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The
saloon features two settees, one U-shape to starboard with enough room
for five and another to port that can seat two more guests in comfort.
Add the starboard dinette forward on the same level (opposite a galley
equipped with a full-size Norcold refrigerator/freezer, three-burner Kenyon
stovetop, and Sharp microwave/convection oven), and you could conceivably
host cocktails for 10 without anyone fidgeting for space.
The
proportions of the master stateroom aft are in keeping with the saloon.
Certain touches accent its luxury: I especially like the six-drawer dresser
along the forward bulkhead. Above it there is one cabinet of deep cedar-lined
shelves and another hiding a 20-inch TV/VCR. Splitting the starboard head
and shower with a vanity also combines elegance and practicality. It helps
open up the space, which is nearly the width of the yacht, and it allows
both occupants of the room to use its facilities simultaneously. In addition
to a pair of cedar-paneled hanging lockers, stowage also includes a bin
under the queen-size berth with enough room for a full set of golf clubs.
Guests
are comfortably accommodated well out of earshot in a forepeak cabin with
a full-size island berth (opening onto a dual-access head with shower)
and in a midcabin whose recessed double berth converts to twins when you
remove its bolster.
I found
another set of twins when I lifted a hatch in the center of the saloon:
two optional 660-hp Caterpillar 3196TA diesel inboards. The alley between
these big engines is a little narrow, barely wider than the span of my
shoulders, and without hatches directly over each engine, access to their
outboard sides is not at all easy. But the compartment is well organized,
and daily maintenance can be undertaken comfortably enough.
I followed
my perusal of the engine compartment with another look down below, at
the utility room, accessed beneath hinged stairs just forward of the galley.
This compartment houses a standard, all-in-one washer/dryer, water heater,
and dry stowage for tools, spare parts, and lots of additional galley
supplies. One look and I realized that along with the impressive amount
of space in the galley and under the saloon settees, provisioning the
480 for weeks of cruising would be a piece of cake.
I pondered
that possibility as we pulled away from Sea Ray’s private harbor.
A few weeks of cruising is no problem for a retired astronaut with a wife
who works magic. Unfortunately, Don Walden, Sea Ray’s performance
quality-assurance specialist, and I had only an afternoon, but it was
a fine one, with a cloudless sky and a light breeze. Cool and comfortable
under the hardtop, we reached 36 mph at wide-open throttle (2325 rpm)
in a section of the ICW between Merritt Island and the mainland. At a
2000-rpm cruise, we broke 30 miles per hour for a range of 285 miles.
The 480 was a little loud at WOT, reaching 91 dB on the decibel meter.
But note that at just 100 rpm less the reading dropped to 88 dB, and at
2000 rpm engine noise was down to 86 dB. According to Walden, Sea Ray
is looking into ways of further muffling the engines.
Virtually
in the shadow of Cape Canaveral, it was impossible not to compare the
480’s performance to a rocket launch. No doubt a NASA veteran would
smile at the comparison: The smooth, steady climb of this yacht up out
of the hole and onto plane was a far cry from the violent blast of a rocket
leaving the launch pad. And maneuvering the boat with the help of Teleflex
electronic controls and power-assisted steering was an exhilarating pleasure
devoid of the stress that must accompany a space mission. In fact, it
was easy to imagine our fictional Major Nelson gazing down from cold,
lonely orbit unable to stop himself from wishing he were enjoying a sunny
afternoon on just such a yacht. So long as he made the wish to Sea Ray—rather
than poor bumbling Jeannie—he’d almost certainly be pleased
with the outcome.
Sea Ray Boats
(800) SRBOATS. Fax:
(314) 213-7878. www.searay.com.
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