I really enjoyed testing the new 260DA recently since I own an earlier version. I bought my boat in 2002, but there have been so many changes since then, I'm surprised they still call the boat a 260 Sundancer.



Whereas my boat has a slight degree of fishability (since the aft bench seat swings down and stores along the transom, out of the way), the new 260DA is 100% express cruiser. For 2005, Sea Ray has increased the cockpit seating by creating a fixed aft bench seat, and aft-facing lounge in front of it to starboard, and when you add the filler cushion it becomes a cozy U-shaped lounge like you'll see on many of the larger Sundancers.

I asked Sea Ray's marketing specialist Gary McCloud why so many changes had been made, and he explained that most of them came from input from 260DA owners like me. In fact, I'd like to think I had something to do with one of them. Along the transom aft there's a storage locker, but on my boat there are two latches holding it shut. Problem is, when you're trying to get in there, you always have a handful of scrub brushes, buckets, etc, so on my boat you have to put everything down on the swim platform (which is now integral for 2005, not a bolt-on as in my boat), and use both hands to open the trunk.

Not anymore! Now there is only one latch in the center. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is a big convenience when you're a do-it-yourselfer like me with two little ones and a wife whose job it is to make sure everybody stays IN the boat.

Against that, the swim ladder on the new version is under the big platform, a change I could live without. I prefer the way it is on my boat, with the ladder built in atop the platform with a fiberglass cover. This way, you don't have to reach under the swim platform to deploy the ladder, but then again, this arrangement is far easier for someone whose already in the water to deploy the ladder. If you forget to lower the ladder before you dive in on my boat (and there's nobody else onboard), you're in deep doo-doo.

There are many other changes, too. The wetbar has been moved to port, the portside lounger is not really an L-shape anymore but more of a longer sunpad, and the helm has been totally redesigned. Gone is the single rubberized control pad to activate things like nav lights, etc, and its been replaced with high-end toggle switches that light up when activated. I didn't mind the old way, but some customers didn't like the cryptic symbols (OK, I see where they get that) and true, my rubber control pad doesn't really light up to show you what's on and whats not, so thats a good improvement there. Another one is an inwale locker for your wallet, keys, etc to starboard down by the helmsman's right knee. Great idea. My boat just has an open bin and things roll around in there.

There is also a small dedicated area in the fiberglass for a small (and I mean small) electronics unit like an LCD GPS/chart. Measure this area before you buy the electronics to make sure it will fit.

Below decks, things are pretty much the same as they are on my boat, but there is now a lot more wood accents in the galley for a more upscale look. It also seems the entrance to the midcabin (which is a squeeze for me at 6'0'', 200 lbs) is bigger. While I wouldn't sleep there, the kids sure would, but I have to get back in there anyway to retrieve stored gear when we're not overnighting.

The other big part of the story is PERFORMANCE. Down in the engine compartment they've added a clean fiberglass liner (absent on my boat as I look straight down into the bilge), and our test boat had a much beefier 375-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG sterndrive than the 320-hp MerCruiser MX 6.2 on my boat (which by the way has given me no trouble at all in three years of operation).

The 496 MAG gets you a top end of nearly 44mph vs. my 37 with a LOT of power thru the turns (which you'll need when fully loaded). Best cruise setting with either engine is at 3500 RPM doing 25 mph, but you do get a little better fuel economy with the MX 6.2. On the other hand, you get a real performance feel with the 496, and this boat is absolutely light to the touch and tracks thru high-speed turns beautifully and with no hint of cavitation, thanks to the counter-rotating props on the Bravo 3 drive.

So if you're ready for a really well-built family cruiser that can be loaded up with all the options like windlass and generator, I can highly recommend the 260 Sundancer. After all, I bought one! Now of course, Sea Ray is after me to move up after 3 years, and the 290 Amberjack IS looking pretty good. We'll see...--Capt. Chris Kelly

• Top speed for the Sea Ray 260 Sundancer (2005-) is 43.8 mph (70.5 kph), burning 31.2 gallons per hour (gph) or 118.09 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Sea Ray 260 Sundancer (2005-) is 25.1 mph (40.4 kph), and the boat gets 1.85 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.79 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 140 miles (225.31 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 375-hp MerCruiser 496 MAG.