Chaparral 264 Sunesta (2012-)

Brief Summary

The Chaparral 264 Sunesta WT is a large, snazzy bowrider and is all that most people — and young families — will ever need in life on the water. Put on some optional equipment such as the wet bar and grill, Vacuflush head, arch tower, power sunpad aft, super sound system, the Driftwood interior package, and the 400-hp 8.1 L Volvo Penta engine and you will have the boss ride on the lake.

Specifications

Length Overall	26' 4'' / 8.03 m
Beam	8' 6'' 2.59 m
Dry Weight	5,400 lbs. 2,499 kg
Draft	38'' 97 cm
Deadrise/Transom	22 deg
Max Headroom	N/A
Bridge Clearance	7' 8'' 2.34 m w/tower
Fuel Capacity	80 gal. 303 L
Water Capacity	13.5 gal. 51 L

Engine Options

Tested Engine	Currently no test numbers
Opt. Power	1 x 300-hp Mercury 5.7L 350 MAG 1 x 320-hp Mercury 6.2 L 377 MAG 1 x 380-hp Mercury 8.2 L MAG Four Volvo Penta V8 engines from 300-hp to 380-hp

Warranty

Hull Warranty Extended	Lifetime Limited

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The Chaparral 264 Sunesta WT bowrider is a serious watersports platform both in freshwater and saltwater, too. The arch and color graphics are optional.

 

The Mission of the Chaparral 264 Sunesta WT

Chaparral designed the 264 Sunesta WT to be a "full-service" bowrider that can handle a large number of people and at the same time be nimble enough for a variety of watersports activities. Because of her high freeboard she can be used in big water and stay dry. Because of her extensive option list she can easily be morphed into an entertainment platform, a cruising boat, or even a babe magnet.

The size of the swim platform is an important aspect of the Chaparral 264 Sunesta WT because this is the staging area for all watersports activities. The platform needs to be large and comfortable and this one is. The transom shower is optional. The boarding ladder has three steps with a built-in grab handle on top.

 

Distinguishing Features

 

Kevlar bottom.

Chaparral laminated in a layer of Kevlar in the keel area to better protect the bottom from puncture than would conventional fiberglass. Kevlar also makes the laminate slightly lighter.

Self-Bailing cockpit.

Chaparral has installed in the 264 what it calls the "Self Bailing System" (SBS) in its fiberglass cockpit liner. This means that you can leave the boat on a mooring or at the dock without a cover and rain water will drain directly overboard and not into the bilge. Many boats in class do not have this feature and it is an important one.

Chaparral 264 Sunesta floor plan.

 

Large cockpit sole locker.

The hatch to the locker and the space itself is large enough to accommodate both skis and kneeboards.

Wide Tech bow.

"Wide Tech" is the name Chaparral uses to describe how it has carried the boat's beam forward on deck in order to create more room forward. This results in more knee room in the footwell, more room in the bow itself and greater storage capacity in the compartments below the seats. It is recognizable from a distance because of its pickle-fork shape of the deck. The important aspect of Chaparral’s patented “Wide Tech” design is that the bow’s width is blended into the hullsides and is not carried down to the boat’s forefoot. This means that the 264 has a sharp deep-V entry.

Frankly, fiberglass arches can look ugly on a sportboat, but we think Chaparral's designers have done a terrific job of turning what could have been an eye-sore into eye-candy. Notice that the canvas has effectively turned the boat into a "hardtop" bowrider. Not only does the canvas provide good sun protection, but it also makes buttoning up the cockpit quick if a summer rain shower passes.

 

Dual deck fuel fill caps.

The 264's fuel tank can be filled from either side of the boat. This means you won't have to worry about the mess and dirt of a large fuel hose being draped across your upholstery.

Large integral swim platform.

While many boats have integral swim platforms not all of them extend past the outdrive when they are both in the up and down position. Further, the 264's swim platform is large enough to make it easy to put on water skis and wakeboards.

Options to modify functionality.

Chaparral's standard 264 Sunesta WT comes standard with everything you need for a fun day on the water right out of the box. However, if you would like to use the boat primarily for entertaining, sun bathing, or wakeboarding there are option packages and individual options which will allow you to morph the boat into something exactly to suit your needs.

This is where the Wide Tech design concept pays off. Note all of the seating room in the front of the bow as well as the large footwell. The beach boarding ladder has four steps.

 

Power Options

The 264 comes standard with a Volvo Penta V8-300C 300-hp engine with a DuoProp lower unit. It has a catalytic converter as required in the U.S. Standard boats sold outside the U.S. come without the catalytic converter, unless it is desired. All told, for both domestic and world-wide sales Chaparral offers

seven engine options from both Volvo Penta and MerCruiser. The largest engine available is the Volvo Penta V8-380C 380-hp model with DuoProp.

This young lady has long legs and they demonstrate that there is plenty of room in this boat's bow. Note the armrests. The running lights on the bow are recessed. The pop-up cleats are optional as is the snap-in carpet ($731).

 

Major Features

 

Cooler capacity.

There is nothing more important on a large bowrider on a hot day than plenty of cold refreshments. Chaparral knows that and has placed three separate coolers in the boat in order to be handy to guests no matter where they may be. In the bow there is an insulated integral ice chest with drain. At the opposite end of the boat there is an insulated compartment in the swim platform. Amidships there is provision for a standard 54-quart carry-on cooler.

Seating.

The helm and companion seats are both bucket seats with flip-up bolsters. Premium bucket seats that put the adjustment levers in the armrests are optional ($669). Abaft the helm is a standard bench seat facing a large L-shaped seat on the port side and going across most of the stern. Forward there are two forward-facing seats with fold-away armrests and enough leg room for nearly any guest except possibly an NBA center. Interior color packages are available as standard in Black, Blue, Fire Red, Graphite and Sand

.

Two doors need to be opened to get to the storage compartment under the helm console which is huge. It also has a light. Note that the first and largest door acts as a wind break and protects the radio.

 

Passenger capacity.

The 264 Sunesta WT is "Yacht Certified" when it comes to passenger seating capacity which means the boat will legally hold as many as you can seat and have PFDs for. Since there are a couple of different configurations, practical capacity will depend on whether or not you have a wet bar and filler cushion forward.

Movable table.

The 264 comes standard with a table that fits in a bracket located in the cockpit to make use of the L-seating. There is another bracket in the front of the bow footwell so there can be dining there as well. There is a dedicated stowage place for the table.

We like the way the door is designed to this head/changing room. Note how the corner is cut away to make entrance and exit easy. The Vacuflush toilet and teak and holly sole are optional.

 

Head/changing compartment.

The head compartment is lockable which means you can stow items there when you are away. The head has a sink and a cabinet, lighting, a full fiberglass liner, a standard Porta-Potti and an opening portlight. The toilet can be upgraded to a VHT Vacuflush system ($1,503) and the same system with an added macerator is $2,294 in total. If you want to get classy, put in a teak and holly sole for $232.

The helm console is simple and functional. A nav screen can be put front and center. An optional Preferred package includes a depth sounder, transom tilt switch, transom stereo remote, docking lights, 8 pull-up cleats, stainless steel speaker covers, a bow scuff plate and galvanized anchor ($1,377).

 

Electrical System

As boats become larger and more complex the system that is the most vulnerable to gremlins is the electrical system. As a result Chaparral has instituted a number of measures to protect the electrical system from failure. For example, all electrical connectors are triple O-ring sealed and water tight. The wiring is "loom wrapped" to protect against chafing, the engine and dash have grounding bars, and the DC breakers are water resistant. In addition, there are courtesy lights, a dash dimmer switch, lighting in the console storage compartment and DC power plugs. We would go for the dual battery option with cross-over switch ($431).

The Chaparral 264 has one of the nicest bucket seats in class. Note the levers on the optional premium buckets’ sides that make adjustment easy. ($669)

 

The bench seat on the port side abaft the helm seat is standard.

 

This boat is equipped with the optional wet bar ($2,762). An optional stainless steel gas grill mounts on the swim platform ($802). Pressure water is standard.

 

Price of the Chaparral 264 Sunesta WT

The MSRP of the standard 264 WT in the U.S. with the Volvo Penta 300-hp V8-300C engine is $87,632. Outside the U.S. the base price is about $3,024 less without the catalyzed engine, but there are other costs involved such as freight. The MSRP price for the boat with the largest engine available, the Volvo Penta V8-380C 380-hp model, is $99,632. We have looked over the options and with the V8-300C engine it seems easy to have lots of optional add-ons and still keep the price of the boat around $100k.

The business end of the 264 is large in order to be a comfortable staging area for water toys, wakeboards, skis and scuba diving. The hatch to port is over an insulated compartment that can be used as a cooler. The three-step ladder is under the hatch to starboard.

 

When in sunning mode, merely press a button and the optional power slide aft seat with lounge moves into position.

 

Observations

We have not tested the 264 Sunesta so can make no comments on its performance or handling characteristics. Nevertheless, it is clear that this bowrider is designed for big water and big groups of people aboard. And that is what a watersports boat of this type is for -- fun with family and friends. What we like most about the boat other than the roominess which is everywhere, is the fact that she can be made into several different kinds of bowrider, depending on the optional equipment added. Just look -- *If you want a watersports platform, get the arch tower. *If you want a floating beach for sun bathing and swimming, then get the bow filler cushion and the Power Slide aft seat. *If you want a cruising bowrider, go for the cruising canvas with the standard Bimini top. *If you want the classiest 26-footer on the lake, then go for the stainless steel windshield,

colored hull, upgraded stereo system, and the big engine. You will be well over 100k with that approach, but you will have a hard boat to beat.