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Double
Take
Caravelle’s
sterndive-powered 230 Walkaround is equally adept at saltwater fishing and
family cruising
By
Walk Jennings
Americus,
Georgia, is best known as the home of former President Jimmy Carter, but
it is also the home of Caravelle Powerboats , a manufacturer of family and
fishing boats for 35 years. Building
on the popularity of its 23-foot walkaround outboard, the company has
added a sterndrive version to the 2002 lineup.
Designed
with families and anglers in mind, the cockpit layout of the new 230
Walkaround sterndrive has plenty of room for extra coolers and other gear,
plus it has molded rod-storage racks under each gunwale capable of storing
four rods per side. Four
flush-mount trolling rod holders come standard, and for serious anglers
there are four more rod holders located on the aft end of an optional
aluminum-frame hardtop.
LOADED WEAPON
The
230 sterndrive offers many standard features that are options on boats of
similar size, including a full-width transom platform (crafted from King
Starboard), 9-gallon pressurized freshwater system, cockpit courtesy
lights, coaming pads and trim tabs. Hard
core anglers will find the 20-gallon baitwell, located on the starboard
side of the transom, a bit small. A
sink, bait-prep area and freshwater shower hose are located on the transom
next to the baitwell, just port of the centerline.
A
9-inch-deep by 5-foot-long fishbox is located belowdecks, immediately
forward of the engine cover, and it drains overboard.
It is large enough to hold up to four 30-pound tuna.
Non-anglers will also find the fishbox handy for storing waterskis
or anything else you don’t mind getting wet.
In
so many walkaround cuddy boats, seating is at a premium, but the 230
sterndrive comes with comfortable seating for five.
Behind a tempered safety glass windshield is a pair of molded
Kelron helm chairs (with a footrest on the helm side).
Both swiveling seats are mounted on oblong boxes that contain dry
storage in the forward end and overboard-draining insulated ice chests/wet
storage in the aft end. With
this setup the driver can swing in his seat 180 degrees.
Cushions
atop the lids of two insulated coolers immediately aft of each chair are
large enough for an adult to sit comfortably.
One additional, extra-large cushion snaps onto the engine cover.
Another
cushioned seat – large enough for two medium-size kids – is positioned
on the forepeak of the cuddy cabin, but is only safe to use when the boat
is moving at low speeds or at rest.
A
heavy-duty rubrail protects the gunwales from those little bumps all boats
encounter, while in the bow an integrated pulpit with a stainless steel
anchor roller eases the burden of pulling the hook.
A stainless steel bow rail – 16 inches above the gunwale – runs
from the aft end of the cuddy cabin around the bow, giving passengers a
measure of security when going forward.
TAKE THE WHEEL
The
instrument panel consists of a tachometer and speedometer, and oil
pressure, engine temperature, trim indicator, voltmeter and fuel gauges.
All are mounted in a faux burlwood panel, as are rocker switches
controlling the bilge blower, cockpit courtesy lights, bilge pump,
freshwater pressure and navigation lights.
A
built-in electronics box is located above the instruments.
It is large enough to mount a couple of small electronic items such
as a VHF radio and small depthfinder, with plenty of room remaining to
stow little stuff such as sunglasses and hats.
A 4-inch-diameter compass is mounted on top of the dash, directly
forward of the stainless, destroyer-style steering wheel.
The
entire family will like taking the two steps down in to the 230’s cuddy
cabin where a portable marine head is located against the aft bulkhead on
the starboard side. A light
is mounted inside and on the starboard side as you enter the cabin and a
12x18-inche mirror is on the bulkhead just starboard of the light.
Vinyl-covered foam pads cover the V-berth, and they are comfortable
to both sit and lie on. There is a Bomar hatch in the ceiling and screened portlights
on both sides of the cabin that provide ample ventilation.
The cabin door is lock able, which gives you a comfortable feeling
when leaving rods and reels, cameras and other valuables on board when you
are not.
Seven
layers of mat, roving and Knytex multidirectional fiberglass are used in
construction to give the 230 WA a near-bulletproof hull.
The hull features four lifting strakes (two per side) to help
improve holeshot. Seas were
mirror smooth the day we tested the Caravelle 230 WA, so it was tough to
judge its seakeeping ability. However,
with 24 degrees of deadrise at the transom, this boat should handle choppy
water nicely. What’s more,
its 8 ½-foot beam (6-inches wider than most 23-footers) provides an
extremely stable platform at rest.
POWER UP
Purchasers
can choose from tow standard 20 hp V-8 sterndrives for the 230 WA – a
MerCruiser 5.0L/Alpha or Volvo Penta 5.0L GL/GX.
The price is the same for either.
You can also order an optional 240 hp MerCruiser 5.0L MPI and you
have a choice of drive options. Our
test boat was fitted with the 5.0L EFI and a Bravo 3 dual-prop drive.
A
130-gallon fuel tank gives the 230 WA I/O ample range as indicated in the
test data. And while the
optional 5.0L EFI offers outstanding performance, we feel the standard 220
hp engine should be sufficient for most boaters.
The
primary advantage of the new sterndive is financial.
The 230 WA sterndrive is approximately $7000 less than the outboard
model with a 200 hp Yamaha.
In
the end, the sterndrive-powered Caravelle 230 Walkaround is a seaworthy,
stable craft that can serve as either a family cruiser or fishing machine
or both. For that reason, it
certainly deserves a double take.
Taken from Trailer Boats
Magazine, August 2002
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