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Observations, Sea Ray 200 Select
At the Ramp, July 6 2005
Sea Ray 200 Select (Go fast, look good, have fun!) Some of the most successful boats are vessels with a clear purpose. A commercial tug has a specific task to perform, just as surely as a fireboat, a purse seiner, an America's Cup racer, or a ferry boat. Some recreational vessels have easily identified missions, with most people thinking of a trawler for long range cruising, a sportfisherman for offshore angling, a cabin cruiser for vacation gunkholing, etc. One class of boat, the runabout, is strictly intended to go fast, look good, and create opportunities for fun on the water. Sea Ray is one of the premiere, benchmark, brand names in the runabout category. (Easily verified by strolling through a boat show and overhearing competing salespeople assure prospects that "Brand X is just as good as a Sea Ray!") Seas Ray offers four series in its Sport Boat division. The "Sport" series boats are nominally 18-20 feet in length, offering a basic, high quality, but relatively affordable choice. The "Select" boats are nominally 20-29 feet long, and include several upgrades in standard equipment that would be optional or not available on the "Sport" series. The "Sundeck" series, (20-27 feet) are well-equipped boats with enclosed heads, while the "Weekender" series (22-25 feet) offers a V-berth as well as a head. The 200 Select is actually 21' LOA, with an 8'5" beam. Draft with the drive unit down is 37", but that drops to just 20" with the drive unit up to facilitate easier loading and unloading at a boat ramp. Sea Ray lists the "dry weight" of the 200 Select at 3,550 pounds, so it won't require a Kenworth to haul it around. Fuel capacity is 37-gallons, which should be sufficient for a long, active, afternoon of waterski or wakeboard runs or up to an entire weekend of slowpoke exploring and fishing. We got an up-close look at a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select at Lake Union Sea Ray's Seattle showroom on Westlake Avenue. Sales Manager Bob Walker hosted us during our visit there. (Thanks, Bob). The 200 Select hull features a 20-degree deadrise to provide some of the seakeeping characteristics of a "deep-V" bottom. There is a sequence of flat strakes between the keel and the chines. The strakes provide some additional lifting surface to get the 200 Select more quickly up on plane, and also provide some specific support points that increase lateral stability and decrease the likelihood of chine walk. Seating is available in the open bow section, in pilot and port watch seats, and on a seat immediately forward of the engine compartment. The 200 Select is rated for up to 8 persons weighing a total of no more than 1100 pounds, or a 1200-pound maximum load with gear. Sea Ray boats are built by one of the most highly automated processes in the industry. Gelcoats are applied to molds by specialized robots, the hull structure created by a computer controlled application process known as RIMFIRE (Robotic In-Mold Fiber Reinforcement) and molded fiberglass components produced by Sea Ray's ZIP (Zero Injection Pressure) process. Workmanship can be the most radical variable in manufacturing, and the computerized robotics assure that workmanship is extremely consistent from one boat to the next. With the addition of premium materials and a thoroughly proven design, a high quality product is easily achieved. If runabouts are all about "go fast, look good, have fun" the Sea Ray 200 Select is well designed and equipped for the task. The boat at Lake Union Sea Ray was equipped with the optional 5.0 liter (305 cid) multi-port injected Mercruiser and an Alpha I outdrive. Sea Ray reports that with this propulsion combination, a clean bottom, and a stainless steel prop, the 200 Select will reach 50 mph at WOT, 4950 RPM. Nobody wants to run an engine that hard for more than brief periods, but speeds should still be in the 35 mph range with the boat backed down to 2/3 throttle. Wakeboarding, recreational water skiing, or just zipping across the lake or down the sound fast enough to be exciting is all within easy reach for owners of a Sea Ray 200 Select. Go fast? Check. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but one would need to be legally blind not to appreciate that the Sea Ray 200 Select meets some extremely high standards in the "looking good" category. The lines are snappy, imparting a confident and slightly aggressive demeanor to the profile. The high-quality stainless hardware, almost totally perfect and mirror-smooth robot applied gelcoat, and high quality interior surfaces are blended together with bold hull graphics and upholstery inserts that make the 200 Select look like a fast boat when it's standing still. Pearl is the standard hull color for the Select series, accented with silver graphics. The boat we inspected at Lake Union Sea Ray was finished with in a sporty red and white two-tone, with red gelcoat between the waterline and the stylishly curved rub rail. (Very nice). Additional gel coat color options include green, blue, yellow, black, and a bronze called "pewter". A 200 Select will draw appreciative glances from nearly all, and envious admiration from a group of boaters who will be making a series of mental comparisons between the 200 Select and the boats they currently own. Look good? Absolutely Like any boat, the Sea Ray 200 Select won't score well in the "have fun" category until there are some people aboard. The skipper and his or her passengers will have a blast aboard a 200 Select, as Sea Ray has incorporated a number of premium features in an ergonomically excellent environment. The seating forward of the windshield is accessed through a hinged section of the stainless steel frame and a central companionway below. When the forward seats are not in use, a folding door can be secured across the companionway to prevent wind from blowing under the windshield and onto the helm seats. Sea Ray built an anchor locker into the bow of the 200 Select, included large storage areas below the forward seats, added grab rails just exactly where they will be most helpful, provided courtesy lighting for sure footing after dark, and used some nicely upholstered, comfortable cushions. There are no "cheap seats" on a Sea Ray 200 Select. Aft of the windshield in the cockpit, the helm is to starboard. A deluxe helm seat with a flip up bolster will allow the skipper to sit a bit higher, or even stand at the helm with some support. SmartCraft (tm) instruments and indicators include fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltmeter, speedometer, tachometer, overheat or low oil pressure alarms, depth sounder, fuel consumption meter, trim level, and a trolling control. The wood grain tilt wheel is power assisted, with a tilt function. Sea Ray has demonstrated an appreciation for the importance of a comfortable, well organized helm. At the port watch seat, there is a locker designed to hold a bag of ice as well as several cans or bottles or refreshing beverages. Cupholders on the 200 Select are stainless steel. Listening to music can be an important element when having fun on the water, and the 200 Select is equipped with an AM/FM/CD stereo system, protected from the elements in a compartment above the ice locker. The stereo system is Sirius (tm) satellite capable, and includes a remote control at the helm. Additional cockpit seating includes a curved settee just forward of the engine compartment, and the engine compartment is covered with a thick, comfortable cushion for ideal for sunbathing. In the standard layout, (on display at Lake Union Sea Ray), a single seat with a removable cushion is situated in the aft port quarter of the cockpit. Passengers stepping aboard the 200 Select can remove the cushion and step on a non-skid deck surface below, thereby eliminating the need to step directly on upholstered surfaces when boarding or disembarking. Fun? You betcha! Sea Ray offers many additional, useful options for the Sea Ray 200 Select. Boaters particularly passionate about wakeboarding might want to ad a jaunty-looking stainless wakeboard tower. Family boaters hoping to extend the season beyond the warm, sunny months might consider the "camper canvas" option to convert the open cockpit into an enclosed compartment. The Sea Ray 200 Select will paint smiles across the faces of any boaters primarily interested in looking good, going fast, and having fun. Boats like this are the "sports cars" of the water. Even though Sea Ray is one of the elite trademarks, it's possible to own a very, very nice boat for no more than what an increasing number of families are spending for to acquire a new car. According to Bob Walker at Lake Union Sea Ray, a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select, with trailer, will sell "in the mid-30's". Go fast, look good, have fun? Runabout enthusiasts should consider making a fast trip to the nearest Sea Ray dealer, taking a good look at the 200 Select, and preparing to have one heck of a lot of fun. |
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#3
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Nice write up, but no rod holders! ************************* It's about going fast, looking good, and having fun. So- find yourself a "fast" lady, who looks good, and get her to hold your rod. You'll surely have a lot of fun. |
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#4
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What were the downsides of the boat Chuck? Surely there had to be some.
Why did you not include them in your fluff article about the boat? How much did SeaRay pay you for this fluff review? wrote in message oups.com... At the Ramp, July 6 2005 Sea Ray 200 Select (Go fast, look good, have fun!) Some of the most successful boats are vessels with a clear purpose. A commercial tug has a specific task to perform, just as surely as a fireboat, a purse seiner, an America's Cup racer, or a ferry boat. Some recreational vessels have easily identified missions, with most people thinking of a trawler for long range cruising, a sportfisherman for offshore angling, a cabin cruiser for vacation gunkholing, etc. One class of boat, the runabout, is strictly intended to go fast, look good, and create opportunities for fun on the water. Sea Ray is one of the premiere, benchmark, brand names in the runabout category. (Easily verified by strolling through a boat show and overhearing competing salespeople assure prospects that "Brand X is just as good as a Sea Ray!") Seas Ray offers four series in its Sport Boat division. The "Sport" series boats are nominally 18-20 feet in length, offering a basic, high quality, but relatively affordable choice. The "Select" boats are nominally 20-29 feet long, and include several upgrades in standard equipment that would be optional or not available on the "Sport" series. The "Sundeck" series, (20-27 feet) are well-equipped boats with enclosed heads, while the "Weekender" series (22-25 feet) offers a V-berth as well as a head. The 200 Select is actually 21' LOA, with an 8'5" beam. Draft with the drive unit down is 37", but that drops to just 20" with the drive unit up to facilitate easier loading and unloading at a boat ramp. Sea Ray lists the "dry weight" of the 200 Select at 3,550 pounds, so it won't require a Kenworth to haul it around. Fuel capacity is 37-gallons, which should be sufficient for a long, active, afternoon of waterski or wakeboard runs or up to an entire weekend of slowpoke exploring and fishing. We got an up-close look at a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select at Lake Union Sea Ray's Seattle showroom on Westlake Avenue. Sales Manager Bob Walker hosted us during our visit there. (Thanks, Bob). The 200 Select hull features a 20-degree deadrise to provide some of the seakeeping characteristics of a "deep-V" bottom. There is a sequence of flat strakes between the keel and the chines. The strakes provide some additional lifting surface to get the 200 Select more quickly up on plane, and also provide some specific support points that increase lateral stability and decrease the likelihood of chine walk. Seating is available in the open bow section, in pilot and port watch seats, and on a seat immediately forward of the engine compartment. The 200 Select is rated for up to 8 persons weighing a total of no more than 1100 pounds, or a 1200-pound maximum load with gear. Sea Ray boats are built by one of the most highly automated processes in the industry. Gelcoats are applied to molds by specialized robots, the hull structure created by a computer controlled application process known as RIMFIRE (Robotic In-Mold Fiber Reinforcement) and molded fiberglass components produced by Sea Ray's ZIP (Zero Injection Pressure) process. Workmanship can be the most radical variable in manufacturing, and the computerized robotics assure that workmanship is extremely consistent from one boat to the next. With the addition of premium materials and a thoroughly proven design, a high quality product is easily achieved. If runabouts are all about "go fast, look good, have fun" the Sea Ray 200 Select is well designed and equipped for the task. The boat at Lake Union Sea Ray was equipped with the optional 5.0 liter (305 cid) multi-port injected Mercruiser and an Alpha I outdrive. Sea Ray reports that with this propulsion combination, a clean bottom, and a stainless steel prop, the 200 Select will reach 50 mph at WOT, 4950 RPM. Nobody wants to run an engine that hard for more than brief periods, but speeds should still be in the 35 mph range with the boat backed down to 2/3 throttle. Wakeboarding, recreational water skiing, or just zipping across the lake or down the sound fast enough to be exciting is all within easy reach for owners of a Sea Ray 200 Select. Go fast? Check. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but one would need to be legally blind not to appreciate that the Sea Ray 200 Select meets some extremely high standards in the "looking good" category. The lines are snappy, imparting a confident and slightly aggressive demeanor to the profile. The high-quality stainless hardware, almost totally perfect and mirror-smooth robot applied gelcoat, and high quality interior surfaces are blended together with bold hull graphics and upholstery inserts that make the 200 Select look like a fast boat when it's standing still. Pearl is the standard hull color for the Select series, accented with silver graphics. The boat we inspected at Lake Union Sea Ray was finished with in a sporty red and white two-tone, with red gelcoat between the waterline and the stylishly curved rub rail. (Very nice). Additional gel coat color options include green, blue, yellow, black, and a bronze called "pewter". A 200 Select will draw appreciative glances from nearly all, and envious admiration from a group of boaters who will be making a series of mental comparisons between the 200 Select and the boats they currently own. Look good? Absolutely Like any boat, the Sea Ray 200 Select won't score well in the "have fun" category until there are some people aboard. The skipper and his or her passengers will have a blast aboard a 200 Select, as Sea Ray has incorporated a number of premium features in an ergonomically excellent environment. The seating forward of the windshield is accessed through a hinged section of the stainless steel frame and a central companionway below. When the forward seats are not in use, a folding door can be secured across the companionway to prevent wind from blowing under the windshield and onto the helm seats. Sea Ray built an anchor locker into the bow of the 200 Select, included large storage areas below the forward seats, added grab rails just exactly where they will be most helpful, provided courtesy lighting for sure footing after dark, and used some nicely upholstered, comfortable cushions. There are no "cheap seats" on a Sea Ray 200 Select. Aft of the windshield in the cockpit, the helm is to starboard. A deluxe helm seat with a flip up bolster will allow the skipper to sit a bit higher, or even stand at the helm with some support. SmartCraft (tm) instruments and indicators include fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltmeter, speedometer, tachometer, overheat or low oil pressure alarms, depth sounder, fuel consumption meter, trim level, and a trolling control. The wood grain tilt wheel is power assisted, with a tilt function. Sea Ray has demonstrated an appreciation for the importance of a comfortable, well organized helm. At the port watch seat, there is a locker designed to hold a bag of ice as well as several cans or bottles or refreshing beverages. Cupholders on the 200 Select are stainless steel. Listening to music can be an important element when having fun on the water, and the 200 Select is equipped with an AM/FM/CD stereo system, protected from the elements in a compartment above the ice locker. The stereo system is Sirius (tm) satellite capable, and includes a remote control at the helm. Additional cockpit seating includes a curved settee just forward of the engine compartment, and the engine compartment is covered with a thick, comfortable cushion for ideal for sunbathing. In the standard layout, (on display at Lake Union Sea Ray), a single seat with a removable cushion is situated in the aft port quarter of the cockpit. Passengers stepping aboard the 200 Select can remove the cushion and step on a non-skid deck surface below, thereby eliminating the need to step directly on upholstered surfaces when boarding or disembarking. Fun? You betcha! Sea Ray offers many additional, useful options for the Sea Ray 200 Select. Boaters particularly passionate about wakeboarding might want to ad a jaunty-looking stainless wakeboard tower. Family boaters hoping to extend the season beyond the warm, sunny months might consider the "camper canvas" option to convert the open cockpit into an enclosed compartment. The Sea Ray 200 Select will paint smiles across the faces of any boaters primarily interested in looking good, going fast, and having fun. Boats like this are the "sports cars" of the water. Even though Sea Ray is one of the elite trademarks, it's possible to own a very, very nice boat for no more than what an increasing number of families are spending for to acquire a new car. According to Bob Walker at Lake Union Sea Ray, a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select, with trailer, will sell "in the mid-30's". Go fast, look good, have fun? Runabout enthusiasts should consider making a fast trip to the nearest Sea Ray dealer, taking a good look at the 200 Select, and preparing to have one heck of a lot of fun. |
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#5
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JimH,
Boat builders normally don't pay for fluff pieces, but they only buy ad space in magazines that write fluff pieces for their boats. It is quid pro quo. If Gould did want to write a critical boat review his boss would not publish it, so why waste his time. Gould writes the reviews to please the publisher, his editor and the builder. "*JimH*" wrote in message ... What were the downsides of the boat Chuck? Surely there had to be some. Why did you not include them in your fluff article about the boat? How much did SeaRay pay you for this fluff review? wrote in message oups.com... At the Ramp, July 6 2005 Sea Ray 200 Select (Go fast, look good, have fun!) Some of the most successful boats are vessels with a clear purpose. A commercial tug has a specific task to perform, just as surely as a fireboat, a purse seiner, an America's Cup racer, or a ferry boat. Some recreational vessels have easily identified missions, with most people thinking of a trawler for long range cruising, a sportfisherman for offshore angling, a cabin cruiser for vacation gunkholing, etc. One class of boat, the runabout, is strictly intended to go fast, look good, and create opportunities for fun on the water. Sea Ray is one of the premiere, benchmark, brand names in the runabout category. (Easily verified by strolling through a boat show and overhearing competing salespeople assure prospects that "Brand X is just as good as a Sea Ray!") Seas Ray offers four series in its Sport Boat division. The "Sport" series boats are nominally 18-20 feet in length, offering a basic, high quality, but relatively affordable choice. The "Select" boats are nominally 20-29 feet long, and include several upgrades in standard equipment that would be optional or not available on the "Sport" series. The "Sundeck" series, (20-27 feet) are well-equipped boats with enclosed heads, while the "Weekender" series (22-25 feet) offers a V-berth as well as a head. The 200 Select is actually 21' LOA, with an 8'5" beam. Draft with the drive unit down is 37", but that drops to just 20" with the drive unit up to facilitate easier loading and unloading at a boat ramp. Sea Ray lists the "dry weight" of the 200 Select at 3,550 pounds, so it won't require a Kenworth to haul it around. Fuel capacity is 37-gallons, which should be sufficient for a long, active, afternoon of waterski or wakeboard runs or up to an entire weekend of slowpoke exploring and fishing. We got an up-close look at a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select at Lake Union Sea Ray's Seattle showroom on Westlake Avenue. Sales Manager Bob Walker hosted us during our visit there. (Thanks, Bob). The 200 Select hull features a 20-degree deadrise to provide some of the seakeeping characteristics of a "deep-V" bottom. There is a sequence of flat strakes between the keel and the chines. The strakes provide some additional lifting surface to get the 200 Select more quickly up on plane, and also provide some specific support points that increase lateral stability and decrease the likelihood of chine walk. Seating is available in the open bow section, in pilot and port watch seats, and on a seat immediately forward of the engine compartment. The 200 Select is rated for up to 8 persons weighing a total of no more than 1100 pounds, or a 1200-pound maximum load with gear. Sea Ray boats are built by one of the most highly automated processes in the industry. Gelcoats are applied to molds by specialized robots, the hull structure created by a computer controlled application process known as RIMFIRE (Robotic In-Mold Fiber Reinforcement) and molded fiberglass components produced by Sea Ray's ZIP (Zero Injection Pressure) process. Workmanship can be the most radical variable in manufacturing, and the computerized robotics assure that workmanship is extremely consistent from one boat to the next. With the addition of premium materials and a thoroughly proven design, a high quality product is easily achieved. If runabouts are all about "go fast, look good, have fun" the Sea Ray 200 Select is well designed and equipped for the task. The boat at Lake Union Sea Ray was equipped with the optional 5.0 liter (305 cid) multi-port injected Mercruiser and an Alpha I outdrive. Sea Ray reports that with this propulsion combination, a clean bottom, and a stainless steel prop, the 200 Select will reach 50 mph at WOT, 4950 RPM. Nobody wants to run an engine that hard for more than brief periods, but speeds should still be in the 35 mph range with the boat backed down to 2/3 throttle. Wakeboarding, recreational water skiing, or just zipping across the lake or down the sound fast enough to be exciting is all within easy reach for owners of a Sea Ray 200 Select. Go fast? Check. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but one would need to be legally blind not to appreciate that the Sea Ray 200 Select meets some extremely high standards in the "looking good" category. The lines are snappy, imparting a confident and slightly aggressive demeanor to the profile. The high-quality stainless hardware, almost totally perfect and mirror-smooth robot applied gelcoat, and high quality interior surfaces are blended together with bold hull graphics and upholstery inserts that make the 200 Select look like a fast boat when it's standing still. Pearl is the standard hull color for the Select series, accented with silver graphics. The boat we inspected at Lake Union Sea Ray was finished with in a sporty red and white two-tone, with red gelcoat between the waterline and the stylishly curved rub rail. (Very nice). Additional gel coat color options include green, blue, yellow, black, and a bronze called "pewter". A 200 Select will draw appreciative glances from nearly all, and envious admiration from a group of boaters who will be making a series of mental comparisons between the 200 Select and the boats they currently own. Look good? Absolutely Like any boat, the Sea Ray 200 Select won't score well in the "have fun" category until there are some people aboard. The skipper and his or her passengers will have a blast aboard a 200 Select, as Sea Ray has incorporated a number of premium features in an ergonomically excellent environment. The seating forward of the windshield is accessed through a hinged section of the stainless steel frame and a central companionway below. When the forward seats are not in use, a folding door can be secured across the companionway to prevent wind from blowing under the windshield and onto the helm seats. Sea Ray built an anchor locker into the bow of the 200 Select, included large storage areas below the forward seats, added grab rails just exactly where they will be most helpful, provided courtesy lighting for sure footing after dark, and used some nicely upholstered, comfortable cushions. There are no "cheap seats" on a Sea Ray 200 Select. Aft of the windshield in the cockpit, the helm is to starboard. A deluxe helm seat with a flip up bolster will allow the skipper to sit a bit higher, or even stand at the helm with some support. SmartCraft (tm) instruments and indicators include fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltmeter, speedometer, tachometer, overheat or low oil pressure alarms, depth sounder, fuel consumption meter, trim level, and a trolling control. The wood grain tilt wheel is power assisted, with a tilt function. Sea Ray has demonstrated an appreciation for the importance of a comfortable, well organized helm. At the port watch seat, there is a locker designed to hold a bag of ice as well as several cans or bottles or refreshing beverages. Cupholders on the 200 Select are stainless steel. Listening to music can be an important element when having fun on the water, and the 200 Select is equipped with an AM/FM/CD stereo system, protected from the elements in a compartment above the ice locker. The stereo system is Sirius (tm) satellite capable, and includes a remote control at the helm. Additional cockpit seating includes a curved settee just forward of the engine compartment, and the engine compartment is covered with a thick, comfortable cushion for ideal for sunbathing. In the standard layout, (on display at Lake Union Sea Ray), a single seat with a removable cushion is situated in the aft port quarter of the cockpit. Passengers stepping aboard the 200 Select can remove the cushion and step on a non-skid deck surface below, thereby eliminating the need to step directly on upholstered surfaces when boarding or disembarking. Fun? You betcha! Sea Ray offers many additional, useful options for the Sea Ray 200 Select. Boaters particularly passionate about wakeboarding might want to ad a jaunty-looking stainless wakeboard tower. Family boaters hoping to extend the season beyond the warm, sunny months might consider the "camper canvas" option to convert the open cockpit into an enclosed compartment. The Sea Ray 200 Select will paint smiles across the faces of any boaters primarily interested in looking good, going fast, and having fun. Boats like this are the "sports cars" of the water. Even though Sea Ray is one of the elite trademarks, it's possible to own a very, very nice boat for no more than what an increasing number of families are spending for to acquire a new car. According to Bob Walker at Lake Union Sea Ray, a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select, with trailer, will sell "in the mid-30's". Go fast, look good, have fun? Runabout enthusiasts should consider making a fast trip to the nearest Sea Ray dealer, taking a good look at the 200 Select, and preparing to have one heck of a lot of fun. |
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#6
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wrote in message oups.com... Nice write up, but no rod holders! ************************* It's about going fast, looking good, and having fun. Wow, a member of the "I own a SeaRay...look at me" club. Gold chain holders......gold trim....fast boats...poor quality. All owned by fat old farts with gold chains and with severe shrinkage...."look at me"....I own a go fast SeaRay. How funny. |
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#7
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And he has obviously sold his soul and bought into the "I own a SeaRay, look
at me" club. See our earlier posts in this thread. "John Jay" wrote in message ... JimH, Boat builders normally don't pay for fluff pieces, but they only buy ad space in magazines that write fluff pieces for their boats. It is quid pro quo. If Gould did want to write a critical boat review his boss would not publish it, so why waste his time. Gould writes the reviews to please the publisher, his editor and the builder. "*JimH*" wrote in message ... What were the downsides of the boat Chuck? Surely there had to be some. Why did you not include them in your fluff article about the boat? How much did SeaRay pay you for this fluff review? wrote in message oups.com... At the Ramp, July 6 2005 Sea Ray 200 Select (Go fast, look good, have fun!) Some of the most successful boats are vessels with a clear purpose. A commercial tug has a specific task to perform, just as surely as a fireboat, a purse seiner, an America's Cup racer, or a ferry boat. Some recreational vessels have easily identified missions, with most people thinking of a trawler for long range cruising, a sportfisherman for offshore angling, a cabin cruiser for vacation gunkholing, etc. One class of boat, the runabout, is strictly intended to go fast, look good, and create opportunities for fun on the water. Sea Ray is one of the premiere, benchmark, brand names in the runabout category. (Easily verified by strolling through a boat show and overhearing competing salespeople assure prospects that "Brand X is just as good as a Sea Ray!") Seas Ray offers four series in its Sport Boat division. The "Sport" series boats are nominally 18-20 feet in length, offering a basic, high quality, but relatively affordable choice. The "Select" boats are nominally 20-29 feet long, and include several upgrades in standard equipment that would be optional or not available on the "Sport" series. The "Sundeck" series, (20-27 feet) are well-equipped boats with enclosed heads, while the "Weekender" series (22-25 feet) offers a V-berth as well as a head. The 200 Select is actually 21' LOA, with an 8'5" beam. Draft with the drive unit down is 37", but that drops to just 20" with the drive unit up to facilitate easier loading and unloading at a boat ramp. Sea Ray lists the "dry weight" of the 200 Select at 3,550 pounds, so it won't require a Kenworth to haul it around. Fuel capacity is 37-gallons, which should be sufficient for a long, active, afternoon of waterski or wakeboard runs or up to an entire weekend of slowpoke exploring and fishing. We got an up-close look at a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select at Lake Union Sea Ray's Seattle showroom on Westlake Avenue. Sales Manager Bob Walker hosted us during our visit there. (Thanks, Bob). The 200 Select hull features a 20-degree deadrise to provide some of the seakeeping characteristics of a "deep-V" bottom. There is a sequence of flat strakes between the keel and the chines. The strakes provide some additional lifting surface to get the 200 Select more quickly up on plane, and also provide some specific support points that increase lateral stability and decrease the likelihood of chine walk. Seating is available in the open bow section, in pilot and port watch seats, and on a seat immediately forward of the engine compartment. The 200 Select is rated for up to 8 persons weighing a total of no more than 1100 pounds, or a 1200-pound maximum load with gear. Sea Ray boats are built by one of the most highly automated processes in the industry. Gelcoats are applied to molds by specialized robots, the hull structure created by a computer controlled application process known as RIMFIRE (Robotic In-Mold Fiber Reinforcement) and molded fiberglass components produced by Sea Ray's ZIP (Zero Injection Pressure) process. Workmanship can be the most radical variable in manufacturing, and the computerized robotics assure that workmanship is extremely consistent from one boat to the next. With the addition of premium materials and a thoroughly proven design, a high quality product is easily achieved. If runabouts are all about "go fast, look good, have fun" the Sea Ray 200 Select is well designed and equipped for the task. The boat at Lake Union Sea Ray was equipped with the optional 5.0 liter (305 cid) multi-port injected Mercruiser and an Alpha I outdrive. Sea Ray reports that with this propulsion combination, a clean bottom, and a stainless steel prop, the 200 Select will reach 50 mph at WOT, 4950 RPM. Nobody wants to run an engine that hard for more than brief periods, but speeds should still be in the 35 mph range with the boat backed down to 2/3 throttle. Wakeboarding, recreational water skiing, or just zipping across the lake or down the sound fast enough to be exciting is all within easy reach for owners of a Sea Ray 200 Select. Go fast? Check. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but one would need to be legally blind not to appreciate that the Sea Ray 200 Select meets some extremely high standards in the "looking good" category. The lines are snappy, imparting a confident and slightly aggressive demeanor to the profile. The high-quality stainless hardware, almost totally perfect and mirror-smooth robot applied gelcoat, and high quality interior surfaces are blended together with bold hull graphics and upholstery inserts that make the 200 Select look like a fast boat when it's standing still. Pearl is the standard hull color for the Select series, accented with silver graphics. The boat we inspected at Lake Union Sea Ray was finished with in a sporty red and white two-tone, with red gelcoat between the waterline and the stylishly curved rub rail. (Very nice). Additional gel coat color options include green, blue, yellow, black, and a bronze called "pewter". A 200 Select will draw appreciative glances from nearly all, and envious admiration from a group of boaters who will be making a series of mental comparisons between the 200 Select and the boats they currently own. Look good? Absolutely Like any boat, the Sea Ray 200 Select won't score well in the "have fun" category until there are some people aboard. The skipper and his or her passengers will have a blast aboard a 200 Select, as Sea Ray has incorporated a number of premium features in an ergonomically excellent environment. The seating forward of the windshield is accessed through a hinged section of the stainless steel frame and a central companionway below. When the forward seats are not in use, a folding door can be secured across the companionway to prevent wind from blowing under the windshield and onto the helm seats. Sea Ray built an anchor locker into the bow of the 200 Select, included large storage areas below the forward seats, added grab rails just exactly where they will be most helpful, provided courtesy lighting for sure footing after dark, and used some nicely upholstered, comfortable cushions. There are no "cheap seats" on a Sea Ray 200 Select. Aft of the windshield in the cockpit, the helm is to starboard. A deluxe helm seat with a flip up bolster will allow the skipper to sit a bit higher, or even stand at the helm with some support. SmartCraft (tm) instruments and indicators include fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltmeter, speedometer, tachometer, overheat or low oil pressure alarms, depth sounder, fuel consumption meter, trim level, and a trolling control. The wood grain tilt wheel is power assisted, with a tilt function. Sea Ray has demonstrated an appreciation for the importance of a comfortable, well organized helm. At the port watch seat, there is a locker designed to hold a bag of ice as well as several cans or bottles or refreshing beverages. Cupholders on the 200 Select are stainless steel. Listening to music can be an important element when having fun on the water, and the 200 Select is equipped with an AM/FM/CD stereo system, protected from the elements in a compartment above the ice locker. The stereo system is Sirius (tm) satellite capable, and includes a remote control at the helm. Additional cockpit seating includes a curved settee just forward of the engine compartment, and the engine compartment is covered with a thick, comfortable cushion for ideal for sunbathing. In the standard layout, (on display at Lake Union Sea Ray), a single seat with a removable cushion is situated in the aft port quarter of the cockpit. Passengers stepping aboard the 200 Select can remove the cushion and step on a non-skid deck surface below, thereby eliminating the need to step directly on upholstered surfaces when boarding or disembarking. Fun? You betcha! Sea Ray offers many additional, useful options for the Sea Ray 200 Select. Boaters particularly passionate about wakeboarding might want to ad a jaunty-looking stainless wakeboard tower. Family boaters hoping to extend the season beyond the warm, sunny months might consider the "camper canvas" option to convert the open cockpit into an enclosed compartment. The Sea Ray 200 Select will paint smiles across the faces of any boaters primarily interested in looking good, going fast, and having fun. Boats like this are the "sports cars" of the water. Even though Sea Ray is one of the elite trademarks, it's possible to own a very, very nice boat for no more than what an increasing number of families are spending for to acquire a new car. According to Bob Walker at Lake Union Sea Ray, a brand new Sea Ray 200 Select, with trailer, will sell "in the mid-30's". Go fast, look good, have fun? Runabout enthusiasts should consider making a fast trip to the nearest Sea Ray dealer, taking a good look at the 200 Select, and preparing to have one heck of a lot of fun. |
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#8
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How much did SeaRay pay you for this fluff review?
*********************************************** I pick up my new 55-footer tomorrow. Seriously, JimH, I don't get paid a dime by Sea Ray or any other manufacturer. And if you'll notice, it's not a review. It's a description, along some personal observations, opinions, and impressions. There's no claim that we measured any sort of performance or got underway in the boat- as we did neither. This may come as a real shock to you, but discussing boats and comparing impressions and opinions about boats (rather than bitchily harpooning personalities at every turn) is supposed to be what a boating newsgroup is all about. Too bad for you, of course, as you have demonstrated little knowledge about boats or boating and the very best of your extremely rare on-topic advice recently- to a guy trying to figure out if $1500 was too much to pay for a nearly 30 year old boat, motor, and trailer in running condition- was to "look it up in NADA." I'm still grinning over that one. I know how much it p's you off when somebody posts on topic. Sorry. But here, please, redeem yourself: If you disagree with my opinions, impressions, or description of the Sea Ray 200 Select please respond with your specific comments related to that boat. ("I think you're an asshole" won't count). Thanks. |
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#9
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And he has obviously sold his soul and bought into the "I own a SeaRay,
look at me" club. See our earlier posts in this thread. ********** ROFLMAO JimH, when you asked "how much do you get paid for writing a piece like this and I said that I was picking up my new 55-footer tomorrow.....I was *kidding*! Until Sea Ray builds a trawler, they won't make my personal short list- but there are still a lot of features on a boat like this that people interested in runabout boating would enjoy. Want to buy a bridge? Good grief. |
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#10
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JimH wrote:
Wow, a member of the "I own a SeaRay...look at me" club. Gold chain holders......gold trim....fast boats...poor quality. All owned by fat old farts with gold chains and with severe shrinkage...."look at me"....I own a go fast SeaRay. How funny. *************** So here's your chance to demonstrate your vast boating knowledge. Do you have anything factual to offer to counter my description and expressed opinions, or is your main objection to this boat- LIKE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE- centered on the negative personal impressions you have formed of people who own one? No matter how derisively you care to paint the stereotype of Sea Ray owners, you'll never really come to grips with the fact that every one of them owns a boat- and you don't. Surprise us just once JimH. Just once, talk boats and not personalities, if you can. |
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