The Sea Ray 44 Sedan Bridge manages to keep the company’s trademark sweeping lines and sleek profile while adding a flybridge for better visibility.

Capt. Steve Says ...

I’ll admit, I’m one of those boaters that hears the words “Sea Ray” and thinks “express cruiser.” But I like the fact that Sea Ray is diverse enough to accommodate those that need the better visibility while still wanting to maintain their brand loyalty. And a sedan adds a lot of room to the boat by getting the helm out of the main cabin. These are two strong reasons why I usually prefer sedans or convertibles over express cruisers, and usually they don’t cost that much more.



Plenty of seating on the bridge and a center mounted helm. The salon is a roomy gathering spot, and the galley down layout offers more space in the salon. Note the two staterooms and two en suite heads.

The Flybridge ...

So often, builders put the helm over to starboard, but I like the ambidextrous visibility of the center mounted helm. It also feels more natural (at least to me) to be in the centerline when I’m higher up. The roll and pitch just feel easier to manage from the centerline rather than off to one side. The Sea Ray 44 Sedan Bridge has a very comfortable feel to it and it also has an inviting charm for gathering. Whenever a boat is underway, the helm tends to be the center of attraction, and allowing for gathering in that area is always a plus.

Sea Ray has a companion seat to port of the helm, for the welcome second set of eyes facing forward, and if you’d like a third pair, you have an option of adding a second companion seat to starboard (add $4,083) but you may want to give that third seat careful consideration. It requires removing the starboard storage cabinet and going without bridge air conditioning. If you’re like me, you boat in all weather, short of storms, and that means the bridge might be surrounded with isinglass.

The bridge heat and a/c will then be a welcome addition (add $10,833). Alternatively, you could opt for leaving the bridge open and add a lower helm station (add $37,500). The U-shaped seating aft rounds out the accommodations for the entire crowd to be where the action is.



The center mounted helm is a welcome sight. All the switches are grouped together, and there’s plenty of room for electronics packages.

The salon...

Typically, this boat is being used by two couples or an average family. If a crowd is onboard, then it’s just for a party and not really an overnight cruise. Thus, the salon has ample seating for everyone and we’re all facing each other. There’s plenty of natural light and the large sliding door has a screen to let fresh air vent throughout the boat.

The entertainment center is easily seen by all and the galley down layout gives the room to install a C-shaped settee with a beautiful wood table that is on a swing out base. The problem is, it’s a bit hard to have four people eating at the same time. I think booth style seating might be better, but the space isn’t large enough for that, so Sea Ray has made a nice compromise. In fact, this boat lends itself to cruising to a destination and eating there, and then coming back to have docktails before turning in. The settee will be used more for quick lunches while underway (and the skipper is topside).

For me, I’d rather have the lower helm station instead of the settee, so my family can cruise in inclement weather without enclosing the flybridge. Other’s feel differently, so that’s why Sea Ray offers options. Not every layout fits every boater. Give us choices and you’ll win every time. One of the sofas converts to a sleeper for the additional guests.



The salon is warm and inviting with lots of natural light. The upper dining area can be swapped out with a lower helm station. The galley down allows for more room above. Check out two of the eight entertainment center speakers over the windows. They are Bose Cubes and if you have never heard them you are in for a treat as they have huge, rich sound. Seats are standard Ultraleather – the best material on the market.

Below decks...

I love that the galley is down. I’m not here to cook a meal, and I know my wife isn’t, so having room for entertaining above is just the ticket for us. There is a master stateroom forward with a full sized island berth, plenty of storage and natural light coming from the overhead hatch. Both heads are roomy and feature walk in showers with overhead skylights. The guest stateroom has two twin berths, and a filler board and cushion converts it instantly to a king sized berth. Not bad for guests.



Check out this roomy guest stateroom. The two twin berths can easily be converted to a single king with the addition of a filler board and cushion. Both the master and guests have their own head with walk in shower. There is stand-up head room at the base of the beds and in the head.

Power choices! and specs...

Engine choices are an interesting aspect to the 44 Sedan Bridge. There aren’t any. She comes to you powered with a pair of 478-hp CMD QSC-500 Diesel V-drives with ETS. This was an option on previous models, and it performed so well that it’s standard now, and Sea Ray sees no need to offer a smaller (and probably under-powered) option for no other reason than to have a lower base price. I like the V-drives, since I’m quite comfortable maneuvering with them, and if you feel it’s necessary, there are bow thrusters available as an option (add $11,750).

Sea Ray is owned by Brunswick which is in partnership with Cummins, which forms CMD (Cummins MerCruiser Diesel) which is the reason this brand of diesel has been picked to power the boat.

Basic Specifications

The Sea Ray 44 Sedan Bridge has a LOA of 45'5"/13.84 m, a beam of 14'3"/4.27 m, and a draft of 44"/112 cm. Her dry weight is 28,500 lbs/12,927 kg; she holds 350 gal/1,324 L of fuel and 120 gal/454 L of water. Her MSRP base price is $745,000 including freight.

While we haven’t yet tested this model, I’d be interested in seeing the numbers we generate, especially with upgraded engines now offered as standard. She fits very well as a coastal cruiser and equally well as a dockside entertainment platform.