Tested by Capt. Bob Smith

The French Broad River in sunshine is much better that it is in the rain, unless you’re out fishing. Last year when I came here it was pouring down and we had to wait an extra day just to shoot film. This year it was beautiful, and so were the Sea Rays that were all lined up along the docks waiting for us to check them out for you.

The 205 Sport that I was going to be testing had the optional seating arrangement that converts a companion back to back seat into a sun lounger. The end is changed to have a motorbox shell that separates two jump seats sculpted into the rear area. This cuts down on the sun pad area, but if you’re really looking to invite more people and still have space, this arrangement makes much more sense. The swim platform is molded into the hull and has a telescoping ladder with a well positioned handle to help hoist yourself aboard after skiing or just relaxing in the water.

The Helm

The helm seat on this model has the swivel and slide adjustment so that anyone can be comfortable while at the controls. The helm is logically laid out with all controls in an easy to view arrangement. Instruments aboard included custom Sea Ray low-glare blue night lighting and stainless bezels. She has 4-in-1 gauge for the fuel, oil, voltmeter and water temperature gauges, a speedometer, tachometer with digital hour meter and a separate trim gauge for the throttle mounted trim switch. Steering is power assisted with a tilt wheel and is custom padded for your underway comfort. The switch panel is weather proof with aircraft style chrome toggle switches.

Cockpit Layout

Scattered around the boat are seven beverage holders so no one has to worry about where to rest their drinks. Armrests are sculpted into the sides for increased comfort. The lockable glove box keeps the stereo clean and dry and has a remote control at the helm. Our test boat had a very nice Clarion Marine AM/FM/CD stereo with two speaker system. If you really need to have the power to keep the cell phone charged, there’s is a 12vdc outlet, but I recommend leaving the phones at home so you can enjoy the day without interruptions.

Bow

Up front are two bench seats that meet in the V of the bow. Padded backrests against the console make the benches comfortable for lounging. Grab handles, sculpted arm rests and a cup holder complete the seating at the bow. An anchor locker is at the peak of the bow and is padded with carpeting to protect the gel coat inside, as is the storage below the bench seating.

Specs

The 205 Sport is 21 feet overall with an 8-foot wide beam. Sea Ray has not released here dry weight yet, but she is plenty nimble and seems to be able to trailer easily. By the way, the matching tandem axle trailer with swing away tongue is a standard item that is really great. The hull carries a limited lifetime warranty as well as the deck. If you are really into water sports, you can add an optional tower to this sweet ride.

Test Numbers and Performance

My test ride had the option of a 5.0L MerCruiser carbureted engine and Alpha One outdrive unit. This combination offers you much more beef for the water sports without really jacking the price up to the level of an electronically controlled engine. With two adults on board we had the 205 Sport up on plane in only 3.2 seconds. In just 6.6 seconds we were passing the 30 mph mark on our way to a top speed of 48.5 mph. She cruised along at 3500rpm at 34.8 mph. At cruise speed she burned 9.5 gph and had a range of 122 miles on the 37-gallon tank. At top speed she was turning 4750 rpm and zipping along at 48.5 mph burning 17.2 gph. At this speed you can expect to go about 94 miles before having to make a pit stop. Even with a beefy 5.0L MerCruiser with 220 horses, she was pretty quiet. She maxed out at only 88 dBa and was a relatively quiet 80 dBa at cruise.

The Ride

When we tested this boat on the river, we had lots of opportunity to see how she handles quick turns and changes in speed and direction. She responded well to the helm and made good tight turns without losing much in speed or cavitation. When challenged with a sudden branch popping up in the river indicating a possible log underneath, she stuck to the water and eagerly changed direction.

The 205 Sport certainly is a fine ride and will make a great family performance boat capable of taking the group out to ski, wakeboard or just ride around and cruise your favorite spots. Sea Ray has put some pretty nice features on this one to make it comfortable, affordable, and practical.

• Top speed for the Sea Ray 205 Sport is 48.5 mph (78.1 kph), burning 17.2 gallons per hour (gph) or 65.1 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Sea Ray 205 Sport is 34.8 mph (56 kph), and the boat gets 3.68 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.56 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 122 miles (196.34 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 220-hp MerCruiser 5.0L.