Sea Ray Fly 460: Review

The new-for-2017 Sea Ray Fly 460 has been designed to cater for family boaters, holiday boaters, retirees and those of us who like to spend more than just a token day or night aboard.

OVERVIEW
- A big-hearted flybridge motoryacht
While the trend in other pleasure boating sectors is to quick-fix runabouts and day boats, this big-hearted Fly 460 pumps up the volume to meet the needs of those who prefer to cruise in comfort, sleep aboard, go boating and gad about no matter what the weather.

Launched at the 2016 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the Fly 460 comes hot off the keels of the newly styled Sundancer 460 sports yacht and it shares the same common platform. That has some real positives, not least being that the lower helm station is almost as scenic as the flybridge one up top.

With oversized accommodation and living spaces, this is a big boat for spending a lot of time aboard. Think long Hawkesbury holidays, Melbourne cruising irrespective of weather, gadding around the Gippsland, rollicking at Rotto —the potential destination list goes on and is long.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Vee drives or pods with Cummins power
The Fly 460 hasn’t power options so much as drive-line options. They range from the standard 550hp Cummins QSB 6.7s with vee drives, which we drove on the Fly 460 at the 2016 Yacht Expo in Florida, to the same engines, down-rated to 480hp, with upgraded Zeus pod drives. Both set-ups have underwater exhausts.

Zeus pods, which are said to account for half the Fly 460 engine sales to date, add integrated autopilot and joystick control for easy docking. Otherwise, the joystick is an option with the vee drives linked to bow and stern thrusters.

Among the other options to consider — and the showboat we drove was loaded — are the hydraulic swim platform for easy tender and watercraft dispatch; the gourmet grill and sink station built into the transom; an electric SureShade cockpit awning; the saloon wine cooler; a washer/dryer; and opening portlights in both staterooms.

It was early days as we went to press with this scoop review, but the new 2017 Sea Ray Fly 460 base price came in around $1.36m with standard engines. Upgrade to Zeus cost an extra $110k. These prices were from the Queensland Sea Ray importer, Queensland Marine Centre.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- Different deck design with more outdoor space up top
While the cockpit isn’t the biggest in its class, the Fly 460 has an electric extending transom with inbuilt lounge that shifts 40cm outboard to create a bit more legroom. But it’s the extended flying bridge area that calls for lunch, after which the foredeck sunpads might be your destination for zeds.

Open as we had it, the flying bridge caters for fair-weather cruising and entertaining at a calm bolthole. The moulded amenities centre can be optioned with a fridge and griddle, while the up-sized teak table and lounge seat six. The sunpad alongside the helm is perfect for kids to ride safely within earshot of the skipper when cruising.

Back down the moulded staircase, the multi-pane opening saloon doors and level cockpit entry make the aft galley nice and accessible from the outdoor areas and flying bridge. Genuine wood flooring creates a home-like ambience, while amenities run the gamut from bench-height side-by-side fridge and freezer to two-burner cooktop and convection microwave oven.

There was the upgraded wine fridge opposite with a 40in TV on swivel bracket that faces anywhere from cockpit to galley and saloon. Sport and a cold drink, two of the must-haves for many, were never far away.

The elevated saloon seating area and internal helm station forward of the galley are flanked by deep saloon windows. With high headroom, plush lounges and reverse-cycle air con, you get comfortable main saloon for all-weather social cruising.

Down below, the two-cabin/two bathroom layout includes a massive full-beam stateroom with en suite and separate shower stall. This impressive stateroom is akin to what we’d expect to find in a 52-footer. It’s a real home-away-from-home.

The second cabin in the bow has scissor berths that slide together to create the usual double. This cabin’s en suite doubles as the boat’s dayhead. Optional opening portlights boost natural ventilation, while all the powerpoints now include USB connection for charging as well.

As with our test boat, the high gloss cherrywood joinery adds a luxury look and feel, while the standard stone bathroom flooring, and the innerspring mattresses, are all big Sea Ray features in keeping with the home-like feel of things.

Sea Ray has also maxed out storage on the Fly 460 and you should be able to pack a pile of gear aboard, with your tender on the optional hydraulic swim platform, and plenty of food in the galley fridges.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Stable hull that carries a big load
As the 460 was designed to cruise from down below in the first instance, as with the Sundancer 460 sistership upon on which this new Fly variant is based, the ergonomics and vision from the lower helm are great.

The big bridge is a bonus and you can enclose that with clears if you want, add a sunroof to the hardtop which has proven popular, or keep it open as we had it a la Florida style.

Engine room access and the layout are easy enough for owner pre-departure checks. Depending on your intended application, there’s an optional 1638lt long-range fuel tank available over standard 1419lt, while the 530lt of water is reasonably generous. We’d add a desalinator for autonomy.

The wide 4.32m beam hull has a moderate 17 degrees of deadrise, good for carrying a big load and remaining stable at rest. The large hull footprint also creates a boat that’s pretty keen to jump out of the hole.

ON THE WATER
- Predictable performance and a stable platform
We left the dock at Captiva Island and ranged into the Gulf of Mexico in benign conditions. The bow and stern thrusters and a joystick made for an easy exit. I noted that you could see the portside edge of the swim platform from the portside helm in the fly bridge. This creates a reference point for docking.

Two heavies from Sea Ray were by our side —Scott Ward, Sr VP and GM Sport Yachts and Yachts; and Ron Berman, Sea Ray’s VP of Product Development, and a long-time employee of parent company Brunswick Marine. A laid-back cruise with low noise levels ensued as we yakked about the boating life on the big bridge.

The twin 12in Raymarine MFD screens sat in the dash nicely, along with the SmartCraft VesselView display. Off we went, hitting 21.2 knots cruise at 2898rpm with 75 per cent engine load — the sweet spot — while 3350rpm WOT gave 28 knots top speed.

At a fast cruiser of 24.6 knots at 3100rpm, the twin 550hp Cummins QSB 6.7s with vee drives were using about 190lt/hr for a modest range of about 200nm. I think you will get 220-250nm range at optimum 18-20 knots with the optional long-range tank.

VERDICT
- A cruising condo with rooftop terrace
A motoryacht-style cruiser, the Fly 460 offers serious volume with a maxed-out interior and accommodation. With a flybridge that can be open or air-conditioned/heated, it’s very much the all-weather, all-states live-aboard family cruiser.

The big boat feels surefooted, even when ripped around off the wheel, and uncluttered thanks to all the interior space, storage and the American sizing. it's just a comfortable cruiser in every which way.

But for those who like to live aboard, the new Fly 460 is akin to an upmarket cruising condo with rooftop terrace. We see the boat docked at popular city waterways where
it's used as a holiday home and weekender. Family dog is optional.

LIKES
>> High volume interior and stateroom
>> Large flying bridge for entertaining
>> Predictable and easy handling
>> Smooth and quiet Cummins engines
>> Sea Ray branding and backing

NOT SO MUCH
>> Not the biggest cockpit around
>> You’ll need the hydraulic platform to tote your tender
>> Not so much your sporty Sea Ray

Specifications: Sea Ray Fly 460
Priced From: The new 2017 Sea Ray Fly 460 costs from $1.36m with standard 550hp Cummins and V Drives; with the Zeus pod upgrade with autopilot and Joystick cost $155k extra.
LOA: 14.22m with optional extended swim platform
Beam: 4.32m
Draft: 1.44m V Drive; 1.47m Zeus
Dry Weight: 18,091kg/19,909kg for Zeus
Fuel: 1419lt std, 1638lt optional
Water: 530lt
Deadrise: 17 degrees
Sleeping: 4-6 with saloon bed
Engines: Standard with Twin Cummins 550hp QSB 6.7 Titan Diesel V-Drive inboards; optional 480hp T-Zeus-Cummins QSB 6.7 480 HO with autopilot and Joystick.