One Sleek Character

Test by Capt. Matt Barkley

Bowriders always make for a fun day on the water whether it’s skiing, wakeboarding, or just out cruising around. But some bow riders are more refined than others. The new Sea Ray 182 Bowrider is very refined and it is certainly a cut above the rest.

The 182 sports a new look this year with a sharp black and silver color scheme accented by pearl gel coat and white vinyl seating, and a custom graphics package. There’s also a new carbon graphite helm available and enhanced overall performance. Her good looks are perfectly matched to her already sleek profile. In fact, this is one quick little bowrider! It is quick to jump up on plane with little or no cavitation.

Up at the Bow

In the bow there’s a neatly hidden anchor locker with plenty of room for anchor line. The seating is in a molded wraparound design and is very comfortable for your passengers. Beneath the seats are storage compartments for gear, towels, or dry clothes. The curved walk-through tempered glass windshield provides easy access to the cockpit and good protection from the elements while underway.

The Helm

The helm boasts a sharp new look with a custom padded steering wheel, power assisted steering, power trim and tilt, audible engine alarms, high visibility gauges, 12-volt accessory outlet, and illuminated rocker switches. An AM/FM/CD by JVC also comes standard with two speakers. Dual swiveling buckets seats come standard and there’s a locking glove box just in front of the observer’s seat. There are also six molded drink holders throughout the boat so you can always put your drink down without worry. There’s a huge floor storage compartment that easily holds skis, wakeboards, and other large, bulky items that are essential for a fun day out on the water.

Roomy Cockpit

The cockpit is very roomy and features a comfortable aft bench with storage beneath to stretch out on while underway. There’s also a huge sun pad for sun lovers to lay out on when the vessel is at rest or moving slowly. The large sun pad doubles as the engine compartment hatch and is easily lifted thanks to the gas-assisted struts.

The Engine

MerCruiser really puts a lot of thought into the placement of key engine maintenance items like the oil fill, dipstick, and the coolant reservoir. You do it yourselfers will appreciate the ease of access. There’s huge storage compartments on each side of the engine….. plenty of room for additional gear, lines, or even rafts! There’s also a fire extinguisher to port which enables retardant to be sprayed into the engine compartment without opening the hatch. There’s also a new vent recovery gas fill to help prevent fuel spills when refueling.

Hopefully you’ll be spending some time on the swim platform. Its height gives easy access to the water and there’s a telescoping swim ladder to help get you back onboard.

Test Run

Our test vessel featured a MerCruiser 4.3 liter 190-hp engine coupled to an Alpha 1 outdrive. That’s plenty of power to pull a skier out of the water and the performance is impressive as well.

This is a fun boat to drive with very nimble power assisted steering and great agility and tracking through tight turns and rough water. Her 18’6” length and 7’6” beam enhance the ride while keeping the boat compact and easy to handle.

Performance

Out on the test track the 182 chalked up some pretty good numbers. We got a top speed of 48 mph turning 4700 rpm and generating a sound level of 97. The best cruise speed was determined to be 23 mph at 2500 rpm and burning a mere 2.6 gallons per hour. That means you can run this boat 207 miles between fill ups! The 182 is powerful as well with a time to plane of only 3.7 seconds and a 0-30 time of 5.8 seconds.

So there you have it…great new looks, fun yet economical performance, and easy to run. It even comes standard with a custom painted matching trailer! Just add fuel to this boat and have a great time!

For more information visit www.searay.com.

• Top speed for the Sea Ray 182 Bowrider is 47.9 mph (77.1 kph), burning 14.7 gallons per hour (gph) or 55.64 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Sea Ray 182 Bowrider is 23.0 mph (37 kph), and the boat gets 8.83 miles per gallon (mpg) or 3.75 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 207 miles (333.13 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 190-hp MerCruiser 4.3L MPI.