Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Rinker Captiva 276 BR RLS

Square footage behind the transom used to be low on the totem pole for boat designers. Today boats like Rinker’s Captiva 276 BR make this space a priority. Behind the sun pad, a pair of aft-facing rumble seats flank the central walk-through. With the accompanying sound-system remote and rear-facing speakers, it’s a great spot to kick back or keep tabs on swimming kids. These seats pivot on hinges to reveal stowage for tow ropes, swim fins and all that soggy gear best kept out of the cockpit. On the swim platform itself, a covered, three-step boarding ladder and pop-up cleats guarantee the fun times won’t end with a stubbed toe or snagged tow rope.

Access to the cockpit is via the center walk-through, which bisects the twin, gull-wing sun pads. You’ll find yet more stowage below. Within the main cockpit, a J-shaped lounge wraps the aft perimeter. To starboard, it abuts a refreshment center with an attractive solid-surface countertop, sink and lift-out trash bucket. Forward, both captain’s chairs offer flip-up bolsters. The minimalist, port console head compartment is delightfully low-maintenance. Wipe or rinse away any misguided attempts to use the portable potty, and say goodbye to damp, mildew-prone fabric. The area within the helm console is used for stowage; a handy shelf and full lining make better use of the space than one wide-open abyss. The bow cockpit? At 4 feet 6 inches in length, seats provide the legroom to actually seat adults, rather than just serve as a refuge for the kiddies.

Our test boat featured Rinker’s “luxury sport” (RLS) package ($4,853). It includes upgrades to the sound system, steering wheel, upholstery, helm, instrumentation, colors and graphics, and adds LED swim lights and cool bamboo-style snap-in carpet. Creature comforts aside, a boat still has to perform on the water. Equipped with a MerCruiser 8.2 Mag MPI/Bravo Three combo, the nearly 6,000-pound test boat got out of the hole and planed in five seconds, en route to a 50.2 mph top speed. Lenco trim tabs are standard equipment. Use them to drop that bow for better forward visibility while getting on plane, or to keep the boat there when throttling down in tough conditions.

Comparable model: Chaparral 287 SSX