Rinker 246 CC - Volvo 5.0L GXi DuoProp

[Centaur]

I found this site a while ago and have gathered a wealth of information.  I am currently looking around for a used cuddy and the 246 CC ticks pretty much all the right boxes for me.

However, here in the UK, the importers almost universally specify their boats with the Volvo 5.0L GXi 270hp with the DuoProp drive or the occasional Volvo D3 diesel 160hp/190hp.  I have had a brief ride in a 246 fitted with the 5.0L GXi, albeit on a fairly windy day with choppy seas.  It managed about 47mph (GPS) in those conditions with three people aboard but did feel a little sluggish out of the hole.

Having read through the many posts, most owners seem to have a minimum spec of a Mercruiser 350 MAG 300hp and Bravo III.  Does the extra 30hp and, presumably, some extra torque of the 350 MAG make much difference or will the 5.0L GXi be similar and therefore adequate in the real world?

If the difference is night and day (and therefore worth looking for) then I would probably have to look at alternative boats that tend to come fitted with the 350 MAG (say a Maxum 2400 SC3 or Crownline 230).  All else being equal, I prefer the Rinker but I don’t want to end up with an underpowered boat.

Your comments would be appreciated!

[Babyboomer]

Welcome Aboard

[DZ]

Can't speak to the Volvo but we have the Merc 5.7 in a 246 bow rider (probably lighter than the cuddy) and we get around 50mph with a clean hull on calm water. Holeshot is good and pulls a slalom skier right up. No trim tabs on our boat, which a lot of people swear by.

Good luck with your decision! Didn't know they put a diesel in some of them.

[wxfcstr]

Welcome Aboard Centaur,

My 07 246 came with the Volvo Penta duo prop but has the 5.7 GI which is rated at 280 hp. I truly wish my boat had the GXi package that gave you 40 more hp and boosted the total to 320. Not sure of the weight difference between the cuddy and bowrider, but if you can get the bigger V-8, I would. My 246 cruises along nicely with my current motor but we always seem to have a lot of people with us and the extra hp would be nice on take-off and pulling kids on tubes.

Bob

[Centaur]

Thank you for your replies!

An interesting reply from 'wxfcstr' - the later Volvo 5.7 Gi motors are rated at 300hp but, from some information I've read, there seems little difference between the 280hp and 300hp models.  Indeed, either model appears to be comparable to the Mercruiser 350 MAG, also rated at 300hp.

I therefore worry that the 5.0L GXi might be a bit underpowered.  The ~3mph drop in top speed isn't really the end of the world but, for towing skiers / wakeboarders etc, getting out of the hole quickly is important to me.

It's a shame as, in all other respects, I prefer the Rinker to other similar cuddies.  Given that I feel that it is unlikely that I will find a used boat in the UK that is fitted with anything bigger than the 5.0L, the question I am faced with is should I get the boat I want and compromise on the performance or get the performance I want and compromise on the boat???

[nhsd]

Thank you for your replies!

An interesting reply from 'wxfcstr' - the later Volvo 5.7 Gi motors are rated at 300hp but, from some information I've read, there seems little difference between the 280hp and 300hp models.  Indeed, either model appears to be comparable to the Mercruiser 350 MAG, also rated at 300hp.

I therefore worry that the 5.0L GXi might be a bit underpowered.  The ~3mph drop in top speed isn't really the end of the world but, for towing skiers / wakeboarders etc, getting out of the hole quickly is important to me.

It's a shame as, in all other respects, I prefer the Rinker to other similar cuddies.  Given that I feel that it is unlikely that I will find a used boat in the UK that is fitted with anything bigger than the 5.0L, the question I am faced with is should I get the boat I want and compromise on the performance or get the performance I want and compromise on the boat???

If it were me and low end power were the important factor, I would get the boat I wanted and re-prop for the power I wanted. With the right prop that 5.0 will get your boat up with skiers just fine - but it may not have the top end you would otherwise have and may have to run a little faster at cruise speed. I just do not know many people who run their boat WOT that much. Yeah, it is fun to brag about your horse power and your top end, etc., etc., but you spend your time either cruising or playing and I would bet that 5.0 will do fine at either.

[Capt Ron]

DITTO on NHSD's comments... If you like the boat... go for it. If Merc's are not that common, just imagine how hard it will be to get parts plus costs. Welcome to the forum..

[Centaur]

Hi, thanks again for your replies.

I do like the Rinker and guess that I would probably be most happy with the 5.0L Rinker rather than something else with the 350 MAG.  The parts are not really a problem as Mercruisers are actually more common than Volvo's in the UK, it's just that the importers of the 246 seem to prefer Volvo's and don't bother ordering anything bigger than the 5.0L GXi.

Strangely, there do seem to be a few boats fitted with bigger motors elsewhere in Europe but the current £ to Euro exchange rate makes the boats about 1/3 more expensive than in the UK (which, in turn, are about 1/3 more expensive than those in the US!).