Boat test for the 2007 Sea Ray 330 Sundancer with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2007 Sea Ray 330 Sundancer.

The excellent helm makes driving the 330 downright fun. On-plane comes swiftly, thanks to the fact that the MerCruiser 8.1 Horizons gasoline V-8s not only spool up a lot more quickly than comparable diesels but are farther aft than would be the case with straight inboards. That placement (about the same in the stern-drive version) also produces a lot of midrange bow rise, demanding attention to trim tab adjustment. I found that not to be a big problem, but I was distressed by the 330's manual hydraulic steering, which not only required considerable muscle (not a problem on stern drives where power steering is standard), but also resulted in a wide turning radius—I'd guess around eight boat lengths at cruising speed. If sports-car handling is your forté, opt for the I/Os.

The beefy V-drive V-8s leave considerable space forward—definitely enough to accommodate the optional in-line six-cylinder Yanmars—and surprisingly, you can even reach the spark plugs. MerCruiser thoughtfully clusters the coolant reservoir and oil dipstick at the front of the engine, but alas, these being V-drives, the fronts are at the rear, and to reach them you'll pretty much have to lie on top of each engine shroud, all the more reason to do your checks when the motors are cold. The Horizons also have integral fuel filters, but I was never able to find them, much less touch them. You'll also need to lie on the engines to check on the optional aft-mounted 5-kW Kohler genset. Chalk up another plus for the I/Os.

Overall, our engine room was well done, except for the fact that someone had forgotten to actually screw the electric ram that lifts the cockpit deck to expose the engines into anything and the hose for the cockpit drain that just kind of dangled there. I believe it's supposed to empty into the bilge—a design that has obvious drawbacks—but when you raise the deck, it has the disconcerting habit of dumping water onto the genset.

Yet such considerations seem trivial on a boat that is so single-mindedly young at heart. The 330 is all about fun, particularly family fun. Yes, if you're a young couple, you'll like this boat. But if you're a young couple with a couple of young kids who love the water, owning a Sea Ray 330 Sundancer is like a having a season pass to a water park. Minus the slide.

For more information on Sea Ray, including contact information, click here.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Masterful Mattress

Nothing's better than lying in bed with a book or video at anchor—as long as you take along enough pillows to prop yourself up. Well, on the 330, you can leave the pillows at home. Just push the "up" arrow on the remote control, and the forward third of the mattress tilts up to afford you the perfect posture, whether your forté is War and Peace or My Cousin Vinny. And it's standard!—R.T.

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