Chaparral 327 SSX Boats For Sale

The Chaparral 327 SSX is a 32-foot bow rider built around a full-beam cabin, a configuration Chaparral introduced at the Miami Boat Show where the boat took the NMMA Innovation Award. The concept came from stepping the walkway up over the cabin to free a full-beam interior, giving a day boat the seating for as many as 16 people plus an enclosed space to escape the elements. Many hulls carry an integrated hardtop with LED lighting and speakers, an unusual feature on a bow rider of this size. The intended buyer is often an empty nester stepping down from a cruiser who still wants to entertain but no longer needs a large cabin, and Chaparral 327 SSX boats for sale typically turn up as well-kept 2013 and 2014 brokerage examples.

Power is twin-engine with joystick control, which makes docking the roughly five-ton hull as easy to spin and walk sideways as a jet boat. Common engine fits include twin MerCruiser 300-horsepower 5.7-liter sterndrives and twin Volvo Penta drives; some boats run 377 MAG 6.2-liter V8s on Bravo Three legs with twin props. Top speed lands in the high 40s to low 50s, with figures of 48 to 50 mph cited, and the boat planes quickly. With the 10-foot beam and bow handrails all around, it tracks well enough to cross open water such as the Strait in the Pacific Northwest.

The helm is laid out around the wheel with a molded dash, joystick, throttle controls and trim tabs. A Garmin multifunction display sits in the center on many boats, with screens reported from 7 to 8 inches; some carry a Raymarine 7-inch screen with a transducer for fish finder, depth and chart. Garmin radar, a windlass with foot switches at both helm and bow, an anchor with chain, and a remote-control spotlight are fitted. The driver's bolster seat slides fore and aft, and at six-foot-six there is standing room under the hardtop, close to seven feet of headroom.

The cockpit and aft deck are built for entertaining. A back-to-back seat converts to a flat sun lounge over the engine access, the swim platform gives room to move, and a mount accepts a gas grill at the stern. The aft wet bar pairs a beverage fridge, sink, trash chute and storage; an optional cockpit refrigerator replaces a seat to create a refreshment station. There is L-shaped and double-wide seating, a removable cockpit table, and a deep floor locker with its own step down for fenders and dock lines. The bow seats four facing forward with another table mount.

Below, through a door aft of the windshield, the full-beam cabin holds a galley, a 26-inch flat-screen TV, a microwave, and an LCD couch or L-shaped settee that folds into a two-person berth for a weekend aboard. The private head has a full-size compartment that converts to a shower, a vanity with a hinged seat, a sink, exhaust fan and AC vent. Opening porthole windows bring in light and ventilation. Systems include a 120-volt and 12-volt setup with separate house and starting batteries and a hot water heater. Air conditioning and heat are available, and a generator is an option, so some boats have one while others do not. When buying, check engine hours, whether the generator and cockpit fridge are fitted, and the condition of the upholstery and hardtop clears.