First picture of new L590 Fly on its way to FLIBS

Rusty, I plan on being at the show bright and early Friday and plan on making a bee line for the 590 FLY. I'm sure we will catch up on the dock sometime during the day. The Mrs. won't be with me this time, she has let me loose at FLIBS all by myself. Probably an ill advised move on her part....

Coming to the Ft. Lauderdale Show (FLIBS) ??....you will see the 650FLY, the 650 Express and the brand new 590FLY. Also at our dock will be the 350SLX (way cool boat), 510DA and FLY, 470DA, 410DA and the 540DA.....and you and I can talk right on the dock, about every model and option you see. I too had preconceived notions about these new models but after running them everywhere now, I have grown very fond of the new style and amenities. These boats are sharp and they do love to run!

Hope to see you there!!

Capt. Rusty
 
But why not offer at least (1) traditional style yacht in size class, to support thier american customer base? Seems to me, I've always heard to, never put all your eggs into one basket. I thought Sea Ray would be diverse enough to offer two styles, or maybe I'm wrong as usually is the case.

Marlow, Flemming, etc are enjoying Sea Rays decision I'm sure.

Not really sure I understand the reasoning behind that comment. I might also be wrong, but I don't think SR was ever in a position where it competed directly head to head with Marlow or Fleming. Completely Different style and segment of boat. The sneakers competed with Carvers and the larger Bayliners, and the bridge boats with Cruisers and other similar boats. Several market segments below where Marlow and Fleming operate.

SR sales probably have no measurable impact on those builders, and I don't see that changing with the newer styling. What one would hope is that they make a dent in Marquis, Princess, Prestige, Sunseeker, Azimut et al, ie the "euro style" bridge boats and sport sedans that are currently proliferating the market. I think the L series in that respect is bound to be a huge winner with their target demographic.
 
I based it upon different people saying they were looking at thoes brands as their next boat. Not that Sea Ray was competing with them. Everything doesn't have to be apples to apples comparison.

Hell, I own a 2006 Sea Ray 240da AND a 1978 Chris Craft....love them both, but they are very different boats!
 
I started the whole Fleming conversation, and thus I apologize for the confusion. I never meant to suggest that these new Sea Rays are intended in any way to compete with boats like Flemings and Marlows... All I said was that is where I would spend my money instead based on my preferences and intended use. As noted by others, crusty old farts like me are not the demographic for these boats.

I have zero doubt that these new Sea Rays compare very favorably to the competitive set of Euro-style yachts and I wish Sea Ray all the best in selling them.

P.S. Rusty rules!
 
Coming to the Ft. Lauderdale Show (FLIBS) ??....you will see the 650FLY, the 650 Express and the brand new 590FLY. Also at our dock will be the 350SLX (way cool boat), 510DA and FLY, 470DA, 410DA and the 540DA.....and you and I can talk right on the dock, about every model and option you see. I too had preconceived notions about these new models but after running them everywhere now, I have grown very fond of the new style and amenities. These boats are sharp and they do love to run!

Hope to see you there!!

Capt. Rusty

Sea Ray will also have the 19SPX and 270Sundeck at FLIBS. In case anyone with slightly emptier pockets is interested. Total of 6 all new boats from Sea Ray.
 
Last edited:
Heck Ryan, we will be doing 7 knots just by putting her in gear. You can certainly run at 10 knots all day long with comfort and ease..... driving the FLY from the bridge on a nice day at 10 knots is pretty close to heaven for me, until I get on open water then 27 knots becomes the cruise speed.

Capt. R

Sounds the best of both worlds. I'd like the range for longer trips, but the speed for more frequent and shorter weekend trips.

I also think the L650 has one of the best layouts in its class with four staterooms, none of which use bunk beds.

Azimut's 64 = 3 Staterooms
Princess 64 = 4 Staterooms, but one is bunk beds. Smaller master head.
MCY 65 = 3 Staterooms

Anyone happen to know the height above the waterline on the L650 Fly? (To the top of the nav light)
 
Rusty knows it ALL TOO WELL!
 
Sounds the best of both worlds. I'd like the range for longer trips, but the speed for more frequent and shorter weekend trips.
In good weather it is 'the best of both worlds'. Our 380DA gets a pretty comfortable cruise at 1200-1500RPM depending on conditions. At this speed we burn about 1.4GPH which would give us a pretty good "range" on our 275 gallon tank capacity. In our short (almost exactly one year) of dark-side' boating, I have learned three things relevant to running a planning hull at trawler speeds. 1) The boat does not do well at low speeds in big following sea's and will have a tendency to broach. This is easily compensated by finding a speed that keeps you running just a tick slower than the waves. This speed is usually at far worse fuel economy than planning, but can be necessary when planning speeds will get you air born. 2) In mixed, or sizeable, swell the boat has a lot of motion. Not nearly as comfortable a ride as a keel boat or simi-displacement trawler. 3) Sometimes you have to adjust speed (or angle) to prevent sucking exhaust fumes into the cockpit.In general, my opinion is that the 380DA is built to run at speed. It seems happiest at 3400-3500RPM, running 19knts @ 33GPH. As the L590 will be diesel powered, and much bigger, I would guess the conditions required to make her uncomfortable would be scaled up considerably from a 38 ft boat., and the comfort at slow speeds should be better in worse conditions. I am curious (with her new 'ocean rating') if there is a similar characteristic on a boat the size of the L590. If there is, I bet the fuel burn in bad weather is staggering. At least she should have the speed to stay out of bad conditions!
 
Reading through all these comments I'm getting the feeling there are 2 camps in the big boat/yacht world; traditional and new age. The moment I saw both the 590 and 650 models I was in love. I seriously couldn't imagine a better looking boat. Inside and out. Now, I do like the seating layout of the flybridge in the 480/580DB better because it keeps the captain/owner in the group conversation without having to look to your side or turn around. I'd love to see this incorporated somehow in future models. But, other than that, these new boats are damn near perfect!

That being said, I wonder if there's a coloration between ones age and their respective opinions on style. Someone else earlier mentioned Marlow and how they much preferred its lines over the new Sea-Rays. Well, I saw them too and my knee jerk reaction was: antiquated and old fashioned. It just doesn't do it for me. Then again, I'm 34. Understand, I'm not trying to knock on anyone here, it's just an observation. I wonder if Sea-Ray is pushing to market these new boats to the new generation of buyers. Granted, there are probably a LOT more potential buyers of L class yachts over 50 than under 50, but the future belongs to the generation between the ages of 25-45. Any thoughts on this?

At the end of the day though, we all share the same passion. It's wonderful that we all have so many options to choose from and across a broad spectrum of applications.

Cheers everyone!
 
Well...I have to agree with Bolt. I'm not a fan of the "European" look and it seems Sea Ray (and most others) are heading in that direction. Could be because they are global companies and need to sell world wide

I like the reverse sheer of the late model Dancers and the hard angles of the full windshields and hardtops. And of course the early 2000's 480DBs up to the 580DB..killer looks and a lot of boat.

Rich
 
Well...I have to agree with Bolt. I'm not a fan of the "European" look and it seems Sea Ray (and most others) are heading in that direction. Could be because they are global companies and need to sell world wide

I like the reverse sheer of the late model Dancers and the hard angles of the full windshields and hardtops. And of course the early 2000's 480DBs up to the 580DB..killer looks and a lot of boat.

Rich

The 2008+ 580DA is an awesome boat. The large round table in the cockpit is a great gathering area.
My one complain about the older SeaRays (and they're working to change this) is that I want a closed cockpit for longer trips.

Being based in DC we take a few trips a year south on the Potomac river to the Chesapeake Bay and mid-river destinations. We're usually running non-stop for 3-4 hours at a time. Being able to stay out of the sun (and in the AC on a 95+ degree day) is priceless. Plus, it's nice to get a break from the noise of the engines and wind for a bit. It I want a breeze, have windows that open.

I think the Fly models are a perfect mix of comfort and open bridge. If you want to stay indoors you can pilot from the lower helm. If you want to be outside stay on the fly bridge. It's the best of both worlds.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,944
Messages
1,422,711
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top