Chaparral 235 SSi Cuddy

Low Hours, Diesel Powered Sports Cuddy…

Prospective boat buyers are often excited by the possibility of a boat with a diesel engine; drawn to the fuel efficiency and reliability of said power package… plus the fact that you can run it on red diesel (for now anyway)!

But, it’s often a disappointment to many buyers, particularly those looking for a ‘Sports’ boat – i.e. a sports cuddy or sports cruiser. If you’re moving from a sporty little bowrider with a powerful V6 or V8 motor, then the step up into a diesel cuddy or cruiser can also be a big step backwards in performance.

If 25 knots used to be your normal cruising speed, it can now become your top speed and you’ll be having to thrash the life out of that poor old oil burner to keep it there.

Now, I know that this is of little consequence for a lot of more sensibly minded people than me.

If you are happy to trade performance for the undoubted fuel economy benefits of diesel power (including lower cost non-road-duty fuel), then fill your boots. Buy any old oil burner and have at it. You can plod around the coast till your heart’s content, taking in the sights, burning next to no fuel, and generally enjoying life.

And maybe that is the route to true happiness…. Who knows?!

It’s not really for me though… I much prefer something that can skip across the water at a much higher rate of knots, that you can chuck about through the turns and that generally gets the pulse racing.

This diesel powered Chaparral 235 SSi ticks these boxes…

You may expect a boat like this this to be powered by a 170HP or 190HP little small displacement diesel… But, no. This bad boy is packing a 3.5L turbo charged 240HP Yanmar power plant.

And this is no standard ‘entry-level’ diesel engine. It’s a bullet-proof, solid performing, commercial grade motor that combines strong low end grunt with substantial top end power to get this boat on the plane quickly and propel it onwards to an impressive top speed.

The boat hops up on the plane fast enough to pull a skier out of the water, and runs right up to around 40mph. So you get all the sports cuddy performance and handling you’d expect from a boat like this, along with the grown up refinement and low running costs of a proper diesel motor.

When you combine this desirable drive train, with the fantastic spec and layout of this boat, I think you’ve got a real winner…

With a spacious cockpit, boasting L-shaped lounger seating and a walk-through transom, plus cockpit wetbar, and a large cabin with toilet and plenty of seating room; not to mention a self-bailing deck, integrated swim platform, well appointed helm, and a high-end fit and finish, this Chaparral 235 has lots to offer!

If you’re in the market for a 23ft or 24ft cuddy cabin sports boat, like a Rinker 232, Maxum 2400, Crownline 220, Regal 2250, Rinker 230, Sea Ray 225 or Rinker 246, you really should take a close look at this Chaparral 235.