Boatingfool
New Member
We'll with so many other Sea Ray models having an "Owners Club" thread, I figured the 560 DB (Sedan Bridge) should have a thread dedicated to the wonderful boat that it is.
Sea Ray 560 DB (Sedan Bridge)
The Sea Ray 560 Sedan Bridge is one of the best Sea Ray’s ever built, a remarkable Yacht to most any boat builder’s standard. With an overall length of 58’6 (standard swim platform – which I’ve never seen on a 560) or overall length of 59’10 (hydraulic swim platform) and a 16’ beam, she is one big girl.
Perfect for a family of 6, a cruising couple of 4, or a live aboard couple of 2, with a draft of 4 ½ feet the 560 Sedan Bridge can easily navigate all the Chesapeake Bay has to offer, comfortably explore the coastal cities along the coast line of the United States, and safely cruise to the Bahama’s.
If I had to list ten reasons why I believe the 560 is the perfect Sea Ray for us, they would be as follows:
1. Cockpit – the 560 has one of the largest cockpits of any Sea Ray Sedan Bridge. The cockpit is an area of a boat where many boat enthusiasts spend a majority of their time while at port. The cockpit on the 560 can comfortably seat six to eight people (with the addition of two chairs) with plenty of room for food and drink.
2. Bridge – the bridge is enormous, and comfortably seats 10 people. The ice maker, freezer, and refrigerator are great conveniences that save a trip to the salon/galley when in need of refreshments. The Champaign ice box is a great touch, that frequently comes in hand on Saturday and Sunday mornings while entertaining underway. Hard top – this is a feature welcome on any Sea Ray. The hard top is extremely ridged, and allows easy & quick opening of the isinglass. The hard top has built-in radar electronics & an intercom phone system, and many 560 Sedan Bridge’s have an optional Television mounted to the hard top.
3. Helm – The helm gives you a “king of the hill” feeling. Easy to view instruments and electronics, with the power of either 800hp 3406E CAT’s or 10-cylinder 1050hp MAN Diesels at your fingertips. The sight lines are perfect, with amazing visibility forward and 90degrees to either side without any sight obstruction. You can see the bow of the boat without standing up and, while backing down or into a slip, you can see the stern of the boat without leaving the helm seat – another great attribute of the 560 Sedan Bridge.
4. Helm access – This is why we bought the boat. With two large dogs (Great Danes), your fly-bridge boat options are limited. The dogs have to be able to comfortably get on the bridge. I’ve knows several couples who have the “ladder” style steps on either sportfish or other style flybridge boats, who have had accidents where guests have falled down the steep steps, or where they simply got to the age where climbing a “ladder” was not advantageous to their health. The 560 Sedan Bridge happens to have the easiest steps to walk up and down that I have experienced on most boats under 60-feet. The angle of incline is easily managed by the oldest guests, and the handrails are a work of art – exactly where they need to be to ensure safe travel. Exceedingly dog friendly.
5. Hydraulic Swim Platform – Although it was an option, I have never seen (online or in person) a 560 Sedan Bridge without the hydraulic swim platform. In my opinion, it is a must and a welcome addition to any diesel powered Sea Ray over 40-feet (for those who have not had the pleasure of boating as long as I have, the reason why diesel power is specified is because a boat in the 40-foot range with gas engines would not be economical or powerful enough - gas engines lack the low-end torque diesel engines generate - to operate such a large boat with the addition of all the weight a hydraulic swim platform and associated dingy adds to the stern of the boat). The hydraulic swim platform adds three benefits to any larger Sea Ray – safety, entertainment, and ease of use. Safety – if someone or a pet falls in the water, the platform can be lowered to allow a much easier job of getting the person/dog back on board. Entertainment – while at anchor under calm seas, the platform can be lowered in the water a foot & half or so, and becomes a refreshing water seating lounge to sit & enjoy cocktails with friends. Ease of use – with dogs or unstable (ie. older) people aboard, the tender can be loaded safely & securely while the hydraulic platform is up. The tender can then be lowered in the water, without having to worry about the dogs or an unstable persons falling/loosing balance (which can easily happen when a tender is in the water, bobbing around, and you try to get into it).
6. Salon – the salon is grand; the twin sofas seat seven to eight adults comfortably, with seating for four at the dinette. The salon is “open” meaning that the dinette and galley are all within the massive salon area (not lower or totally sectioned off in its own area). We’ve comfortably entertained 10 people in the salon while serving refreshments and making hordorves. This lead to the next highlight of the 560 Sedan Bridge – the galley.
7. Galley – The galley in the 560 rocks. Why? Simply put, the galley is both a part of the “party” in the main salon, while also having its own dedicated area which is outside from the travel of guests and dogs. Two people can prepare food, drink, etc. yet, because the galley has its own area, people can still walk past the galley and dinette to the bedrooms & bathrooms without stepping over anyone, and large dogs can be kept away from food preparation. The sub-zero refridgerators and freeezor are another welcome bonus.
8. VIP Stateroom & third stateroom (aka the “closet”) – The VIP stateroom is nice because it offers private access to the starboard rest room, and has good floor space for your guest to dress in their own quarters. The port guest room has a washer & drier unit (although the “drier” portion only marginally dries at best). The lower bunk is well suited for an adult, however the top bunk is best suited for kids. However, because the main salon has as a sofa bed option which most 560 Sedan Bridge’s have and comfortably sleeps another two guests, many 560 Sedan Bridge owners find another use for the third stateroom – we make it a walk-in closed. Who wouldn’t want a walk-in closed on their boat!?
9. Main Stateroom – Expansive sums the main stateroom well. Nearly seven feet between the door and the bed, the floor space is large enough for two people to dress at the same time. The king size bed is plenty large enough for three people to comfortably sleep (or two people and two dogs in our case when guests are aboard). Private head and shower in the main stateroom (the twin water pump system on the 560 Sedan Bridge and built-in accumulator tank offers consistent, home like high water pressure).
10. Engine room – walk down cockpit access to the engine room and under cockpit bilge area. The engine room is expansive with twin 800 CAT’s yet houses twin V10 MAN’s well (as long as you are under 250lbs – over 250lbs you may get stuck while walking between the oil filter housings on the starboard engine and the opposing oil filter housings on the port engine). Everything is labeled and clearly marked. The stern bilge area has a lot of room for storage; I’ve seen several 560 Sedan Bridges install custom freezers and refrigerators there and scuba diving equipment. Although I have not seen one in person, Sea Ray offered an optional crew quarters in the rear bilge area.
Couple more…
11. Storage – Expansive general storage: in each bedroom, hallway, nook & cranny, Sea Ray engineered accessible storage to every bare space throughout the boat. To this day I still find new/secret compartments in this boat. Perfect for any hoarder.
12. Performance - This big girl runs. Although my boat has the MAN diesel engines, I’ve heard from 560 Sedan Bridge owners with the CAT diesels that they comfortably cruise between 22-26kts, and top out just over 30kts. This has been my experience with the MAN diesel engines: When I sea trialed the 560 Sedan Bridge (3/4 fuel, lower water, bare boat w/o tender or the normal supplies: food, tools, personal effects, etc. that weight a boat down) in the dead of winter she nearly hit 37 knots at WOT. Now, with a tender, full fuel, full water, tools, and several years of accumulated stuff on board, I am lucky to hit 36.0 knots (35kts typical in the heat of summer). She comfortably cruises anywhere between 22kts and 31kts (approx 1,650rpm to 2,100rpm). The sweet spot, where the hull and handling “feel” effortless and the engines sound like they are just loafing along is between 25kts and 29kts (approx 1,750 to 1,950rpm). In heavy seas she will stay on plane and plow through the waves down to 14/15kts. Docking is easy, once you get used to the 7-7.5kt idle, with the aid of a front bow thruster you can put this boat nearly anywhere in almost any weather condition.
Other noteworthy attributes of the 560 Sedan Bridge include wide gunnels & walk around, with very well placed hand/grab railing. She has a large sun pad on the bow, with cup holders, that allow sunning while at anchor or while under way in calm seas. Fuel fills are both located aft, at the rear most of the hull. This makes taking the fuel hose from one side of the boat to the other very easy, quick, and clean. The livewell in the back has plenty of room to stow a 50ft hose, and the 200 gallon fresh water capacity is plenty for four people over a three day weekend, including plenty of extra water to wash down the boat when you get to your anchorage each evening and hose off the dogs after a swim.
Maintenance is easy. The engines have the oil filters located in the middle, so you do not have to climb around anything to get to them. The engine, generator, and transmission have an oil changing system conveniently located just into the access door to the engine room, so you do not have to carry fluids far. The main fuel filters are located in the rear bilge, just as you walk down into the bilge, so they couldn’t be more conveniently located.
No boat is perfect, but there are only two major issues I’ve come across on the 560 Sedan Bridge.
#1 The water heater is located between the port diesel and the hull of the boat; underneath and behind three crusair a/c units. Water condensation can run down from the top a/c unit onto the water heater below it, which can cause the aluminum water heater to corrode. This happened on my boat, and to replace the water heater the three a/c units would need to be removed.
#2 Electrical panel (only issue I consider a design “flaw” on this boat). The electrical panel is located in the rear port side of the salon. When Sea Ray builds these boats the hardtop is a separate mold than the rest of the bridge. When bolted/put together; they use caulking to seal between the two structures. The caulking (after countless weekly washes, and many, many waxes over the years) wore out in this area. This allowed water to run between these two structures which are located right above the electrical panel. We had a 40kt wind & rain storm one evening at the marina, and water leaked in and ran down onto the electrical panel. Make sure (if you have a 560 or another sea ray with similar electrical panel location) to periodically check the condition of the caulking between the bridge and the hard top.
#3 Not really an issue, but what a lot of large propped diesel boat do in the summer, especially when the water & air temps are high (from what I’ve been told, this mainly applies to the MAN diesel equipped 560’s). To achieve the top-end speed high power diesels can propel a boat to at a low rpm, the props need to be large & heavily pitched. The 560 Sedan Bridge with the MAN diesels have 31” x 37” props. When getting up on plane, before the twin turbochargers on each diesel spool up and create several thousand pounds of torque, when the water temps are over 70 degrees it can take a solid 30 to 45-seconds for the diesels to accelerate between 1,200rpm and 1,500rpm where the turbos start to kick in, once you hit about 1,550rpm you hear a crisp “sssSSSSSSS” from the four turbochargers and all 70,000lbs of a loaded 560 Sedan Bridge catapult ahead like a freight train (if you don’t warn your guests, they will be thrown back). My cousin put this transition between 1,200rpm and 1,500rpm best “the raw fuel burned & associated smoke as the diesels slave to get 70,000lbs out of the water is basically like taking large trash bags full of dollar bills and throwing them off the back of the boat at the water – this boat would make any stripper (ie. pole dancer) jealous”.
Couple more pics of 560's:
All in all, the 560 DB has been and continues to be a teriffic yacht. We consider ourselves blessed to be owner's of such a magnificent Sea Ray - one we think anyone looking for a boat in the 50-foot range should strongly consider.
I hope other 560 DB owners will share their experiences in this thread for other 560 and future 560 owners to enjoy. We need more pictures!! :thumbsup:
Sea Ray 560 DB (Sedan Bridge)
The Sea Ray 560 Sedan Bridge is one of the best Sea Ray’s ever built, a remarkable Yacht to most any boat builder’s standard. With an overall length of 58’6 (standard swim platform – which I’ve never seen on a 560) or overall length of 59’10 (hydraulic swim platform) and a 16’ beam, she is one big girl.
Perfect for a family of 6, a cruising couple of 4, or a live aboard couple of 2, with a draft of 4 ½ feet the 560 Sedan Bridge can easily navigate all the Chesapeake Bay has to offer, comfortably explore the coastal cities along the coast line of the United States, and safely cruise to the Bahama’s.
If I had to list ten reasons why I believe the 560 is the perfect Sea Ray for us, they would be as follows:
1. Cockpit – the 560 has one of the largest cockpits of any Sea Ray Sedan Bridge. The cockpit is an area of a boat where many boat enthusiasts spend a majority of their time while at port. The cockpit on the 560 can comfortably seat six to eight people (with the addition of two chairs) with plenty of room for food and drink.
2. Bridge – the bridge is enormous, and comfortably seats 10 people. The ice maker, freezer, and refrigerator are great conveniences that save a trip to the salon/galley when in need of refreshments. The Champaign ice box is a great touch, that frequently comes in hand on Saturday and Sunday mornings while entertaining underway. Hard top – this is a feature welcome on any Sea Ray. The hard top is extremely ridged, and allows easy & quick opening of the isinglass. The hard top has built-in radar electronics & an intercom phone system, and many 560 Sedan Bridge’s have an optional Television mounted to the hard top.
3. Helm – The helm gives you a “king of the hill” feeling. Easy to view instruments and electronics, with the power of either 800hp 3406E CAT’s or 10-cylinder 1050hp MAN Diesels at your fingertips. The sight lines are perfect, with amazing visibility forward and 90degrees to either side without any sight obstruction. You can see the bow of the boat without standing up and, while backing down or into a slip, you can see the stern of the boat without leaving the helm seat – another great attribute of the 560 Sedan Bridge.
4. Helm access – This is why we bought the boat. With two large dogs (Great Danes), your fly-bridge boat options are limited. The dogs have to be able to comfortably get on the bridge. I’ve knows several couples who have the “ladder” style steps on either sportfish or other style flybridge boats, who have had accidents where guests have falled down the steep steps, or where they simply got to the age where climbing a “ladder” was not advantageous to their health. The 560 Sedan Bridge happens to have the easiest steps to walk up and down that I have experienced on most boats under 60-feet. The angle of incline is easily managed by the oldest guests, and the handrails are a work of art – exactly where they need to be to ensure safe travel. Exceedingly dog friendly.
5. Hydraulic Swim Platform – Although it was an option, I have never seen (online or in person) a 560 Sedan Bridge without the hydraulic swim platform. In my opinion, it is a must and a welcome addition to any diesel powered Sea Ray over 40-feet (for those who have not had the pleasure of boating as long as I have, the reason why diesel power is specified is because a boat in the 40-foot range with gas engines would not be economical or powerful enough - gas engines lack the low-end torque diesel engines generate - to operate such a large boat with the addition of all the weight a hydraulic swim platform and associated dingy adds to the stern of the boat). The hydraulic swim platform adds three benefits to any larger Sea Ray – safety, entertainment, and ease of use. Safety – if someone or a pet falls in the water, the platform can be lowered to allow a much easier job of getting the person/dog back on board. Entertainment – while at anchor under calm seas, the platform can be lowered in the water a foot & half or so, and becomes a refreshing water seating lounge to sit & enjoy cocktails with friends. Ease of use – with dogs or unstable (ie. older) people aboard, the tender can be loaded safely & securely while the hydraulic platform is up. The tender can then be lowered in the water, without having to worry about the dogs or an unstable persons falling/loosing balance (which can easily happen when a tender is in the water, bobbing around, and you try to get into it).
6. Salon – the salon is grand; the twin sofas seat seven to eight adults comfortably, with seating for four at the dinette. The salon is “open” meaning that the dinette and galley are all within the massive salon area (not lower or totally sectioned off in its own area). We’ve comfortably entertained 10 people in the salon while serving refreshments and making hordorves. This lead to the next highlight of the 560 Sedan Bridge – the galley.
7. Galley – The galley in the 560 rocks. Why? Simply put, the galley is both a part of the “party” in the main salon, while also having its own dedicated area which is outside from the travel of guests and dogs. Two people can prepare food, drink, etc. yet, because the galley has its own area, people can still walk past the galley and dinette to the bedrooms & bathrooms without stepping over anyone, and large dogs can be kept away from food preparation. The sub-zero refridgerators and freeezor are another welcome bonus.
8. VIP Stateroom & third stateroom (aka the “closet”) – The VIP stateroom is nice because it offers private access to the starboard rest room, and has good floor space for your guest to dress in their own quarters. The port guest room has a washer & drier unit (although the “drier” portion only marginally dries at best). The lower bunk is well suited for an adult, however the top bunk is best suited for kids. However, because the main salon has as a sofa bed option which most 560 Sedan Bridge’s have and comfortably sleeps another two guests, many 560 Sedan Bridge owners find another use for the third stateroom – we make it a walk-in closed. Who wouldn’t want a walk-in closed on their boat!?
9. Main Stateroom – Expansive sums the main stateroom well. Nearly seven feet between the door and the bed, the floor space is large enough for two people to dress at the same time. The king size bed is plenty large enough for three people to comfortably sleep (or two people and two dogs in our case when guests are aboard). Private head and shower in the main stateroom (the twin water pump system on the 560 Sedan Bridge and built-in accumulator tank offers consistent, home like high water pressure).
10. Engine room – walk down cockpit access to the engine room and under cockpit bilge area. The engine room is expansive with twin 800 CAT’s yet houses twin V10 MAN’s well (as long as you are under 250lbs – over 250lbs you may get stuck while walking between the oil filter housings on the starboard engine and the opposing oil filter housings on the port engine). Everything is labeled and clearly marked. The stern bilge area has a lot of room for storage; I’ve seen several 560 Sedan Bridges install custom freezers and refrigerators there and scuba diving equipment. Although I have not seen one in person, Sea Ray offered an optional crew quarters in the rear bilge area.
Couple more…
11. Storage – Expansive general storage: in each bedroom, hallway, nook & cranny, Sea Ray engineered accessible storage to every bare space throughout the boat. To this day I still find new/secret compartments in this boat. Perfect for any hoarder.
12. Performance - This big girl runs. Although my boat has the MAN diesel engines, I’ve heard from 560 Sedan Bridge owners with the CAT diesels that they comfortably cruise between 22-26kts, and top out just over 30kts. This has been my experience with the MAN diesel engines: When I sea trialed the 560 Sedan Bridge (3/4 fuel, lower water, bare boat w/o tender or the normal supplies: food, tools, personal effects, etc. that weight a boat down) in the dead of winter she nearly hit 37 knots at WOT. Now, with a tender, full fuel, full water, tools, and several years of accumulated stuff on board, I am lucky to hit 36.0 knots (35kts typical in the heat of summer). She comfortably cruises anywhere between 22kts and 31kts (approx 1,650rpm to 2,100rpm). The sweet spot, where the hull and handling “feel” effortless and the engines sound like they are just loafing along is between 25kts and 29kts (approx 1,750 to 1,950rpm). In heavy seas she will stay on plane and plow through the waves down to 14/15kts. Docking is easy, once you get used to the 7-7.5kt idle, with the aid of a front bow thruster you can put this boat nearly anywhere in almost any weather condition.
Other noteworthy attributes of the 560 Sedan Bridge include wide gunnels & walk around, with very well placed hand/grab railing. She has a large sun pad on the bow, with cup holders, that allow sunning while at anchor or while under way in calm seas. Fuel fills are both located aft, at the rear most of the hull. This makes taking the fuel hose from one side of the boat to the other very easy, quick, and clean. The livewell in the back has plenty of room to stow a 50ft hose, and the 200 gallon fresh water capacity is plenty for four people over a three day weekend, including plenty of extra water to wash down the boat when you get to your anchorage each evening and hose off the dogs after a swim.
Maintenance is easy. The engines have the oil filters located in the middle, so you do not have to climb around anything to get to them. The engine, generator, and transmission have an oil changing system conveniently located just into the access door to the engine room, so you do not have to carry fluids far. The main fuel filters are located in the rear bilge, just as you walk down into the bilge, so they couldn’t be more conveniently located.
No boat is perfect, but there are only two major issues I’ve come across on the 560 Sedan Bridge.
#1 The water heater is located between the port diesel and the hull of the boat; underneath and behind three crusair a/c units. Water condensation can run down from the top a/c unit onto the water heater below it, which can cause the aluminum water heater to corrode. This happened on my boat, and to replace the water heater the three a/c units would need to be removed.
#2 Electrical panel (only issue I consider a design “flaw” on this boat). The electrical panel is located in the rear port side of the salon. When Sea Ray builds these boats the hardtop is a separate mold than the rest of the bridge. When bolted/put together; they use caulking to seal between the two structures. The caulking (after countless weekly washes, and many, many waxes over the years) wore out in this area. This allowed water to run between these two structures which are located right above the electrical panel. We had a 40kt wind & rain storm one evening at the marina, and water leaked in and ran down onto the electrical panel. Make sure (if you have a 560 or another sea ray with similar electrical panel location) to periodically check the condition of the caulking between the bridge and the hard top.
#3 Not really an issue, but what a lot of large propped diesel boat do in the summer, especially when the water & air temps are high (from what I’ve been told, this mainly applies to the MAN diesel equipped 560’s). To achieve the top-end speed high power diesels can propel a boat to at a low rpm, the props need to be large & heavily pitched. The 560 Sedan Bridge with the MAN diesels have 31” x 37” props. When getting up on plane, before the twin turbochargers on each diesel spool up and create several thousand pounds of torque, when the water temps are over 70 degrees it can take a solid 30 to 45-seconds for the diesels to accelerate between 1,200rpm and 1,500rpm where the turbos start to kick in, once you hit about 1,550rpm you hear a crisp “sssSSSSSSS” from the four turbochargers and all 70,000lbs of a loaded 560 Sedan Bridge catapult ahead like a freight train (if you don’t warn your guests, they will be thrown back). My cousin put this transition between 1,200rpm and 1,500rpm best “the raw fuel burned & associated smoke as the diesels slave to get 70,000lbs out of the water is basically like taking large trash bags full of dollar bills and throwing them off the back of the boat at the water – this boat would make any stripper (ie. pole dancer) jealous”.
Couple more pics of 560's:
All in all, the 560 DB has been and continues to be a teriffic yacht. We consider ourselves blessed to be owner's of such a magnificent Sea Ray - one we think anyone looking for a boat in the 50-foot range should strongly consider.
I hope other 560 DB owners will share their experiences in this thread for other 560 and future 560 owners to enjoy. We need more pictures!! :thumbsup:
