Bayliner 3270 / 3218 / 3288 Motor Yacht
Built 1981–1995 by Bayliner Marine
About the Bayliner 3270 / 3218 / 3288 Motor Yacht
Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.
- Built
- 1981–1995
- Builder
- Bayliner Marine
- Length
- 32.08 ft
- Waterline
- 28.83 ft
- Beam
- 11.5 ft
- Draft
- 2.92 ft
- Displacement
- 12,500 lb
- Hull / keel
- planing
- Propulsion
- inboard
- Fuel
- 200 gal
- Water
- 65 gal
- Holding
- 23 gal
- Stern thruster
- none
- Steering
- hydraulic · Teleflex Hynautic
Sources disagree on engines[gas].model — left blank rather than guessed.
Called 3270 Explorer (1981-84), 3270 Motor Yacht (1985-87), 3218 (1988) and 3288 (1989-95); same hull throughout. Prop pockets avoid V-drives; engines sit under the cockpit and the engine space is tight. HMY says over 3,000 were reportedly sold. Transom door standard from 1992.
Known problems for this model
-
Starboard aluminum fuel tank leaks fuel
The two 100-gal aluminum tanks sit in the engine room; the starboard tank is known to corrode and leak at its lower corner where condensation collects and hold-down fasteners create a dissimilar-metal problem. Inspect behind the tank holders.bayliner32xx.com
-
Soft flybridge floor and decks deck
Water intrusion rots the cored flybridge sole and exterior decks; check with a moisture meter and sound for soft spots, including the aft-cabin floor near the engine room bulkhead.bayliner32xx.com
-
Stringer and transom rot hull
Past water in the engine room can lead to rotted stringers and transom core; moisture-test them during survey.bayliner32xx.com
-
Leaking aluminum window frames interior
The aluminum-framed windows commonly leak and cause interior water damage.bayliner32xx.com
-
Manifolds and risers exhaust
Exhaust manifolds and risers are a standard inspection item, particularly on the gas-engine boats; Hino diesels should reach about 3000 rpm and run under 200F at high rpm.bayliner32xx.com
1 more
-
Rolling and following-sea handling hull
The rounded chine and prop-pocket hull roll at anchor and wander in a following sea; some owners add bolt-on chine extensions (underhulls) or hull extensions.bayliner32xx.com
Steering
Teleflex / SeaStar (Dometic) — SeaStar hydraulic steering (helms and cylinders) parts: good
Current product line sold by Dometic; helms, cylinders, complete kits and seal kits (e.g., HS5157 front-mount cylinder seal kit) are widely stocked by West Marine, Seatech and others. SeaStar also supplies the replacement parts for discontinued Hynautic and Capilano components.
Parts sources: Dometic (SeaStar hydraulic steering), West Marine, Seatech Marine Products
Common problems (2)
-
Leaking helm or cylinder seals steering
Weeping at the helm shaft or cylinder seal glands is the most common complaint; seal kits restore them.seaknights.com · westmarine.com
-
Air in the system / spongy steering steering
Spongy or wandering steering usually means a leak has let air in; owners bleed the system (often with a long-hose method) after fixing the leak.greatgrady.com · facebook.com
Teleflex / Morse (SeaStar Solutions) — Mechanical rotary/rack cable steering incl. NFB (no-feedback) helms parts: good
Mechanical helms and SSC-series steering cables, including NFB 4.2 rotary kits and Safe-T helms, remain in production and are sold by Jamestown Distributors, Marine Parts Source and most chandleries.
Parts sources: Jamestown Distributors (Teleflex NFB), Marine Parts Source
Common problems (2)
-
Stiff or seized steering cable steering
Corrosion inside the outboard tilt tube or the cable itself makes steering stiff or locks it; the usual cure is cleaning the tilt tube and replacing the cable, often together with the helm.noreast.com · facebook.com
-
Torque feedback at the wheel steering
Older helms transmit engine torque to the wheel; NFB helms with a clutch mechanism are the common upgrade.jamestowndistributors.com · marinepartssource.com
Model sources (4)
bayliner32xx.com · bayliner32xx.com · hmy.com · baylinerownersclub.org
Other Bayliner models
- Bayliner 2855 Ciera Sunbridge 1994–1999
- Bayliner 3870 / 3888 Motor Yacht 1983–1994
- Bayliner 3988 Motor Yacht 1995–2002
- Bayliner 4550 / 4588 Pilothouse Motor Yacht 1984–1993
- Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse Motor Yacht 1994–2002
Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.