Boating USA — January 2018

40 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JANUARY 2018

PHOTO: COURTESY SEA RAY BOATS

Lift that hatch between the forward

cushions and you’ll find a hidden anchor

windlass that handles both rope and chain,

controlled by a corded remote.

The helm features dual Raymarine A9

chart plotters that display the VesselView 5

system to keep track of all the systems. The

Joystick Piloting System simplified docking

during our test by linking the engines for to-

tal control. If you’re curious, a single-lever

throttle controls all three engines.

A double-wide helm seat offers bolsters

for standing (as does the swivel companion

seat), and a door blocks any wind under the

hinged, walk-through windshield section.

Wondering what’s in the consoles? The

port side boasts an amazingly spacious

head compartment with a sink, counter

and, ta-da, a real VacuFlush marine head,

not a port-a-loo. You can even pull out the

faucet and take a shower, with a drain in

the fiberglass sole.

The console under the helm is a stor-

age area, although our test boat had the

optional berth, which provides a bunk

big enough to tuck in a couple of kids for

naps, or yourself in for, ahem, some adult

fooling around.

But wait — as those TV ads say — walk

aft through the teak-planked passage from

the amidships cockpit and you’ll find your-

self on a wide teak swim platform. Unlike

many triples, the engines are set well aft so

you have a great space to climb out of the

water or board from a dock. And there is an

aft-facing triple-wide convertible loung-

er with a design that was clearly stolen

from those comfy Barcaloungers favored

by couch potatoes. Lift this lounger and

there’s a big bin for all your water toys.

This is the first Sea Ray triple, but

another to consider is the Formula 350

Crossover, offered with either inboards or

triple outboards (about $375,000).

Underway, the Sea Ray SLX 350 Out-

board is nothing but sheer fun. With

900 hp under your fist, putting the ham-

mer down will remind you of dragging

from stoplights. The response is instanta-

neous, so be sure to alert your guests that

the space shuttle is launching. Once on

plane, the steering is light and positive, so

much so that it’s hard to resist carving big

doughnuts in smooth water.

We didn’t have man-against-the-

elements seas for testing, but we found

some big motoryachts carving wake holes

and ran through them flat-out. Doing so

proved that the Sea Ray’s 21-degree dead-

rise hull slices waves gently into pieces.

Every seat has a sissy bar so guests can

hang on, but I’d bet they are rarely used.

The SLX 350 Outboard also features the

Sea Ray Dynamic Running Surface (option-

al), which is computer-driven technology

that automatically optimizes the running

angle and trim to deliver both speed and

economy. Wakeboarders and skiers will be

delighted that they can define their own pre-

set wake heights and shapes for water fun.

OK, so Sea Ray misspelled the name.

But the SLX 350 Outboard is so much

fun and so well-designed that no one will

notice. — Chris Caswell

High Points

Pleasantly spacious head with real marine

toilet is appreciated on a big day boat.

Triple 300 hp outboards provide snappy

acceleration and the handling of a go-kart.

Rear-facing convertible lounges are fun at

the cove or sandbar.

Low Points

Inverter powers the grill and other goodies,

like the TV, stereo and fridge, so mind your

battery state.

Air conditioning is optional ($3,169). Expect

the head and mini cabin to be warmish in the

summer without it, even though they’re

shaded from midday sun by the hardtop.

·LOA: 34'6"·BEAM: 10'6"·DRAFT (MAX): 3'3"

(outboard down)·DISPLACEMENT (APPROX.):

12,060 lb.·TRANSOM DEADRISE: 21 degrees

·BRIDGE CLEARANCE: 7'10" ·MAX. CABIN

HEADROOM: 6'2" ·FUEL CAPACITY: 223 gal.

·MAX HORSEPOWER: 900 ·AVAILABLE POWER:

Mercury Verado outboards to 900 hp

Price: $354,999

(with test power)

HOW WE TESTED

ENGINE: TRIPLE 300 HP MERCURY VERADOS

DRIVE/PROP: 14.75" X 19" 4-BLADE STAINLESS

STEEL GEAR RATIO: 1.85:1 FUEL LOAD: 220 GAL.

WATER ON BOARD: 0 GAL. CREW WEIGHT:

400 LB.

SEA RAY BOATS

Vonore, Tennessee; 423-884-6631; searay.com

Sea Ray’s Quiet Ride

system tamed noise

levels, as proven during

our previous testing.

C

CERTIFIED

TEST

RESULTS

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION

naut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound

rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level

1000 5.21 6.00 3.00 1.74 2.00 349 401 0 62

1500 7.13 8.20 5.10 1.40 1.61 280 323 1 66

2000 8.69 10.00 9.60 0.91 1.04 182 209 2 72

2500 14.25 16.40 15.40 0.93 1.06 186 214 5 74

3000 16.95 19.50 17.10 0.99 1.14 199 229 4 77

3500 26.94 31.00 22.80 1.18 1.36 237 273 2 78

4000 32.59 37.50 27.30 1.19 1.37 240 276 2 79

4500 38.23 44.00 34.80 1.10 1.26 221 254 2 80

5000 42.15 48.50 44.10 0.96 1.10 192 221 1 84

5500 45.88 52.80 51.00 0.90 1.04 181 208 1 86

6000 49.88 57.40 66.90 0.75 0.86 150 172 2 88

6400 52.75 60.70 88.50 0.60 0.69 120 138 1 90

MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

AVAILABLE POWER:

OUTBOARD