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Another quirk that our
test site revealed was the difference between running in fresh water and
salt water. All the way to Knoxville, Sea Ray’s technicians kept
shaking their heads and muttering that the yacht had been 2 to 3 knots
faster in Florida. Her Caterpillar 3196TA diesels are rated to develop
776 hp at 2300 rpm, and during Sea Ray’s own trials in Florida the
540 CMY consistently ran 32 to 33 mph, turning 2280 rpm at WOT. But the
most we could coax out of her in Tennessee was a tad over 30 mph at 2230
rpm.
After ruling out a mechanical
problem, we pondered the fact that because salt water has higher density
than fresh water, it produces more buoyant force at any given draft. (That’s
why it’s easier for a swimmer to float in salt water.) Conversely,
a hull sinks to a deeper draft in fresh water and so has more wetted surface
area, producing higher drag. That could easily explain why the 540’s
Caterpillar engines were not developing full-rated rpm and the yacht was
not making her expected speed. If you’re planning to run this boat
primarily in fresh water, a reduction in propeller pitch would allow the
diesels to develop full rpm and probably overcome most of the added drag.
Running our tests in
a major inland waterway did provide a great opportunity for assessing
maneuverability and visibility from the helm, as we were always on the
lookout for floating tree limbs and miscellaneous debris. Forward sightlines
were excellent from both the flying bridge and the pilothouse helm station,
while large side windows and a sliding door from the saloon to the cockpit
gave the lower helm station exceptionally good visibility all around.
Speaking of the cockpit,
it’s covered in fiberglass (although it comes with a snap-in carpet
liner) and is self-bailing. Although there are two rod holders, there
aren’t any other fishing amenities, since as stated earlier Sea Ray’s
dealers and customers just liked the design of a cruising cockpit motoryacht.
What it does have, however, is stowage in side panels and more stowage
below the molded steps leading up to the flying bridge.
The remainder of the
540’s layout is just as well thought out. Just inside the lockable
sliding door leading into the saloon is an electronics cabinet with space
for a cellphone, stereo, and CD player. Distribution panels for the 120/240-volt
a.c. and 24-volt d.c. systems are easily accessible behind cabinet doors
on the starboard side. Another nice standard feature was the Iso-boost
boosting isolation transformer, which monitors the voltage of incoming
shore power, adjusting automatically to compensate for the inevitable
voltage dips that occur when your boat is plugged in at the far end of
a long pier.
Offering large stowage
spaces beneath, the saloon sofa and love seat are both finished in butter-soft
Ultraleather, nicely complementing the high-gloss wood finish of a hi-lo
dining and cocktail table. The saloon and adjoining galley are designed
to permit panoramic views from the pilothouse, which is situated up two
steps forward. No bulkheads obstruct the driver’s view, and stowage
spaces and appliances in the galley and saloon are kept below the level
of the large side windows to further enhance visibility.
The pilothouse itself
offers a centerline helm station with a single helm seat and large settee
on the starboard side, both covered in Ultraleather. Gauges are mounted
for easy viewing without having to look down, and switches are all within
easy reach. The feature I really liked was a hatchway beneath the dash
that opened into a large space behind the console, big enough to offer
comfortable sitting headroom while accessing the backside of all the electronics
and with room left over to stow a mountain of gear.
Almost as impressive
was the below-decks layout. Stairs alongside the helm station led down
the port side to the accommodation spaces. Directly beneath the pilothouse
is the master stateroom, with a queen-size berth angled on the port side
to allow easy walkaround access. Beneath the stairway there’s a compact
washer-dryer unit, and tucked into the aft bulkhead behind a cabinet door,
a complete water system manifold, allowing you to shut down any individual
line in the water system if a problem arises. The starboard side is occupied
by separate compartments for the head and shower, with a sink between.
Pocket doors allow the vanity area to be closed off from the stateroom
for complete privacy.
The guest staterooms
down here are well suited for a large family or a pair of couples with
children. The forward stateroom offers a queen-size centerline berth with
cavernous stowage beneath, while the third stateroom has over and under
berths. The guest head is accessible from both the forward stateroom and
the hallway.
Comfortable amenities
aren’t limited to the 540’s interior. A stylish, fixed fiberglass
hardtop shades the majority of the flying bridge. Skylight hatches let
light in above the helm area. Side curtains and a powerful air conditioner
aided the hardtop in keeping our test boat’s flying bridge cool and
comfortable. The double helm seat offers power adjustment as a standard
feature, with a sink, wetbar, and a freezer with icemaker close by. Just
aft on the port side are a fore-and-aft facing double seat and dinette.
Aft of that, another fore-and-aft facing seat electrically folds out into
a large sunpad.
That sunpad would be
a great place to lay back and relax. But Sea Ray is doing just the opposite.
Not content with simply being the biggest in the industry, it’s made
a bold departure in response to what its customers have said they want.
Even though those customers probably won’t be reeling in fish over
the transom, they’ll be pursuing their favorite kind of boating just
as aggressively as Sea Ray is pursuing this new niche.
Sea Ray Boats
Phone: (800) 772-6287. Fax: (800) 648-7702. www.searay.com.
George L. Petrie
is a professor of naval architecture at the University of New Orleans
and provides maritime consulting services. His Web site is www.maritimeanalysis.com.
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