2021 Sea Ray Sundancer 320 Coupe Outboard review

Cabin cruiser, sports boat or bowrider? The Sea Ray 320 Sundancer Coupe Outboard is all of these things and more. Launched last year, the enclosed-helm coupe version of Sea Ray's 320 Sundancer is a wonderfully appointed, cleverly designed family day cruiser, bay runabout and entertaining platform.

The 320 Sundancer made its debut in 2017 with an open windscreen/helm configuration (and optional hardtop), and power from twin Mercruiser petrol or diesel sterndrives.

Twin and triple Mercury outboard-powered models followed shortly thereafter.

In 2020 Sea Ray rounded out the 320 Sundancer range with the Coupe, the new model adding a full-windscreen helm enclosure and permanent hardtop for maximum weather protection.

Similar to the standard open windscreen boat, the Sea Ray 320 Sundancer Coupe is available with MerCruiser petrol and diesel sterndrive engines, or with twin and triple Mercury four-stroke outboard engines — plenty of grunt on offer here.

For this review, we're behind the helm of an outboard-powered 320 Sundancer Coupe, our test boat rigged up with twin 350 Mercury Verado four-stroke outboard engines.

Queensland Marine Centre has Sea Ray Sundancer 320 Coupe Outboard prices starting from $603,000 when rigged with the standard twin (black-coloured) 350hp Mercury Verado supercharged inline six-cylinder extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard engines

The standard boat package is very well outfitted; there's too much good gear and equipment to list here, but stand-outs include the bow seating area with triple lounge seats; enclosed helm station with hardtop; opening companionway side window and ventilation windows; a four-berth cabin with enclosed head compartment; galley (microwave and fridge); helm/cockpit entertaining area with double-width helm chair; reconfigurable L-shape lounge seating; wet bar; and loads of storage areas.

Electronics equipment includes two Simrad GO9 multifunction touchscreen displays incorporating Mercury VesselView, chart plotter/fishfinder functions; SmartCraft digital throttle and shift; Mercury Active Trim system; Mercury Joystick Piloting; Fusion Apollo RA770 Bluetooth audio system with six speakers; and more.

Our test boat was upgraded with plenty of good gear including a pair of white 350hp Mercury Verado outboard engines; Kohler genset; twin Simrad GO12 digital dash touchscreen displays with Mercury VesselView link with chart plotter/fishfinder; air conditioning/heating to cabin and cockpit; blue LED lighting package; blue through-hull underwater lighting; teak flooring throughout; electric anchor windlass with all chain rode and stainless steel anchor; 220V/50 cycle electrical system; fridge and electric grill to cockpit wet bar; adjustable V-berth table support; bow table with dedicate storage; camper canvas package; extended cockpit sunshade; bow sunshade; opening canvas section to hardtop; and steel grey-coloured topsides.

With all of the above gear and equipment, our test boat is priced at $704,900.

The Sea Ray Sundancer 320 Coupe Outboard has a dual-level bridge-deck layout with a high exterior profile and imposing presence on the water.

The high topsides could have made the hull appear a bit slab-sided but clever design features such as the raking deck-line, black-framed windscreen, and darkened cabin hull windows have ensured (to my eyes at least) that this boat looks a treat — sleek and stylish.

The Sea Ray Sundancer 320 series hull has an overall length of 10.64 metres, a beam of 3.23 metres, and a dry weight of 6310kg.

Beneath its waterline, the Sundancer has a deep-vee hull with a noticeably fine, wave-cutting entry at the bow, stretching aft to a sharpish deadrise angle of 21 degrees.

The combination of a wide waterline beam and strategically placed hull strakes and chines ensures this hull is solid, stable at rest despite the high profile hull shape.

It has been some time since I tested a Sea Ray and I have to say I was impressed with the excellent fit-out, the quality of the fabrics and materials used, the high standard of the fibreglass mouldings, and the general workmanship throughout.

Stepping aboard the Sundancer, for example, you are immediately impressed by the striking, upscale vinyl and canvas upholstery, the optional teak flooring, the leather-trimmed, glass-panelled helm fascia, and the overall fit and finish of gas-strut supported deck hatches.

Below decks, stand-outs include the cherry wood veneer cabinetry, the solid teak table and step-treads, and the soft-touch vinyl and fabric ceiling and wall linings.

The Sea Ray Sundancer 320 is a true multipurpose family boat, combining a bowrider seating and lounging area with traditional cabin cruiser features and accommodation below decks, and day cruiser amenities in the cockpit.

Cabin access is via a sliding door on the port side of the helm console. Step down three teak steps and the cabin opens out before you with a large V-shaped seating area in the forepeak with surrounding backrests, cabin side windows, and a height-adjustable pedestal teak table.

Lower the table, slot an infill cushion into place and you have a decent-size double berth with comfortable, well-padded cushions.

Surrounding amenities include LED lighting, under-berth storage lockers, and access to the master 12/240-volt switchboard.

The cabin accommodates two more people aft in two full length single beds located behind the ladder, under the bridge deck.

Cleverly, the two single beds slide electronically together to form a large double bed. There's not a lot of headroom in this aft hide-away, (1.1 metres sole to ceiling) but the berths are plenty big enough to stretch out comfortably.

There are no cabin windows in the rear sleeping space but there is ample lighting, plenty of storage nooks and lockers, a nearby hanging cupboard.

Flat-screen TVs are optional for the forward and aft berths.

The enclosed head compartment is situated to starboard behind a full-height entry door. Among the inclusions is a vacuum-flush toilet, solid-surface vanity with glass sink and mixer tap, mirrored cabinet, window with porthole, and a pull-out shower head.

There is not much in the way of galley facilities in the cabin, just a microwave oven and a fridge on the port side. That said, this boat is designed for day boating and comes with a cockpit wet bar with sink, solid surface counter-top, and an optional fridge and electric grill for cooking.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy this boat, but mostly it is about outdoor living, making this craft ideally suited to the Aussie lifestyle.

The bow seating area is particularly comfortable and, with high bow rails tracing the forward compartment, safe enough to enjoy while the vessel is underway.

This forward entertaining area is offset to the starboard side of the boat, allowing for a port side opening windscreen and 380mm wide companionway for easy access.

Sun lovers will appreciate the three chaise-style lounge seats on the foredeck complete with adjustable head and armrests, cup holders, stereo speakers, and an optional solid teak timber cocktail table.

The anchor well is situated further forward, complete with an included electric winch with a remote control so you can raise or lower the anchor from the bowsprit as well as from the helm station.

The helm console itself is simple but functional in design with a blacked-out fascia panel with twin Simrad displays and plenty of space for engine gauges and switches.

The steering wheel, side-mount binnacle throttle and joystick controls fall easily to hand, while the dual-width captain's chair (with flip-up bolsters) is both supportive and comfortable.

The Sea Ray Sundancer 320's primary gathering and entertaining area is in the aft cockpit. Here you will find an aft-facing seat and wet bar to starboard, and an L-shaped lounge seating area opposite on the port side.

The port side lounge seat extends forward to a vertical backrest which slides back and forth to create either a forward-facing companion seat or a rear-facing chaise lounge.

The lounge also converts into a comfy sun pad, while storage lockers cater for dry clothing, safety gear and a removable plastic icebox.

Further aft there is a large fender/rope/ground tackle storage compartment in front of the full-width boarding platform, while beneath the rear cockpit is a mechanical/engine room containing the batteries, generator, water heater, bilge pumps, steering gear and more.

With 700hp on tap, the Sea Ray Sundancer 320 Coupe outboard is an impressive beast offering a remarkable level of power and performance for an 11.0-metre boat.

From idle, the Sundancer powers away like a sports boat half its size, accelerating with surprisingly agility; this boat can throw you back in your seat so you need to warn your crew to hang on when taking off at speed.

Underway, there's great fun to be had chucking the boat about too as it corners sharply with barely any hull slip or engine ventilation.

The high level of hull banking or leaning through the middle of a turn may unnerve novice boaters, but this is merely a characteristic of the deep-vee hull and is perfectly safe.

I found it immensely enjoyable to throw the big Sea Ray about like a sports ski boat, carving sharp turns and figure eights with ease, the electric hydraulic steering providing fingertip control over the big supercharged Mercury outboard engines.

With twin engines, Mercury's Active automatic trim system and joystick piloting, the skipper has total control over this high-sided boat, being able to easily adjust the lateral and fore and aft trim underway as well as to idle into tight marina pens and to crab sideways up to a jetty to disembark.

Trimmed out and skimming across the Gold Coast Broadwater, our test boat pulled a top speed of 39.9 knots at 6500rpm. That's shifting for a boat of this size and yet the hull can handle more power; there's an option for triple 250hp Mercury V8 Verados for a combined 750hp.

Whilst the Sea Ray Sundancer has plenty of speed and performance, this boat is a sports cruiser, and it does the cruising part exceptionally well. offering a soft, comfortable, ride offshore with easy, forgiving handling.

With the dual 350hp Mercury four-strokes, the Sundancer 320 is most economical running at 5500rpm, travelling at a speed of 33 knots for a fuel burn of 133.2L/h and a maximum range of 141nm on 95 per cent of the boat's 598-litre fuel tank.

Performance

Range on 95% of the 598L fuel supply at 5500rpm: 141.1nm
*Both engines

The Sundancer 320 Coupe is a welcome addition to the Sea Ray boat range, and a fine bridge-deck sports cruiser. There are more luxurious, more upscale cruisers available from small, boutique boat makers, but the build quality and attention to detail evident in the Sea Ray Sundancer has it topping most mainstream brands. 

Combine this excellent fit and finish with the test boat's accomplished performance and space maximising interior layout, and the Sea Ray Sundancer 320 Coupe OB emerges as a complete, polished package for day cruising and social sports boating.

Priced from: $602,692 with full coupe hardtop and enclosed helm; twin Mercury Verado (standard black-coloured) 350hp in-line six-cylinder, super-charged four-stroke outboards; two x Simrad GO9 multi-function touch-screen displays incorporating Mercury VesselView, chart plotter/fishfinder functions; VesselView Mobile (to link with your smartphone), SmartCraft digital throttle and shift; Mercury Active Trim system; Mercury Joystick Piloting; Fusion Apollo RA770 Bluetooth audio system with six speakers; and more.

Price as tested: $704,900 including a pair of white-coloured Mercury 350hp Verado outboards; Kohler generator; dual Simrad GO12 digital dash touch-screen displays with Mercury VesselView link with chart plotter/fishfinder; air conditioning/heating to cabin and cockpit; blue LED lighting package; blue thru-hull underwater lighting; teak flooring throughout; electric anchor windlass with all chain rode and S/S anchor; 220v/50 cycle electrical system; fridge and electric grill to cockpit wet bar; adjustable V-berth table support; bow table with dedicate storage; camper canvas package; extended cockpit sun-shade; bow sun-shade; opening canvas section to hardtop; and steel grey coloured topsides.

Supplied by: Queensland Marine Centre