2009 Sea Ray 52 Sundancer

Express cruisers seem to get larger every year in order, in large part, to meet customer demands for more liveaboard space. Some, like the Sea Ray 52 Sundancer, are true luxury yachts.

At the dock or at anchor, the 52 Sundancer provides the accommodation of a high-style condo. But when you fire up the twin 670-hp diesels, it provides the performance and excitement of a sportboat. That’s truly what luxury express yachts should do; the 52 Sundancer does it in spades.

At 53 foot, 4 inches, it’s the latest offering from the world’s largest builder of luxury express cruisers. It is part of Sea Ray’s line of express yachts that range from 38 to 60 feet, and incorporates an impressive lineup of high-tech features and luxury accommodations.

The 52 Sundancer is near the top of Sea Ray’s express lineup and fittingly showcases the company’s approach to design and innovation. And at first glance, the new boat’s distinctive swooping sheerline lets you know this is a Sea Ray. It’s stylish and visually attractive.

Like all great cruisers, though, the beauty is more than skin deep.Along with good looks, luxurious finishes and top-of-the-line equipment, the 52 Sundancer also has practical elements that will make sense to experienced cruisers.

Stepping aboard, the new Sundancer introduces you to a world of boating to which many cruisers aspire, but only a few get to experience every weekend.

Boarding aft is easy thanks to the massive optional remote-control hydraulic swim platform that extends the 52’s overall length to 54 foot, 9 inches (16.69 m). The designer’s use of flowing curves continues in the cockpit in the shape of the transom and starboard seating. The cockpit’s expansive space for entertaining is enhanced by the refreshment centre, which comes on the test boat with sink and pressure water, icemaker, refrigerator, under-counter storage and a flat-screen TV.

Two steps lead up to the helm area, where there is a swivelling double companion seat/lounger to port and a single seat with thigh-high flip-up bolster at the helm to make stand-up driving safe and comfortable in all conditions. There’s plenty of room for storage, another practical touch, under the companion seat and also under the L-shaped seating further aft.

A total of 10 beverage holders mean the cockpit can handle a real crowd, for owners who plan to entertain at dockside or at anchor. The hardtop will keep everyone dry and comfortable underway or at rest. Snap-in carpets add comfort.

The helm station is high-tech all the way. Sea Ray offers a wide range of optional and standard electronics that can be ordered to suit any owner’sneeds, starting with a  Raymarine E120 chartplotter with radar, fishfinder and autopilot, and ranging up to the Sea Ray Navigator touch-screen monitor. A Raymarine Radar GPS chartplotter combo plus a Sea Ray Navigator IV GPS chartplotter as a secondary display provides the kind of redundancy most captains will want on a boat like this. This kind of setup also gives the option of keeping an eye on radar and GPS charting on separate screens.

Smart Craft instruments keep tabs on the engines and a Smart Craft Vessel View display tracks additional engine parameters and systems. A well informed captain can never have too much information, especially when it comes to engines and fuel usage.

Four teak steps, floating on stainless steel supports, lead below to the salon, where high-gloss dark cherry curved cabinets and trim are accented by recessed electronically controlled lighting. The woodwork really sets off the below-deck accommodations. Immediately to port, the cabinets contain all of the electrical panels for the DC and AC systems.

An entertainment system complete with a 32-inch television, Bose home theatre system and Sirius satellite receiver are tucked away in the port-side bulkhead. It’s worth reporting that there are three flat-screen televisions below decks, including a 19-inch unit in the master stateroom and a 15-inch in the guest quarters.

To starboard in the salon are two Ultraleather sofas, one of which converts to a bed, and a high-low dining table. The U-shaped galley is forward to port and features solid surface countertops. The galley is equipped with a coffee maker, two-burner stove, single stainless sink,microwave/convection oven, and under-counter refrigerator and freezer units.

To provide the power to keep electrical equipment as well as the heating and air conditioning running, the 52 has a 13.5-kilowatt Onan diesel generator, with plenty of sound shielding. CO monitors will help ensure safe operation.

The port-side guest cabin has upper and lower bunks, a hanging locker and storage cabinets. The guest head features a cherry vanity and separate shower stall.

The master stateroom forward has an island queen berth, cherry storage cabinets, hanging lockers and a complete Bose entertainment system. The master head mirrors the guest head, only larger, which is fitting for the yacht’s owners.

Heads both have VacuFlush units,while all the closets have automatic lights. Fit and finish is excellent. These are the kind of details you can expect in a boat of this calibre.

Before heading out for our on-water test, I had a look below in the engine room. As one would expect on a 52 footer, there is plenty of space to access all engine maintenance points and systems. Those systems are all well installed and up to Sea Ray’s usual high standard.

An oil-changing system for engines and generator will make maintenance a little easier. A well-used cruiser will need sewage pump-outs even more frequently than oil changes, so Sea Ray provides a dockside pump-out feature for its 68-gallon (257-litre) holding tank.

After idling out into open water to warm up the optional Cummins MerCruiser Diesel QSM 11 670-hp engines (640-hp QSM 11’s are standard), we started our testing with some acceleration runs. Despite its bulk (the 52 weighs 40,015 lbs), the boat hit 20 mph in 8.6 seconds. High speed runs produced a very respectable 37.1 mph top speed. The Sundancer settled in at a very comfortable cruise of 30.7 mph at 2000 rpm.

Running at cruising speed, the Sea Ray handled full lock turns with grace, carving cleanly through test day’s light chop and through its own wake.

Every aspect of the 52 Sundancer’s layout and accommodations is impressive, both on deck and below, but the really impressive elements of this cruiser only come out underway. The helm, with all of its high-tech features, is a captain’s delight and the power of the Cummins diesels – along with the excellent characteristics of the Sea Ray’s 19-degree deadrise hull – make the 52 a pleasure to pilot.

Underway, on the hook or at dockside, the 52 Sundancer is a top performer.

TEST BOAT ENGINES
Twin CumminsMerCruiser Diesel QSM11s, 10.8 L (661 cid), 670 hp, inline six-cylinder, four-stroke turbocharged and after-cooled diesel inboards driving props through Vdrives

ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-20 / 8.6

TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
2300 / 37.1

CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
2000 / 30.7