It says a lot that the foundation of Captiva 246 R-series has been in Rinker’s stable for years. Why mess with a good design? Rinker developed the R-Series for this boat to amp up the water-sports application. And they did it from top to bottom, or vice versa.
Some manufacturers slap on a ski tower and say, “It’s a ski boat.” But Rinker’s designers are true water-sports aficionados whose touches are seen everywhere on this model. Take the big rearview mirror, for example. It’s a must for serious water sports, yet many boats don’t have one. We also like the boom on the wakeboard tower, the padded armrest for the driver’s throttle elbow and the leather-wrapped steering wheel. These are all features you’d find on a wakeboard-specific V-drive, but rarely on a stern-drive.
But what many water-sports enthusiasts will like most is the Perfect Pass system, which maintains a constant boat speed no matter how much a skier jerks the transom around. It allows the driver to concentrate on running a straight course instead of making constant speed corrections with the right hand.
The in-floor storage compartment is lined with plastic to prevent nicks to the boat and to the ski or wakeboard. The seat on the swim platform lifts to reveal a compartment for tow lines and other small gear. There are four storage compartments total aft of the cockpit, so there’s no need to haul wet gear into the boat. New to this proven boat are vinyl accents, sport seats, stain-resistant carpet and a newly designed wakeboard tower. Even with the added weight, we found the boat capable of 55 mph with all the safe freeboard for which Rinker’s bowriders are known.
Notable Features
* Swim platform has an underwater light for water activities in the evening.
* Bow ladder makes it easy to re-board the boat from the beach.
* Clamshell-enclosed head is a good place for young passengers to hide from the cold, when it’s not being used for something else.
* Huge aft sun pad covers a large engine bay, and will be a popular hangout.
* Swim platform has a wash-down shower, rumble seat to use at rest and wakeboard storage.
Vital Stats
Length Overall: 26’2″
Beam: 8’6″
Dry Weight: 4,950 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: 12/Yacht Certified
Fuel Capacity: 75 gal.
Maximum HP: 425
MSRP (w/ Volvo Penta 8.1 GI DP, R package, Perfect Pass): $62,627
NMMA Certified: Yes
Test Drive
Test Engine: MerCruiser 5.0 MPI, Alpha
Test Load: People (180 lb.); Fuel (35 gal.)
Top Speed: 54.6 mph @ 4,750 rpm
Time to Plane: 4.0 sec.
Time to 30 mph: 8.0 sec.
Minimum Planing Speed: 17 mph @ 2,200 rpm
Power Curve
RPM MPH Sound Level (db)
Idle 3.9 67
1,000 5.9 74
1,500 8.1 74
2,000 10.7 79
2,500 24.1 84
3,000 31.7 85
3,500 37.6 85
4,000 46.1 87
4,500 52.8 92
4,750 54.6 96
Power picks
MerCruiser 6.2L MX Bravo 3 $52,863
MerCruiser 496 Mag Bravo 3 Seacore $60,162
Volvo Penta 8.1 Gi DP (no options) $55,908
