This popular Sundancer model can boogie like never before, thanks to its Zeus propulsion system.
By John Clemans
Zeus isn't the god of the sun or the sea, but Zeus has breathed new life into Sea Ray's Sundancer lineup. The Sundancer 48 is the second Sea Ray whose hull has been retooled to accept Cummins MerCruiser Diesel's revolutionary propulsion system. I spent two days aboard the boat attempting to find a fly in the ointment, but there isn't one.
"Can I dock it, please?" That's what owners of a Zeus-powered boat will hear from children of all ages — as well as from friends, relatives and whoever else steps aboard. The demo captain who ran this boat at a recent show taught his 10-year-old daughter to back it into a slip between two pilings in less than an hour. "The gaming generation gets it right away," says Greg Garland, Sea Ray's marketing specialist.
"It" is the Zeus joystick that controls the system's twin 550 hp diesels and their azipod drives at slow speeds and literally lets you control the boat with one hand tied behind your back. You can also slide it sideways without the help of a bow thruster. The existence of Zeus means people who have discovered the remarkable performance of pod drives aren't limited to Volvo's IPS system. The Zeus joystick is closer to the size of a squash ball than a gum ball. The system's exhausts are above rather than below the waterline and the props are aft rather than forward of the drives, which, says Garland, "is where God intended them to be."
Life aboard the sleek 48 is ultra-comfortable, with the two staterooms separated by the salon and galley, each with its own head. The helm deck, with its distinctively shaped side windows, has a standard hardtop with overhead lighting and two large opening sunroof hatches. The optional hydraulic swim platform, which our test boat had, can accommodate a 10-foot dinghy.
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DOCKING FRIENDLY. Zeus joystick on hand. |
| Sea Ray 48 |
| Specifications |
| Price (w/test power) |
$1,091,312 |
| LOA |
51' |
| Beam |
14'8" |
| Draft |
48" |
| Weight(dry) |
34,250 lbs. |
| Transom Deadrise |
19 degrees |
| Fuel |
400 gals. |
| Water |
110 gals. | |
| Performance |
| TEST POWER: (2) 550 hp Cummins MerCruiser Diesel QSC diesels with Zeus drives. Speeds measured by GPS in Government Cut in Miami with two people aboard, half fuel and half water. Fuel flow measured by SmartCraft instrumentation. Sound levels measured at the helm in dB-A. |
| RPM |
KNOTS |
GPH |
DB-A |
| 600 |
5.4 |
1.3 |
67 |
| 900 |
7.5 |
3.2 |
70 |
| 1200 |
9.4 |
7.6 |
77 |
| 1500 |
10.6 |
15.0 |
79 |
| 1800 |
10.9 |
26.0 |
85 |
| 2100 |
21.0 |
34.9 |
85 |
| 2400 |
27.9 |
36.9 |
87 |
| 2700 |
34.1 |
43.7 |
87 |
| 3000 |
40.2 |
60.1 |
91 |
TOUGH WHEN IT'S ROUGH: The first day aboard we left Miami and headed for Stuart, Florida. The farther we went, the rougher it became. Only 12 miles out, we were in 6- to 8-foot seas and had slowed to 10 mph. In many boats, even this size, you have to think twice before reversing course in such conditions, but with a swing of the wheel the 48 made a totally safe 180
CAN-DO ATTITUDE: When the 48 fell into a 6-foot hole coming off a wave, it absorbed the shock without complaint. When on plane, the boat ran higher out of the water and at a flatter attitude than a V-drive boat would have. In fact, it felt more like an outboard-powered boat than one with diesels — it was lively and quick to get over the hump, which improved visibility.
Sea Ray, www.searay.com |
Other Sea Trials featured this month:
- More Electronics from past issues.
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