525 Sea Ray Sundancer

Source: Boatpoint Magazine

Turnkey cruising meets tasteful luxury onboard Sea Ray’s greatest entertainer yet, the 52ft premier Sundancer yacht

It was mid-summer when we looked up from the jet ski at the imposing Sea Ray 525 Sundancer. A big crowd of bon vivants were pulling food and bootleg from the fridges in preparation for a long lunch in the sun. I recognised one of the culprits as the boat’s agent. “Just getting to know the product,” he quipped.

From that moment I was keen to get to know the Sundancer myself. And though no largesse was forthcoming, I’m convinced that this, the smallest model in the premier Yacht range, is the best Sea Ray I’ve set foot aboard.

The long-serving American boatbuilder has come a long way in five years, reinventing itself in the face of stiff competition from the luxury European motoryachts. There’s less American glitz, fewer bits of chrome and faux walnut joinery on this classy Sea Ray. The understated decor package even has a hint of Raffles or Twenties about it. And along with tasteful decor are sweet yacht lines, an overwhelmingly large outdoor entertaining space for doing the long lunch at anchor, and excellent integrated amenities on deck and down below.

Meanwhile, the accommodation plan includes two cabins and two heads – the perfect layout for escaping with another couple – and long-range fuel, water and holding tanks mean you cruise the coast. The hardtop with air-con offers complete climate control. A package with pizzazz, the 525 Sundancer won over its owner, a high-profile yachtie who wanted to spend more time with his growing family.

For the owners and many more like him, a flybridge boat wasn’t appealing – all those ladders and things – and sailboats were too much of handful for family boating. What he sought was a turnkey cruiser with a single-level helm and entertaining deck, says the agent, who begrudgingly sold the 525, his favourite Sea Ray too.

OUTDOOR EXCESSES
The Sea Ray 525 Sundancer is, in that bigger-than-Texas way, a huge boat with a 4.65m beam – that’s wider than a Princess V58. The footprint of the cockpit is traced by lounges and a built-in amenities centre to port, with the helm on a short bridgedeck or raised platform where you still get plenty of headroom under the hardtop, alongside a clever convertible co-pilot lounge.

The co-pilot lounge swivels from a forward-facing position to a longitudinal position to serve as either a travelling seat or part of the boat’s static seating. A fixed lounge traces the transom along the starboard side almost to the helm seat. Together with the co-pilot lounge, the boat can collectively seat a cricket team – no, make that a dozen – with at least half the crowd shaded under the moulded hardtop.

Clear curtains, an electric windscreen vent, opening hatches and air-con provide complete climate control and the ability to demist a windscreen after waking on those early winter mornings. With some reverse-sheer in the foredeck and plenty of clear glass, you are ensured terrific vision. You can see the road while seated at the helm at all speeds.

Access around the 525 Sundancer is excellent, with moulded steps behind the hardtop leading to the side decks, which are traced by toe-, bow- and handrails. An intermediate wire provides added security when journeying to the bow where there was an (optional) sunpad for two, a windlass and fresh and raw-water deck/anchor washes.

Back aft, the boat had the optional and much-loved submersible boarding platform for quick dispatch of the tender and to create a kiddies’ pool while at anchor. Moulded steps at the portside of the transom range past a lock-up garage and nearby handheld H/C shower to the transom door. Little details, such as the way this door hinges back to sit flush with the moulded cockpit sides, reflect a lot of thought.

The entire portside of the cockpit contains an integrated moulded unit with the boat’s daytime amenities: cockpit fridge and icemaker, sink and food-prep space. There is the option of a griddle, but in this case an aftermarket barbecue was mounted back near the boarding platform. The loose moulded lunch table was a welcome addition, but for its drinkholder insert that rattled annoyingly.

A concealed garbage bin and clip-out carpet will assist with post-party tidy-ups. I noted stainless-steel gas struts on all the hatches and plumbing around the cockpit sole. The boat comes with a powerful sound system with sub-woofer so you can party up top, plus a veritable boat theatre down below. More on it later.

ENGINEERING
Cummins are well-supported in terms of service and spares in Australia. The twin QSM11 660hp diesel inboards on this boat were fitted with vee drives to maximise the saloon volume and reduce the footprint of the engine room. As with all big Sea Rays, the 525 Sundancer had tunnels to reduce its (2.5in) shaft angles and improve performance. The hull itself carries 19 degrees of deadrise at the transom, a typically deep-vee found in most Sea Rays.

A hatch in the cockpit and ladder lead into the engine room and adjoining engineering space with a forward waterproof bulkhead. I scuttled around all sides of the motors, checked the sea strainers and fuel filters, which have redundant filters alongside, and observed the dipsticks on the centreline.

The 2119lt of fuel is forward of the motors in a transverse aluminium tank. With 567lt of water and huge 257lt holding tank you can entertain for days and nights before needing a refill and pumpout. I also noted a charcoal filter on the drinking water supply and a Cablemaster for push-button storage of the Shorepower lead.

The engine room housed a 11kVA Onan generator, Seastar power steering, oil-change kit, huge exhaust pong boxes – give me space-saving underwater exhausts any day – and the main DC breaker panel. The shower sump pump was accessible here, too. The supplied storage containers holding spare coolant, engine and transmission oils were nice touches.

BIG ENTERTAINER
“Come down to my home theatre,” said the boat’s agent to the (gad)fly. So I did. And right on cue, he pressed the remote and the saloon boomed into action with a thousand rounds of buckshot and cannon balls cutting through the timber decks of the square-rigger in the most gripping scene from Master and Commander.

In the rearmost section of the saloon is a neat entertaining area in the form of an L-shaped lounge covered in soft, tortured-brown Ultraleather material that converts to a double bed. The boat theatre system facing the lounge includes a 65cm Sharp LCD digital television with crisp free-to-air reception. Fitted with a Bose Lifestyle 45 system with subwoofer by your feet, the cinema sound is overwhelming.

Similarly impressive were the MP3 or iPod connections here and in the cockpit that let you play your entire music collection through the indoor and outdoor sound systems, to say nothing of the second Bose Lifestyle 35 system and separate LCD television in the master cabin in the bow: arc that up in those confines and you’ll blow your brains.

The American cherry joinery with satin finish, hidden locker catches, and brushed stainless-steel fittings were infinitely less ostentatious that the old in-your-face chrome. Even the wetbar to port as you enter the saloon was less of a feature – in the old Sea Ray the Perspex bottle-and-glass holders would be highlighted with strip-lighting.

Instead, the emphasis is on the furniture, such as the burl-topped loose drinks table near the lounge that had two occasional stools. The boat also has timber blinds, restrained use of mirrors, a subtle ceiling feature, plush carpets, and a granite floor in the galley – don’t drop the tomato sauce bottle whatever you do. The washer/dryer was tucked under the saloon steps.

The single-level open saloon ranges forward to the starboard galley. There were no fiddle rails on the counters, but the abundant storage space for victuals, crockery and cutlery in overhead lockers and under-counter cupboards will be welcomed. Underfloor is access to the plumbing taps so you can isolate a leak, as well as a cavernous hold where you can store anything from golf clubs to long-range provisions.

A big stainless-steel grabrail will help you to ride out passing boat wake, while I noted plenty of 240V outlets to run appliances including the aftermarket cappuccino machine. Amenities include a deep stainless sink with rinser on the faucet, a microwave oven, two-burner stove, separate two-basket freezer, and three-tray fridge. The galley has a concealed garbage bin, opening portholes with insect screens, an extractor fan and ducted vacuuming.

HUNKERING DOWN
I’m a big fan of the twin cabin and twin head layout, since guests are assured total privacy aboard. The second cabin virtually alongside the galley has bunks, but they aren’t coffin-like. The lower bunk is a 3/4 double in which a couple could sleep contentedly and the upper bunk isn’t much smaller. Guests had their own LCD television, hanging locker, tasteful gold-and-black check bedspreads, and door leading to the ensuite/dayhead.

More bathroom than boat head, it has a small step to keep the water off the carpet and a really nice spread of comforts from a big shower stall to a stainless-steel sink with Grohe mixer. Ventilation comes by way of an opening porthole in the shower stall and a 12V extractor fan near the Vacuflush head. Brushed stainless-steel powerpoints were a dealer touch. The tiled floor is real with bona fide grout: that’s different for a boat.

While the owner’s ensuite mirrors the guest head, the master suite is graced with the boat’s premier accommodation – an island double bed with a classy gold bedspread flanked by rattan-type feature panels. The twin hanging lockers are cedar-lined and the mirror is nearly full-length, with drawers, side lockers and trick reading lights. Owners get their own LCD television linked to a second Bose Lifestyle System and a privacy screen on the deck hatch.

As mentioned, the 525 Sundancer has reverse sheer in its foredeck, however, there’s at least 1.85m of headroom even at the foot of the bed. In fact, wherever you look this boat offers a surfeit of space, seats and accommodation in typical American boating fashion. It strikes a great balance between indoor and outdoor living areas yet, despite its volume, it travels beautifully.

CRUISING BEAUTY
At the helm I found separate gearshifts and throttles, which is a popular American fitout. While I’m accustomed to single controls, it wasn’t hard to get a feel for things. At least with separate gearshifts and throttle the newbie is less likely to lurch off at speed and clobber another boat when they get nervous with parking. You dock at idle speed using the gearshifts and 24V bowthruster.

SmartCraft electronic gauges relay all the engine functions and fuel data electronically, supported by analogue gauges, and a huge switch panel off to the side with push-button engine synchro, preset cruise 1 and 2 settings, slow idle and push-button rpm. The wipers have washers, there’s a big spread of lights (but no boat light and pump diagram), and the controls for the 24V boarding platform and windlass. The boat has a remote for the Cablemaster and boarding platform.

The Raymarine electronics package included a C120 screen and ST8001 pilot, and I found a Clarion remote, spotlight control, tilt wheel and height and fore-and-aft adjustable helm chair. Best of all, the controls are all operable within earshot of your guests. Cruise and muse together.

With the Master AC-DC panels down below, including the key ignitions, this is a keyless dash. The bowthruster made for an easy exit whereupon the 525 Sundancer jumped to planing speeds like a sportscruiser. However, a dirty hull and props (marine growth has exploded in Sydney Harbour) prevented us reaching the expected 30-plus knots. Top speed during the test was 28.1kt at 2200rpm (not 2300rpm) and fuel consumption was up to 172lt/h at 21.4kt and 1850rpm.

However, Sea Ray promises 29.5–32.15kt with the twin Cummins 660hp QSM11 motors with vee drives and fuel consumption of 90lt/h per side at 2100rpm. If this was my boat I’d put a diver down for a prop and rudder clean ASAP. Yet, even as it was, the 525 Sundancer ranked as the best Sea Ray I’ve been aboard. The boat is a party animal decked out for entertaining and long days and night of fun. At $1.35 million it’s competitively priced compared with the Euro boats and in terms of style, finish and layout it owes them nothing. Little wonder the agent wanted to get to know the product.

HIGHS

• Great entertaining decks with plenty of seats
• Submersible boarding platform for quick dispatch of the tender
• Terrific hardtop for all-weather yachting
• Punchy acceleration and great helm views
• Big interior with boat theatre
• Comfortable accommodation for two couples and two heads for added privacy
• Classy interior with less glitz
• Appropriately priced

LOWS

• Insert in cockpit table rattled
• Cockpit griddle or barbie should be standard
• Non-existent access to the hardtop and a lack of non-skid pattern there will make cleaning the big moulded lid difficult
• Oversized wet exhausts
• No pump and light diagram on the dash
• Mind the glasses on the granite galley floor
• No convection oven and a budget microwave

Boat Specifications:

SEA RAY 525 SUNDANCER

OPTIONS FITTED Bowthruster, SmartCraft, coloured hull, cockpit fridge, Bose Lifestyle 35 system, foredeck sunpad, hydraulic swim platform, cockpit table, LCD TV/DVD in guest cabin, central vacuum system, washer/dryer and more

GENERAL

Material: GRP hull with cored decks

Type: Monohull

Length Overall: 16.69m w/platform

Beam: 4.65m

Draft: About 1.27m

Deadrise: 19º

Weight: 17,463kg dry w/std motors

CAPACITIES

Fuel: 2119lt

Water: 567lt

Holding Tank: 257lt

Berths: 5+2

ENGINE

Make/Model: Cummins QSM11

Type: Six-cylinder fully-electronic turbocharged injected diesel engine

Rated hp: 660bhp @ 2300rpm max

Displacement: 10.8lt

Weight: 1188kg

Gearboxes (Make/ratio): ZF Vee-drive

Props: Nibral four-blade bronze