Heritage meets innovation
As all boatbuilders have learned over the past decade, outboard power is the thing. They’re easy to maintain, powerful enough to push bigger boats onto plane easily, and a panacea for designers who no longer have interior space restrictions created by cavernous engine rooms. Our test boat came with triple Mercury 300-hp V8 motors, the one with a push-button hatch on the lid for instant access to color-coded fluid dipsticks. Goodbye heavy engine cowlings to struggle with. With the optional joystick at the helm adjacent to Mercury’s Digital Throttle Control, the anxiety of leaving the dock and returning to homeport are yesterday’s news. On to looks. Because here, my friends, is where Sea Ray does an excellent job of tapping into modern design theory while giving a nod to the Sundancer legacy. An optional electrically actuated opening glass hardtop with black panoramic sunroof crafted in a traditional coupe shape and long, single-piece hullside windows are part of the vision brought forth by Charlie Foss, design director for the Brunswick Boat Group that includes Sea Ray. “We wanted to keep the ‘S’ in the shearline to capture the heritage of a Sundancer, while giving this new look a mix of confidence and acceleration,” Foss says. The coupe with massive, curved windows is a metaphysical achievement in naval architecture: Providing comfortable safety from the elements, sheltering a next-generation of technologies 34
A P R I L 2021
|
LAKELANDBOATING.COM
found at the intuitive helm, while offering a 360-degree panoramic escape from an increasingly dysfunctional world. Optional 16-inch Simrad touchscreen displays and standard Mercury VesselView Link define the Sundancer 370 Outboard Dual Digital Dash. CZone digital switching provides full lighting control, RGWB-W accent lighting and through-hull underwater lighting predict a real mood shaper at night. Add a premium Fusion audio system, the ubiquitous Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2 with a dash of Digital Signal processing, and shame on you if the first song up is not Barry White. Add the optional Seakeeper 3 gyro for stabilization and a European vacation won’t even enter your mind.
Dayboat desires
But alas, consumer trends suggest a two-week vacation to Door County no longer fits the new boater lifestyle. Addressing dayboater desires is the welcome addition of a bowrider seating area accessed from a port-side walkthrough. This effortless transition from one social area to another also provides quick access to the forward windlass anchor and bow cleats without tiptoeing along a narrow gunwale. With seating for up to five adults, the bow transforms with optional filler cushions from a table into a spacious sun lounge complete with padded armrests, cup holders and USB plug-ins for our electronic connection to the world.
