480 Sea Ray Sedan Bridge

Source: John Shinnick, Sea Magazine

Sea Ray’s 480 Sedan Bridge entertains like a gracious host

Sea Ray’s 480 Sedan Bridge is a social beast — a luxurious three-cabin 48-footer that likes to let its hair down. This boat’s serious list of standard amenities will raise the “party time” signal flag at anchor or at the dock.

We tested the Sea Ray 480 Sedan Bridge out of Seattle, idling it through the cut from Lake Union onto Lake Washington. Lake Union Sea Ray provided our test boat, which was skippered by Bob Walker.

As we passed the harbor markers, the 480 hit 12 knots and came onto plane — a slippery hull for a 20 ton yacht with 15 degrees of deadrise. The boat came onto plane so quickly that I expected to find a much flatter deadrise — but the brochure assured me otherwise, so I assume the performance was due in part to light tankage.

We topped out easily at just over 28 knots on flat water, with the bow trimmed. The hydraulic steering was responsive, and at the waterline, the strakes did their job, flattening spray. In fact, our wake was modest for a boat of this size.

On the bridge, the noise level was suitably civilized, allowing us to carry on a conversation at speed. I doubt the boat’s new owners, Jim and Mary Smith, will waste much time getting from one dock to another.

No Small Fete
The party begins when you enter the aft deck across a large molded-in swim platform, through a transom gate. A pair of upholstered flip-up seats can be augmented with deck chairs when the sun is setting and fishing yarns are being spun over happy-hour cocktails. There is storage in the coaming for fenders, mooring lines and other nautical accoutrements.

From the aft deck, the party sweeps into the main saloon through a sliding Lucite door. Sea Ray’s high-concept interiors always feature perfect-fitting upholstery, tasteful overhead liners and stylish carpeting. The use of cherry wood in the interior seems to have become an industry standard, not only because clear-cut rain forest and southeast Asian forest fires have made teak much more difficult to order, but because indigenous North American woods create a nice, warm touch. To port, abaft the lower helm, a stylish wrap-around leather settee converts to a double with the flick of a switch.

In its yacht line, Sea Ray has extended the “sunbridge” concept that has made its smaller boats so successful, avoiding bulkheads where possible and keeping sightlines open to surrounding ocean vistas. Light enters the 480 not only through windows but also through the slanted windshield – creating a de facto skylight.

Opposite the settee are a television, a VCR and a six-disc CD stereo system – all housed in an entertainment center. Guests are surrounded in sound from six speakers.

The lower helm features a full instrumentation package and a chart drawer. It is stylish and comfortable, with the gauges arrayed for easy use, but I suspect it will only serve as a backup to the upper helm. Between the lower helm and the settee is a raised dinette (which converts to a double berth).

The galley, to starboard, is separated from the saloon by a breakfast bar. It is a compact affair with a concealed refrigerator/freezer, a three-burner cooktop (surrounded on three sides by stainless fiddles) and a convection/microwave oven.

Relax and Unwind
Sleeping accommodations are three steps down. A small guest stateroom to starboard has a single bunk, standing headroom, a cedar-lined hanging locker and drawers. It will probably serve best as a small office or library, a refuge for the owner if the party seems endless.

The guest cabin to port features a full-size berth, a bureau and a cedar-lined hanging locker with storage beneath the cabin sole.

The master stateroom in the bow features a queen-size pedestal berth with storage drawers underneath. A cedar-lined hanging locker, to starboard, is concealed behind a mirrored door, with a series of shelves behind a similar door to port.

The entertainment center has a built-in TV/VCR shelf behind a cherry wood door inset into the bulkhead. The master head — with a shower (behind a curved, sliding Lucite door) and a VacuFlush toilet — has storage for linens.

Then, once you’re through down below and ready for an ocean passage to distant islands or an offshore run in pursuit of tuna or other sportfishing action, the tournament bridge is going to make the experience fun. The helm is abaft a large U-shaped dinette with seating for six or eight of your closest friends. There’s a wet bar with sink, ice-maker and storage.

Front and Center
At the helm, two white, molded high-end vinyl seats offer the option of a fold-up cushion that converts the seats to bolster seats with no effort. I found steering at speed was comfortable leaning against the bolster, while I enjoyed sitting at slower speeds. The sports car-style tilt wheel lets the skipper adjust the helm to his needs with a few flicks.

The instrument panel at the upper helm shows where the priorities on this boat lie. It is more comprehensive than the lower helm and, in addition to the array of analog gauges, includes a monitor with red indicator lights to warn of impending problems in any compartment. Of course, there’s the usual accompaniment of rocker switches for anything you might want to turn on or off.

Hynautic shifters lie close at hand to port and throttle to starboard. Our test boat came with Raytheon electronics, including GPS, VHF and a Raytheon Raydata depthfinder/speedometer/log/water temperature display (featuring a large, easy-to-read image for those of us with Baby Boomer eyesight).

Our test boat included the optional hardtop (probably considered a standard feature by anyone who cruises in the Pacific Northwest). The fully canvassed enclosure — fit to Sea Ray’s always-high standard for canvas work — includes a hatch in the top to provide ventilation on sunny days.

I made two trips to the side decks to retrieve the “sausages” (as one of Walker’s colleagues called the fenders), and can attest to the sure-footed skid-resistant deck surface and the solid feel of the well-placed handrails.

Forward, an anchor locker conceals the reversible Lofrans rope/chain windlass, and a wash down allows you to rinse mud from the ground tackle. The 480’s foredeck is fortified with a welded stainless steel double-rail. The sunpad is recessed into the cabin top and includes drink holders. (You wouldn’t want your iced tea to slide merrily into the briny.)

Standard power is provided by twin 535 hp turbocharged, after cooled Detroit Diesels. The DDEC electronic engine control system option jumps the power to 606 hp, or you can opt for twin 640 hp Caterpillar 3196TAs. I found the standard power package more than adequate.

Standard shipboard systems are supported by a Westerbeke 10 kW auxiliary generator, reverse-cycle air conditioner/heating, 110/220v shore power, and shore-water connections. The engine room is protected by an automatic halon fire extinguisher system and a full complement of engine alarms.

Whether you plan to do lavish onboard entertaining, or just want a supremely comfortable cruising machine for two, the 480 Sedan Bridge is an ideal party partner.