10 innovations on the new 2018 Sea Ray boats

Manatees mooch about the shoreline, as groves of palm trees wave from the manicured gardens above. Then dolphins dance off the bow just beyond the dock. A few hundred metres further on, passing the hurricane-proof resort where I’m staying, we enter Redfish Pass.

Fishing guides in centre consoles help charterers pitch baits into the breakwall. Baitfish flicker nervously on the surface, as black pelicans scoop up their dinner. Then an angler hooks up.

Across the passage, a white-sand island beckons with holiday mansions befitting a Hollywood hillside. Once through the channel, we enter the Gulf of Mexico.

The wind is barely exhaling, the sea is steely calm, but there’s a buzz on the water as the latest 2018-model Sea Ray boats from 23-65ft in length dash about flaunting fine nautical style, design smarts and ever-more amenities.

Welcome to Yacht Expo 2018 at Captiva Island in Florida. This signature sales and media event is where Sea Ray and Boston Whaler release their new models for hands-on evaluation.

While it’s a long way to hook a ride for us, the annual Yacht Expo marks the end of an even longer journey for prospective boat buyers.

It’s at Yacht Expo that many would-be owners get their first shot behind the wheel. As each sale is consummated, on the final party night with live music, fireworks, champagne and stalls from engine makers to sunshade and accessory brands, a big brass bell rings out.

The bell tolls often for Sea Ray this year, as its new boats, sporting more cutting-edge equipment to make boating easier than ever before, are in great demand.

In the cold light of the following day, our media event begins. There’s a lot new from Sea Ray in 2018. From smallest boat on show, the SPX 230 in sterndrive and outboard, to the L Class 55-65ft yachts, Sea Ray has the pleasure-boat market covered.

We will drill down on the specific new models and rides in a supporting article from this Yacht Expo 2018 trip.

Meantime, here are 10 things we love about the new 2018 Sea Ray models, which have a big synergy with Mercury outboards and sterndrives — same Brunswick parent company for now. Many of the new 2018 model Sea Rays are now arriving Down Under bedecked with these cool features.

Australians love their outboards, but we’ve been a little slower adopting them on our dayboats, at least to the same degree of the Americans. Many local buyers still like the clean transom of a sterndrive, especially where the boat is dry stacked or on a floating dock. Fair enough. We get that. But Sea Ray has some super smart designers pulling off some neat tricks with its big new outboard-powered boats. At Yacht Expo, outboard power was more prominent than sterndrive. It is a global trend you can;t buck and it will take hold in a bigger way Down Under.

Reversing outboard and sterndrive boats has never been fun. But the Joystick Piloting System from Mercury on Sea Ray's new multi-outboard and twin-sterndrive boats makes docking a snap. Everyone’s using the joysticks, even long-time pro drivers squeezing back into the marina and crabbing their demo boats sideways into tight slips. Joysticks are responsible for a lot of new boat sales, often thanks to a wife who can now take the helm with confidence and be more involved in the boating process. And joystick with shaft has also been a winner for Sea Ray with its bigger boats.
This automatic trim system offered by Mercury optimises your engine drive angles for ideal hole shot, mid-speed cruising and top end. You don’t need to worry about the ‘black art’ of trimming any more and can just throttle up and steer. For sterndrive boats, where you can’t get a visual on the leg position, Active Trim makes a lot of sense. It's great on outboard boats, too. Even experienced drivers soon get used to the increased automation and, at about $1k locally, this is an option that makes sense.

On the twin- and triple-outboard Sea Rays like the Sundancer 320 up to the SLX 400, there’s been a clever re-imagining of the transom using swing-away rear lounge backrests. On the SLX 400, which has a fold down hull panel, you can change the orientation to the (starboard) side of the boat. This way, the outboards don’t impede your waterfront access. On the new 2018 SDX 250 Outboard bowrider, which is heading Down Under in March, there’s a clever sliding transom seat that creates a massive flat deck area around the outboard. For a 25 footer, you end up with more useable rear floor space at the transom than many 35 footers. At the other end of the spectrum, the new 520 Fly has one of the wildest convertible cockpits we’ve ever seen — the sliding seats and a submersible platform with stairs creates a stadium that steps down into the sea awaiting serious family play time. With big swim platforms and greater integration, cockpits are stepping out of their traditional footprints.

Sea Ray has some cracker dayboats for 2018 with more amenities than before. You get convertible seating that creates daybeds and lounges, plenty of fridges and eskies, grills and sinks, hardtops with retractable Sureshade awnings, upgraded bow seating areas with shade forward options, premium sound systems, trick night lighting, and roomy step-down toilet areas. Together, the stage is set for long hot summer days with the family and serious entertaining in boats with more amenities, luxuries, seating, and shade on deck.

Thinking asymmetrically has some big pluses on a boat. The new SDX 250 bowrider has an offset companionway to port, allowing for a bigger step-down cabin with head in the driver’s side console. In fact, it’s so big, you can sleep in here. For parents with young kids, it’s the perfect retreat, making the new SDX 250 a more functional dayboat with overnighting and Sunday napping potential. Expect more enlarged, asymmetrical cabins on bowriders and side-console boats in future.

Sea Ray's research reveals more people are spending less time sleeping on their boats. What is in demand is accommodation for weekending rather than weeks away. So they devoted more space up top and a little less down below. For example, the Sea Ray Sundancer 320 which we tested locally and then again in the U.S. as a new outboard variant, still has sleeping for four and a separate head with shower, but the main galley is up top with just a fridge and microwave oven in the lower saloon/dinette. Creating a floating weekend stage is what it’s all about, culminating with the amazing SLX 400 that's dubbed "The Entertainer" and rates as the ultimate weekender with the works.

In the bigger Sea Ray 'yachts', the new 520 Fly stands out for its new glass encased stairway to the flybridge and greater glazing to direct more light indoors. There are lighter timber combinations on the new Sundancer 510 Signature, while the L Class shift the galley and living areas back aft in the saloon to merge the indoors and outdoors. Sea Ray has taken a leaf out of the European marques and ushered in more light in its boats. It also offers American sizing, with plenty of head and shoulder room throughout. Most of the 2018 models are high volume.

The gyro is now finding its way onto weekenders and even maxi dayboats like the SLX 400. This might seem extreme, until you realise just how many people are tired of being rocked to death by the passing Sunday crowd at otherwise picture-perfect anchorages. The new compact Seakeeper gyros are powered buy small, silent petrol generators that also serve to air condition the weekender cabins and helm decks. If you  can stretch the budget, a gyro will make your Sunday lunch un-spillable.

This is nothing new, but Sea Ray has configured its own digital switching system that allows just about anyone to touch the helm control screen and access everything from lights to climate control as well as pre-set modes. In the lighting page alone you can choose from party mode, romantic dinner, to movie theme. There’s also a boat alert system, with quick visual indicators of pumps and hydraulic actuators, plus iPad integration, and a trick any-remote AV system that lets anyone use the TVs and audio from one controller. All this user-generated kit is designed to make boating easier.

There’s no shortage of innovation from Sea Ray in 2018. And while parent company Brunswick Marine has announced it has Sea Ray for sale, the brand has such clever design smarts and designers it's well positioned for future growth.

The new class of bigger outboard-powered dayboats and weekenders do a great job of spoiling you and pave the way for the future of ever-more-pleasurable pleasure boating.

More on Sea Ray in Queensland from Queensland Marine Centre.
More on Sea Ray in Sydney from Chapman Marine Group.