BOATTEST.com test on the Caravelle 242 Bow Rider

The 242 Bow Rider has been tested by BOATTEST.com. 

To see this online boat test click here.

 Boat Test:  Caravelle 242 Bow Rider

It’s not exactly misnamed, but it’s a whole lot more than just a typical bow rider.

By Dave Mull, Lakeland Boating Magazine

            For most boaters, the word “bowrider” conjures up images of a craft jammed with happy teenagers, inflatable watertoys hanging out all over.  A bow rider is a fun vehicle for a day at the inland lake, to be sure, but the design can lack a certain elegance, not to mention utility.

                A recent test of the Caravelle 242 Bow Rider changed our thinking about the genre, however.  This is a big, elegant ride suitable for a lot more than the kids-and-watertoys thing.

            Nearly 24 feet long and a beamy 8 feet, 6 inches wide, the 242 has ample seating, a large swim platform and a refreshment center with a sink and cooler.  Perhaps the greatest boon to creature comfort (not to mention dignity) is an enclosed head installed in the port-side console.

            The 242 is a brand-new model for 2002 from the Americus, Georgia-based company.  It is the largest Caravelle bow rider, although the company’s Interceptor line includes one that’s nearly 26 feet long.

            “The demographic for the 242 basically ranges from guys 30 to 60 years old,” said Craig Cummins, Caravelle’s vice president of sales.  “Grandparents are buying it because it’s easy to get in and out of and has plenty of room for grandchildren.  Young families are buying it for the same reason.  The floor plan appeals to everyone.”

            This bow rider cruiser is made for enjoyment, with comfortable furniture, well-placed cup holders and a better-than-decent Sony AM/FM CD player with four speakers.  It’s also an easy boat to keep clean, with or without the optional snap-in carpeting on the fiberglass sole.  Simply remove the carpet for a good scrub.

            The bow rider area includes a speaker and two cup holders on each side, with wraparound seating that could easily accommodate five passengers.  You’ll find storage under each side seat, with another compartment under the pad.  Two insert pieces convert the whole space into a sunpad.  Both inserts could be stowed in the in-floor ski storage section; they also fit in a compartment in the corner of the L-shaped aft sofa.  Passengers can move easily around the bow, thanks to nicely recessed handrails that are within grasp.  The boat also has a roomy anchor storage compartment up here.

            The helm sports an optional flip-up bucket seat, which can be used as a standard chair, but also quickly converts into a leaning bolster to give the pilot a higher perch.

            The dash has all the instrumentation you need, plus a depth finder, also standard.  The tachometer has a built-in hour meter to help you keep track of your maintenance schedule.  A 12-volt outlet in the dash lets you plug in accessories such as a portable chart plotter or cell phone.  We also liked the comfortable tilt steering wheel.

            Port side, the head compartment is well-lit and roomy enough to not cause instant claustrophobia.  The refreshment center just behind the helm seat includes a sink with portable water.  Recessed below the sink is a 25-quart cooler that could hold plenty of beverages and a picnic lunch.

            We liked the layout of the cockpit with the L-shaped sofa that wraps from the back of the passenger seat to the swim platform’s gate.  Four people could sit comfortably back here.  Right behind it is a big sunpad.  The transom section of this sofa and the sunpad are all part of the engine cover, which rises with minimal effort thanks to gas-assisted lifts.  The entire top of the MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI can be tinkered with, and checking the oil level is a cinch.  The Merc has landed plugs that the owner can pull to drain the cooling system of lake water, a nice feature in cold weather when the water might freeze.  A partition on the port side of the power plant walls-off a large storage bin suitable for fenders and PFDs.

            The swim platform features a telescoping ladder that hides away under a lid.  The transom has yet another grabrail, right where you need it when climbing out of the water.  A ski-tow ring is also standard.

            We took the boat for a spin at one of Caravelle’s top dealers, Just Add Water, in Indianapolis.  And spin is the operative word.  Just Add Water has the luxury of a lake on its popery and while it was big enough for us to get a good feel for how the boat handled, we didn’t trust it eking out the last mph on the speedometer.  So we’re using the speeds and rpms provided by Caravelle for the performance data.

            That said, we could easily see how quickly the boat jumped on plane with the MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI and the Bravo I outdrive.  It had outstanding acceleration, and we were near top speed in the short straight-aways.  It also turns nicely, which was a good thing in the smallish test venue.

            Although the 350 Mag, cranking our 300 hp, provided ample performance, you can increase the power with either a MerCruiser 496 HO Mag MPI, which puts out 425 horses, or with the 420-hp Volvo Penta 8.1L GXI with Duoprop outdrive.

            Overall, this is a big, stable boat with lots of room.  Adventurous types might consider camping trips with this boat, given all the storage space for a tent and sleeping bags.  Other will simply appreciate its trailerability, which allows weekend trips to favorite ports for day cruising.  

242 Bow Rider Caravelle

Boating Life Magazine

     Most performance boats cost a fortune yet sacrifice tons of comfort and family features.  Not so with the new Caravelle 242 bowrider.  It has that racy, head-turning look but offers enough comfort on board to make tubers, cruisers, neighbors, spouses, kids . . . well, practically anyone else in your circle of acquaintances happy -- maybe even as one big group.

     Fifty-tow miles per hour was the top speed -- plenty to gobble up the scenery in a speed cruise or make the 8 o'clock dinner reservations at Shooters.  But slow it down for water sports -- it throws a guaranteed-to-get-you-airborne wake that would give all but competitive boarders a joy-popper ride.

    We were happy with the way the 242 took the waves down to size.  We also like the crisp hydraulic steering that comes standard in the MerCruiser's 350Mag power plant.

     Climbing on board is a snap thanks to the swim platform and walkthrough transom.  We also give high marks to the self draining liner cockpit and crisp non-skid surface.

     This boat is built to party and it's equipped for it, too, with an entertainment galley with sink, faucet, and nine=gallon water supply and enough storage to keep chips and salsa in order.  An on-board cooler is handy, and there's an enclosed head on board for convenience.

     The first-class section up front converts from semi-circular seating for cozy conversations with a view, but we preferred the filler cushions in place to provide sill more stretch-out-and-sun room.

     There's plenty of space at the helm for 6-footers like our test crew, but our optional bucket seats adjusted to fit smaller or larger drivers and we recommend them.  We're pretty hot on the flip-up bolsters for the legroom for stand-up driving or a better view seated when docking. -- R. V.

Nice Touches noted by the author:

1.  Bucket seats with flip-up bolsters for better visibility.

2.  Stowed bimini top protects from the afternoon sun or rainy weather.

3. Interior grab rails in all the right places for a fast, fun ride.

4.  Sony CD stereo system with four speakers.

5.  Optional exhaust cutoff for a butterfly-breeding rumble in your belly.

Performance

Test Engine:  MerCruiser 350Mag

Test Prop:  19", Mirage stainless steel

Test Load:  Fuel (45 Gal.), People (400 lb.)

Top Speed:  52.7 mph @ 4500 rpm

Time to Plane:  4.8 sec.

Time to 30 mph:  11.1 sec.

Speed at 3/4 throttle:  39 mph @ 3900 rpm

Noise @ idle:  62 DB

Noise @ 30 mph:  82 DB

Social Service

Caravelle 242: A friend of the family.

By Pete McDonald, Boating Magazine

     You're cruising along feeling secure in the deep cockpit.  Then you look down at the speedometer and --surprise!--you're going over 50mph.  You slow down to 4000 rpm and crank the wheel over.  The prop doesn't ventilate, the hull doesn't wiggle, and you don't lose your line of sight at the helm.  It seems as if no matter what you do to it, this boat makes you feel in control and secure.  What is it?  The Caravelle 242, a predictable family bowrider.

     A steep 21 degrees of transom deadrise provides a soft ride, and wide reversed chines keep the spay down.  Inside is at least 2'7" of cockpit depth--we consider anything about knee height safe--but most of the cockpit is deeper.  You feel as if you're down low inside this boat.  This is particularly true of the L-lounge--its thick seats keep passengers comfortable and protected.  All cushions are covered with medium-weight 30-ounce expanded vinyl and backed with plastic panels with breathing holes.

     Unlike some competitors, the bow cockpit is so roomy that two people can stretch out or four can sit.  Plus there's a stainless-steel grabrail running along the entire bow, more useful than a few small handles.  The bow filler cushions come standard. 

     For entertaining, there's a freshwater sink aft of the helm with a fiddled counter and grabrail over the 25-quart Igloo cooler.  The 3'7" tall head in the port console has a gasketed door for dry stowage and a draining nonslip fiberglass liner.

     Caravelle put in a molded nonslip fiberglass cockpit liner, a nice touch compared to the glued-down carpet in some competitors.  And the 242 has some notable standards like the Sony CD player with four speakers, portable MSD and digital depth sounder, that other builders list as options.