JANUARY 2007 boatinglife.com 87 CHAPARRAL 276 SSX SPORT DECK ON THE WEB: BOATINGLIFE.COM/2007/CHAPARRAL276SSX Nashville, GA 229-686-7481 A Garmin 172 GPS/chart plotter is standard; it fits nicely in the middle of the clean gauge panel. The L-shaped lounge is more traditional than that found on the 276, but there are no compromises to the head and gal- ley or to the cool sun lounge above the large swim platform. 236 SSX SPORT DECK Length 24’1” Beam 8’6” ALSO CONSIDER . . . The cockpit seating and galley swap sides on this version of the Sport Deck. The enclosed head has a maple cabinet and solid-surface countertop. Horsepower options go all the way up to 425. 256 SSX SPORT DECK Length 26’5” Beam 8’6” CIRCLE #148 ON P. 211 FOR BUYING INFO A new design turns this big boat into a stylish getaway model QUICK TAKE VITAL STATS: Length 28’10” Beam 9’ Dry Weight 6,800 lb. Fuel Cap. 105 gal. Max HP 525 Seating/Weight Cap. Yacht Certified • Volvo Penta 5.7L GXi DP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $76,679 • Volvo Penta 8.1L Gi DP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $80,871 • MerCruiser 525 EFI Bravo III XR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $123,110 MSRP: $73,696 ENGINE: Volco Penta 5.7L Gi MPI DP POWER PICKS C heck it out: the 276 SSX Sport Deck. The name itself is alluring, and tells you right away this boat is a departure from status quo. By pulling the helm further forward, Chapar- ral’s engineers gave up some of the extra bow space normally found on huge deck boats. The bow is still shaped like a capital U, and the sloped back rests give it lounge appeal, but they enlarged the cockpit — the place where most boaters hang out. Behind the driver is a genuine aft cockpit, with enough wraparound seating for seven. On the port side is a galley that neatly transitions from the back of the passenger seat to the com- panionway. Under the console on that side is one of the nicest heads we’ve seen on a deck boat — with a solid- surface countertop and, yes, teak and holly flooring for easy cleanups. Creative as the en- tire layout is, it’s the sun deck that will garner most attention. The fold-down stern seat converts the pad into a tanning island that leads to a large swim platform. It accentuates the fast-looking lines. From previous experience with Chaparral boats, we know the 276 SSX has the muscle to back up the appearance, and the name. Under the sun deck is a big storage trunk across the transom. PERSONALITYPROFILE Cruising Sport Protected Water Value High Performance Entertainmnet Open Water Premium Sound system includes a CD player with MP3 plug- in and a free six-month subscription to Sirius satellite radio. Galley has a sink and ice box, while a portable cooler stows under the gunwale — use one for food storage, the other for drinks. DE CK B O AT S