Bundle of Joy
Sea Ray introduces the SLX 260 with its next-generation design.
Its profile is fast and sporty. Its interior is designed for comfort with a helm setup for effortless control and amenities that fit nicely into the family cruising and water sport lifestyle. The SLX 260 is the first boat designed exclusively by an all-female team and represents the future of Sea Ray’s SLX line.
Let’s Take a Walk Through
An optional pop-up boarding step helps with getting aboard or disembarking on the starboard aft rail if the step into the cockpit is too much of a stretch.
Once on board, you’ll notice the roomy seating area with the large sunpad at the transom. A huge swim platform not only provides enough room for swimming but also access to an insulated storage compartment or cooler under the sunpad and a large, long storage space to port for inflatables, skis or boards, paddles, and the like.
The SLX 260 comes as an outboard or sterndrive model, and with the sterndrive, the swim platform has a flip-out swim step in place of the outboard. Both platforms have a concealable four-step swim ladder and a grab handle for support. Water sport enthusiasts will enjoy the optional ski-tow pylon on the outboard or the tow hook in the transom on the sterndrive, and parents will appreciate the optional air compressor with dedicated storage to fill up the inflatables.
While we’re still on the swim platform, the SLX 260 sterndrive model is powered by a Mercury MerCruiser 6.2L MPI ECT Bravo Three engine with SmartCraft Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS). The outboard model is propelled by a Mercury 300 Verado engine also with SmartCraft DTS. The outboard provides a cruise speed around 30 mph which gets a range around 192 miles.
The design team made big improvements in the seating to promote efficiency when moving around the boat and provide added comfort. There’s two-and-a-half feet between the port and starboard seating—wraparound seating to port with storage beneath and a bench seat to starboard with cooler storage for up to two soft-sided coolers.
The team also made the seats deeper to feel more secure when underway for a smoother, luxurious ride. On the outboard model, the aft-most seat in the wraparound as well as the starboard-side sunpad open to reveal a removable storage caddy large enough for covers and more. Lift out the caddy and you’ll find the bilge compartment with easy access to the batteries and chargers, the fuel and water tanks, and the steering and bilge pumps.
This is where the engine is housed on the sterndrive model.
The Helm
Seating at the helm is a high-rise bucket seat, and like the port-side companion seat, has a flip-up bolster and controls along the side that allow the seat to swivel and slide.
The head compartment is hidden in the console in front of the companion seat. The door swings open to starboard and is held by a magnetic catch. A vacuum-flush toilet and sink is a feature not found on many 26-foot bowriders, but comfort is a big part of the design team’s focus.
The dual-console setup utilizes a center windshield that flips open and a single piece block-off door to access the bow. Comfortable, lounge-style seating with foldable armrests are tucked within a 15-inch bulwark and continue around the bow. Sea Ray has numerous option bundles for owners to choose from, and as part of the Comfort bundle, a teak table and filler cushion are available.
The SLX 260 dash is well-equipped with a Dual Digital Dash that features twin 9-inch Simrad touchscreen displays, Mercury Marine VesselView onboard management system with mobile access, Active Trim control and monitoring, and CZone digital switching.
With Sea Ray’s Entertainment bundle, the helm is enhanced with an inductive charging station along the dash so phones are easily accessible while charging with no cords in the way. Physical switches, digital throttle, Fusion stereo, and light controls are all right there.
Tower Power
One of the cool design features on the SLX 260 is the optional next-generation Power Tower with an extended sunshade that provides protection from the elements. What’s neat is that it is collapsible, meaning you can lower it for bridges, or storage, or when it rains as it rests right along the windshield, and the boat is still operable when it’s down. Raise it up with the touch of a button when the rain stops, extend the manual integrated sunshade to cover the aft deck, set up the pop-up sunshade for the bow, and you’re fully covered. Remove the bow sunshade and the boat can still motor along at full speed with the aft shade extended. Add the upgraded Fusion Signature Series speakers (part of the Entertainment bundle’s Premier Audio package) and LED RGB-W color-changing lighting (with the Lighting bundle) and you have an entertainment platform for all ages.
The design team has done an incredible job on the SLX 260 and SLX 260 Outboard to maximize space and present owners with a comfortable, sporty model with advanced features and amenities for a wonderful day on the water.
-by Steve Davis