From the classifieds: Sea Ray 260 Sundeck

Middling out the Sundeck range was the Sea Ray 260 Sundeck, an 8.0-metre fibreglass bowrider optimised for comfort and watersports.

It was a good boat for younger families, featuring a deep cockpit, helm and bow lounge that could easily contain children and dogs.

The boat was also equipped with plenty of gas strut-supported storage onboard for everything you’d need to take with you to enjoy a day out.

Browsing the boatsales listings, we’ve come across this 2012 Sea Ray 260 Sundeck in NSW with quite low engine hours given the age of the hull and – more importantly – a full service history.

By this time the Sea Ray 260 Sundeck was equipped with what every family boat needs, a lockable cavity below the console that has a washbasin and can be fitted with a toilet.

Other features include seats down the back of the boat so you can watch the kids as they jump off the swim deck and hit the water, a large L-shaped cockpit lounge with two tables, a four-speaker Sony audio system, a small galley space with a sink and room below for an icebox, forward-facing lounge seats in the blunt-nosed bow, and a comfortable helm.

Powering this boat is the torquey 5.7-litre Mercury MerCruiser 350 Mag sterndrive producing 300hp controlled via Mercury’s DTS digital throttle and shift system.

This boat comes with a bow-to-transom Sunbrella bimini, a set of clears and even a set of storm covers to keep the interior clean and dry while it is moored or dry-stacked. 

Being a Sea Ray, it sits on a hull that is optimised for fast, efficient running and predictable handling.

This boat is currently priced at less than $10,000 a metre, which is excellent value considering what you get for your money. Adding to the appeal is plenty of registration left on the sticker, meaning you can enjoy it over summer and autumn with minimum fuss.