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n the bigger scheme of things, 2005 doesn’t seem like very long ago. But four years in the pleasure-boating industry brings lots of change: an influx of European styling, upgraded electronics, and most importantly, the introduction and meteoric rise of pod drives. With all the advances piling up, it’s not that big of a surprise that Sea Ray decided to replace its 52 Sundancer. After all, it had recently come out with its 48 and 55 Sundancers and a 540 would fill the gap in that size range. And this boat does so while incorporating plenty of improvements over her predecessor.
The 540’s Zeus drives are the most prominent au courant feature and were promptly tasked as Sea Ray company captain Tom Donnelly maneuvered our boat through a slender passage in the mangroves out to open water. I stood on the port side deck staring downward, watching the wake break against the rough limestone, just feet from the 540’s gently flared hull (more so than the 52’s) with its 4'2" draft. We edged forward. Then as we entered the fairway, Donnelly used the joystick to quickly spin the vessel in her own length, and we began our cruise downstream.
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It was one of those Florida winter days when you’re forced to break out something more than a T-shirt. The air temperature of 50 degrees would have had me shivering were it not for my parka (I’d flown in from New York the night before) and a steady blast of heat from the Cruisair reverse-cycle air conditioner topside. And besides, the 540 had something the 52 did not: a fully enclosed helm area. On warmer days, electric windows on either side lift about a foot, as does the center windshield panel, letting fresh air circulate. If that weren’t enough, the retractable sunroof—which contains four glass panels—can also ventilate the helm. But not on this morning. We tested all of them to make sure they worked properly, then buttoned them closed.
Heading down the Indian River alongside Merritt Island, I was eager to see what other differences Zeus would make on the 54'9" Sundancer. I knew that Sea Ray had already tried out the system on its 38 and 44 Sundancers, but I figured that this would be a more refined ride than either of them. What I wasn’t ready for, however, was exactly how well this considerably bigger boat would handle.
I pushed the electronic controls all the way forward until the 540 reached her top speed of nearly 36 mph, which took about 25 seconds. The 600-hp Cummins MerCruiser QSC 8.3s purred along, creating a moderate reading of 83 dB-A. I began a slow, slalom-style run down the four-boat-length-wide channel, turning the boat gently to port then back to starboard. The resistance on the wheel was perfect: enough to keep her tracking straight when I took my hands off it yet light enough to make her 47,000 pounds come around with about the same effort it takes to maneuver a big SUV.
“I’m gonna slow her down to see how she handles a hard-over turn,” I told Donnelly. He looked at me, the corners of his eyes slightly raised, his brow furrowed with curiosity. “Why?”
At first I thought I’d misunderstood, but he continued, “No need to slow down. Go ahead. Hard over.” I shrugged and, still a bit hesitant about executing the turn at this speed without leaving the boundaries of the narrow channel and ending up in the flats, commenced an only slightly more prudent Williamson turn.
To my surprise (and relief), the 540 not only U-turned within 21⁄2 boat lengths, she did so smoothly and without creating enough centripetal force to fling either gear or people across the helm station. I proceeded to execute the same maneuver over and over again, watching the boat slow to 2500 rpm (24 mph), spin around with no perceptible slippage, and accelerate back up to top speed in the opposite direction.
At slow speeds, she handled with equal poise. I headed north (upwind) and attempted to lay the 540 along an invisible line between two channel markers using just her electronic controls. I got her into position with a few gentle bumps of the levers, fore and aft, though it did take some concentration. When I switched over to the Zeus joystick all hesitation disappeared. She walked sideways into the 10-mph breeze and responded smoothly to all helm input. The low-end torque steer I’d noted on some other Zeus boats was non-existent. This was exactly the right amount of power for this size boat.
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