60 Sea Ray Sundancer

Source: David Lockwood, Boatpoint Magazine

Set to give the Europeans a run for their money, Sea Ray has built its best Sundancer yet, writes David Lockwood

As featured in the 2008 edition of trade-a-boat’s ‘Big Boat Collection’

Standard-issue hardtop with electric sunroof? Check, but make that two sunroofs. Submersible boarding platform? Of course. Bow and stern thrusters? A given. High-tech diesel motors? You bet – twin 1100hp MANs, in fact, but with vee-drives rather than the conventional shaftdrives. The dashing new Sea Ray 60 Sundancer even has a full-width owner’s stateroom with deep portholes… this has to be the best Sundancer yet.

With the 68 Sun Sport deleted from the Sea Ray range, the new 60 is now the flagship of the big American boatbuilder’s luxurious line-up. But, moreover, this all-new, designed-from-the-keel-up boat takes Sea Ray in a new direction. While ticking all the boxes relevant to a $2.5-million plus (sport) yacht – and then some – the 60 tones down the American styling and is, arguably, Sea Ray’s first truly international luxury yacht.

The 60 Sundancer is now bona fide competition for the hot-selling Euro boats in the big-brass league, such as the Sunseekers, Princess, et al. But more than just a show pony, the 60 Sundancer still honours Sea Ray’s reputation for building smooth-running boats. This is something I can attest to, having taken the boat out for more than a token run.

From my experience, boats like this work on many levels, from corporate entertainer to family home and moveable holiday house. So, as well sashaying along Port Hacking and testing the lounges during a Sea Ray Rendezvous, I ventured east and along the Pacific Ocean. After all, boats like this one tend to head away for summer holidays and north for the winter. As such, seaworthiness, self-sufficiency and offshore engineering need to count for as much as the wow factor and wine fridge.

OPTIONED TO THE HILT
While still very much a manageable owner-driver boat, the Sundancer 60 is the kind of craft that you might run with a professional skipper for those boozy corporate cruises and long delivery runs between ports of call (not to mention the maintenance and keeping the boat clean). For this reason – and to placate the kids – the demo boat was fitted with optional aft crew quarters. In my view, it’s $50,000 well spent.

Accessed through a hatch in the transom, the self-contained aft cabin features an adult-length single bed, Vacuflush head, good storage space, LCD TV/DVD and stereo, and air-conditioning. With the hatch open you could cast a line from your bunk. When not catering for crew, as this boat will on the European market, kids will be fighting each other to sleep back here.

As for self-sufficiency, the 60 Sundancer imported here had an optional desalinator, so you can gad about the Whitsundays for weeks on end. Fuel capacity is a decent 3400lt, the 265lt holding tank will cater for a party, while optional underwater lights will attract the fish at night and help docking in the dark. There were optional aft capstans to retrieve the mooring lines and more eye candy by way of a stainless steel anchor.

The importer, Andrew Short Marine, chose a tasteful interior upgrade that included the listed Mandalay cream interior decor package, buckskin Ultraleather upholstery and high-gloss light cherrywood joinery. No dark sombre teak as per the usual American boats.

On deck, meanwhile, were an optional cockpit table and teak chairs. But, cleverly, no teak deck, so you can party hard with or without the clip-out carpet and not worry about the spills and clean-up. Teak flooring provided a sense of class underfoot in the upper saloon.

Adding further to the lux factor were the optional wine cooler (loaded with French fizz) in the upper saloon, Foxtel for 24/7 sport, and a filtered water system for when you’re in dock on town water. Add a standard Raymarine electronics package including a E120 GPS chartplotter/radar, depthsounder and autopilot, and you can head away at the push of a button.

You might want to strap a tender on the submersible boarding platform, which can carry a jet-powered RIB or a jetski, while Euro boaters might jump on the optional passerelle. The 65cm HD LCD television was concealed in a cabinet in the upper saloon. A Bose Lifestyle 45 with three separate systems and remotes, and the crockery and cutlery, mooring lines, fenders and so on are all supplied. It’s very much a turn-key luxury yacht, as per the American way of boatbuilding.

NUTS AND BOLTS
The Sea Ray 60 has a pretty sharp 17 degrees of deadrise for a boat or yacht of this ilk. Construction is all solid GRP on the running surface, reinforced with a fibreglass grid stringer system, and the boat has underwater exhausts, decent 2.5-inch shafts, and four-blade bronze props.

The all-in-one engine and utility room had fan-forced ventilation, with the intakes well away from water level, and good access around the relatively compact twin MAN V10 1100hp motors. The Racor fuel filters with a redundant filter per motor were easily seen on the forward bulkhead and the sea strainers were obvious aft, where the 21.5kVA Onan generator was located.

The Sundancer 60 comes with an oil-change system, the dipsticks being on the centreline, with the optional desalinator to starboard. While cutting edge, the AC/DC system was very user friendly, with a simple and logical control panel indoors. A 2500W invertor is supplied, so you can run the fridges and AC at night without pesky generator noise. All in all, there were no surprises with what I consider industry-standard and time-proven big-badge engineering.

THE GREAT ENTERTAINER
What American boatbuilders do best is cater for human factors, designing their boats around b-i-g crash test dummies, and providing loads of, especially in the case of a (sport) yacht, single-level living space. The Sundancer 60 is a perfect example of this, with commodious indoor and outdoor entertaining areas that meld as one, and a simple lower level with the accommodation and a very impressive galley.

Outdoors, twin moulded stairwells lead from the extended hydraulic boarding platform into the cockpit, which has a built-in aft lounge for four, an optional teak table and loose teak chairs for a six-person lunch setting, but room without them for a dozen sun dancers to tap the decks.

The all-important amenities include an icemaker and, at the behest of the Australian importer, the optional electric griddle or barbecue. The wine fridge just a few paces back indoors, behind the wonderful sliding glass saloon doors that provide all-weather cruising and protection, houses the refreshments.

Sensibly, the Sundancer 60 has walkaround decks with semi bulwarks, plenty of grabrails, and a long bowrail featuring thick designer stanchions and non-skid decks. Reaching the foredeck is therefore a snap; which is just as well, as there are three smart sunlounges with solid stainless steel frames and fold-up backrests and drinkholders there – the perfect setting for doing sundowners, working on your tan, or leaving the recalcitrant teenagers.

Needless to say, the boat had a freshwater wash on the bow and a spotlight. It also has a sexy look derived from the radar domes on the sporty hardtop. The armour-plate glass windscreen has wipers and, importantly, a demister system. And once you spend time in the upper saloon you soon realise cruising the coast or cruising for views with friends is among the Sundancer 60’s best attributes.

SEARAY SUNROOM
They call the upper saloon a sunroom and, well, why not? With twin sunroofs, on terrifically fast actuators and loads of surround glass, the upper saloon will often be sun drenched. But it’s not a stuffy glasshouse, thanks to natural ventilation through the sunroofs, aft roller door (which has lockable intermediate positions), push-button windscreen vent, and the reverse-cycle air-con.

An impressive array of built-in furniture makes the most of the views, while ensuring unfettered access through the sunroom. There are two comfortable armchairs to port flanking the 65cm television, which rises from a cabinet, a moveable teak occasional table, and a three-seater lounge before a timber dinette to starboard.

There are custom decor options. The demo boat had an upmarket executive feel derived, in part, from the natural buckskin-looking upholstery, teak flooring and light cherrywood timber joinery. The twin sunroofs, sink and wine fridge, big windows, multi-speed wipers, and air-con units add to the functionality.

The twin Stidd helm chairs, with a single skipper’s seat and separate double alongside for the navigator and co-pilot, swivel to boost the sunroom seating. Altogether you can have six to eight seated, doing lunch indoors or just hanging out. And it’s in this role, as an entertainer, that the sports yachts are so appealing.

BIG-HEARTED INTERIOR
Descend into the lower deck and you’ll be greeted by a foyer/saloon flanked by superyacht-esque, deep, stainless steel-framed portlights. The sense of volume on this level comes courtesy of not only an accommodating hull design but the space-saving vee-drives.

There’s an accommodating portside wraparound lounge for six before an occasional table that converts to a drinks table. Opposite is a second 80cm HDI television and Bose Lifestyle system and, up a step, the galley.

U-shaped, surrounded by big Corian serveries, and with views out the portlights, this is Sea Ray’s best galley yet. Bound to please serious gourmands and caterers, it includes a separate Sub Zero drawer-type fridge and freezer, a three-burner cooktop with fiddle or potholder, microwave oven, huge circular sink, lit bottle locker, and abundant storage room for victuals in a giant subfloor hold. There is scope for fitting additional refrigeration and extractor fans. Those who spend time aboard will appreciate these things.

The accommodation ranges from the owner’s stateroom aft with an ensuite to the guest’s accommodation forward with a communal head. Thus, with beds at both ends of the boat, privacy is assured when you head away with family or friends.

The third cabin forward, on the starboard side, has twin adult-length bunks topped with classy, gold bedspreads, a separate television and DVD player, and a generous hanging locker.

VIP guests get what looks like a king-size island bed in the bow flanked by his and hers hanging lockers, four portlights, and various drawers and cupboard space. The ensuite, which doubles as the dayhead, is typically Sea Ray (read big) and well appointed with a Vacuflush loo, Corian counter, tiled floor, and a huge shower. The boat has a central vac system, too.

But $2.5 million boats are all about appeasing owners and the Sea Ray 60 Sundancer mollycoddles with its full-width stateroom away from the water play on the chines, where generator noise is barely discernible, with views out the portlights that you can enjoy while sitting up in bed.

There was an optional fridge and television at the foot of the king-size bed, with a two-seater lounge to port, and a makeup table or office space opposite. The sideboard has oodles of drawers and there are two hanging lockers for the Sunday best.

The ensuite is raised to starboard and has a separate, built-in shower stall and a portlight, providing more water views. From bow to stern, the boat has an obliging layout. But what impressed me just as much was the elegant finish and willingness by Sea Ray to drop the American approach and take on the Europeans at their own game.

SEAWARD IN THE SEA RAY
Raymarine electronics with video input for television and closed-circuit television are included. This boat had a camera in the galley, but one at the boarding platform and another in the engine room would be better.

The MANs have electronic shifts with synchro and go-slow mode. There are bow and stern thrusters as standard, and a spotlight control and switch panel for things like the handy windshield vent, as well as the demister and sunroofs. The MAN engine-monitoring panels and fuel gauge were overhead.

Popular in America, the 1100hp V10 MANs are smooth, smokefree and definitely perky. Their eagerness, coupled with the big four-blade props, gave a 6kt champagne cruise at 600rpm for about 10lt/h.

The boat was up and running at 16.8kts and 1560rpm, but the turbos kicked in and the motors felt a lot better at 1860rpm for a long-range cruise of 22.6kts, consuming 235lt/h.

At 1890rpm, I noted similar consumption figures; that is 235lt/h for a 25kt cruise speed. Maybe this was a result of tide or perhaps the motors and hull were working more efficiently. Whatever, the cruising range is more than 320 nautical miles leaving 10 per cent in reserve That’s a good range.

Fast cruising was clocked anywhere from 26 to 27kts at 2010rpm to 31.8kts at 2190rpm, where the MANs consume 320lt/h for a range of 305 nautical miles. As with a lot of modern diesel engines, you don’t pay too dearly for running fast between ports.

Top speed was 34.5kts, with the dealer saying he has clocked 36.4kts before.

But it was the comfort factor, the indoor/outdoor living spaces, the onboard amenities and that owner’s stateroom that make this a special boat. A big ticket? Cheque – you’ll need to write one for more than $2.5 million. But the Sundancer 60 represents a lot of clever thinking and is a truly global boat. It’s Sea Ray’s smartest Sundancer by a long shot.

HIGHS

• Intelligent design with great attention to human factors
• Fantastic indoor/outdoor living areas
• All the mod cons, must-have accoutrements and a brilliant spread of amenities
• A great entertainer and social cruising boat
• Better finish and engineering than we’ve seen from Sea Ray before
• Strong local representation and backing, and a growing presence in Australia
• Excellent tankage for long-range cruising and self-sufficiency aboard
• A nice, sporty ride with responsive MAN 1100hp V10s

LOWS

• Generator outlet above waterline in hull side would be neater and cleaner exiting the transom
• Hull isn’t as dynamic as those designed by some competing European performance yacht designers
• At this level, badge isn’t as prestigious as its main Euro rivals
• No motor options
• Maybe it was just a pre-delivery thing, but the dinette seemed a bit wobbly

Boat Specifications: 60 Sea Ray Sundancer

SEA RAY 60 SUNDANCER

Options fitted: Desalinator, filtered water, optional crew cabin, Foxtel, underwater lights, Raymarine electronics package, cockpit grill and table, custom fabric upgrade, wine chiller in sunroom, fridge in stateroom, transom capstans, stainless steel anchor, and more

GENERAL

Material: GRP fibreglass with foam-cored decks and GRP stringers

Type: Moderate-to-deep vee planing hull

Length overall: 18.75m inc. platform

Beam: 5.11m

Draft: 1.45m

Deadrise: 17 degrees

Weight: Approx 27,307kg dry

CAPACITIES

Berths: 6+1

Fuel capacity: 3406lt

Water capacity: 757lt plus desalinator

Holding tank: 265lt

ENGINE

Make/model: T-MAN V10-1100 CR

Type: 90-degree V10 diesel electronic engine w/ twin turbocharging and aftercooling

Rated HP: 1100hp at 2300rpm

Displacement: 18.27lt

Weight: Approx 1750kg

Gearboxes (make/ratio): Vee-drives

Props: Four-blade bronze