The Sandbar Sovereign

2023 Sea Ray SDX 270 Outboard — $115,000

Imagine a perfectly sunny Saturday at the local sandbar. While the center console guys are forcing their guests to sit on hard coolers and the inboard bowriders are terrified of sucking sand into their expensive cooling systems, you glide into the shallow water, tilt your single outboard up, and deploy the bow ladder. Your boat isn’t just a vehicle; it’s a 29-foot floating patio with deep, plush seating for your entire extended family.

The Sea Ray SDX 270 Outboard is the poster child for the “Deck Boat” revolution. By taking the heavy inboard engine out of the boat and hanging a single, massive 300HP Mercury Verado on the back, Sea Ray unlocked an impossible amount of interior volume. Located in Florida, this one-owner 2023 model has been stored indoors, washed after every use, and is practically begging for a new family to take over its weekend duties.

For our second boat of The Outboard Revolution, we are looking at the most practical, dollar-for-dollar value play on the Florida market right now: The Private Seller Package Deal. When you buy a brand-new 29-foot boat from a dealer, you get hit with freight fees, prep fees, and dealer markups. Then, they tell you the trailer is an extra $9,000. Finally, because you don’t have a trailer, you are forced to sign a $800/month contract for dry-stack storage at the marina.

This 2023 Sea Ray SDX 270 breaks that entire cycle. Offered directly by a private seller in Florida, it includes a 2023 galvanized trailer in the $115,000 asking price. You skip the dealer fees, you get the trailer for “free,” and you can store the boat in your driveway or an inexpensive side lot, saving yourself nearly $10,000 a year in marina fees. This is how the “Smart Money” plays the modern dayboat market.