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Not as readily apparent are the acoustic tiles fitted to the hull, particularly in the propeller tunnel area, engine beds, and the underside of the balsa-cored, 3"-thick salon floor. Also, the engine room's forward bulkhead - in front of the twin 511-gallon, polyurethane-coated fuel tanks - and the underside of the lower deck's structure are treated with 3/4" of Sound Down foam and lead insulation. Water noise can't get in; machinery noise can't get out. And dockside, with the 25kW Westerbeke genset - twice the output of that offered standard by Predator 68 - and all eight compressors of its 110,000-Btu air-conditioning system running, the 680 Sun Sport was so quiet I couldn't get a reading on my sound meter. You'll sleep well on the hook. So will those sharing your anchorage.
THE HIGHS: Born to run. It's as quiet and smooth as they come. The integrated helm is just one of several innovations that makes this amazing Sun Sport easy for owners to operate.
THE LOWS: An expensive boat. Big cockpit means there's no room for a waterbike garage. Many options, including the bow thruster, are standard on competitors' models.
PRIME TIMBER. Of course, slipping under custom covers on an innerspring mattress atop a solid mahogany and maple island berth located in a climate-controlled stateroom with more than seven feet of headroom, a plasma screen TV, enough indirect lighting, and a sound system that would put Carnegie Hall to shame doesn't hurt either. Especially after showering with a teak grate underfoot and shaving while your toes tickle a custom tile mosaic. The 680 Sun Sport ain't your daddy's Sea Ray. Each one is built from custom components in a dedicated plant. Check the salon floors: teak and maple. Check the thresholds: Corian. Check the vanities and counters: solid granite. Check the helm and companion seats: cows gave their all. Cabinet latches feature stainless-steel flanges to prevent fingerprinting the wood's high-gloss finish (high gloss is an option, matte is standard). And on it goes. Naturally, some Sea Ray trademarks, such as hidden air-conditioning vents, freestanding high-low salon tables, and a fiberglass headliner with Ultraleather inserts, are not forgotten either. Our test boat featured the standard, three-stateroom plan, with fore and aft berths, either of which could be called master, and a portside guest stateroom with over-under berths. A submarine hatch on the transom opens to a utility room that also serves as crew quarters, with a head, the standard washer/dryer, and two berths. Pay extra for the two stateroom plan and the aft berth goes full beam, undisputedly becoming the master. Either way, you get a luxurious salon featuring a skylight with an electric shade and a galley designed to please gourmets as well as those who prefer a catered buffet.
THE WAY IT OUGHTA BE. There's no waterbike garage aboard the 680 Sun Sport as there is on the V-65 Express Cruiser and the Predator 68. The 680 Sun Sport's larger cockpit is the result of relegating your small boat to the cradle on the optional hydraulic swim platform (standard on the Predator 68). You can order the cockpit and platform covered in teak, but this, too, comes standard aboard the Predator 68. Entry is via the platform or port and starboard cockpit boarding doors. You'll never run out of stowage. Shorepower inlets are standard in the lazarette and more can be added up in the anchor locker. This lets you dock bow-to for privacy or a better view. A key fob remote lets you reel in your cords from afar. But that anchor locker hatch - gasketed, guttered, and drained, affixed by a full-length, through-bolted hinge, and opening on a stainless-steel gas-assisted strut - is a case study in how to make a hatch cover.
