Americans dub “sunroom” the spaces flooded with natural light. And aboard Sea Ray 510 Sundancer there’s plenty of.
I remember the first Sea Ray I tested, in the Eighties: it seemed like a small ranch, with inlaid wood and damask fabrics everywhere. Nowadays, this Sea Ray 510 Sundancer is light-years ahead. Light itself make the difference, thanks to windows all around and modern, bright furniture. It’s the best means to enjoy navigation, in the Med or in Florida Keys.
Sea Ray 510 Sundancer: the deck
Before the deck, let’s take a look at the hull. Being designed for the oceans, Sea Ray 510 Sundancer features a 19° deadrise and a deep-V keel in order to face any sea condition. The Zeus transmissions are very efficient and easy to use thanks to the joystick control, which has become a must-have to maneuver the boat when docking.
The deck is sober and linear, granting a huge amount of light to get in without hindering the look with windows everywhere. The tapering profile on the superstructure and the dark elements which include the glass all give their contribution to a sleek design.
In the cockpit the dinette is on the port side, with a couch and a table which turn of course into a solarium. On the opposite side a grill adds functionality to the inside kitchen, located to aft in order to serve both the outer and inner spaces. The rational functionality of the design shows how Sea Ray 510 Sundancer has been conceived by a company which knows real boaters and their needs. The fore sun bed is well sized and safe to reach thanks to the (frankly narrow) passageways, which are supported by handrails and guardrails. Last mention is for the swim platform, which features a hidden hydraulic gangway.
Sea Ray 510 Sundancer: interiors
Enjoying your boat means also to cook quite frequently, that is why Sea Ray 510 Sundancer features two galleys. The first, closer to a kitchenette and completed by the cockpit grill, is on the main deck, while we’ll talk of the second one later. Still on the main deck, the wow factor comes from the amount of light entering from every side. The ceiling features two glass elements which can slide open, or be darkened with shades.
A stainless-steel and wood companionway, which may seem a bit essential at the first glance, lead to the lower deck, where the choice of layout sports a second dinette and galley, and two double cabins with en-suites. The full-beam master room is amidships, and features double bed to starboard and bathroom to port – but with day sink, which means that the sink counter with its mirror and cabinet is not separated from the room itself. The guest cabin is in the back and features a classical layout but high quality material and finishing, as expected by a leading boat manufacturer. The color schemes are very “European”, in the best effort from Sea Ray to conquer the Mediterranean markets.
Sea Ray 510 Sundancer: the test
Our test field will be Mandelieu, French Riviera, where Sea Ray has located their Mediterranean headquarters. The sea is calm, but the main issue is with the hull, which is not properly “clean” after one year in the water. We’ll see how that hindered performance, still with good consumption figures. The main quality of the boat is the behavior when crossing the waves we made: the entrance is smooth and the passage sharp, with no creaking whatsoever.
It’s a boat made for the Ocean, and very well built too. The turning radius is pretty low, although at the cost of an evident side tilt which compromises visibility. The visibility itself remains perfect when taking speed before planing, with the help of the automatic balance control.
The general feeling is that of a very sturdy boat, which gives confidence and safety.
Our performance readings of Sea Ray 510 Sundancer are in the chart below, we just add the information about minimum planing speed which is at 1900 rpm, 12 knots, the engines burning 97 liters per hour. Not properly frugal, but that is the price to pay for such a hull.
Read our preview presentation of Sea Ray 450 Sundancer, with video
The numbers of Sea Ray 510 Sundancer
Length overall 15.49 m (50ft 10in)
Beam 4.47 m (14ft 8in)
Draft 1.27 m (4ft 2in)
Displacement 19686 Kg
Engines Cummins QSC 550 HO 2×543 HP
Fuel reserve 1514 l (400 US gal)
Fresh water reserve 416 l (110 US gal)
Passengers 6/8
Performance
Test conditions
Calm sea, temperature 27°C (81° F), soiled hull, fuel 530 l (140 US gal), fresh water 400 l (105 US gal), passengers
Indicative price (VAT not included)
Cummins QSC 550 T3 2×526 HP from € 1.062.912
