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Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test

The Sea Ray Fly 400 boasts the staples that cruising boaters expect, and then some.
Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test
LOA: 43’6″ (with optional extended platform) | Beam: 13’6″ | Draft (max): 3’7″ | Displacement (approx.): 30,900 lb. (dry) | Transom Deadrise: 17 degrees | Bridge Clearance: NA | Fuel Capacity: 344 gal. | Max Horsepower: Twin Cummins QSB6.7 HD diesels | Available Power: 960 hp | More Information: searay.com Courtesy Sea Ray

If asked to pick just one word to describe the Sea Ray Fly 400, I’d choose “volume.” Step into the salon. You’ll be impressed by the sheer space and headroom. Sea Ray achieved this canyonesque feel by installing oversize windows, keeping sightlines open (no high dividers), and creating a single-level living area (no steps) from the transom all the way through to the windshield. Even better, it did this while maintaining pleasantly svelte exterior styling.

Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test
The Fly 400 features pleasantly svelte exterior styling. Courtesy Sea Ray

The Sea Ray Fly 400 boasts the staples that cruising boaters expect, and then some. In the salon there are settees and a flat-screen TV. In the cockpit there’s a table and settee. In the galley, opposite the helm, we found several chef-pleasing ­amenities.

The master stateroom forward is equally spacious, offering large windows and an island berth that measures darn close to queen-size.

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Our test boat had the optional (no-brainer) en suite head for the master, allowing the standard head to serve the guest cabin tucked under the salon. Both heads have tube showers and surprising space.

Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test
The guest cabin has twin berths that slide together to become a queen. Courtesy Sea Ray

The guest cabin is bright and civilized, with twin berths that slide together to become a queen. This makes it as suitable for another couple as it is for a couple of kids. The standard layout has a third fore-and-aft berth in the guest cabin, but a built-in bureau is a wise option for weekender stowage space.

The flybridge is a panoramic entertainment center, with an L-shaped settee with table, a pedestal helm seat opposite a doublewide companion seat, and a wet bar with sink and refrigerator so no one is thirsty.

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Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test
The Cummins joystick makes maneuvering easy. Courtesy Sea Ray

Power is a pair of Cummins 480 hp QSB6.7 diesels, with V-drives so the engines are placed well-aft and accessible when the entire cockpit sole raises on lifts. The optional hydraulic transom platform is an easy choice because it can carry/launch a Sea-Doo Spark personal watercraft.

Underway, the Fly 400 is a nimble but solid delight. The Cummins joystick makes maneuvering easy, and we topped out at a pleasant 34 mph.

Once again, Sea Ray shows why it ranks high in the flybridge market by creating a delightful yacht with an immense amount of living space.

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Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test
There are settees and a flat-screen TV in the salon. Courtesy Sea Ray

High Points

  • Electrical panel is hidden behind a flip-up couch back, which means no more crawling on your knees to switch on the lights.
  • Big roller bins under the master berth add easy-to-reach stowage.
  • Optional gourmet station — a handy mini-galley on the transom — keeps smoke away from the cockpit while you char the burgers.

Low Points

  • Galley counter has no edged lips to prevent spills from running onto the floor or upholstery, and the sink is hard to reach.
  • Access to the Racor filters means lying on the engine (not while it’s hot) and reaching into a far, dark corner.
  • Bridge stairs will be a steep climb for Aunt Edna.
Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test
There’s a handy mini-galley on the transom. Courtesy Sea Ray
Sea Ray Fly 400 Boat Test
The Fly 400 is a nimble but solid delight. Courtesy Sea Ray

Tough Competitor
The Galeon 420 is less expensive at about $700,000, similarly sized and powered, and offers an optional third cabin for kids.

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Price: $809,542

Available Power: V-drive

Sea Ray Fly 400 Certified Test Results

Sea Ray Fly 400 Certified Test Results

Sea Ray Fly 400 Certified Test Results Boating Magazine

How We Tested
Engine: Twin Cummins QSB6.7 HD
Drive/Prop: ZF 280 IV/23″ x 25.5″ 4-blade
Gear Ratio: 2.06:1
Fuel Load: 300 gal.
Crew Weight: 550 lb.

More Information

Sea Ray Boats – Knoxville, Tennessee; searay.com

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