Sea Ray 175 Sport Specs and Review [Video]
The 2006-2011 Sea Ray 175 Sport was an award-winning starter boat. It was built on a 17.5-foot fiberglass hull, which could be opted with three different bowrider-style deck floorplans. The heart of the boat was a reliable 4-stroke MerCruiser 3.0L engine with an Alpha I sterndrive system.
If you want to find out more about this popular Sea Ray bowrider, you’ve come to the right place.
2006-2011 Sea Ray 175 Sport Review
Hull and Top Deck
As the name suggests, the Sea Ray 175 was designed with a 17.5-foot hull. This moderate-V fiberglass platform featured a 19-degree deadrise while its beam was 7 feet.
The claimed dry weight of the boat was 2,100 pounds, which increased up to roughly 3,200-3,500 pounds with liquids, gear, and a single-axle trailer.
Thanks to its lightweight construction, it could be easily towed by family sedans and smaller trucks. This made the Sea Ray 175 appealing to many families.
In terms of capacities, the boat could carry 21 gallons of gas and 7 persons or 900 pounds. Its total weight capacity was 980 pounds including the crew and their gear.
Even though these numbers looked good in marketing brochures, it was only comfortable for 4 or a maximum of 5 people.
The top deck featured a traditional bowrider-style layout, which could be ordered in three different variations.
The most spacious floor plan featured two fixed aft seats on the sides of the engine box. Let’s face it, these separate seats were much less practical than a large rear bench seat.
They were completed with two swivel bucket seats in the cockpit as well as a cushioned bow seating area.
This plan could also be opted with an extra rear-facing passenger seat on the port side.
The third layout featured a cozy rear bench seat and a large sun pad above the engine. These large padded surfaces offered great comfort but also sacrificed a lot of free deck space.
Designed with watersports in mind, the boat featured a huge floor ski locker. It was wide enough to accommodate a wakeboard or even a kneeboard.
Other storage units included standard side pockets, under-seat storage, and a glovebox.
The cockpit was equipped with a tall wraparound windshield that offered adequate protection from the wind and spray.
Other standard features included snap-in carpets, cup holders, grab handles, docking cleats, navigation lights, a Bimini top, a bilge blower, a bilge pump, and an audio system.
The helm was designed with a 3-spoke steering wheel with a hydraulic steering system, an industry-standard shift/throttle control, and a swivel helm seat.
Unfortunately, it came without a flip-up bolster.
The simple but easy-to-read dashboard housed the most important gauges like a speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge, water temp. gauge, trim gauge, and fuel gauge.
Engine
The power source of the Sea Ray 175 Sport was a MerCruiser 3.0 engine with an Alpha I sterndrive propulsion system. This 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, 3.0-liter gasoline engine cranked out 135hp out of the box.
This power mill was known for its reliability and reasonable fuel economy.
It was also fairly easy to work on, and since it was widely used by many different boat manufacturers, the supply of parts is not a problem to this day.
Performance
Even though it wasn’t the fastest boat on the lake, the performance of the 175 Sport was more than enough for average boaters.
Under ideal conditions, it could reach 30 mph in 9-10 seconds and topped out at 40-42 mph at 4800 RPM with the standard 19” prop.
Its optimal cruising speed was in the ballpark of 24-26 mph at 3000-3200 RPM.
Towing a skier, wakeboarder or a tuber also didn’t cause any problems for this engine.
Problems
Since the engine of the 175 Sport was bulletproof, its main problems were the top deck’s design flaws.
It’s safe to say that one of the biggest issues of the 175 Sport was the lack of a full-size swim platform.
Even though it was advertised with a “built-in swim platform,” its aft section only featured a short boarding step, which was equipped with a retractable reboarding ladder.
The helm chair also came without a flip-up bolster, which limited the view of the captain.
As we’ve discussed, even though the boat was rated for 7 people, it only offered a comfortable cruise for a crew of 4 or a maximum of 5.
Specs Charts
For your convenience, we’ve listed the main factory specs of the Sea Ray 175 Sport (2006-2011 model year):
Dimensions and Weight
Overall Length |
17’ 6” |
Beam |
7’ |
Draft (with stern drive up) |
18” |
Length on trailer (approx.) |
20.5’ – 22’ |
Dead Rise |
19° |
Clearance from Keel to top off the windshield |
56.5” |
Dry Weight |
2,100 lb. |
Est. Curb Weight w/ Trailer and misc. gear |
3,200-3,500 lb. |
Capacities
Fuel Capacity |
21 gal. |
People Capacity |
7 persons or 900 lb. |
Maximum Capacity |
980 pounds, persons, gear |
Engine Specs
Engine Type |
MerCruiser 3.0 |
Propulsion |
Sterndrive, Alpha 1 |
Displacement |
3.0L (181 cid) |
Cylinders |
Inline-4 |
Engine stroke |
4-stroke |
Idle RPM in Neutral |
700 RPM |
Maximum RPM @ WOT |
4400-4800 rpm |
Crankshaft Horsepower |
135 hp |
These specifications are for informational purposes only. For further information, please refer to the operator’s manual.
Takeaways
The Sea Ray 175 Sport was a nice entry-level bowrider that could be easily towed by a family sedan.
Its main competitors were the Bayliner 175, the Stingray 180 LS, and the Glastron MX 175.
Besides these rival models, it also had to compete with its larger sibling, the more spacious Sea Ray 185 Sport.
Even though its production stopped in 2011, you can still find many 175 Sport for sale on the used market.
Asking prices of these reliable runabouts typically average between $8,000 and $15,000 depending on their age and condition.