spent every weekend on
the water while spending
weeknights doing
maintenance and
upgrades. We added new
speakers and stereo, LED
lighting, chrome louvred vents,
the stainless propeller from the first
boat, smart tabs, a 4-bow 8ft Sunbrella
bimini top and more.
We moved the boat to a river marina
half an hour away where we snorkelled
and explored the state parks. On cool
winter nights we’d camp on board, using
the convertible top and enclosure to shield
us from the elements as we slept sprawled
out on our back-to-back seats.
Sometimes we cruised on the ocean,
following the line of the beach as we
watched dolphins, rays and flying fish.
We grew more adventurous and
borrowed my in-laws’ trailer so we could
tow the boat to the Florida Keys, the
120-mile string of tropical islands south of
Miami. On the first trip, during spring
break at university, we spent three nights
at Coral Bay Resort on Lower Matecumbe
Key, with the boat docked at their
complementary marina. We visited nearby
Indian Key and did an 80-mile round trip
to Bahia Honda State Park. While the 21ft
boat generally handled well in the seas of
coastal Florida, we felt it necessary to
close off our open bow with a cover when
heading a few miles offshore. A few times
we’d taken a small wave over the bow
while at idle, which gave us a bit of a
scare. Maybe it was time to upgrade to a
new boat...
Boat number three
“Why can’t you just appreciate what you
have?” said my inner voice. Avery didn’t
want to upgrade boats
again. She loved our
Chaparral, but over the
coming weeks I convinced
her it was time for a larger,
closed-bow cuddy cabin boat.
While we’d enjoyed exploring in
our 21-footer, a bigger version that we
could comfortably sleep on would save us
the hefty fee of lodging in boutique hotels.
And so the search began.
First, we looked at a Formula 252
cuddy cabin, but quickly recognised the
signs of structural rot (which we’d
encountered with our very first boat). What
we wanted was another Chaparral builtwith Greenwood XL pressure treated
marine plywood that is rot resistant. Unlike
many other builders, Chaparral began
using the XL wood in the 90s before it was
considered standard practice to do so.
Thus, we focused our search on finding a
24ft model – the big brother to our beloved
boat, built between 1995 and 2001.
While visiting family in Alabama again,
we discovered a 1998 model 2335 SS
with a 5.7lt Volvo Penta SX engine.
The boat was dirty and the mechanical
systems somewhat neglected, so we tried
to negotiate the price down – to no avail.
One thing was clear, however: we’d found
the model we wanted. The vee-berth was
large enough to accommodate my 6ft 2in
frame and the hull was seaworthy with
adequate freeboard and 22° of transom
deadrise, necessary for slicing throughcoastal chop.
In early September 2015, we were able
to sell our 2130 to a buyer who drove all
the way from New York, impressed with
the exquisite condition and our rigorous
care. Though we’d spent a few thousand
in upgrades and repairs, we were able to
sell our 1995 Chaparral 2130 SS – that we
had paid a mere $3,000 for – for $11,200!
With our pockets laden with cash, we
were now ready to upgrade!
A month later we stumbled upon what
would eventually be our next boat, a 1999
24ft Chaparral 2335 SS, located in
Maryland, 15 hours away. If we wanted to
buy it, we’d have to drive to pick it up orhave it shipped via truck – a daunting and
costly prospect. Instead, two newly found
friends from the Chaparral forum offered
to help. One in Maryland offered to
inspect the boat for us, while another from
Massachusetts volunteered to pick it up
and deliver the boat to Florida for us on
his own trailer! Without the interventions of
those two generous individuals the
purchase would have come to an abrupt
halt. Theirs was a true reflection of the
camaraderie among boating enthusiasts.Taking delivery
We paid $9,500 for Cheaper Than Kids,
the rather facetious name of our new boat,
and it was delivered to us in late October- While not displaying the glimmering
vinyl and glossy gelcoat we’d grown
accustomed to, she did have bright
‘The faux-teak vinyl flooring was our favourite
upgrade as it transformed our dated floor into
something practical and visually stunning’
RESTORING MOTORBOATSPAGE NAME HERE
TOP TIP
When cleaning
engines, I stuff paper
bags into the exhaust
ports and carburettor to
prevent water or debris
from entering the
combustion
chambers.ABOVE and RIGHT
Gelcoat polished
up nicely and
engine looked
better after a
repaint.
RIGHT Our friend
Hatem, who
delivered the
Chaparral 2335,
inspects the boat
at Riverwatch
Marina