The Sea Ray 190 Sport has a LOA of 19’8” (5.99m) and a beam of 7’3” (2.21m) but it’s her 2600 lb (1179kg) that make her so easily transported.

The Mission

To offer a well-built bowrider model to boaters who seek a stylish, powerful, well-equipped boat for comfortable cruising and engaging in active watersports with friends and family at a reasonable price.



The 190 Sport’s moderate-V hull carries 19 degrees of deadrise at the transom. That is a good compromise between riding comfort in a chop and speed.

Distinguishing Features

• Choice of Gel Coat Color. Sea Ray offers three different graphic and gel coat color packages. Most builders charge extra for an optional gel coat color.

• Narrow Beam. At 7'3" (2.20 m) the Sea Ray 190 has one of the narrowest beam widths on the market in class. That carries with it a number of advantages, including making it easier to tow, easier to store in a standard garage, and easier to push through the water with the standard 3.0 L 135-hp engine.

• Low Displacement. Because the 190 has a narrow beam it follows that she will also be lighter, and she is one of the lightest bowriders in class. That should mean, all things being equal, that she will be more fuel-efficient both on the water and when being towed down the highway. Light weight and the narrow beam also should make her faster than she would be otherwise.

• Painted Trailer. The 190 comes standard with a painted trailer with disc breaks. While some low-priced boats come standard with a trailer, they are often not painted.

• Three Stern Hatches. Most boats in class have one or two hatches over the stern of the boat and engine room. The Sea Ray 190 has three hatches -- port and starboard gull wings to access storage spaces, and a hatch over the engine room which is hinged aft. All three hatches can be opened and accessed while the boat is under way.

• Gel Coated Engine Compartment. The 190 has a gel coated engine compartment which greatly aids the owner in keeping this boat looking clean and new. Engine rooms that are finished in the conventional way (i.e. without gel coat) are rough and collect dirt, oil and grime that is hard to remove. The engine room also has sound insulation.

• A Division of Brunswick. The Brunswick Corporation is the largest company in the recreational marine business and is also the maker of the MerCruiser sterndrive engines that power the boat.

Performance Features

Sea Ray’s all-new 19’ 8” (6.0 m) bowrider is built atop a hull that is a single degree shy of a true Deep-V design (20-24 degrees) to offer a comfortable ride in water conditions that would force modified-vee hulls back to the launch ramp, or its occupants a trip to the chiropractor. Matched with the standard 135-hp MerCruiser 3.0L MPI engine with Alpha I sterndrive, Sea Ray tells us that the rig will cruise in the high 30-mph range at wide open throttle. We have tested the boat powered with the optional 4.3L engine. See below.



The 190 Sport’s bow seating area offers good depth and leg room for young passengers.

Performance and Handling

The first thing I noticed about the 190 Sport’s performance is that she's quick off the line. A lot of that may have to do with the upgraded 4.3 L engine that brought us from the standard 135-hp up to 220-hp. We reached planing speed in only 4.8 seconds and accelerated to 30 mph and 11.2 seconds.

Once up on cruise just a couple of shots of up trim will bring it to the 5-degree bow high attitude that she wants to be in for best performance. If you bring up the trim anymore the propeller will start to ventilate. Full speed turns are aggressive so be sure everyone's hanging on as the 190 clings to the water like she's on rails. She's much more comfortable turning at cruising speeds where a slight slide makes the turn docile.

The 220-hp MerCruiser 4.3L reached top speed at 4520 rpm and 53.2 mph. At that speed we were burning 16.8 gph for range of 74 miles. Best cruise was reached at 2750 rpm and 27.3 mph. That reduced the fuel burn to only 5.8 gph for range of 110 miles while still allowing for 10% reserve.

Seating and Storage Features



This view shows the width of the forward seating and the armrests integrated into the gunwales. We like the padded backrest integrated into the bow to accommodate an aft-facing passenger on the centerline, and the forward location of the stereo speakers fed by a standard Sony stereo sound system.



Storage compartments found under each of the bow seats are carpeted. Note the recessed location of the cupholder. One of the lockers will be dedicated to holding the anchor and rode.



The Sea Ray’s consoles are topped by a sleek, low-profile black-framed windshield that may have taller occupants ducking the elements.

The 190’s compact helm console design allows a clear view of all three multi-gauges and digital depth finder over a standard tilt wheel that is padded and equipped with power-assisted steering. The layout offers easy access to the weatherproof switch panel with lighted chrome toggle switches and ignition to starboard. The throttle position is correctly placed for a seated or standing operator and situated over a handy open storage area with cup-holder recessed into the gunwale.



Cockpit options include bucket seats with flip-up bolsters and sectional, snap-in carpeting.



The bench seat base hides a large insulated ice chest and features deeply padded, premium vinyl contoured backrests. A pair of recessed, three-point hinges allows the seat cushion/lid to open fully.



Premium multi-point hinges are used to secure the gull-wing engine compartment hatches to allow them to open a full 90 degrees for ease of access to compartments below. The starboard panel features a built-in gas assisted lift support and covers a storage compartment hatch with a skid-resistant surface for access to and from the swim platform.



Specially designed gas-assisted lifts permit easy, uncluttered access to the Sport model’s engine compartment.



The grab rail mounted on the aft side of the engine compartment may be a reach for swimmers using the three-step, telescoping ladder. However, the molded-in base around which the ladder is folded provides a handhold to assist the boarding process.



While not quite as wide as the transom, the 190 Sport's standard extended swim platform reached beyond the lower unit. Note the stylized lines and bevels of the new Sea Ray bowrider model.



The new Sea Ray is available with three new graphics, gel-coat and vinyl color packages, two hull colors, and multiple canvas options, for a wide range of customization opportunities.

Observations

A custom-fitted, painted tandem-axle trailer comes standard with surge brakes and swing-away tongue for convenience and storage of the new 190. The engine has a limited 2-year warranty from Mercury. We like the gel-coated engine room, something you don’t see in many boats in this class.

Fitted with the optional 4.3 liter engine, the bowrider will have plenty of power for tow-sports with a crowd aboard. Because of the other options available owners can create their "own" custom version of the 190 to suit their needs and taste.

The standard 190 Sport with 3.0 liter power and custom trailer is priced at $31,146; rigged with the optional 4.3 liter power the package price is $36,684.

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions