Caravelle 237 LS Bowrider

Quick, roomy and a whole lot of fun.

By:  Tom Thompson – Lakeland Boating

             Caravelle’s 237 LS Bowrider is one of those boats that make a carefree day on the water even better.  It’s a wind-in-your hair, chase-the-horizon, go-where-you-wanna-go kind of runabout.  In other words, it’s a lot of fun.  Plenty of flat water and clear skies on test day really gave me a chance to open’er up and have a blast. 

            The test boat had a Volvo Penta 5.7Gi engine rated at 280 hp.  Although it’s not the biggest block the 237 LS can handle, it had plenty of energy.  It was quick off the line, with acceleration you could feel in the seat of your pants, and reached a top speed of 55 mph.  The 237 LS uses Caravelle’s XPV hull.  With a 20-degree dead rise, the hull gives a very stable and comfortable ride yet doesn’t sacrifice performance.  Turns are well-mannered, even when the radius is only a couple of boat lengths.

            The 8-foot, 6-inch beam provides ample space for cockpit amenities, not to mention leg and elbow room.  The boat has a full fiberglass liner – no wood is used in the construction.  The captain and copilot ride in comfort on spring-suspension bucket seats with flip up bolsters, and the helm features full engine instrumentation, a digital depth sounder, a tilt steering wheel and a 12-volt receptacle.  A waterproof Kenwood CD player with AM/FM radio comes standard.

            An L-shaped bench seat runs along the forward edge of the engine compartment and continues up the port side.  An unusual companion seat on the starboard side, aft of the helm seat, has a wraparound backrest that lets you face sideways or backwards.  Immediately behind the bucket seats are small consoles, each with two stainless steel cups holders and a hefty and convenient grab rail.  The starboard console also has a sink, while the port one has an opening for a trash receptacle. 

            The cockpit has lots of storage space – under the bench and jump seats, a glove box on the port side and drop-in compartments beside each bucket seat.  The ski locker in the cockpit sole is lined with mesh to keep items dry and to prevent them from sliding around. 

            The bow has bench seating all around, and two removable cushions create a sun pad in the center.  A grab rail runs the length of the bow area, and there are two stainless steel cup holders.  The high backrests at the base of the windshield were comfortable when I stretched my legs out along the bench.  There’s storage under all the seat cushions up front.  The 237 LS has a sideways facing ladder at the bow to make getting on and off a little easier.  When not in use, the three-step ladder can be hidden under a hatch, which also provides access to the anchor locker.

            The engine compartment hatch cover doubles as a sun pad and extends nearly all the way across the back of the boat except for a walkway to the swim platform.  That walkway is something not often seen on a boat this size.  A hatch in the walkway deck opens to reveal storage space for a cooler.  The integrated swim platform on the 237 LS is more than a protrusion on the stern-it provides plenty of room to move around while getting in and out of the water.  There’s another covered, three-step boarding ladder here, along a convenient storage compartment on the port side.  The engine compartment is roomy, with all fluid checkpoints in easy reach.  A bulkhead runs along the port side of the engine block to create a large storage compartment in the aft corner of the hull.

            And if those features aren’t enough, consider this:  There is absolutely no wood used in the construction of the Caravelle 237 LS - Couple that with a lifetime hull warranty and you should have many seasons of truly carefree days on the water.  So go let the wind blow through your hair.

Clean Machine

The 237LS gives boaters an impressive glimpse into the future of Caravelle bowriders.

By:  Alan Jones, April 2006 -  Boating World Magazine

When Dan Quayle said, “The future will be better tomorrow,” as it turns out, he was right…that is, if he was referring to boats.  Because, after checking out the new Caravelle 237LS, it’s clear that the future is looking pretty good.  This sleek new bowrider, with its pointy beak and graceful shearline that swoops back to the integrated swim platform, is the first model in what will eventually be a new generation of futuristic LS series bowriders for the company from Americus, GA.

            From the second you step aboard at the transom, you can see this is a new breed of boat.  The large swim platform isn’t just a bolted-on deck like you usually see, but rather, is now an integral part of the hull and adds to the sleek look rather than detracting from it.  The four-step stainless-steel boarding ladder is cleanly hidden underneath, a flip-up cover on the starboard side, and off to port is a built-in, drainable beverage cooler, so swimmers can grab a cold one without traipsing through the cockpit.  You can even adjust the stereo from back here, thanks to the optional remote control.  Completing the tidy look is a pair of oversized pull-up cleats that are positioned to sit just above floating dock height, which is perfect.

            Entry into the cockpit is via the transom walkthrough alley, which prevents boarders from the usual ritual of stepping on the while upholstery before noticing shoes have mud on them.  Although some boaters might wish it had a transom door to corral youngsters and loose items that might blow aft, it would detract from the carefully crafted look.  Your first impression of the cockpit is one of roominess because of the wide-open deck space in the center.  An L-shaped curved settee stretches from the transom to an abbreviated wet bar refreshment center just behind the co-pilots seat.  The expansive lounge has plenty of room for four adults or a gaggle of kids, with storage underneath as well as a removable cooler.  The handle for the engine hatch is positioned on the nicely sculpted bench seatback in a way that you would think would interfere with seating comfort, but it’s recessed just enough to be out of the way.  With a large locker set into the cockpit sole with a mat for cushioning, skiers can bring along all of their tools of play.

            Just behind the lounge is a jumbo sunpad with plenty of room for stretching out.  There’s a portable table that can be quickly installed into the cockpit sole or in the bowriding section.  Abaft of the captain’s seat is a unique solo jump seat next to a small Corian-surfaced console that mirrors the one on the port side, and houses a convenient trash receptacle along with a pair of stainless-steel cupholders to match the ones on the opposite side.

            With the dockside temperatures in Sarasota approaching the average high in Equartorial Africa, it’s time to get some breeze blowing, so after flicking the blower on from the row of accessory rocker switches to the left of the wheel, the key is cranked on the 5.7L Volvo Penta Gi engine, which puts out 280 hp to the single-prop SX outdrive.  The SofTech bucket seats wrap you comfortably, and with inner springs, they stay cushy even when things get rough. 

            While idling out of the Hyatt basin, it’s a good time to make use of the flip-up seat bolster that puts the driver’s head above the windshield for added ventilation.  The fat, padded racing wheel feels good in your hand and gives you thumb rests in the 9” and 3” position, although the expanse of chrome on it can reflect the sun pretty badly at certain angles.  The large, analog Faria gauges are easy to read and are set into a faux-burl wood dash, which has a gray finish that inhibits reflections in the windshield.  The windshield protects the captain and first mate well enough that they won’t have to crack their hats down to the tourniquet setting to keep from losing their lids.

            Throwing down the throttle gets you on plane in less than five seconds, and you reach 30 mph in six seconds.  Caravelle’s XPV hull proves to be a fast one with a top speed of 53.8 mph; pretty good performance for a hull that stretches 23 feet 5 inches, has a trailerable 8-foot-6-inch beam, and weighs 4,000 pounds dry.  Although this hull will impress you with its limited bowrise out of the hole and quick planing times, you’ll best appreciate it when you crank the wheel or run at top speed.  The “X” in XPV stands for the eXtended running surface, which unlike most hull designs, measures almost the entire length of the boat – in effect, making it ride like a bigger boat.  This elongated running surface allows you to crank the wheel hard into turns and carve a tight but highly controllable line.  At top speed, the “P” comes into play with a delta Pad toward the transom not unlike you see on high-speed bass boats.  This flat triangular aft section of the hull gives it extra lift for a better hole shot, and when you trim the boat up, it gives you extra top-end speed.  The “V” stands for V-hull, which measures 20-degree at the stern, giving it the ability to run smoothly in the one-foot chop that’s crinkling Sarasota Bay. 

            As fun as this boat is to drive, you can bet the captain will occasionally relinquish the wheel and head up front to the luxuriate in the bowrider seats.  The heavy-duty G&T expanded vinyl is comfortable, yet rugged, and the forward facing backrest has just enough, angle but what’s the deal with the gigantic decorative black and white piping found through the boat?  With the diameter of a guitar cord, picky folks may feel like they’re sitting or lying on a garden snake.  At the bow, a really useful feature is the beach boarding ladder that resides underneath a flap up front.  For easy anchoring or docking, there’s a pair of wide pull-up cleats at the bow. 

            With a base price of $37,864 with the Volvo-Penta 5.7Gi, and with options like the remote control for the jammin’ four speaker Kenwood CD stereo, the Caravelle 237LS gives you a lot of boat for the money and is loaded with standard features like the snap-in carpeting, tilt steering, and bow filler cushions.  The 237LS contains more usable living space than most other boats of its size, in part because the consoles are smaller.  For some this will be a plus, but it does come at the expense of not having room for a head compartment.  But boaters, being a resourceful lot, will find ways to deal with that problem (“No more Sunny-D for you kids!”).  For those looking for a little more attitude, you can pump up the ponies to 320 hp and opt for a switchable through-hull exhaust.  With no wood in its construction, you never have to worry about rot, and starting this year, Caravelle is offering a lifetime limited transferable warranty.  The new design of the 237LS will have owners adding “promenading” in conspicuous places like raft-ups or waterfront hangouts to their usual repertoire of activities – and they won’t have to spend a fortune for the privilege.

GO BOATING MAGAZINE 237LS BOAT TEST - May 2006(click here)