Sea Ray SDX 270 Outboard v Sterndrive: Review

After a period of relative restraint, Sea Ray has relaunched with a raft of new and exciting 2015 models. The all-new 270 Sundeck is one such boat. There’s a new premium finish, a greater feeling of luxury and cachet, and a bowrider layout well suited to today’s seize-the-day boaters. But with Mercury FourStroke outboard power — this is the biggest outboard dayboat from Sea Ray — and big-block MerCruiser sterndrive engine options, there’s a decision to make. How do you like your boating? Smooth and cruisy or fast and furious?

OVERVIEW
- Big bowriders with a lot more luxury
The all-new Sea Ray 270 Sundeck is for today’s time-poor grab-it-and-go boater. It’s ideal for rack-and-stack storage, as these two were kept at the new Sydney Boathouse, and perfect for day cruising with family and friends on the Harbour, bay or some other big estuary.

Sea Ray has penned pretty boats, too. The 270’s sleek styling conceals the high-volume deckboat within, with loads of clever convertible seating and oodles of storage for all your carry-on day-boating kit and leave-aboard watersports gear. There are slick new hull colours, a sporty powder-coated bimini arch, lifted upholstery and trim to create a premium deckboat.

You also get the obligatory step-down changeroom, upgraded to full bathrooms on both boats using luxury Vacuflush toilets, and amenities like iceboxes, sinks, deck showers, (optional) fridges. Just add food and you’re Sunday is complete. In true Sea ray style, there’s also driving pleasure.

But at the transom, there’s something else to consider: two different seating/storage/swim platform setups built around either a smooth and quiet Mercury Verado FourStroke outboard or a MerCruiser petrol inboard engine with sterndrive.

We drove both the 2015 model Sea Ray 270 Sundeck OB and sterndrive variant gunwale to gunwale on Sydney Harbour for this comparo. From price to performance, comforts to cruisability, we played hard to deliver this considered verdict.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Two very different rigs each with an engine upgrade
Sydney Sea Ray dealer Mark Chapman has a Mercury background, knows plenty about setting up boats and has represented big motoryacht marques. These two 270 Sundecks were very different in respect of their specifications, with some clever custom dealer touches, but the engine set-ups were spot-on.

The OB model had the 300hp Verado engine upgrade (250hp Verado standard), optioned-up and kitted out toilet, refrigerated cool box, bow filler cushion, underwater light, docking lights, LED cockpit lighting, Raymarine GPS, trim tabs, ski mirror, air-pump for inflating toys, battery charger,  triple-tone gelcoat (not just graphics) and more.

The result was a sharp and smart dayboat with cool looks and plenty of comforts. Enhancing the 270 Sundeck OB’s appeal and performance, these upgrades added more than $25K to the bottom line. From a base of $151,580 our test boat rang up at $177,750.

The sterndrive version was even more special. The boat had the big-block MerCruiser 8.2L engine upgrade, the kitted out toilet space, a windlass (in lieu of the bow ladder), stainless anchor, Raymarine chart plotter, bow filler cushion, trim tabs, two-tone gelcoat, air pump for inflating water toys, LED cockpit lighting, fire-suppression system and a terrific fold-down swim platform, which you can’t get on the outboard version.

Importer Mark Chapman from Chapman Marine included full SeaDek teak-look foam flooring throughout and he had some custom teak tables made that are a lot more complementary than the supplied GRP tables. Base price of $145,870 with a smaller 350 MAG MerCruiser rises to $179,750 but you couldn’t go back to a smaller engine once you’ve driven the big block.

In both instances, these were nicely packaged 270 Sundecks with their standard bimini top canvass packages. With a 2.49m beam, trailering is an option with a permit for what is a 2500kg boat and motor. Rack and stacked, as indeed these boats were, makes more sense.

DESIGN AND LAYOUT
- Well-designed bowriders with more of most things including innovation
The Sundeck series from Sea Ray combines its bowrider layout with a bit of the deckboat. This translates to greater space, a fuller bow area with more seating and storage. If you want a sleeker performance bowrider, Sea Ray offers the SSX series.

The bow seating on the 270 Sundeck is certainly generous. The OB version had a bow ladder up front, a boon when accessing a beach. But as often happens, you can’t fit an electric-anchor winch too. If we had to choose we’d fit the latter.

The bow is deep with plenty of buoyancy for, say, four adults. The OB had its second moulded table up here, while the sterndrive version had one of its two custom teak tables in situ. Such is the volume of 270 Sundeck, the bow is a second lunch setting perfect for, say, the kids.

There are stainless grab rails, speakers, drink holders, and first-class upholstery throughout. Recline against the backrests when facing forward and you will find your own personal armrest.

Seat squabs hinge up to access the sub-seat storage and the moulded holds can double as drink storage. Otherwise, retrieve the bow-infill cushions and create a sunpad après lunch. There’s also a wind-dam door to enclose the bow from the main cockpit when winter boating.

More storage exists inside the (illuminated) helm console, while the passenger’s console is a dedicated step-down bathroom with headroom, dressing room, vanity, sink with spray rinser and storage, and all-important (upgraded) Vacuflush freshwater head.

The excellent WC facilities certainly extend the appeal of this dayboat. Swimmers will find two other deck showers, bow and stern, linked to the 75 litre water tank.

As touched on, there’s a lot of seating in the 270 Sundeck, which boasts an incredible 15-person capacity, making it one of the biggest people-movers in its class. Helm and co-pilot each get a twin beach seat, allowing couples to enjoy the drive. The backrests hinge forward so, on the hook, you create one big seating circle.

On the OB boat, the lounge behind the helm seat had a fridge unit below. As such, it was a handy large drinks space for summer parties. Hinges let you leave the lounge base in a cocked position for access to the drinks. The boats have carry-on coolers, too.

There’s a small sink in a moulded unit at the end of the lounge, a fold-down step to facilitate boarding and disembarking of guests from a wharf, before you head out to the swim platform.

Opposite to port, meanwhile, is the 270 Sundeck’s main seating area. The huge C-shaped lounge and the drop in table (upgraded to a custom teak number with twin pedestals on the sterndrive model) create a prime lunch spot, with useful shade from the bimini top overhead.

Because there’s no internal engine on the OB variant, the ‘engine room’ becomes one massive watersports lazarette. The OB test boat had everything stashed down here, all wonderfully accessible and boosting the watersports appeal of what is a doubly fun boat.

While the OB wins some serious points for its storage lazarette, the sterndrive boat gains an innovative flip-down swim platform that let’s you walk straight into the water. You get just the usual swim ladder on the OB boat. So that’s a counter-punch.

Either way, the transom features an aft-facing lounge big enough for couples or a family of four. There’s a flip-up leg-rest section that adds to the comfort of what is destined to be a popular place to hang out.

Both boats have a self-draining cockpits, snap-in carpet as standard (upgraded SeaDek on the sterndrive), and underfloor rubber-backed storage. We found two 12V outlets, including one at the transom for the air pump, etc, plus a wireless stereo system with MP3 and iPod connectivity.

The helm on the 270 Sundeck is a very pretty thing, with stitched vinyl brow and that Ralph Lauren-look saddle-bag storage for personal effects. The combination of a Raymarine screen and SmartCraft multifunction gauges simplifies the dash, although you still get a decent spread of toggle switches. The black-framed windscreen and sports wheel add a sporty look.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Deep-vee hull and perfect engine setups
As Brunswick builds the boats and motors you can expect a nice pairing. You don’t need to give a second though to the quality of the installation, the wiring, the fibreglass lay-up and gelcoat (including the bilge), through-bolted deck fittings and so on. Sea Ray has survived the passage of time Down Under.

The hull is a deep-vee with 21 degrees of deadrise at the transom, which is well in excess of what you will find on many deckboats and party pontoons. As such, it’s more of a coastal boat for big bays, busy and bumpy harbours, and even ducking offshore to watch the whales or land a few fish.

With their standard engines, the OB is more than 210kg lighter than the sterndrive and the big-block V8 weighs more again. That might be a consideration if you plan to tow the boat. It also adds to the very different performance dynamic.

ON THE WATER
- Smooth cruise or fast and furious?
Driving these two 270 Sundecks side-by-side was like the proverbial chalk and cheese. The Verado was super quiet at idle and throughout the rev range, adding to the heightened comfort factor. With the outboard drive quite some distance astern of the sterndrive, the waterline is maximised and the boat planes at lower speeds.

In fact, the OB version slips onto the plane, with no actual transition or hump. It’s at once almost uncanny and fabulous, allowing you to cruise at lower speeds than normal while planing. The OB boat is a real limo in this regard.

Spinning a 19in three-blade Enertia prop, the boat happily planed at 2500rpm, cruised at 3000rpm and 16 knots, and returned routine 23 knots at 3500rpm, and 27 knots at 4000rpm. Top speed on the day was 40.4 knots at 6100rpm. This was 1.5 knots shy of the factory figure, but in calm water we would have found that.

Driving off the wheel, the 300hp Verado was still good fun. But it was more your smooth cruiser and station wagon. The sterndrive boat with the 380hp V8 made it seem a tad tame. While top speed of the OB is just a few MPH shy of the big block, according to official factory figures, the acceleration is mind-blowingly good and it leaves the OB in its wake.

The big-block answers the call of the sporting boater. At 3000rpm we got 21 knots, 3500rpm gave 26 knots, 4000rpm cruise returns 29.5 knots, while 5000rpm fast running offers 39 knots. Top speed cracks the 50mph or 43.5 knot mark. The boat rips through the turns and is a more responsive to wheel and throttle than the OB. However, it’s noticeably noisier and angrier.

VERDICT
- Outboard wins in the end
To the million-dollar question. Which power pairing is best? Do we choose the smart three-tone tan hull of the OB with the smooth sophistication of a four-stroke outboard or go for the roar and response of the big-block petrol V8 in the race-red model?

It’s a bit of a tortoise and hare thing, really.

In the end, the outboard wins for its user-friendliness and crew comforts. Yes, it’s a big doughy in that four-stroke outboard way. But the rig is also smoother, quieter, more frugal, family friendly and, with the outboard leg out of the water, better for accessing the beach and shallow water. It’s also better for leaving on mooring. 

Don’t get us wrong, driving the big-block is a hoot. There will be boaters who want their performance buttons pushed, who want the V8 grunt and will burn most of the 246 litres of fuel in a day. There’s more adrenalin flowing that’s for sure.

But the 270 Sundeck OB and the big Verado outboard are redefining. The new premium bowrider offers a premium day-boating experience and more relaxed and agreeable ride with outboard power.

LIKES
>> Beautiful big bowriders with a lifted level of fit and finish
>> Abundant comfortable convertible seating
>> Huge storage capacity, especially the OB variant
>> Excellent Sea Ray performance; the OB rig is super smooth and quiet
>> Sea Ray has a great following and you get Brunswick backing of boat and motors

NOT SO MUCH
>> Sea Ray’s supplied grp cockpit tables are a bit naff
>> Outboard model is a little doughy in the performance department
>> Longevity of the Ralph Lauren-esque helm pocket storage clip

Specifications:
Price as tested: $1777,750 for OB version with 300hp Mercury Verado FourStroke, 19in prop and options as detailed above; $179,750 with MerCruiser 8.2L MPI sterndrive and Bravo 3 duoprop and options as detailed above.
Priced from: $151,580 with standard equipment and 250hp Mercury Verado; $145,870 with standard equipment and 300hp MerCruiser 350 Magnum DTS Bravo 3
Overall Length: 8.3m
Beam: 2.59m
Draft (sterndrive up): 0.53m
Dry weight: 2687kg/2472kg OB (std engines)
Fuel: 246 litres
Water: 76 litres
Holding tank (optional): 37 litres
Deadrise: 21 degrees
Passenger capacity: 15
Engine on test: 300hp Mercury Verado FourStroke; MerCruiser 8.2L MPI sterndrive

Supplied by:
Chapman Marine Group
Suite 2, Sydney Boathouse
2 Waterways Court,
Rozelle, NSW, 2039
www.chapmanmarinegroup.com.au