Chaparral 227 SSX: Review

This top of the range bow rider from American brand Chaparral will tick most of the boxes that the Aussie boater wants, while offering a versatile layout and a luxurious finish that’s hard to match

OVERVIEW
- First drive of this stunning luxury sports machine
Chaparral prides itself in the build and finish departments. The boats are top-shelf in their presentation, they’re strong, designed for salt-water use, and all the materials used have been tried and tested over the 50 years that the company has been manufacturing family craft.

But while it’s one thing to build a good-looking and comfortable boat, it’s another to have the utmost confidence in your product – and that was certainly spelled out when we went to Chaparral Australia’s HQ in Williamstown, Victoria, for this test.

On the day of the test, there was plenty for importer Scott O’Hare to be nervous about. This Chaparral 227 SSX was a brand-new model, the first boat into this country.

We were to be the first media outlet to drive the boat. In fact, your humble correspondent was to be only the second person the drive a 227 SSX in the Southern Hemisphere!

The boat’s engine – a lovely 300hp MerCruiser 6.2-litre V8 – was only pre-delivered the night before. The boat was cleaned after its voyage from Nashville, Georgia, put on its trailer and briefly tested by one of Chaparral Australia’s staff (not even Mr O’Hare himself), then tied up to the marina to await our arrival.

Not only that, but Huey the weather God had dealt us up a 30+ knot breeze that had the BOM issuing a gale warning for Port Phillip and Westernport.

What a combination!

So to say that O’Hare had confidence in his product would be the epitome of understatement.

Certainly as I boarded the lovely black-hulled vessel at the marina, and noted the 0.3 hours on the clock, I wondered whether O’Hare was trying to prove a point or if he had indeed become bereft of his senses…

Never mind, we untied the 227 SSX and headed out onto the choppy waters of Port Phillip...

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- A great package straight off the ship
The Chaparral 227 SSX is a great package. The standard boat is not startlingly different from the one you see in the photos here.

The SSX boats are the premium bowriders in the Chaparral range and one of these will set you back $110,000 on a trailer, registered and with safety gear.

Our test boat was specified with a few extras including the Premium Package which consisted of docking lights, pull-up cleats, bow scuff plate, premium bucket seats, transom stereo remote, transom tilt switch, leather steering wheel and an air pump.

Add to that the hull colour—eclipse black with silver stripe —cockpit and bow covers, folding arch tower, auto fire system, dual battery system, cockpit carpet, faux teak swim platform mat, sound system upgrade with amp and sub woofer, tower board racks, Garmin 7” GPS/sounder touch screen, all on a Magic Tilt aluminium trailer.

The boat as we tested it was valued at $137,850 drive away for a premium and beautiful package.

INTERIOR LAYOUT
- Room for the Dirty Dozen
Step aboard the 227 SSX via the big swim platform and the starboard-side walk-through and the feeling is of space.

There is a sprawling sun lounge up the back, over the engine box, and an L-shaped lounge in the cockpit to port. This lounge can be linked up to the passenger’s seat, with its backrest folded down, to form a full-length day bed.

Over on the starboard side, there’s another smaller lounge behind the driver, and then the big bow section which could hold four or five kids.

Storage abounds under the seats and there is a cockpit locker which, we’re told, is big enough for wake boards.

There’s more storage under the sun lounge including a dedicated spot for the removable cooler on the port side and a neat wet locker under the centre section of the lounge which would be great for things like snorkelling gear or tow ropes.

The locker in the port-side console is bigger than we thought it’d be and was a great place to stow the removable cockpit table, covers and the like and still have plenty of space for your bags and other gear.

Up front, there’s more storage under the cushions with an insulated ice box under the bow cushion that drains over the side. Open up the anchor locker and you’ll find a boarding ladder so you can easily get on and off at the beach. This is in addition to the stern boarding ladder built into the swim platform.

The bow ladder is a neat system that allows for a plough anchor to sit in its dedicated rack and the ladder to fold into the same locker and fold out over the bow. The only problem is that there’s no bow roller. I guess you can’t have everything…

But the piece de resistance has got to be the helm.

As soon as I plonked myself in to the driver’s seat, I thought that this is something special. A well laid-out symmetrical dash greets the driver with comprehensive instrumentation including the seven-inch Garmin GPS Map 7407 XSV plotter/sounder flanked by analogue/digital multifunction gauges giving the driver a full overview of the vessel’s systems and functions.

The gauges are further flanked by rocker switches for electrical systems such as lights, blower, bilge, etc. And there’s a relay for the audio system so you crank up the sub-woofer on the doof-doof machine while you’re blasting along – as we did!

The ergonomics of the helm are great. There’s even an arm rest for your right elbow which is perfectly positioned for your hand to fall to the throttle. It is simply a great place to be and quite reminiscent of a luxury sports car.

The whole helm area is trimmed in a faux leather upholstery which creates a very classy atmosphere and adds to the feeling of style and comfort.

HULL AND CONSTRUCTION
- Built strong and for salt water
Chaparral says that all its boats are built for salt water use and as such the company uses high-grade 316 stainless steel in a lot of its construction.

Components like the supports and trim for the windscreen, the drink holders (of which there are many) and even the surrounds for the gauges are all made of stainless steel.

Pop-up cleats and even a pop-up single-piece nav light on the bow are all stainless and designed with a lot of thought. It’s also worth noting here that all the through-hull fittings are stainless-steel.

The hull construction is of quad-radial fibreglass with Kevlar reinforcement to the Extended V-Plane Running Surface design with Chaparral’s Wide Tech bow, and the cockpit is self-draining.

Chaparral offers a lifetime limited hull warranty, five-year limited deck warranty, five-year hull blister warranty and a three-year limited cockpit upholstery and canvas warranty.

ON THE WATER
- Slick and quick
We hit the starter and the big MerCruiser burbled into life. A muted burble, we noted, that is no doubt designed to accentuate the stylish nature of this statesman of the Chaparral range.

Due to the conditions, I closed the walk-through door and window and eased out into the Bay where the wind was still blowing and the chop building.

Pressing the throttle forward, the fly-by-wire delivered the message directly to the fuel-injected V8 and we were up and planing in an instant – thankfully with the wind and chop in the first instance.

I found a nice comfortable cruise of about 25mph (22 knots) on the GPS at 3000 rpm. This was a smooth and quiet cruise that would get you places economically. 

A quicker cruise of 30mph or 26 knots was achieved at 3500rpm while 5000rpm gave us a quick 45mph or 39 knots. Although we didn’t run flat-out due to the conditions, we were told that the 227 SSX topped out at 54mph or 47 knots.

Handling was great, though the standard power steering although we did get a bit of cavitation on really tight turns, especially with any kind of trim out. I suspect this was due to the set up and could pretty easily be dialled with some trim adjustment.

At high speed, the 227 felt very light on the throttle and fairly ‘skated’ through turns to the point that I likened it to a jet boat in terms of feel. Thoroughly enjoying while not feeling like it’s going to spin out or get ungainly.

As stated, the day was windy and choppy but the Chaparral got very little spray over the bow or the gunwales. Really it was only when we were quartering the wind and seas that we got a bit on the screen.

The ride was smooth and civilised with no slamming into the seas. The 227 runs what Chaparral calls its Extended V-plane hull which we’ve experienced in the past and found them to be very smooth and forgiving and this boat was no exception.

(ED: Hole shot is fantastic and dynamic due to the extended running surface and the support that the aft 'pontoons' that are either side of the leg give to the aft inboard engine).

VERDICT
- Civilised and classy
This new Chaparral 227 SSX is something of an enigma. While it’s fast, furious and sporty to drive, it’s also quiet, classy and refined.

The layout is versatile enough so that you can serve up a civilised lunch at anchor, or wakeboard with the young set with the stereo blasting and 10 mates on board.

It’s also just as happy enjoying a slow cruise on a smooth lake or river, or mixing it up on a lively day on the bay or harbour as we did.

Either way, you’ll be rewarded with a well-sorted, nicely put together, luxuriously appointed power boat that is a joy to drive.

LIKES
>> Lovely fit and finish
>> Great performance
>> Sound ergonomics
>> Stainless-steel fittings and hardware

RATINGS:
Overall rating: 4.74/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.8/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.7/5.0
On the water performance: 4.8/5.0
Value for money: 4.6/5.0
X-factor: 4.8/5.0

Specifications: Chaparral 227 SSX
Price as tested: $137,850 with: Hull colour, cockpit and bow covers, folding arch tower, auto fire system, dual battery system, premium package (docking lights, pull-up cleats, bow scuff plate, premium bucket seats, transom stereo remote, transom tilt switch, leather steering wheel and an air pump).
Priced from: $110,000
LOA w/ swim platform: 7.01m
Beam: 2.59m
Bridge clearance: 1.42m
Bridge clearance with arch tower: 2.34m
Bridge clearance with ach tower folded: 2.06m
Deadrise: 20 degrees
Engine: 300hp MerCruiser 6.2-litre V8
Fuel capacity: 170 litres
Draft Down: 86cm
Draft Up: 53cm
Max HP: 350hp
Dry weight w/engine: 1769kg
Passenger capacity: 12/748kg

Supplied by:
Chaparral Australia
Anchorage Marina
The Strand
Williamstown, Vic.
See www.chaparralaustralia.com.au.