Rubble33

So we went and looked at the 290CR on Sunday. It was shrink-wrapped and the owner had a zipper door installed so we could get in. The only problem is neither of us had a ladder with us to get up to the swim platform. After a few minutes of looking around the marina for something we decided to back our SUV up and use the bumper to step up. It is very hard to focus on and take a critical look at a boat when it is sitting outside in a Minnesota winter and has no power to turn lights on. We probably spent about 15 minutes looking around the boat to get a feel for space and to see what ammenities it had. We really liked the boat. The owner had a lot of upgrades including two t.v's (one was a 22 inch), gps/radar, new bottom paint etc. The two biggest draw backs for us at this point are the cockpit seats seam to be harder and more upright than what we are used to and there was no screen door to the cabin. While the seating issue is not a deal breaker, the screen door may be. Living in MN where we only get 5 maybe 6 months of a boating season you want to take advantage of much of it as you can. With our unofficial state bird being the mosquito, a screen door to the cabin is very important. Does anyone know if Monterey had a screen door as an option for the 290 CR in 2007? Anyway, the discussion at home continues. I am hoping we can figure out if this boat is the one soon. I will keep you posted. Thanks again for your response. Jim

Thanks for the replys. We are going to take a first look at it on Sunday to get a sense of space and general condition. Since we are in MN, it is sitting on the hard and is shrink wraped. We will be able to get inside and look around but won't be able to have the engines started until spring. I will keep you all posted on what we think. Jim

The information below is from BoatTEST.com. Jim Top speed for the Monterey 302 Cruiser is 47.0 mph (75.6 kph), burning 39.0 gallons per hour (gph) or 147.62 liters per hour (lph). Best cruise for the Monterey 302 Cruiser is 28.5 mph (45.9 kph), and the boat gets 1.80 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.77 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 243 miles (391.07 kilometers). Tested power is 2 x 260-hp MerCruiser 5.7L EFI.

Hello all. We are considering buying a used 2007 290CR with approximately 115 hours. Monterey is not well known in Minnesota from what I can tell and I really do not know much about the brand other than what I have read on their website. We have owned 3 Chaparrals and are looking at Chaps, Cruisers Yachts, Formulas and of course Montereys. How would you compare Monterey to the other brands we are looking at for quality, ride etc. How was their build quality in 2007 and do they have good customer service (if needed)? It would also be great if there are other 290CR owners out there that would let me know what they like and don't like about their 290CR. I would imagine you can pull tubes, but skiing might be a bit much with the wake and ability of the boat to get them out of the water. My last question would be the power of the boat. It has Volvo 5.7 GI DP for power. Will this be enough power to "get up and go" when needed? Thanks in advance for your comments. Jim