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"That’s my
boat over there," the guy on the dock said to me as I stood on the
swim platform and put a final wrap on the stern line. He was gesturing
towards a 29-foot Sea Ray Sundancer a few slips over. I had just backed
his boat’s big sister, the new Sea Ray 360 Sundancer, into her rather
tight spot at Surfside 3’s make-ready yard at the dealership’s
Lindenhurst, New York, facility. With boats on either side both longer
than my boat and possessing rather imposing pulpits, the approach, setup,
and final commitment had nudged the usual pucker factor towards the top.
The wind was down, and
with just a bit of tide, all I needed to do was angle the bow slightly
into the flow and bring her on back. Once her stern was inside the first
two pilings, I gave her a nudge to port and we were done.
"Looked pretty
easy," he said. "This time," I replied. "But I’m
more used to using electronic controls than these mechanical ones,"
I added, casting a wary eye on the two pulpits that seemed to dwarf my
test boat.
But for missing those
electronic controls, which are my preference purely out of habit, I found
the boat’s abilities with the docking maneuvers under these conditions
to be smooth and easy. I got a good bite from the 21x23 four-blade Nibral
wheels and quick response from the 370-hp 8.1 MerCruiser Horizon gasoline
inboards. I’d also gotten good performance from the combination during
the sea trial I was just returning from: a WOT speed of 40.2 mph and fast
cruise speed of 37.1 mph, not bad for a boat that doesn’t aspire
to performance as much as comfort. And out on the glassy-smooth water,
her steering was quick and sure, thanks to the Teleflex SeaStar hydraulic
steering system. While the conditions precluded me discerning the 360’s
seakeeping abilities, I did notice little bow rise on acceleration and
a rather quick jump out of the hole courtesy of those big V-8s
Those powerplants are
nestled neatly beneath the cockpit sole and easily accessed via an electrically
controlled hatchway. That opening, by the way, yawns large enough to allow
plenty of room to swing a wrench or change a filter on an inboard or do
any work on the outboard sides of the engines. When the hatchway is closed,
the cockpit, with its opposing benchseats and removable table, becomes
the perfect spot for taking in the sights while underway or for snacking
during a day on the hook. In addition, the table lowers, and with the
filler cushions in place the cockpit does double duty as a huge sunpad.
Like every seating area on this boat, it’s chock-full of cupholders.
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Sea Ray 360 continued > Page 1, 2,
3, 4, 5,
6
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