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Chaparral 265 SSi: Performance Test

The Chaparral 265 SSi covers your overnighting bases in fine style.

By Staff

December 3, 2001

The Chaparral 265SSi ran a respectable top speed of 55.4 mph on radar. (All photos by Tom Newby)

What do you need in a midsize cuddy cabin? A cabin that doesn't feel like a cramped cave, for openers. A few amenities, such as a way to keep food and beverages cold, maybe even a way to cook. Predictable handling and respectable top end are definite pluses. You might want to be able tow it without having to get a special permit. And, what the heck, it doesn't hurt if the boat looks good.

In the Chaparral 265SSi, we got all of that and more. The 27'9"-long (including the bolt-on swim platform) craft boasted a well-equipped and spacious cabin, sure handling and a top speed of 55-mph. The boat had an 8'6" beam, which meant we wouldn't need special dispensation from any state to tow it down the highway.

Base price for the Chaparral 265SSi with a 250-hp Volvo Penta 5.7 GSDP engine was $44,709. Our test model, which we got to know in Captiva Island, Fla., had a slew of options including a 375-hp Volvo Penta Gi engine, DuoProp drive and a porcelain head with a holding tank. Those options and more boosted the as-tested price to $58,518.

Performance

The 265SSi's 22-degree bottom, which had no pads or notches, included negative chines and four strakes. The inner pair of strakes stopped roughly amidships. The outer set ran the full length of the boat.

Based on performance, the engine upgrade was worth the $6,663 it cost. The 375-hp big-block motor put its power to the water with a DuoProp drive twirling a Volvo Penta F7 propeller set through a 1.78:1 reduction. Top speed for the 5,823-pounder was 55.6 mph at 4400 rpm. The 265SSi came on plane in 6.2 seconds and reached 53 mph in 20 seconds. It took 10.4 for the big cuddy to run from 30 to 50 mph.

In slalom turns at 20 and 30 mph, the 265SSi carved precisely with a comforting lean to the inside. It exited those turns without excessive roll to the outside. Those maneuvers weren't as crisp at 40 mph, because the boat simply didn't have the juice to hold the speed throughout the turn. The same for sweeping, ever-tightening right- and left-hand circles: great at cruising; tough to complete at full speed because the power just wasn't there. To be fair, these are tough testing maneuvers, designed to reveal any flaws or quirks.

Tracking, on the other hand, proved to be perfect for the 265SSi. The boat also decelerated in a straight line. Credit its hull design, as well as the two counter-rotating propellers.

Workmanship

Under close scrutiny, the boat's off-white gelcoat revealed no flaws. Additional graphic accents were accomplished in vinyl tape, and the entire package was protected by an extruded plastic rubrail with a stainless-steel insert. Marine-grade plywood was used in the boat's sole, as well as for backing the rubrail.

Behind the gelcoat was a top-shelf blend of lamination materials including AME 4000 resin, 36-ounce woven roving, layers of fiberglass mat from 1 to 3 ounces and Syntactic foam.

The 265 featured a bonanza of hardware, starting with a navigation light on the nose, aft of which was an anchor locker with a provision for holding an anchor. To help owners and crews reach that locker, the entire foredeck was in nonskid material and included a stainless-steel handrail on each side. Other hardware included cleats, stainless-steel grab handles, a ski-tow on the transom and a boarding ladder on the swim platform.

Under the sturdy engine hatch, the Volvo Penta motor was secured by lag bolts driven into stringer blocks. Better than average for a production boat, the wiring was supported by nylon cushion clamps.

Interior

You don't hear the word "livable" applied to the cabins of many 27-footers, but the cabin of the 265SSi was surely that. Filler cushions converted the facing lounges into a large V-berth. Above the berth, an extra large hatch let in plenty of light.

Cockpit seating highlights included buckets with flip-up bottom cushions for the driver and copilot and a U-shaped lounge.

To keep the cabin carpet clean, the manufacturer installed snap-in canvas mats on all major traffic areas. Cooks should appreciate that in the galley area, which included a microwave oven, a cooler and plenty of cabinet and counter space. The enclosed head compartment featured a porcelain head, as well as a sink, lighting and a mirror.

Tunes in the cabin came courtesy of a JVC CD stereo system. Other cabin amenities included a 12-volt power outlet and a hanging locker.

With a filler cushion (not shown) in place, the cabin lounges became a two-person V-berth.

The cabin door didn't just provide separation between the cockpit and the cabin. Molded steps on the cockpit side created a stairway to the top of the dash. Combined with a walk-through windshield and the nonskid foredeck, that provided easy access to the anchor locker.

The helm station of the Chaparral 265SSi boasted impressively tidy and logical arrangement of the instruments and accessory switches.

The driver and co-pilot sat in flip-up-bottom bucket seats. At the helm to starboard there was a tilt steering wheel and complete instrumentation in an aluminum panel.

Ahead of the co-pilot to port was an oval locker. Inside, we found a sink and a cooler. Positioning the entertainment center ahead of the co-pilot's seat, rather than the usual spot aft of it, enabled the manufacturer to build a huge U-shape lounge that ran from the back of the co-pilot's bucket to the back of the driver's bucket.

Chaparral took an innovative approach to swim-platform access. Rather than creating a hinged transom door on the port or starboard side, it made the center of the transom, which incorporates a portion of the back of the bench, removable

Overall

Amenities and craftsmanship mean a lot when it comes to comfortable and secure overnighting. The Chaparral 265SSi offers both in a sporty package that won't put you to sleep behind the wheel.

Hull and Propulsion Information

Deadrise at transom	22 degrees
Centerline	27'9"
Beam	8'6"
Hull weight	5,823 pounds
Engine	Volvo Penta 8.1 GiDP
Cylinder type	V-8
Cubic-inch displacement/horsepower	496/375
Lower-unit gear ratio	1.78:1
Propeller	Volvo Penta DuoProp F7

Pricing

Base retail	$44,709
Price as tested	$58,518

Standard equipment

Volvo Penta 5.7 GS engine, DuoProp drive, aft filler cushion, cockpit galley with sink, cockpit table, U-shaped cockpit lounge, bucket seats, stern filler cushion, woodgrain steering wheel, mirrored forward bulkhead, carpeting, forward deck hatch with screen, integrated fiberglass swim platform with insulated storage tub, opening port lights, PVC rubrail, stainless-steel boarding ladder.

Options on Test Boat

Upgrade to 8.1 GiDP engine/drive package ($6,663), Corsa Quick & Quiet exhaust ($1,522), overnight package ($1,476), head with holding tank ($657), swim platform ($555), cockpit carpet ($494), cockpit cover ($447), graphics upgrade ($366), convenience package ($330), premium package ($319), transom shower ($246), fire extinguisher system ($212), battery dual crossover ($192), JVC 650 stereo with single CD player ($154), pillow package ($118), Sunbrella runners ($58).

Acceleration