Rinker Boats 276 Captiva Bowrider - Bowrider Boat

Bring everything—and more—aboard the Rinker 276 for a day of boating. Short of the kitchen sink and the garage refrigerator, I defy you not to find a place to stow it. In addition to the deep, easy to clean and maintain plastic tubs under the cockpit seats, Rinker put two large tubs on either side of the engine compartment. Then add in the starboard console stowage, transom stowage, under-walkthrough stowage…if you were looking to smuggle something, this boat could swallow quite a haul.

Typical of a Rinker boat, the 276 Captiva comes equipped with an extensive list of standards, so you won’t be nickel-and-dimed for such must-haves as a compass or Bimini top. Yeah, you say, they just add it to the base price. But the $69,050 tag with test power is quite reasonable for a feature-laden bowrider. Yes, there are some options to consider. The Sport Arch gives the boat some flair, plus overhead speakers and a subwoofer for surround sound (there’s also an elevated towing eye), and tacks on an extra $5,127. The windlass, a big-boat feature that’s becoming more of a staple on smaller boats, adds another $2,381. But if you’re going to spring for just one option, get the MerCruiser DTS system for $2,286.

The Digital Throttle and Shift system gave the 276 Captiva silky smooth throttle response and can improve any driver’s confidence at the helm, especially if he or she is using the Docking Mode. Another benefit is revealed when looking behind the helm: no bird’s nest of wiring on one of the cleanest panels you’ll ever see.

The 375-hp stern drive on my test boat provided plenty of juice to handle the real-world passenger load of five adults and full fuel. We were nipping at the 50-mph mark and would have caught it if we’d lost a couple of passengers and a few gallons of fuel. Also, we held plane at 2400 rpm and 16 mph, slow enough to maintain control while providing comfort to the crew in rough seas.