450 Sea Ray Sundancer

Source: Chris Caswell, Sea Magazine

Sea Ray’s new, larger 450 benefits from 20 years of express cruiser experience

The American boating public is, to say the least, faddish. There have been times when they clearly preferred the flybridge convertible style — only to coquettishly change their collective minds in favor of the aft cabin motoryacht.

But the express cruiser has remained on a steady upward climb for a number of years, and one reason for its wide acceptance has been the Sea Ray Sundancer line.

The backbone of Sea Ray’s growth, the Sundancers are now the most popular line of boats over 24 feet in the U.S. For more than 20 years, they have helped to sell the merits of express cruisers, as well as make Sea Ray the world’s second largest boat builder.

Express cruisers are probably best described as runabouts on steroids, since the cockpit is usually the focal point on these boats. Their most popular feature is that they eliminate a lot of steps: steps up to a flybridge, steps down to an aft cabin and steps up to an aft deck.

They provide a spacious cockpit for entertaining and for actually running the boat, with comfortable accommodations at nearly the same level as the cockpit. While these boats are ideal for summer afternoons and dining alfresco, express cruisers can also button up cozily for rainy outings.

Sea Ray builds 10 different Sundancers from 23 to 63 feet — and the brand-new 450 Sundancer is yet another step in the express cruiser’s evolutionary chain. Intended as a replacement for the popular 440 Sundancer, the company took the opportunity to redesign the boat from top to bottom, including an entirely new hull, a rakish profile and better accommodations.

Testing the 450
The all-new hull for the 450 Sundancer has the same beam as the older (and 16 inch shorter) 440, but the forefoot is much more sharply sculpted and the chines, which now run all the way forward, are slightly reversed for some added lift. The propeller pockets not only protect the props and shafts from damage, they also allow a much flatter angle on the V-drives for more efficiency.

Sea Ray’s hull construction methods are time-tested, utilizing a foam core for added stiffness and hand-laid unidirectional cloth overlapped in the keel and the chine areas.

Our test boat had a pair of 375 hp Caterpillar 3208 TA diesel engines driving through Twin Disc V-drives — all of which were tucked under the cockpit sole, along with a 9 kw Kohler generator.

Access to the engines is very good, thanks to a large panel in the lower cockpit that rises on gas lifts to fully expose the big Cats.

Sea Ray has mastered the art of workmanlike mechanical installations — and the 450 provides good access to the shaft logs, rudder posts and seacocks. Electrical wiring and plumbing are neatly arranged and secured. A marine surveyor won’t find much to fault here, although some rough edges betray the production line genesis of the 450 Sundancer.

With a dry displacement of more than 11 tons and a beam of nearly 14 feet, this is no small craft. Yet during out sea trial, the radar gun notched up nearly 38 mph.

Unlike some boats that seem to lift horizontally, the 450 bow rises as you advance the throttles, until it drops onto a relatively flat plane. You can hear the whine of the turbos as they cut in.

Galloping along at 2,750 rpm gave us a cruising speed of over 32 knots — with fuel consumption of .67 mpg. That works out to more than a 250 mile range with a comfortable safety margin.

At speed, you’ll find the 450 has a leisurely turning circle — but at harbor speeds, the 450 is agile enough to maneuver into tight slips.

Comfort and Style
Step aboard the molded-in swim platform, then pass through the transom door and you’ll find a two-level cockpit stretching more than 20 feet forward. The lower level is for pure decadent lounging, with a sumptuously upholstered U-shaped settee facing aft.

I suspect that most buyers will add the optional (and easily removable) seat across the transom that turns the area into a nearly enclosed conversation area.

An optional table here is fine for outdoor meals — and a filler pad turns the area into a huge sun lounge. To port, a combination wet bar and snack counter can be upgraded by adding an ice-maker and/or refrigerator
The upper level is what aircraft designers would call the flight deck — and that’s not a bad description for the 450’s helm area.

The comfortable helm seat is what you might expect to find in an airplane cockpit, with padded armrests and plenty of bolsters to hold you in place. The adjacent bench seat will hold several guests.

The dash panel is equally impressive, with two tiers of bird’s-eye maple panels that hold an array of engine gauges on the upper level and provide flush-mounting for electronics on the lower level.

Between the two dashboards is a plexiglass panel that’s big enough to cover a chart book. There is even an angled cabinet to port of the dash that’s ideal for mounting an easily readable radar screen.

The tilt captain’s wheel, also burled wood, is similar to what you’d find in a Lamborghini. And the adjacent row of rocker switches is not only clearly marked, it is illuminated for night use.

A pair of sliding doors provides access to the cabin. Both doors tuck into pockets to save space and remain unobtrusive while boating.

Your first impression of the cabin is likely to be that there are no straight lines — and everything from the settee to the counters is gracefully curved.

The galley is just inside the companionway, making it handy to both the cockpit and the cabin. Its Kenyon three-burner electric cooktop has a seamanlike safety rail, and the molded fiberglass galley counter has a Marvel refrigerator/freezer hidden underneath.

A breakfast counter with a beverage cabinet underneath is located at the forward end of the galley. A pair of hideaway stools here provides seating for casual meals.

A NuTone blender is mounted in the counter, and a coffeemaker and microwave oven are mounted in the cabinetry — adjacent to a stylish jelly bean-shaped sink. While this isn’t a galley intended for living aboard, there is ample storage space for most weekend cruisers in three eye-level lockers and three countertop storage “hangars” behind roll-top doors.

Opposite the galley, a curved convertible settee and a slim table make an excellent spot for indoor dining. Nearby, an optional entertainment center holds both stereo and television components.

The head compartment is a fully molded insert, like most of the interior components, making it easy to clean. It includes a large shower stall with a seat, which is protected by a curved acrylic door and a transparent bulkhead. The Vacuflush head is located under a hinged seat, and even the sink is molded into the counter.

Forward, the 450’s master stateroom has an island queen-size berth and 6 feet, 3 inches of headroom. It includes ample storage under the berth, steps on each side to reach the berth level and a built-in vanity, to starboard.

A second guest cabin is located aft, under the raised helm level. This is truly a usable cabin.

Two sliding doors emerge from pockets to close off the entire area for privacy, and a U-shaped settee joins with a cocktail table to convert into a double berth. Even better, there’s an enclosed head compartment with an adjacent shower, so guests don’t have to leave their cabin.

Buyers of early Sea Ray Sundancers might be startled to see this immense new boat. But, on the other hand, today they may be looking for a 48-footer that combines speed, looks and a good blend of cockpit and cabin space.

That’s what they’ll find in the new 450 Sundancer.