Sea Ray Sundancer 370 Outboard

Over the past 20 years, Sea Ray has experimented to some degree with finding a new identity.

Eight company presidents, a Great Recession, an exit from the yacht category, and most recently a world pandemic has derailed the best initiatives. Strong brands are reticent about messing with what works, reminds a Harvard Business Review case study.

That’s precisely why the introduction of Sea Ray’s redesigned, technology-rich Sundancer 370 Outboard is so important. Sea Ray practically invented the two-cabin, sleep-six Sundancer pedigree that was quickly adopted by other brands. It has defined family boating for 45 years now, and the name remains atop internet searches.

What makes this new model so appealing is a blend of past laurels, packaged in an enticing wrapper of cunning curves and contrasting colors that will age gracefully, and a new power option — outboards. This relaunch of the Sundancer family combines the values of a cruiser, bowrider and coupe. For today’s owner whose playtime is restricted to dayboating and the occasional overnight, I believe you will like the new design language.

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 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.

To the rear, a three-position convertible transom seat gracefully eases from a hard-back surface while underway to an aft-facing seat or sunpad when at rest. It joins the U-shaped cockpit designed for docktail parties, dinners, and hanging out with marina friends. From a wetbar and optional refrigerator to the flameless Kenyon grill, everything for the perfect day or night on the water is within easy reach.

Below deck, Sea Ray interior designers had a field day, choosing high-quality touch points of native materials, contrasting black and whites, and teak accent pieces to create a stylish cabin with inviting comforts for an oasis-like retreat on the water. The hullside windows and a skylight bring the warmth of natural light inside. The cabin includes a forward V-berth, a plush L-shaped couch, a smart TV and gourmet galley appliances for a cozy date night experience.

The couch converts into the master bed, and the mid berth features fill-in cushions to form a queen-size bed. These were rather well-engineered from a transformational aspect, meaning no need for a storage space for filler cushions. Throughout the entire boat every inch was planned to maximize space, function and storage.

A spacious head with separate shower features spa-like finishes and is light and airy. As a father of two children, I noticed that there was no privacy curtain between cabins, so expect to see some minor tweaks from hull No. 1 and the boat you buy. Adding an icemaker, adjusting a trash receptacle and moving a cable placement to gain access to a sea strainer in the engine room were a few other recommendations I gave to Sea Ray’s design team to work on.

As for performance, the triple V8s with joystick piloting got the nearly 25,000-pound boat up on plane in under six seconds. We had the full complement of 250 gallons of fuel, a crew of five aboard and a fairly flat sea condition. To maximize fuel efficiency, Sea Ray offers the automatic engine trim system, Active Trim, and optional Dynamic Running Surface. Turns were crisp, with no serious drop-off in forward speed.

Sea Ray is touring the all-new Sundancer 370 Outboard throughout the summer. As the company marks a significant milestone in Sea Ray’s history, this model represents not only the relaunch of the Sundancer family but also the reinvention of Sea Ray through inspired design.