This boat will be my first boat purchase and I've decided to go large and loaded because everytime I get something smaller I end up wanting the bigger one. I have narrowed it down to approximately three boats. The Searay 250EX, Crownline 260LS, and the Chaparral 256ssi. I don't know anyone with any of the boats to ask their opinion so i'll ask yours. The salesmen of course are biased so I can't trust them. Has anyone seen reviews on any of these? What are your opinions on the quality of these brands? Any info on any of these boats would be greatly appreciated. By info I mean personal experience with these brands. Thanks in advance.<br /><br />Derek
<br /><br />What tommays says is correct. Be mindful of the tow vehicle. The friend tows it with a brand new Suburban 1500 and it handles the boat well and he still has decent power for passing and hill climbing. I thought it might be a little light-duty for that boat, but I now believe that the latest models (2004+) will do fine after riding along.<br /><br />If you insist on going that big, do NOT scrimp on power. Subtract at least 5 MPH from whatever the salesman says and also from any test data you see . . .<br /><br />I still believe what I told him when he went this big . . . Everything, except rough water, is tougher with a bigger boat. Towing, docking, anchoring, beaching, swimming, skiing, tubing, launching, retrieving, fueling, cleaning, maintaining, etc. etc. etc. All more work and more stress when you go bigger.<br /><br />Also, I personally like the 236 ssi a little better. The only thing extra you get with the 256 is the head . . . With the 236 the 5.7 320 bhp will run the same speeds and I think her lines are just a little bit sweeter. These numbers (50 MPH) are both GPS verified with an average load of gear and people, at around 500 ft. elevation, properly trimmed and WOT. I know, I did the testing on both