New 38 Features More Room Throughout

Sea Ray raises the bar again, and leaves nothing out with this new model for 2006.

By Capt. Bob Smith

Now you may remember the old 380 from a few years ago, and you may think there isn’t much more to bring to the market, but Sea Ray really outdid themselves with their new release of the 38 Sundancer for 2006. The 38 SD fills the space between the 36 Sundancer and the 40 Motor Yacht.

Thoughtful Features

Walk up to this new model and two things will immediately grab your attention; first, the standard fiberglass hardtop with aft sunshade offers excellent protection from the elements and secondly the optional sun pad on the front. This unique pad has a frame system that pops up the back end of it to become a backrest for sipping your favorite beverages, or reading the novel you haven’t been able to finish.

Stern cleats are placed on two levels to allow easy line handling from any dock. The extra large swim platform graces the back of the 38 and provides a wonderful place to enjoy the day when at anchor. Tucked underneath the swim platform is a deep reach telescoping swim ladder for easy boarding. On either side of the stern are lockers for gear and connections for shore power, telephone and cable. Organizers keep the dock lines ready. The center walkthrough takes you into the cockpit where Euro styling and comfort are abundant.

Cockpit Layout

The aft seating nearly wraps around the entire cockpit with the added filler cushion. The cushion fills the space for the side step when docking alongside a pier. The cockpit table fits neatly below one cushion when not in use and sets up quickly for serving snacks. Lower the table and add filler cushions and this becomes a lounger for soaking up some rays or letting the children nap topside.

If you enjoy watching videos, then opt for the 17” flat screen TV with built-in DVD player for the cockpit. And with the topside wet bar you don’t have to keep going back to the galley. It includes a sink with facet, trash receptacle and a NorCold refrigerator. There is also dedicated space for the carry-on cooler to keep a bag of ice handy for the drinks.

Helm Features

The helm is set up to capture the feel of luxury at sea. The wood accented tilt wheel is the center of attention with tons of room for optional equipment to supplement the standard engine gauges and Mercury SmartCraft instrumentation aboard. Optional equipment such as the Northstar 6000i Radar/GPS/Chartplotter lets you take your home on the sea anywhere you like. Autopilot helps keep you on target while you find your way on the long runs offshore and it also allows you to take your hands off the wheel with some ease of mind.

The helm seat is a swivel-bucket style with flip-up thigh-rise bolster, armrests, slide adjustments and a neat pneumatic vertical adjustment. Having banged my knees on many helms, I really appreciate the addition of the knee bolster at the helm for more comfort when stand-up driving. Even the co-pilot seat is comfortable and extra wide so another rider can join you at the front.

Moving Forward

Rather than breaking up the dash with steps leading to the bow, entry to the bow is down the sides of the 38 DA. There are plenty of hand-hold rails, but the walkway was pretty narrow for my size 13D foot. I believe that it’s a good thing to give up some space here to keep the cockpit and salon width, just use caution when dashing forward to grab an errant fender or line. The windlass is covered to keep the bow clean smooth and the line locker has a washdown connection inside to clean the anchor. An optional dual spotlight with a turning radius of 360 degrees will help with spotting the buoys and safely getting through tight spots in the dark.

In the Cabin

Heading down below, entry is gained with flying wood steps that keep the space open and large. Cherry wood finish creates a luxurious look to the salon and galley. The salon couch has Ultraleather with extra thick cushions for long lasting and extreme comfort. The bottom slides out to reveal more storage and filler cushions can convert this into another berth. Above the couch are cabinets boxed in by the speaker system. The aft cabinet houses the sound system components. The table uses the same beautiful cherry wood and stores neatly under the V-berth mattress in dedicated space.

The mid-cabin has tremendous overhead room when seated. The conversation area becomes a large berth at night when needed, and has a wraparound privacy curtain to separate the space from the salon.

Practical Galley

The port galley has the necessary space and equipment for you to keep the meals going even at sea. Dishes can be stored neatly in cabinets above with pegs to keep them from sliding around. The countertop has plenty of food preparation space as well as a sink and double-burner cooktop. Sea Ray also outfitted this model with a microwave, refrigerator, freezer and a large cabinet for the cookware with four drawers for utensils and silverware.

Owner’s Stateroom

The main stateroom is located forward and features a V-berth. The pocket entry door saves valuable floor space and inside you have a comfortable area to rest. This stateroom is complete with two lighted hanging lockers for your clothes and your own private 17” flat screen LCD TV.

The head on the 38 is split with the shower to starboard and the toilet to port. This arrangement allows them to be used separately and speeds up the process of everyone getting ready in the morning. The toilet can also be accessed from either the salon or the forward stateroom.

Specifications and Performance

This all-new entry from Sea Ray measures 39 feet length overall and has a beam of 12’6”. She weighs 18,500 pounds and draft requirements are 37 inches with the standard inboards. She carries a total of 250 gallons of fuel and can carry up to 55 gallons of fresh water.

We tested this new model is some pretty tough chop near San Destin, Florida. Under these conditions the 38 proved the ride can still be comfortable even in rough water, and handling was smooth. With twin 8.1 MerCruiser Horizons, we found her best cruise around 3500 rpm running 24.3miles-per-hour for a range of 159 miles on a full tank of gas. She topped out at 4750 rpm traveling 34.7 miles-per-hour with a fuel burn of 61.8 gallons-per-hour. The 380 planed in 7.2 seconds and passed the 30 mile-per-hour mark in only 11.9 seconds.

This new 38 Sundancer will be a big hit for Sea Ray. If you are ready to move up to the next level of comfort, or need to come down in size and don’t want to give up the luxuries you’ve been used to, then this model will make you feel right at home.

• Top speed for the Sea Ray 38 Sundancer (2006-) is 34.7 mph (55.8 kph), burning 61.8 gallons per hour (gph) or 233.91 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Sea Ray 38 Sundancer (2006-) is 24.3 mph (39.1 kph), and the boat gets 0.71 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.3 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 159 miles (255.89 kilometers).


• Tested power is 2 x 370-hp MerCruiser 8.1 S Horizon.