What an incredible discovery: who would have thought that people with 30-footers would want to use their boats in cool or rainy weather just like people who owned 47-footers? A quick check of several other brands built for high European latitudes indicates a surprising dearth of hardtops in the 30-foot range. The smallest hardtop we were able to find built in Europe is the Bavaria 33 HT.



The helmsman can stand! Note the tilt steering wheel and the ergonomically-correct mounting of the throttles which are easy to use both sitting and standing.

Sea Ray has taken the 305 Sundancer and built a higher windshield and designed a new hardtop with a sliding center panel to aid passage through its opening windshield to the bow. We applaud Sea Ray for building this boat the right way, which is to say with full headroom over the helm so that the skipper can stand at the wheel without having to open the sun roof. Kudos to Sea Ray’s designers for resisting the temptation to make the windshield look “cool” by having it low and raked, thus requiring the helmsman to poke his head through the sun roof if he wanted to stand. We call this the tank driver concept.



The boat is easy to enter thanks to the large swim platform which and the thru-transom gate. Note snaps for cruising canvas across the stern.

Caution Required

We have one caveat: beware of CO and the “station wagon” effect. In Europe most 30’ powerboats have diesel engines which put out so little CO as not to be a concern. On the other hand most American 30-footers are gas-powered and so therefore susceptible to this danger. Starting January 1, 2010 Federal mandate will require catalytic converters on all marine gasoline inboard and sterndrive engines so then this will become a moot point.



This photo shows the standard 305 express model in the front and the 305 hardtop in the background.

From the Sea Ray International Press Release of June 29, 2009--

Included in the cockpit of the new 305 is a wet bar for fresh water, a refrigerator to store cold drinks and drink-holders that are installed throughout the entire cockpit. The faucet and the sink can be covered in the countertop. This is to create more space on the countertop when cooking or when needing room to place things. Next to the wet bar is the single burner gas cooker to cook meals that can be enjoyed at the cockpit table. The L-shaped seats can be converted into a large sun lounge area for enjoying a sunny day by putting down the cockpit table and pulling back the backseat.

The standard dashboard is user-friendly and has a compass, tachometer, speedometer, fuel level meter, oil pressure meter, water temperature & usage meter. This fresh design is unlike anything ever seen on a Sea Ray.



Sea Ray has put the bow flare port and starboard to good use with storage cabinets and cubbies.

Below Deck

Taking the stairs down to the spacious cabin, at first sight the galley is seen with a microwave, refrigerator, stove and sink. The wine rack is useful to store bottles securely in order to prevent the bottles from breaking during the trip. Again, the sink can be covered to create more space on the countertop.

The “U” shaped seating fits up to 5-6 adults and converts into a king-size bed of 1.90 meters long. This bed has room for 2 sleepers. Storage here can be found not only in the cabinets, but under the seating of the U-berth as well. To make the king-size bed, the removable table can be pulled down and filled with soft cushions.



The head is to left abaft the galley and the door opposite is to the private mid cabin that has standing headroom at the entrance.

Head and Mid-Cabin

Made of fiberglass, the head is fully equipped with a large mirror, toilet, shower (with curtain), sink, towel hanger and an opening port light. Storage can be found below and above the sink, behind the stainless steel handrail. The plug-in in the head allows the use of electrical appliances in the head.

The mid-cabin is enclosed with a door to make a private space. Here is a double bed, with storage in a hanging locker and upper and lower storage. To provide some outside light, there is also a sliding window with a screen.



The mid cabin is a good place to get some serious reading done.

This special design is unique for a boat of this size, its sporty look and specifications makes this boat act like a sportboat, but the inside shows something completely different; the luxury space of a big sport cruiser. Summarized, the new 305 Sundancer is an innovative and unique family boat to enjoy trips on the water.

For additional information, contact:

Glenn Zelen, Brunswick Netherlands B.V.

Oude Haagseweg 47

1066 BV Amsterdam

Phone +31 20 511 00 11 / Fax +31 511 00 22

Glenn.Zelen@Brunswick.com



Holland is a wonderful place to cruise and the new 305 hardtop is low enough to travel Europe’s canal systems.