Here, in a landmark first for Sea Ray, is a Hard Top sports boat for those dodgy British summers. Simon Everett takes a look . . .

Sea Ray has been building boats since 1959 and in that time it has always been associated with the setting of trends. For instance, when they started out, they were one of the first companies to embrace the new technology of fibreglass for building their boats. But now, in the form of its very first Targa Top craft, Sea Ray has followed the trend, rather than setting it. That isn’t always a bad thing of course. After all, witnessing the mistakes of others can allow you to tweak your design to avoid the same failings. My hopes for the new 305HT are therefore, justifiably high . . .

The Sea Ray heritage

Over the years Sea Ray has produced some fantastic boats. Their Pachanga muscle boat still rates as one of my all time favourites - and while I don’t expect the same sensations to be stirred by a 33-foot Hard Top sports cruiser, I do want to feel that Sea Ray’s long heritage of excellence has rubbed off on its latest creation.

But this thing is not the product of some good ol’ boys in a Tennessee boatyard. This boat is the result of Sea Ray’s new production facility in Poland. And while the very first boats to enter the UK from fledgling Polish factories may have been questionable in some respects, you have to say that the quality here is very good indeed. The fit and finish of the wood interior, for instance, is beautifully done, with a more practical satin finish than the highly reflective deep gloss lacquers used on many, more ostentatious boats. And as you walk around the boat looking into corners and kicking tyres, it is evident that the Polish factory takes great pride in its work. In fact, I reckon the boats they now produce might be even better than those from America. Sorry Tennessee . . .

The HT concept

The Hard Top concept is ideal for the fickle British climate and the test day was a perfect case study. The enclosed wheelhouse and cockpit ensured we could enjoy our boating in the drizzle and, when the sun shone, we were able to whip off the canvas, open the convertible top and let the rays flood in. We could enjoy shelter and open air boating as part of the same deal and on the majority of British summer days, that is precisely what most of us are after.

As for the rest of the boat, well the compromise is a carefully balanced one. If you add lots of accommodation and a greater range of facilities, you lose speed. The only way to overcome that is to beef up the powerplant and feed it more fuel and, in today’s efficiency-conscious world, most people are reluctant to see that happen. So the 305HT treads the middle path by combining a respectable turn of speed with comfortable accommodation and plenty of space up top - and on a HT craft, that is exactly the right approach. It means you get plenty of open air freedom and well protected, sociable seating. Not only that, but by sticking with the much quieter petrol sterndrives, Sea Ray is able to offer a boat that is very well priced for its specification.

The on board details

The cabin is comfortably appointed, with a built-in microwave, a single gas burner hob and a sink. It’s not ostentatious but it can do much more than reheat a packet of soup. The main double berth in the forward section of the cabin is complemented by a sofa that could (at a push) be used as a single berth. The second double berth extends under the cockpit and is accessed through the after end of the cabin. The kids will love it. In short, although this boat is really a 2+2, with forbearance and ingenuity it could certainly operate as a short-term five-berth cruiser. For a 33-footer, that is really not bad at all.

There is a self-contained heads and full standing height shower unit with a wash basin and proper sea toilet with macerator and holding tank. This will extend the appeal of the 305 to Windermere or the large Scottish lochs as it doesn’t require modification to conform to the regulations concerning sealed toilet facilities.

Evening entertainment has been taken care of too, with a decent flat screen TV set on the cabin bulkhead and a music centre built into the cabinetwork on the port side. Those wet evenings can be as cosy as they are at home. I could certainly imagine sitting here, sipping on my Plymouth Gin with the French coast bobbing by outside.

Even so, you don’t buy a boat to sit below and watch telly, so pop up top and you discover a cockpit and wheelhouse that are moulded into one. It’s a huge social area with a vast lounger running the entire length of the port side and curving around and across the transom. Here, the backrest folds flat to create (rather cleverly) an additional sunbed in the stern, where you can sit on the edge and then just step down onto the extended swim platform for a dip.

Up at the helm

The helm seat is large and comes with about a foot of foam padding on it. Parking your backside here is like sinking into your favourite chair in front of the fire. You feel very much like the skipper in a throne like this. The squab folds to form a raised bum perch but even with it in the ‘down’ position, you have a really luxurious seat with a full view forward and all round. Only when the canvas is up is your vision restricted. Forward and to the side is still fine but your sight on the quarters is virtually nil. That’s the price you pay for staying dry (but it’s a price well worth paying).

The on-water performance

The helm is not just a method of control but also quite a defining element of the driving experience here. There is a dedicated panel for engine systems, an open area for fitting whatever extras you set your heart on and then the switches and safety cutouts are arranged in two further lines. That’s all pretty standard but the first surprise is the keyless start and stop. The key is inserted into a master switch down below and the engines are started and stopped by pressing the necessary buttons ahead of the wheel.

A second surprise arrives in the form of the throttle and gear selector levers. These are the new digital versions (like the Verado throttle units but applied to sterndrive engines) and the result is a wonderfully smooth and easily operated control centre, with trim buttons neatly incorporated into the T handle of the levers.

And so, in Lordly fashion, buttocks delighted with my deeply cushioned seat, I put the twin Mercruiser 5.0 MPi engines to the test. Driving through Bravo III sterndrives, the combined 520hp sees us to 40.2 knots with three adults and half a tank of fuel on board. This is pretty impressive but you’re unlikely to go thrashing about at full wriggle very often, so the cruising figures are probably more meaningful. We achieve 23.2 knots at just 3,000rpm, pushing on to 33.6 knots at 4,000 rpm. This is useful, as it means you can make long passages at over 30 knots without wringing the last vestiges of life out of your engines and without costing the earth. Imagine Cherbourg or St.Peter Port in just three hours without really pressing. Now that really is a tempter.

The 305 is also very lively on her feet, with great speed and immediacy at the helm and the agility of a considerably smaller boat. Press her too hard and she does heel sufficiently to lose grip on the outside prop but it’s a mild side-effect of some irresponsible helming. What matters over distance is the quality of the ride and that is as soft as you could want.

The verdict
If you are keen to explore further afield but you don’t want to go too large, the 305HT could be the way forward. It doesn’t produce the same goosebumps as the fabulous old Pachanga, but it goes like a real sports boat and it cossets like a decent hotel room. It offers you shelter from the rain and access to the sun, plus a social space as unusual as it is effective. Even the style and the price look good and that’s an armoury of talents that will prove very hard to beat . . .

Why you would

• Huge space up top
• All-season ability
• Five-berth potential
• Surprising fun to drive
• Great helm

Why you wouldn’t

• Nothing of concern here

Performance
RPM    Speed (knots)
600    3.6
1000    5.5
2000    9.0
2500 (planing)    14.5
3000 (cruising)    23.2
4000 (fast cruise)     33.6
4500    38.8
4800 (maximum)    40.2

Specifications
LOA    10.15m
Beam    2.96m
Draft    1.0m
Dry weight    3,900kg
Fuel capacity    378 litres
Fresh water tank    106 litres
Holding tank    106 litres
Deadrise    21 degrees
Engine options    
Twin 4.3 litre MPi Mercruiser Bravo III drives
Twin 5.0 litre MPi Mercruiser Bravo III drives
Price as tested: £162,229

Contact
Marina Marbella
Hamble Point Marina
Southampton SO31 4J
02380 453005
www.marinamarbella.co.uk