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Performance Test: Caravelle Interceptor 232
LS Bowrider
Runabout goes high-performance.
by Capt. John L. Gerra, Fall 2004
Go Boating
When we told Caravelle Boats that we
wanted to take its Interceptor 232 for a cruise, the company
was more than happy to hook us up with one of its dealers, Carrera
Boats West in Fillmore, California. When I met the Carrera guys to
test one of their new Interceptors, I was in for a bit of a
surprise. They had just sold a brand-new Interceptor 232 to a guy
named Bill Schneekloth of Simi, California and I was to be testing
the boat accompanied by its new owner.
Bill was just as curious as I was to
see how his boat would perform. And, I think that we were both
somewhat apprehensive; Bill not knowing what he was in for, and me
concerned about how Bill was going to react to my hammering of his
new boat. We trailered the yellow-accented Interceptor 232 out to
Lake Piru in Ventura County, California with Bill's yellow Chevy
Avalanche. The boat and truck combination looked really trick. As we
approached the lake, it seemed fairly calm; however, upon arrival at
the ramp, I could see that the wind had kicked up a slight chop. If
nothing else, it would make for an interesting performance test.
Power Package
Bill's Interceptor 232 was fitted
with a 250 hp MerCruiser 5.7L with an Alpha One drive and a Solas
21-inch four-blade stainless steel prop. He also had the optional
electronic switchable open exhaust, bolster seats, walk-through
transom and swim platform installed on his boat. The boat is also
available with the full sundeck (SS model). The switchable open
exhaust costs an extra $2,360, but for the person who enjoys hearing
the roar of the engine, it's a great addition to the already race
car-like craft. The look of the boat alone makes me think of a water
version of a powerful Japanese street bike or a compact German
sports car.
Sitting at the helm is extremely
comfortable, thanks to the bucket-style bolster seats. The steering
wheel fit my hand well; the performance-style yellow-accented
gauges, which come with a lifetime warranty, were easy to read; and
the offshore racing-style throttle with separate shifter had a
deliberate and solid feel. Sitting with the bolster up, there was
not much of a gain in visibility because you sit quite low already.
To get really good visibility while maneuvering at the dock and
trailer, I put my right knee on top of the raised bolster with my
left leg extended to the deck. After pulling away from the dock, I
put the bolster back down and easily adjusted the seat to suit my
arm length, using a manual lever. The bucket seat adjusted smoothly
and braced my shoulders very well, which would prove important as I
began the performance test.
Formula-One Grand Prix
After putting the shifter in forward,
I gave the boat full throttle to see what it would do out of the
hole. It came to plane in about 3 seconds and did 0-30 mph in 7
seconds flat with two people on board and about a quarter tank of
gasoline. That's pretty impressive for only 250 hp. Imagine what it
would do with the optional 375 hp 496 that's available. The
Interceptor already sounded really tough, but, with the flick of a
switch, you can open the exhaust for an even deeper hot-rod sound.
With the exhaust open and the Bimini top down, Bill and I were able
to get 54 mph out of his boat, at approximately 4,800 rpm. But with
the Bimini down, it's kind of in the way for people aft, so you'll
probably have it up the majority of the time you're using the boat.
Going into hard corners at top speed
in the light chop was a bit tricky. With the trim down, I was able
to really whip the boat in and out of the turns. The responsiveness
was amazing, and I was able to engage the craft in some very
high-speed and tight turns that you probably wouldn't want to try at
home.
Even through wakes, the hull held
onto the hard turns as I was pushed into my seat. There was little
to no rattling as we launched the boat clear out of the water. The
offshore-style throttle control, which was designed by Caravelle, is
surprisingly smooth and had the sturdy feel of a high-end offshore
racing mechanism. The trim control incorporated into the throttle
handle is in an ideal position to comfortably operate both
simultaneously during high-speed maneuvers.
Utility Capability
The entire boat was upholstered using
yellow accents throughout, which added a nice touch to the
continuity of its high-performance look. A 100 percent wood-free
design ensures longevity of construction. All of the seats are
extremely comfortable and there are center cushions that can be
inserted to make the bow into a bed-like area. Under the port bow
seat, there is a large cooler with bilge drainage, and under the
starboard seat, there is a large carpeted storage compartment. In
fact, all of the compartments are carpeted except the engine
compartment. Even the anchor locker was carpeted, which I thought
was a little bit strange.
The helm has a decent-size panel
underneath, which allows for access to all of the wiring inside the
helm. All of the accessories are wired through circuit breakers. In
front of the port bucket seat, you've got a glove box and an AM/FM
stereo with CD player. The cockpit has four speakers that really
cranked. Not only could you play the stereo much louder than you
would normally want to, but it maintained high-quality sound
throughout the decibel range.
There is carpeted storage under all
of the seats in the aft cockpit and the deck has a fitted removable
carpet that is friendly to the feet. There is a fitting for a table,
and a large ski and wakeboard storage compartment under the deck
above the keel gives you a good place to store the water toys. The
only thing that was lacking was the number of cupholders that were
incorporated into the boat's design. With only four cupholders, if
you plan on having more than four drinks going around at one time,
people might be competing for a place to rest their beverage. So
drink up.
Engine Room
The engine hatch uses high-end
stainless steel hinges and gas shocks, opening to reveal a good
amount of space to service the engine. There are large battery
storage compartments to starboard of the engine, and to port, there
is additional storage that utilizes a separation panel. The
through-transom walkway makes it easy to get to the optional swim
platform, which is large enough to hang out on (when the engine is
not running) and has a built-in swim ladder that folds up into the
platform when not in use.
In this area, you'll also find the
gasoline fill, a stern light plug with chrome cover, a tow eye, and
two of the boat's five large stainless steel pop-up cleats. I hate
it when builders use small cleats. Caravelle made my day when I saw
the large high-end cleats that come standard with this boat. In any
case, after having tested Caravelle's Interceptor 232 LS Bowrider, I
had a huge grin on my face. It performed just as well as, if not
better than, I expected it to.
However, my excitement with the boat
didn't compare to Bill's, who realized that he had just purchased a
really sweet ride. |
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Caravelle Interceptor 232
New Attitude
By: Jeff Hemmel, February 2005
Boating Magazine
There’s nary a splinter of wood aboard Caravelle’s flashy Interceptor 232
bowrider. Instead, where many so-called wood-free boats cheat – in the
seat bases, inwale backing, and stowage compartment lids – the 232 uses
precision-cut composite panel. Even after a decade of dampness, there’ll
be little worry about anything rotting. Other construction aspects are
similarly top shelf. The stringers are a foam-filled fiberglass grid.
The floors and decks are reinforced with lightweight Nida-Core honeycomb,
rather than balsa or plywood. Woven roving is replaced by knitted
fiberglass, which is more impact resistant and produces a smoother
finish. Caravelle may be small, but this company obviously thinks big.
The 232 uses Caravelle’s XPV hull design, a deep V with an extended
running surface and pad keel. Equipped with a 300-hp MerCruiser 350 MAG
MPI stern drive, my test boat planed in less than four seconds, handled
with a precision in keeping with the boat’s go-fast good looks, and thanks
to its one-piece deck liner, kept rattles to a minimum. A natural armrest
is molded into the fiberglass for your throttle elbow, and Zero Effort
performance controls, white-faced Faria gauges, and a Dino wheel add a
racy feel that’s a step up from the standard fare in this category.
Underneath the 232’s sporty image is a pretty respectable
family bowrider. A generous bow cockpit comes standard with a filler
cushion for those soaking up the rays, and dual helm seats with flip-up
bolsters, a U-shaped aft bench, and plenty of room on the sunpad round out
the accommodations. A noteworthy option is the walkthrough
transom($1,000). Also, consider adding the extended swim platform
($1,300). In standard trim, the platform is a tight fit for boarding
skiers and swimmers.
GO BOATING MAGAZINE 232LS BOAT TEST-June
06(click here)
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