Chaparral Sunesta 223

First Impressions

Consumer Test

Comparing this boat to other decks is beyond theapple and oranges comparison. This high qualitydeck boat is in a league of its own. Our expectationsfor such a luxurious deck were high going in and itdidn’t disappoint us. We could hardly wait to get ourhands on this sporty craft, as it looked as fast as itdid comfortable.

What the furniture appearance lacks in color, it morethan makes up for with quality. The upholstery work,especially the triple French stitching, gives the boat asimple yet elegant look. There are two contour loungeseats upfront that are very comfortable and the designgives the bow a nice rounded look. There is good backsupport in the overall seating area and the thick cush-ions make it comfortable.

It’s hard to believe, but the swim platform comesstandard with this model and because it’s very largeand very practical, we’re a big fan. There are a lot ofgreat features in the stern that we really like includingthe remote stereo pad. This allows you to control yourCD player when you’re in the water without having toget back in the boat. There is also a transom shower,custom three-step ladder/anchor storage, as well as

excellent handholds so you can easily get out ofthe water. On the bow there is an abbreviatedswim platform that boasts a lot of the same fea-tures including the shower and ladder storage.

Throughout the boat you’ll find all stainlesssteel latches and hardware, which is a good indi-cation that this is a high-end boat. Those latchesare especially noticed on the changing room door.On the other side of the clamshell door is a roomyenclosure that is complete with a vented window,light and a pump-out toilet.

Most deck boats have ample storage room, butChaparral goes beyond the norm. The floor storagecompartment is wide enough for wakeboards, butthat’s only the beginning. There are also deep storagecompartments under the seats, plus a great carpetedarea under the helm for storing items. Last yearChaparral introduced the stern storage trunk on itsboats and because it’s such an innovative idea, wewanted to mention it again. This boat is not lacking inplaces to store things, that’s for sure.

Chaparral calls this model its windshield versionbecause of the nice three-piece windshield and itsbest quality is that it doesn’t obstruct your view.Plus, there is a bottom door that folds out belowthe walk-through windshield that will block the wind

48 Pontoon & Deck Boat

2003 February 49

Top Speed ..............................51.4 mphDb-a @ Idle .....................................82.5Fuel @ 3000 ...............................9.5 gphAny Rattles? ..................................NoneNo. of Gates.........................................1Boarding Ladder ..............................Yes

LOA...............................................24’ 3”Beam...............................................8’ 6”Hull Design.........................Extended VDry Weight ..............................4065 lbs.Load Capacity.......................14 PeopleFuel Capacity .......................53 Gallons

650 ......1.6 mph .......0.3 gph.......82.51000 .........6 mph ..........1 gph..........911500 ......8.1 mph .......1.5 gph.......92.52000 ....11.3 mph .......5.8 gph..........942500 ....21.3 mph .......7.5 gph..........983000 ....29.6 mph .......9.5 gph........1033500 .......36 mph .....11.8 gph.....106.54000 ....42.3 mph .....16.5 gph........1104500 ....47.6 mph .....20.5 gph........1115000 ....51.4 mph ........24 gph.....111.5

Engine..MerCruiser MAG MPI Bravo 3Cylinder Type.....................................V8Displacement/hp ..............350ci/300hpLower Unit Gear Ratio...................2.2:1Propeller....................................26 Pitch

Base Retail w/Snd. Features...$38,414(Boat and Motor)

Price as Tested.........................$44,229(Boat and Motor)

TEST STATS

BOAT SPECS

ENGINE & PROPELLERS

RPM vs. SPEED vs. FUEL vs. DB-A

PRICES

STANDARD FEATURESEnclosed head with Porta-Pottie, win-

dow and fiberglass liner, 25-quart cooler,cockpit drainage system with non-skidself-bailing cockpit, color coordinatedpadded wheel, galley with ice chest, sink,hand pump faucet and trash storage,Starlite seat bases, in-floor storage,spring air suspension captain’s chair, tran-som trunk storage, two-tone 36-oz vinyl,extended swim platform, stainless steelhardware throughout the boat includingcleats, rub rail, two telescopic laddersand thru-hull fittings, accessory panelwith water resistant circuit breakers andilluminated rocker switches, automaticbilge pump, docking lights, electrichorn, JBL CD player with dash remoteand four speakers, MerCruiser 5.0LAlpha 220hp. engine. OPTIONS ON TEST BOAT

Pump-out Porta-Pottie, pressurewater with transom shower/wash down(forward and aft), convenience packagethat includes compass, depth indicator,wood grain tilt steering wheel and tran-som power tilt switch, windscreen pack-age, fire extinguisher system, MerCruiser5.7L MAG MPI Bravo 3 engine.

and extend your boating season. Overall, the helm console is well

thought out from its burl wood tiltsteering wheel to the chrome bezelChaparral gauges. From a cosmeticperspective though, we noticed thatthe tan console and the random pieceof tan vinyl by the throttle didn’tappear to match any other colors onthe boat. In fact theoverall color schemeis quite conservativeother than thatsplash of tan.

The helm seat isspring loaded forextra comfort and isone of the nicesthelm seats that we tested. There is anextended cushion by your head andthe back support is amazing. There isalso a flip up bolster for those who liketo stand while docking or for thosecaptains who just like to sit a little taller.There is also a nice padded armrestbelow the throttle that gives the driveradded comfort while driving.

There is a remote control pad forthe CD player on the helm console,similar to the one near the swim plat-form. The actual unit itself is stored inthe changing room, and this designkeeps your radio controls out of theelements but still gives you easy accessto your music.

There is a fiberglass refreshmentcenter with an electric pump andbelow this area is another large stor-age compartment. Overall, this greatfamily boat, that is both sporty andcomfy, screams elegance. The attentionto the little details and the fit and finishwork is amazing.

Below DeckThe extended V-plane hull has a

generous reverse chine and the fiber-glass work is exceptional. There are nodull areas in the gel coat work and thecolor is very consistent. There are twofull-length lifting strakes, plus two short-er ones for a total of four. The compos-ite stringers are encapsulated and

floatation foam is used in the cavities.Everything below deck is well bracedand well finished. Worth noting is thestainless steel rub rail, pop-up cleats,and the recessed halogen dockinglights in the bow. Above Deck

The engine compartment is easilyaccessible as is the battery compart-

ment. The furniturebases are part of the

moldedfiberglass liner and the boat also has awater drainage system. There is 15 feetin total seating area and the seatbacksrange from 11 to 15 inches tall. Finish Work

From bow to stern this boat is beau-tiful as we found the fit and finish workto be one of the best that we tested.The overall design and layout was com-pleted nicely and the attention todetails is unmatched in the industry.

Powered by a MerCruiser MAGMPI Bravo 3, this boat carved nice,sharp turns. She banked nice andtight, even at higher speeds and thehandling was like a dream. Thisdeck popped up on plane quickly injust over four seconds and at fullthrottle she reached speeds of over50 miles per hour. The overall per-formance is great, making this avery fun boat to drive.

The Sunesta 223 lived up to thehigh expectations that Chaparral setfor itself with its previous models.This deck is ideal for the family whowants to spend a little more moneyto get a lot more boat. This is anelegant and luxurious type of boatthat is well finished and wellconstructed.

Chaparral P.O. Drawer 928 • Nashville, GA 31639 229 686 7481 • www.chaparralboats.com

Inspection Test

Performance Test

Final Thoughts