Sea Ray 290 Sundancer Review: A Racy Mid-Cabin Cruiser

Sea Ray’s Sundancer range has been one of its most successful, with over four decades and counting in production. The 290 Sundancer is no exception, and it was in production from the early 1990s until 2008, no mean feat in one of the most competitive sectors of the industry (mid-cabin cruisers).

Unsurprisingly, there were many changes over the years with the 290 Sundancer, from its early 1990s versions through the turn of the century. Here we focus mostly on the more recent 2001-2008 version, although—testament to the brand’s reputation of building durable boats—it is still possible to find good examples of older models for sale.

The Sea Ray 290 Sundancer manages to combine the racy styling Sea Ray is known for, with luxury amenities, and seriously impressive performance. The results are a multi-functional family cruiser that means business.

The Sea Ray 290 Sundancer balances comfort and performance with ease

The Sea Ray 290 Sundancer balances comfort and performance with ease. Rightboat seller photo.

Sea Ray 290 Sundancer Key Features

Everything on board the Sea Ray 290 Sundancer is designed to offer both comfort and practicality in equal measure, from the spacious cabin to the convertible dinette. Storage is fitted cleverly into the beautiful cherry wood cabinets, while outside there is plenty of comfortable seating, a wet bar, and sink to name just a few of the amenities.

There is a head and galley inside, making the 290 a comfortable weekend cruiser, as well as a long, plush cockpit outside which is great for squeezing in all your friends on a day on the water.

Other features include a windlass with footswitch making anchoring easy, a swim platform with boarding ladder, a radar arch with canvas sunshade, and a ski tow eye for waterskiing and wakeboarding. Add to that standard features such as a water heater, plethora of galley appliances, and vacuum flush head and the 290 Sundancer is a smart little package.

The Sea Ray 290 Sundancer offers impressive interior space for weekend cruising

The Sea Ray 290 Sundancer offers impressive interior space for weekend cruising. Rightboat seller photo.

Sea Ray 290 Sundancer Performance

If you buy a Sea Ray you’re expecting solid performance, and the 290 Sundancer certainly always delivered on that. The models equipped with the twin 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0L MPI gasoline stern drive engines can cruise around 25 mph and reach top speeds of around 45 knots. A diesel version was also in production for many years. Efficiency-wise, the 290 Sundancer offers around 1.5mpg when cruising.

Sea Ray 290 performance

Experience powerful performance on the water with the Sea Ray 290 Sundancer. Rightboat seller photo.

Sea Ray 290 Sundancer Why Buy It

A proven model from one of Sea Ray’s longest-running ranges
A racy silhouette and twin-engine configuration which delivers over 40mph
Comfort and performance in equal measure
A well-designed interior cabin designed for weekend cruising
Standard features such as a wet bar, ski tow eye, and swim platform make it a multi-functional boat
Buying Used? The 290 Sundancer models were equipped standard with twin 220-hp MerCruiser 4.3L MPI V-6 Bravo One gasoline stern drives, but there were several options so keep an eye out for the recommended 260-hp gas versions. For other tips when buying used, read our Boat Inspection Checklist

The Sea Ray 290 Sundancer has a comfortable and versatile deck space