Boat test for the 2008 Sea Ray 47 SB with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2008 Sea Ray 47 SB.

Two more Palm Coast firsts for the 47 are a 17-kW Onan genset and standard twin 574-hp Cummins MerCruiser QSC 600 V-drives. Since these features are larger than what Sea Ray typically offers in this size vessel (i.e. the 48 Sundancer has a 9-kW Onan genset and a pair of 517-hp Cummins MerCruiser QSC 8.3-540 diesel V-drives standard), I began to ponder the question of weight distribution. Unlike the 52 SB, with its 640-hp Cummins MerCruiser QSM-11 straight inboards, the close-coupled V-drives on the 47 put the weight well aft. And compared to the V-driven 44 SB with the Cummins MerCruiser 500 QSCs, the 47 has bigger struts and larger-diameter shafts. Looking around the engine room, I noted the black-water tank was back there as well. With all these hefty components aft, I couldn't help but wonder how they would affect her running angles.

I didn't have to wait long to find out. We were soon out of the slip and onto the sleepy, smooth waters of the ICW. Cautious not to wake the aluminum skiffs fishing in the reeds, we kept our speed under 6 mph with both engines engaged. Once clear, we shoved the throttles forward and made the repeated north and south runs necessary to get our performance data. The 47's running angles never exceeded 61/2 degrees, and visibility from the helm was never obscured.

Unable to perform much rigorous maneuvering in this thin cut of the ICW—I did make some S-turns and pirouettes using the optional thrusters—we returned her to the dock and easily backed her into her slip (sans thrusters) despite the fact that the helmsman has a blind spot in the aft-port quarter. Sightlines are fine on all other points.

Putting the 47 back into her slip among all the other Sea Rays made me think again about how she fits between the 44 and 52 and how really different she is from them. All three have similar equipment and standard features, but new thinking about the saloon traffic flow and upgrades in engines and other gear have created a model that maintains continuity with the rest of the line yet fills a niche—and fills it well.

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SPOTLIGHT ON: Flip-Up Window

Opening outward into the cockpit, the optional swinging stainless steel door and flip-up window create a wide-open entrance into the saloon. The window has pneumatic struts that slowly open it so it can function as a pass-through from the aft galley. But the real benefit is the openness it creates between the cockpit and the saloon, creating what is essentially a nautical great room. Open the saloon's sliding window amidships, and you take full advantage of any passing breezes. For those summer nights when someone's laboring in the galley but still wants to keep chatting with those on the aft deck, mosquito-blocking screens are also included.—G.R.

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