David Lockwood•2 Mar 2012

REVIEW

Sea Ray 190 Sport

Name: Sea Ray 190 Sport
Brand: SEA RAY

First test outside America! — the new 190 Sport teams sports performance with comfort and refinement

LIKES

- Excellent fit and finish

- Sporty lines, cool optional graphics and hull colour

- Top-quality stainless steel fittings

- Terrific ergonomics for comfortable day boating

- Solid feel and smooth ride through the water

- Snappy acceleration with predictable handling

- Impressive 90kmh-plus top speed

- Excellent local backing and brand track record

DISLIKES

- Helm seat was a bit too reclined for me

- Raked windscreen is a tad shallow

- No dedicated anchor locker

- No iPod dock though Sony head unit has an MP3 jack as standard

OVERVIEW

- A beautiful all-American sports bowrider with definite local application

Hands up if you haven’t heard of Sea Ray? No show. Not surprised. Our analytics at Boatsales reveal it’s one of the most searched, thus best loved and — we’ll add — respected of all the big Yankee brands. But while Sea Ray is a household name hailing from giant marine multinational parent company Brunswick Corporation, the marque distinguishes itself in our critical view by building saltwater boats with fittings and finishes that are a cut above other American boasts destined for the Great Lakes.

Whereas competing American bowriders – and there are many — might have more bling, more patented ‘groundbreaking’ technology, or even sharper pricing, Sea Ray sticks to its knitting and builds sweet-performing boats with enough sporty spice in the showroom and on the water to keep you content during the likely tenure of ownership. What you don’t get are tricks, marketing hype, and slap-dash build.

Look closely and you will see the solid stainless-steel deck fittings (no plastic), carefully fitted upholstery (without shoddy staples) on plastic backing boards that don’t rot or warp, a clean functional layout without clutter. Slot yourself into the seats, move about the deck, dive overboard and the design consideration for human factors becomes evident in an imperceptible, non-confronting way.

To these inherent features you need to add excellent local backing. Australia’s biggest Sea Ray dealer, Queensland Marine Centre, with whom we tested this new 190 Sport on the Gold Coast earlier this week, is among the raft of local agents who can take credit for the excellent after-sales support Down Under. We don’t mention such things frivolously.

Ordered as it was to Australian standards, this high-quality bowrider, with upgraded MerCruiser 4.3-litre MPI ECT (includes latest emissions technology to meet Northern Hemisphere standards) and Alpha 1 sterndrive, offers cool styling following in-vogue retro cues, plush seating, handy storage… everything you need for a big family day out. Only tubes, wakeboards, lunch extra.

But if you really like your sports boating then fit the optional forward-facing tow tower. We hear many 190 Sport owners do…

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

- Well worth the premium over lesser-made rivals

It’s true. You can buy cheaper bowriders in the 190’s league. But think of the little extra you pay for the Sea Ray as an investment, guarantee even, in your future boating pleasure. As we touched on, the boat is built to survive frequent saltwater use, while appealing to the eye thanks to high-quality gelcoat, optional red in this case, and sporty graphics.

Aside from the upgraded engine — standard donk according to the American spec is a lowly 135hp MerCruiser 3.0-litre MPI that wouldn’t do the 190 justice — and hull colour, our test boat had optional upgraded bucket seats with flip-Up Thigh-Rise Bolsters, digital sounder, snap-in cockpit carpet, bimini, canvas and covers, battery on/off switch, dealer supplied safety gear and more.

From a base price of $40,277, the test boat with abovementioned goodies weighed in at $47,903. But weigh-up the fit, finish and performance, with the local backing and Sea Ray badge cred’, and we’re saying this is a smart buy for an equally smart boat in the popular 18-20 foot bowrider league.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION

- Ergonomic winner, just plonk yourself down

The Sea Ray 190 Sport doesn’t break the accepted, tried-and-tested bowrider mould. What it does is refine the concept. From the pointy end, stainless deck fittings include a central recessed combo navigation light, two handy through-bolted cleats, and two drink holders (six throughout) recessed to the sides of the footwell where, we’re told, a spill won’t mean sticky soft drink on your upholstery.

The upholstery, it should be noted, includes a perforated vinyl that’s reminiscent of what you might find in a new car. The vinyl is pulled tight around high-density foam and attached to some kind of lightweight plastic seat-base material that won’t rot.

Lined storage exists under all the seat bases, but there’s no dedicated anchor locker or bow roller. So you’ll have to retrieve ground tackle from the central seat hold and gently lower it overboard. Or pull up to a beach instead.

Upon testing, the bow seating proved very comfortable with room for two adults to outstretch their legs — you might end up playing footsies — while facing forward, holding the stainless-steel grab rail alongside, and leaning back on dense foam backrests. A clever internal deck moulding or step provides an armrest, while twin aft-facing speakers direct music towards you. Of course, this ‘play pit’ will likely be the preserve of a couple of whooping kids.

The cool, raked, custom black-aluminium safety-glass windscreen adds to the retro-racer look. Its supports were solid and there was no movement when we applied our weight. The twin high-backed ‘orthopaedic’ helm seats, which remind us of Recaros, offer greater back support, while the thigh-bolsters, when flipped up, let you sit higher and over the leading edge of windscreen for low-speed manoeuvring. This is welcome.

Getting windscreens to look good, work as intended during the boat’s high-speed running attitude, and provide unfettered vision at low speed is forever a juggle. As it was for me, the leading edge of this Taylor Marine opening windscreen bisected my vision at low speed. So the bolster was flipped up and sat on.

At high speed, I needed to slouch a little, too, but this was facilitated by the angle of the optional high-backed seats. They seem to make you slouch a bit and I would have them mounted further forward than they slid — the dealer took a look and said that was entirely possible — so I didn’t need to reach for the wheel.

The new low-glare grey dash, minimalist compared to previous busy arrangements, harks back to a 1950s sportscar. There were just three analogue gauges (branded Sea Ray) with chrome bezels and some kind of retro-looking font. Besides a tacho and speedo, the third dial was a multi-function engine-monitoring number with four needles relaying oil pressure, fuel level, leg trim, and (cooling water) temperature. We liked the arrangement.

The optional digital depth sounder came in handy while negotiating some miry reaches of the not-so-deep Broadwater, while the switch panel was a neat unit with chrome aircraft-style toggles with a positive action. All gauges and toggle switches are illuminated at night.

The tilt wheel was a standard soft-touch but solid and adjustable sports number, there was a 12V outlet for the phone charger, and both helm and co-pilot get handy sidepockets for personals, as well as side storage pockets lower down. Extra upholstered foam-backed panels add cushioning outboard of the helm seats, where the co-pilot will also find a stainless grab rail.

The lockable glovebox contained a weatherproof Sony AM/FM and CD player with the MP3 jack. Clip in cockpit carpet adds to the luxury, especially if barefoot, while the mandatory central underfloor ski locker can swallow whatever you preference in water-sports equipment be it skis, boards or deflated tubes.

A new transom arrangement on the 190 Sport is an unequivocal highlight. The deep three-seater lounge has a rolled edge on its backrest that, with dense foam and the perforated two-tone upholstery, makes for very, very comfortable lounging. Stainless steel grab rails add to the safety factor, which is already high thanks to the exceptional freeboard alongside. If not riding where you can see them in the bow, the kids will be unlikely to fall overboard from this rear lounge.

The lounge base is split in two halves. Lift the section to port and, voila, you’ll find a dedicated moulded icebox with drain (into the bilge). While it’s not the biggest cockpit in town, the seating arrangement works so well — the helm seats swivel and there’s an optional bimini for shade — you’re just going to sit and be sated on the 190. Open your carry-on cooler, and lunch is served.

Meanwhile, abutting the lounge backrests is a deep sunpad, two-person wide, that almost lulled me to sleep if it weren’t for the burning Queensland sun. Lift the toggles on the port and mid sections of sunpad cushion and hatches pop open for terrific access into the trusty 4.3L MerCruiser V6 block. Suffice to ay, you can get to everything including bilge (pump) by removing lounge bases and lids.

Lift the toggle on the starboard section of sunpad and it, too, rises on a gas strut. Only its purpose is, along with the removable section of lounge base, to create a thoroughfare to and from the swim platform. This way you and your guests don’t need to step on upholstery to access the cockpit.

Outboard, meanwhile, the deep swim platform adds to the waterfront real estate, the obligatory swim ladder with stainless grab facilitates getting wet, while stainless-steel engine vents, 190 badge and ski hook add to the intent.

MECHANICAL AND HULL

- One of the quietest bowriders we’ve experienced

Naturally, the inboard-powered boat has a blower, a fire-extinguisher discharge port, a battery mounted up on a tray, and audible alarms for engine-water temperature and oil pressure. All standard practice. But Sea Ray also provides colour-coded wiring with chafe protection, not always a given, and a neat and easily accessible fuse panel.

The engine installation was totally industry standard, as you would expect from Brunswick, which owns both this boat and engine brand. But something else is going on here. Intentionally, all that rear lounge and sunpad foam backing provides hitherto new levels of sound insulation. We were impressed and have to say this was one of the quietest bowriders we’ve experienced. It’s not quite Sea Ray’s new award-winning Quiet Ride technology, which you can read about here (www.boatsales.com.au/news/2012/sea-ray’s-quiet-ride-technology-28922), but it probably goes close.

ON THE WATER

- Smooth ride from a real rocket ship

With the V6 purring astern, at cruise and fast-cruise revs, we sustained an unforced conversation as we fairly flew down the lower Nerang River, slowed under the Gold Coast Bridge, idled down South Passage at less than six knots as you must, then jumped on the conveniently located throttle to Wave Break Island.

Alas, with a low tide and previous torrential rain, the water was still Swiss-chocolate brown. What to do? Head offshore, of course!

Though beyond the usual charter of a 19-foot bowrider, the Sea Ray remained seaworthy and smooth running, even into the teeth of a building metre-high northerly chop. Oh, we copped the odd splash but the boat’s performance should be considered reassuring in the event you get caught out on a big bay, harbour or gulf. And with power-assisted steering it’s light work to command.

My GPS bit the bullet, but if you can believe the speedo (they can be up to 10-15 per cent out), we hit almost 60mph (100km/h) at full noise of 4800rpm while remaining in wonderful control — no chine walking — as the inside beaches flashed past.

Two rev ranges stood out even more: family cruising at 3000rpm returns around 35mph (60km/h) without a care in the world, while 4000rpm gives an even smoother and still-quiet 45-50mph (80km/h) fast cruise. Your pick.

VERDICT

- Benchmark American bowrider

The hull is stiff, with no rattles, thanks to fibreglass (not timber) stringers. The timber used in the boat, for fixing the pedestal seat bases in the floor, for example, is all glass encapsulated, while vinylester resin adds lustre and, with a buff, that will be attained in future. Wash your boat, polish it every now and then, chamois the stainless steel fittings, nourish the vinyl, service the MerCruiser and leg and, well, your Sea Ray should provide years of faithful service and good resale value.

Measuring 5.99m (two inches shy of 20 feet) overall, with a beam of 2.21m and a dry weight of 1179kg, without the dual-axle trailer, this is the kind of pleasure-boating package you can easily tow with a family car, garage should you have one, launch on your own, and maintain and operate without financial stress. An everyday and high-quality bowrider that’s class leading in respect of running noise or, rather, lack thereof.

While there was a Sea Ray 190 many moons ago (used 2001-model asking $28,000 on Boatsales now), the new 190 Sport replaces the previously popular 185 model ($36,000 asking price for 2006 model). Although Sea Ray has retained the exact same 185 hull, with sharp 19-degree deadrise that delivers plenty of wave-cutting action, we reckon this is a new benchmark for mainstream bowriders.

RATINGS

Overall rating: 4.8/5.0

Mechanical/equipment: 4.7/5.0

Packaging and practicality: 4.9/5.0

On the water Performance: 4.9/5.0

Value for money: 4.7/5.0

X-factor: 4.8/5.0

Specifications:

Price: $47,903 including engine upgrade and optional hull colour, upgraded bucket seats with flip-Up Thigh-Rise Bolsters and sun pad, digital sounder, snap-in cockpit carpet, canvas and covers, battery on/off switch, dealer supplied safety gear, and more.

Priced from: $40,277 with 135hp MerCruiser

LOA: 5.99m inc. extended swim platform

Beam: 2.21m

Weight: 1179kg

Engine: 220hp MerCruiser 4.3-litre MPI ECT with Alpha 1 sterndrive and s/s prop

Fuel: 98 litres

People Day: Eight max/544kg max. load inc. gear

Supplied by:

Queensland Marine Centre

Head Office, Showroom and Service Workshop

Cnr Nerang/Southport Road and Bailey Cres

Southport, Qld, 4215.

Phone: (07) 5591 7032

See www.queenslandmarinecentre.com.au.

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Sea Ray 190 Sport

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