the building in which they were produced? Where do you think they built the 650 Fly?

Typical wiring on a 650 L sea ray behind salon distribution panel. Pic speaks for itself

I blame it on management, not the production line worker.

I was in and out of the Sykes Creek plant a few times. One time I was there to pick up a 52' on a Saturday and the boat was supposed to be ready, and they had subcontractors trying to fix the stuff on their own internal list, boat stuff, electrical stuff, cabinetry stuff and delayed me over half a day. They had to call in Subs to fix their own employees build quality. LOL I wandered around the plant itself, it was jam packed inside and you could hardly walk in it..... it needed to be de-cluttered. But the workmanship was very average. There might have been good employees, but not good management of those employees. They laid off a lot of employees, then ones that stayed on had a bad taste in their mouth and didn't give it their best. Then the nail in the coffin is they sold one plant to Ocean Alexander, who then paid more and most good talent in the area went there.

Now that is the truth.

YUP. Searay announcing they weren't building yachts anymore made their yachts drop in value immediately.

I was on a L650 fly, loved the lay out and the boat. Also was on a L550 and L590. The L590 was more of a day boat lay out, went in to the engine room on both 550 &590, what a mess, full fill lines laying on top of water lines, vent hoses, it was a death trap in there trying to maneuver around. Changing engine oil and filters would be rough. I really like the 650 fly but walked away due to price, this was the week after Searay announced it was selling the yacht end.

I've run about a dozen L590's and agree with you on the engine room. Everything was haphazardly run, like Bertram used to do! The engines were so close together you couldn't stick the arm of a 10 year old boy between them.