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Chaparral and Larson have both made my short list for a new purchase. Looking for a 20' bowrider for family skiing and cruising. Chaparral has a fine 19'6" model that is a little pricy compared to the 20'6" Larson model. Does anyone have experience with either of these boats, and might be willing to share some experiences.
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Chaparral sse or ssi? Is the Larson a vec hull or not? The sse Chap and a non vec Larson are very similar.They both use wood etc.The ssi is all glass and I think it's a great boat.I've seen the vec's and I withholding my opinion until there out.If it was me I'd go with the Chap.
KCookPosts: 2201
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04/23/2000
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The Chaparral 196 SSi is a very high quality boat, just under Cobalt. It's no surprise that it has a higher price than the Larson.
The Larson 210 should have a little more room if you like to pack your guests in. Larsons are light and this is especially true of the new VEC designs. Which should make the Larson livelier for skiing. But this also gives the rough water ride advantage to the Chaparral.
Considering the difference in quality, it is very hard to pin down just how big the difference in price should be. So go with the one that puts the biggest grin on your face!
Kelly Cook
dfulPosts: 9
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11/05/2000
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My opinion will seem biased but I gotta say
I love my Chaparral 2135SS. It's a '97
limited edition with a 5.7L V8 Alpha 1
It's a great runabout with great lines.
It handles very well with plenty of power for
pulling skiers & tubes. I paid $17,200 for it with a shorelander dual axle trailer.
Chaparral's a great manufacturer that holds very decent resale value if you take care of it. Have fun...summer coming baby !!!!!!!!
J BermanPosts: 268
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12/11/2000
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Do yourself a favor and look at some used Chaparrals to see how the paint/gelcoat has held up over time. In saltwater I see many that look pretty bad when compared to several other similar priced boats of similar age.
Jeff
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http://www.nplots.com http://anglersystems.com
Hi Jeff,
The intense Florida sun and humidity wrecks havoc on all gelcoat finishes… That is the reasons why builders like Hatteras and custom boat builders like Buddy Davis utilize paint instead of gelcoat to protect their hull and house surfaces.
In order to maintain most fiberglass hull and deck surfaces, routine waxing with marine grade waxes should become part of normal maintenance procedures for boats finished with gelcoat…
Sea Ya,
Jim
J BermanPosts: 268
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Jim:
I agree to a point as the saltwater can be very hard on the gelcoat and in fact all parts of the boat. Added to this is the hot Florida sun down here in Sarasota.
Many boats with "color" (other than white or light tan) gelcoats do tend to look old after just a few years if not waxed on a regular basis. A good full marine canvas also helps significantly. However, some boats with similar maintenance practices due tend to look damaged quicker than others. The actual color also seems to play a role in how quickly the damage may occur. I have a red, black and white boat with the color in the gelcoat and after 11 years of semi-annual waxing, washing and drying after each use and a full canvas cover the gelcoat has hardly aged at all.
Jeff
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http://www.nplots.com http://anglersystems.com
Originally posted by Rich Virg:
Chaparral and Larson have both made my short list for a new purchase. Looking for a 20' bowrider for family skiing and cruising. Chaparral has a fine 19'6" model that is a little pricy compared to the 20'6" Larson model. Does anyone have experience with either of these boats, and might be willing to share some experiences.
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