Chaparral 216 SSi

I recently borrowed one to take my family on a cruise along Melbourne’s Yarra River. The occasion was a lovely summer’s afternoon where I was hoping to refresh my product knowledge (in the selfless pursuit of business of course). My family has been spoiled by access to boats of all shapes, types and sizes, so I was very surprised when both wife and daughter asked “can we buy one?” at the end of the day.

The Chaparral 216SSi is fitted with the MerCruiser 350 Magnum V8 with an Alpha One leg although there’s also an optional Volvo equivalent. Its superb handling only surpasses its performance as a fast runabout, social ski and wakeboat, or as a refined entertainer. The Chaparral has the solid feel of a Cadillac or Buick but with the sophistication and performance of a BMW. It employs the latest in safe, strong manufacturing techniques and is loaded with high-tech but easy-to-operate equipment. Chaparral incorporates Dupont Kevlar (yep, the same stuff they use for bullet proof vests, motorbike and chainsaw pants) in the Quad Radial lamination process, as well as fully foam-filled hulls, and you can instantly feel and hear the difference.

You won’t need a saddle for this thoroughbred -- this is a driver’s boat. The helm position is very comfortable with a fully adjustable, thickly-padded bolster seat dressed in a premium, stain-resistant marine vinyl called Duralife Max.

Little things make huge differences in this highly competitive field. I’m a big bloke so I always need to adjust helm seats. The swivel locks and slide adjusters in the Chaparral are on the leading edge of the seat armrests so you don’t have to fiddle around blindly under the seats to find them. There’s also an armrest combined with the flush throttle controls to make things considerably more comfortable on long cruises. This even provides added support to critical speed control when powering fast through choppy waters, something that was certainly done during the test.

I took the Chaparral for a fun-filled frolic in Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay, running fast through the chop as well as a few larger wakes and waves. We blew out the cobwebs, quickly reaching a very speedy 44 knots (81.4km/h) at wide open throttle -- just over the old 50mph -- doing 4400rpm. My 15-year-old daughter was thrillseeking in the roomy Wide-Tech bow and loved the feel of the wind in her hair. Most importantly, I felt safe with her up there.

Chaparral describes the hull as having "Extended V-Plane Performance" meaning the keel extends all the way to the back of the boat so as to provide full-length bight, ride and buoyancy. Not only is it a solidly-built, foam-filled hull that transmits very little noise -- it’s a design that some of our bluewater experts should inspect for its excellent seakeeping abilities. It has terrific stability at rest and a pleasing rumble from the grunty V8. The 21in propeller bites hard both through immediate acceleration and in tight turns without a hint of cavitation and there was minimal bow rise from rest. The wake is quite suitable for some family skiing and the engine probably has the power for multiple slaloms, provided the maximum recommended 10 adults aren’t partying onboard. Trim her out a bit and add some weight and the wake height will rise for boarding and surfing.

Coming back through the walkway into the cockpit the first thing you will notice is the strength of the safety glass windscreen, as well as little extras like a snug cushioned latch to hold the opened screen and stop it banging. The windscreen is swept up right across the front, giving terrific wind protection and maximizing forward vision. The doorway to the large storage compartment under the passenger dashboard conveniently doubles as a wind barrier in the companionway, stopping unwanted airflow through to the cockpit. A similar doorway gives access to the rear of the instrument panel on the driver’s side. There’s also docking, navigation and cockpit lighting that even has its own dimmer switch.

I really liked the dashboard presentations for both the driver and passenger positions. At the helm, the square set combination analogue and digital instruments are easy to read, and they reek of a tasteful, distinctly American influence, something I mean in the nicest possible way.

There is room for a sounder/GPS/plotter to be recessed into the removable centre-section of the dash, but none were fitted to the test boat. The switch panels, Ritchie compass, Clarion remote, key start and 12V accessory plug are neat and uncluttered. There is a stylish leather-look sports steering wheel with tilt adjustment and very smooth and responsive power steering. The passenger dash has a large glovebox with separate 12V plug for accessories and a stainless Jesus bar. The passenger seating position has its own armrest, the same deluxe bolster seat, plenty of leg room, and more speakers and drinkholders.

The contoured sidepanels show an absolute devotion to quality moulding that is evident throughout the entire Chaparral range. To be honest, I don’t think any other manufacturer does these small-but-important refinements this well. Just take a look at the badge inserts, stainless bar and tailored upholstery at the rear of the front swivel seats. Sure, you can buy a cheaper bowrider -- but quality like this is priceless.

The combination rear lounge, enginebox, sunlounge and storage all match the rest of the boat for excellence in design. The lounges stop short of extending across the entire beam to create a walkway on the starboard side, which means no more dirty shoes and wet feet on the nice upholstery.

Lifting the hatches and cushions to inspect the quality underneath, I was pleased to find polyethylene frames, gas struts, thick acoustic liners and double French stitched trims. There’s also a huge wet and dry storage area and easy access to the engine for servicing. Perhaps the best part was a moulded recess that holds an Esky.

The side-mount table is conveniently stored under the rear lounge and my daughter loved the sunlounge at the rear. The lift-up back opens right up for the walkway; then tilts to 45 degrees to form the chez lounge, or right back down for full-length sunlounge.

At the stern is an integral non-skid staging platform for watersports. It has a telescopic stainless steel ladder for boarding that’s enclosed with its own moulding and hatch. As with the entire cockpit, the rear platform also has a convenient stainless handle in the right place. Under the cockpit floor is a huge wet storage area that will take skis, wetsuits, fenders and all manner of boating accessories. Removable carpets are standard throughout.

Chaparral completes a premium presentation with a large bimini canopy made with Sunbrella canvas and a strong stainless steel frame, which features
some innovative breakaway fittings for easy assembly.

Finally, if you’re looking for the actual sound system (as I was), it’s out of harm’s way under the passenger console.

THE WRAP

My family and I give the Chaparral 216SSi full marks for a terrific, tasteful, inspiring and exciting presentation. Quite simply, we all just loved it!

This premium social and sports machine has exceptional value for money. Its power and handling is thrilling, and the visual appeal is simply stunning. The Chaparral 216SSi exudes individual character in a market full of imitation.

Specifications:
Price as tested: $70,000 on trailer
Options fitted: MerCruiser 5.7lt 350MAG Alpha 300hp, aluminium trailer, convenience package (compass, depth, transom tilt and remote), sunpad walkway cushion, swim platform logo mat, premium package (dock lights, pull-up cleats, scuff bowplate), and much more.
Priced from: $64,999 incl. trailer
GENERAL
Type: Deep-vee monohull
Material: GRP composite
Length (overall): 6.55m
Beam: 2.54m
Weight: 1588kg (boat and motor)
CAPACITIES
People: 10
Rec. HP: 300
Max. HP: 300
Fuel: 151 litres
ENGINE
Make/model: MerCruiser 350 Magnum
Type: Multi-point, fuel-injected, four-stroke V8
Weight: 390kg
Displacement: 5.7 litres
Propeller: 19in stainless

SUPPLIED BY:
Aussie Boat Sales
34 The Strand,
Williamstown, Vic, 3016
Tel: (03) 9397 6977
Web: www.aussieboatsales.com.au