Observations on new 246

[kcsteve]

Well went to the Boat Show and had a chance to check out the 246.First off its a nice looking boat and being priced under 39k with 350 mag Bravo 3 and trailer it was getting alot of attentionI liked the way they redid the head and the u seating not sure about the helm though. I kind of like the old style. Also I still think the bow ladder is a waste I would prefer good anchor storage anytime. The dealer told me that Rinker had been getting alot of negative feed back regarding acouple of Items First the hinged pad covering the walk through was awkward to use and blocked a portion of the walkthrough. Also the struts holding up the engine hatch are too short making it difficult to service engine. He told me that you could order the with or without the pad covering the walk through and they were going to change the struts. Another thing the baffled me was that this engine did not have that single point water drain system. I thought this was standard on all Merc MPI engines. The dealer was confused too. Overall a very nice boat. But I don't think I would be in a hurry to trade in my 232

[Nauti-Dayze]

I personally like the ladder on the bow. I would like to find a way to install one on my 262. We beach a lot more than we anchor. The walk through would be hard to use and would probably be down and crawled over most of the time. When I bought my 262, one of the main reasons was the extra large sun pad. The wife and friends love it during the extreme ray time. The U-Shaped seating area is great for entertaining and partying.

[Talon]

Seems like the 246 is getting mixed reviews on this site and several others that I follow. It looks great to me, but I'm not real familiar with the 232 it replaces.

[BigSioux232]

I have only seen pictures of the new 226 and 246.  My first impression was that they look very similar to Larson's 228 and 248 introduced just last year with the bow ladder, the flip up pad over the walkthrough, the integrated swim platform that is part of the deck mold (not bolted on) and the updated helm.  Larson and Rinker have a very similar target market.  While the bow ladder does not do much for aesthetics, I think it would be functional.  If nothing else, you could scrape the sand off of your feet prior to boarding from a beach.  I'm not sure why, but I think I still like the swim platform on the 232 better.  It gets you closer to the water.

On the 246, I like the upgrade in trim and upholstery.  Nice touch with the wood in the v-berth.  I have also questioned the fabric (vs vinyl) on my own v-berth, of course the issue being moisture absorption and ability to clean.  I also think the move away from bright/dark colors on the vinyl is a good move.  Talk about hot in the sun!

Just like the Larson's, the model numbers and the LOA's on new models can be deceiving.  The 232 was 23' 6" without the swim platform, but that's the measurement the specs used for LOA.  It's closer to 25' 6" with the optional swim platform.  The LOA of the 246 is 26', which sounds a lot bigger.  However, due to the integrated (and non-optional) swim platform, a couple feet of that LOA is the platform itself.  From what I can see, a 246 is similar in length to a 232 with the platform.  What you get is a 26'er with the running surfae of a 24 footer.  

Note, too, that the weight has upped from 4200 on the 232 to 5000 on the 246.  You'll need a few more ponies to maintain similar performance.  

Sometimes new things are hard to accept like the curvy "bat boat" looking designs, but Rinker did indeed need to move to do some updates.  Their current models were several years old.  At first some things may not look right, but they grow on you...sort of like the '97 Ford F-150 when the first ones came out, everyone went "What the...?"  After a while, I was able to get used to them.  

I'm hoping to get a better look at the 246 soon.

[kcsteve]

I agree Rinker needed to update and I'm sure the 226 and 246 will be popular models. The 246 felt like a much bigger boat than others in the same price range and it was getting alot of attention at the show. The dealer told me the actual wieght on the bowrider was closer to 4900.  It looks to me like most of the added weight comes from the molded in swim platform. Really probably not much more than a 232 with ESP. They did add a storage compartment aft of the sunpad wich is a nice feature And you can get it with the 8.1. I'll bet it would push 60+ mph.  

[BigSioux232]

I'm sure the numbers in the published specs aren't dead on...specs are difficult to nail down when there are so many engine options and between bowriders and cuddies.  The new platform is definitely more substantial and will add significant weight vs. the bolt on platform.  I'd guess around 350 to 400 lbs difference between the 232 and the 246, with most of the CG moment aft.  A duo prop will help push that back end out of the water while getting on plane.  First model years usually miss the mark a little bit and there will likely be tweaks based on customer feedback when the 07's roll out.  

Dave

[BigSioux232]

Went to the boat show in Sioux Falls today and saw both the 226 and 246 Bowrider.  The pictures on the website don't do them justice.  I'll start a separate thread on the 226.

Likes:
1) New White Gelcoat
2)  Upholstery-Is is more substantial than in past years and they did a nice job of accenting it with gray/silver textured vinyl.  
3)  Pull-Up Cleats- FINALLY!
4)  New seats-Vented and excellent lower back support
5)  Lot's of storage
6)  Both danforth anchor storage and ladder at the bow
7) No plastic hardware

Dislikes
1) Plastic facade over engine compartment vents (both sides) feels fragile.
2) $55,900 with 496 Mag/BIII, Trim Tabs, Premium Sound, Trailer.  A significant jump from a loaded 232, but I'm sure it is to pay for the improved quality and feel.  

All-in-all it feels like the "new" Rinker is taking a step up the sport boat food chain.  They definitely are separating themselves more from the lower end Bayliners, Maxxums, Stingrays and even a step up from the Larsons/Glastrons.  Not that I like Sea Rays, but these were closest to those in quality/features/price.  

The dealer I spoke with used to be primarily Stingray, but he's so high on the new Rinkers, he didn't even bring a Stingray to the show!  He said that the Stingrays, while speedy and efficient, lacked people capacity and room.  

Dave

[kcsteve]

Dave, What did you think of the hinged sun pad covering the bow walk through. My BIL hated it ordered his 246 without it. Also did you notice the struts holding the engine hatch open. I was told they going to make them longer. Just wondered if this had been changed on the 246 you saw.

[merwin10]

What is a single point engine drain? On a GM v8 what?

Mike -

[Talon]

The newer Mercruisers only have a single drain plug. Much simpler than the older ones.

[BigSioux232]

Yeah, Merc has an option for a single coolant drain system as opposed to multiple drain points for the block, manifolds and hoses.  I prefer the multi-point drain just so I can see water leaving all of the different areas of the cooling system.  

Steve, to be honest, I was with wife and baby at the show so I wasn't able to do the digging I would like to have.  Personally, I think hinged pads over a side transom walkthrough is sort of a waste.  The main sunpads are usually pretty large without them and at least in our case, people are jumping in and climbing out while others sun themselves.  Sort of defeats the purpose of the walkthrough if you can't...um...walk through.

Dave

[merwin10]

This includes the lower block water jackets also?

Mike -

[Talon]

Yep. Our old boat had it and it seemed to work fine. I believe the new boat has it as well, but since it's FWC, you have to use the hand pump to drain it after remving the plug.

[Ronnie]

Mine has the closed cooling system, the pump system drains the manifolds I'm not too sure whats left, that doesn't have anti-freeze

[Boatsrule]

I'll be checking the 246 this weekend at the show.
Anything particular you all want me to look at?