Chaparral 225 Sports Cabin

Name: Chaparral 225 Sports Cabin
Brand: CHAPARRAL

The Chaparral 225 Sports Cabin combines performance, design and functionality, into a superb and surprisingly affordable family boat

LIKES

- Sports-boat performance
- Kevlar reinforced hull
- Wide Tech hull design
- Top use of available space
- Cabin headroom
- Electric bolster seats

DISLIKES
- Tow permit required
- Engine vents in gunwales

OVERVIEW

High-performance cabin boat with broad appeal

The Chaparral 225 delivers ski boat-like performance from a boating package that offers all the goodies for family boating.

Most would agree that the US economy is a bit of a basket case at present. So, it’s comforting to know that there are still boat builders in America exporting vessels to Australia with a solid financial base behind them. Chaparral Boats has been building boats for more than 50 years. The company is valued at more than $100m and has a "cash-in-hand" working capital greater than $50m. This equates to stability with a capital S -- stability for its dealers and a guaranteed back-up for its customers, no matter where in the world they may be.

Chaparral Boats first appeared on Aussie shores about eight years ago, but its story in the US dates back to 1965, when Buck Pegg founded a boat building company named Fibreglass Fabricators and launched a 15ft tri-hull that sold for a whopping $675. Today, Chaparral has more than 250,000 satisfied customers worldwide.

So much for the history lesson… this new (actually, this particular boat is the first 225 off the production line), is a top all-round recreational family boating package that suits the Aussie day boating scene to a tee. She’s a high-performance sports cabin boat that even new boaties will be able to handle without getting into trouble -- as this boat handles like a dream.

The hull is super strong and light, thanks to her Kevlar reinforcing and being lighter means better fuel economy, because it takes less power to propel her. Plus, this boat’s beamy and dry in all conditions. She’s got massive chines, so she’s stable and soft riding. The 225 also boasts a 'Wide Tech' hull design, which means her sharp entry bow has mini bows that protrude slightly on each side of the bow and increase the interior cabin width at the pointy end. She has a maximum beam of 2.59m, which adds plenty of useable space to the main cockpit, but does mean a permit is required before she can be legally towed in Australia, but that’s easy to acquire.

If you’re after a dayboat, that a couple can overnight on with ease, have a look at this new Chaparral 225. All you need to bring is a good stainless-steel barbie and provisions… tables, toilet, cockpit sink and tap unit, shower, heaps of storage and double bed are all provided.

For mine, the boat’s only downside is that Chaparral try to make the engine breathers on these boats a fashion statement, instead of blending them into the gunwales, which would create cleaner hull lines.

CONSTRUCTION

Reinforced Kevlar hull, top build quality, excellent fixtures and fittings… this boat ticks all the boxes.

Chaparral is well regarded worldwide for the build quality of its boats and again this boat is hard to fault. Kevlar re-enforced quad-radial lamination, top gelcoat, strengthened Taylor Glass windscreen are standouts in the build. Anti-fog gauges, Garmin 521 GPS/sounder, loom-wrapped tin wiring head the eltrics department. ‘Dura Life Max’ marine vinyl, and 316 electro-plated stainless steel hardware adorn the deck area – even the clip-in carpet studs have plastic reinforcing plates, so they won’t pull through somewhere down the track. This boat’s built to last, which has an added upside… she’ll retain her resale value.

LAYOUT

Her 2.59m beam and ‘Wide-Tech’ bow give this 6.86m sport cruiser much more useable interior room than most of her competitors.

The new 225 Sports Cabin makes maximum use of her Wide Tech bow design and offers an extremely roomy and lockable cabin for a low-foredeck sports cruiser. The cabin has good head height, opening portholes with flyscreens, a Porta Potti, easy-to-convert double bed, removable table, under-bunk storage, Clarion Stereo, and mood lighting. But the big plus for me was the carpeted, easy-to-remove rear dash panel. It allows you to effortlessly add, change, service, or repair the electronics mounted in the dash.

The non-skid foredeck is uncluttered, features pop-up cleats, a large cabin hatch and full bowrail. The bowsprit set-up is designed for a plough anchor and windlass (optional) feeding into the anchor locker. Access to this deck is via the split windscreen and steps moulded into the dash bulkhead.
The helm is a skipper’s delight with non-glare dash, Mercury SmartCraft gauges, Garmin GPS/sounder, compass, stereo remote, Fire Boy system, docking light controls and tilt helm -- this boat's got the lot. But wait… there’s more -- the comfy skipper and navigator’s bolster pedestal seats also feature electric slides.

Foot rests, arm rests and enough drink holders to sink the Titanic; it’s all here. There’s a deep under-cockpit floor locker, (with handy recessed cavities to store the life jackets in) as well as under-seat storage. The wet-bar cupboard to starborad has a handy sink unit. There is a lounge aft and to port complimented by a convertible transom sunlounge. After a swim, you can rinse off with the transom shower and even adjust the music via the transom stereo remote. Hang on, I forgot the removable cockpit table, starboard walkthrough to the moulded swim platform with swim ladder, the dual batteries, bimini and full covers, the list goes on… she really does have everything a recreational boatie would be looking for in a top day boat. There’s even a handy water-toy inflation pump under the sink unit. But the really good news is her on-water performance.

ON THE WATER

This deep-vee hull planes in seconds and effortlessly completes 180-degree turns at 40mph with the help of a planing plank, massive chines and her Extended V-Plane Hull design.
So, what makes this almost-seven-metre hull plane in seconds, turn like a skiboat and deliver a top speed of around 50mph? It’s not one thing, but a combination of clever hull design features that makes this Chaparral 225 really stand out in the field.

First off the rank are the hull’s massive reverse chines that, combined with her 20-degree deadrise, ensure the boat glides on a cushion of air in all conditions. The next big plus is her Extended V-Plane Hull. In layman’s terms, this means the hull at the transom extends down each side of the sterndrive leg to create a longer planing surface. This, coupled with a planing plank, rocket the boat onto the plane without excessive bow rise.

These extensions also mean that if the boat flies of a wave the extensions are the first part of the hull to hit the water. They stop the hull landing on the transom and throw the bow down quickly, so control is regained instantly. Also, if the hull comes off a wave on a lean, the extension on the side she’s leaning too levels her off quickly when it bites the water. You really would have to be doing something insane to get into trouble driving this boat.

PERFORMANCE FIGURES
Powered by a 5.7lt MerCruiser 300hp V8, driving through an Alpha I leg, the Chaparral 225 Sports Cabin produced the following speed-to-rpm figures: 1000rpm -- 4.1mph; 2000rpm -- 8.3mph; 3000rpm -- 23mph; 4000rpm -- 36mph; and 5200rpm -- 48mph.

WRAP

The Chaparral 225 Sports Cabin has a lot to offer Aussie boaties. Her performance is unquestionably good, she’s rock solid and stable on the water and the cabin’s large enough to be used by two people for dining and sleeping. She has all the mod cons for social boating -- toilet; shower; cockpit sink unit; swim platform and ladder; cockpit table; bimini/covers; full instrumentation; exceptional seating; and a carrying capacity of 10. So, if you’re into family day cruising, towing water sport inflatables and want to bring a few friends along for the ride, this boat could be just what the doctor ordered.
The other good news is the price. For a mere $74,000, you get a 225 on a Dunbier, Easy Tow, or US-built Magic aluminium tandem trailer with mags. Then there are all the above mentioned options; plus free registration, safety pack, mooring pack and driver training. Delivery time is 12 weeks ex-US.
A Chaparral 225 with a V6 MerCruiser engine, MagicTilt trailer and basic extras is available from $60,000.

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.8/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.8/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.8/5.0
On the water Performance: 4.9/5.0
Value for money: 4.7/5.0
X-factor: 4.8/5.0

SPECIFICATIONS

Price: $74,999
LOA: 6.86m
Beam: 2.59m
Headroom: 1.32m
Deadrise: 20 degrees
Weight: 1588kg
Max HP: 300hp
Fuel: 208 litres
Freshwater: 38 litres
Headroom: 1.98m
People Day: 10

Supplied by:
National Marine Services
Northbridge Marina, Widgiewa Road, Northbridge NSW
PO Box 108, Frenchs Forest NSW
T: (02) 9958 0433
F: (02) 9958 0477
Email: enquiries@nmss.com.au
http://ww.nmss.com.au

Chaparral 225 Sports Cabin

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