If you’re just getting into cruising and the boat simply has to be a Sea Ray, the 240 Sundancer could be the boat for you. It may not be the most mini-cruiser for the money, but it is a good-looking pocket cruiser with plenty of Sea Ray panache.

Excellent fit and finish and top-drawer materials are evident in the cabin, although the boat’s overall size limits cabin and cockpit space. Belowdecks, there’s a V-berth dinette forward, a mini galley to port, enclosed head to starboard and open-concept mid-cabin berth aft.

The 240’s airy cabin boasts classy touches such as a good-looking and easy-to-clean vinyl headliner, a real wood dinette table, optional flat-screen LCD DVD and Berber-style carpet. On the practical side, there is plenty of seated headroom at the dinette, standing headroom for sixfooters in the galley, a trash bin under the bottom step and a built-in storage tray for the table.

Designed to meet the needs of beginning cruisers or experienced boaters who are scaling down, the cockpit has a double-wide helm seat, as well as two port-side seats, separated by a table that swings out for more space. There’s room for two more passengers on the aft bench seat. A port-side door provides easy access to the swim platform and steps lead to the foredeck through the folding windscreen.

A bar aft of the helm seat includes a portable cooler. The test boat is equipped with an optional sink plus a Bimini camper canvas package that converts the cockpit into an all-weather living space.

The 240 Sundancer also performs well on the water. Powered by MerCruiser’s 300-hp 350 MAG MPI with a Bravo Three drive and twin counter-rotating props, the boat is out of the hole and up to 30 mph in under 10 seconds. With tabs down, it stays on plane down to 3000 rpm at 16.5 mph. Lightly loaded, the boat doesn’t need much trim tab at cruising speeds. But with a cruising load or on windy days – especially with canvas up – expect to use the tabs (which are standard equipment).

Priced at $68,546 with a 5.0 L MPI Bravo Three drive, the standard 240 Sundancer is well-equipped. With sensible options that also included a Navman 5500 GPS Chartplotter and a VHF radio, the test boat is ready to cruise for $85,359. Just add water and prepare to be stirred.