Caravelle Razor 258 Party Fish

April 2016 Boat Test Monday PDB Staff

This article originally appeared in our 2016 Shootout issue. If you are interested in seeing this in print along with 28 other boat reviews, click HERE to purchase the back issue.

Three Things

Loaded with amenities, this Caravelle is full of hidden features and is highlighted by unique and purpose-built storage and an eye-catching design.

Breakdown

If you’re looking for a pontoon boat that breaks the traditional mold, look no further than this Razor. While the fiberglass pontoon side of the business is just getting established, the Caravelle name actually goes back to the late 60s. And with that background the Georgia-based manufacturer is able to be creative in designing a sporty and unique-looking craft. The more we looked around, the more amenities we discovered.

Starting at the well-balanced helm console, the gauges are on the left side of the dash while the rocker switches are on the right. Legroom is limited for the captain in the bucket helm seat, but the tradeoff is the storage space under the helm that on this boat includes a mini fridge. And what’s better than having a refrigerator onboard? How about a DC-powered wine cooler that is directly across? Included with the wine cooler is a large galley that includes a faucet and sink, a mounted Coleman gas grill, one of four 12-volt outlets onboard, drawer storage, as well as access to the Fusion stereo that is protected from the elements with its own cover. Speaking of music, there are a total of six speakers with an amp and subwoofer and we especially love the large speakers mounted on the Monster Tower. The sporty and functional wakeboard tower is an option, but based on how well it completes the boat we feel it’s a must-have upgrade.

Getting back to the long list of amenities, stored below the portside bow bench seat is a second grill that can be mounted at the bow when you’re ready to do some grill’n. Also in the bow is the only pontoon diving board we’re aware of. The LilliPad board is easy to use and folds flush when not in use and because we personally tried it out ourselves (it’s a tough job but someone has to do it), we’d recommend this upgrade as well.

We noticed another mount receptacle in the floor so we did some further investigating and discovered a large beach umbrella stored below one of the two rear-facing stern lounges. It also comes with a second pole so it can be used off the boat too. Below the portside rear lounger is an extremely deep changing room with a portable toilet and a pop-up curtain that stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall and will easily accommodate most adults.

Other features include a deep in-floor ski locker, two fishing seats with livewell and vinyl flooring.

Inspection

Caravelle refers to its patented evolutionary hull design as a Modified Cat to a Pad V. It is hand-laid and foam-filled with five lifting points that are designed to glide across the water and bank in a turn like a performance boat.

Inside the boat from bow to stern there is nearly 18 and a half feet of deck space on this 25-footer with the gate heights ranging from 20 inches tall in the bow to nearly 23 inches in the stern.

Handling

The combination of a Suzuki 200hp four-stroke and the evolutionary hull equal a responsive and very fun boat to drive. Because the beam is a little narrower than traditional pontoons, we could really get this boat to bank nicely in some sharp turns.

Final Thoughts

It really is amazing all the amenities that are packed into this boat, plus we love the specific compartments and holders for those features. Unique and one-of-a-kind don’t even begin to describe this fiberglass pontoon boat.

2016 Boat Specifications

Number of Occupants 12

Maximum Speed 47.1 mph

Wild Ponies 250 hp

No. of Gates 3

0-20 MPH 7.34 seconds

Ladder Measurement 3’ 10” deep

Why we love this boat…This is a feature-rich boat with a lot of those amenities coming standard and you could probably argue the options should be considered must-haves too.

Just being picky… At the helm the legroom is somewhat limited, but the tradeoff is the extra storage space under the helm that on this particular model includes a mini fridge.

NOTABLE STANDARDS

Patented Evolutionary hull, U-shaped front lounge, 2 fishing seats w/ livewell bench seat w/ trash storage, reclining rear lounge, changing room, LED Light Pkg., party lounge, wine D/C cooler, bow umbrella, bow mounted stainless steel gas grill, full gauge pkg., ski locker, D/C 1.7 CUFT refrigerator, docking lights, Marine Stereo 150W AM/FM, CD, Bluetooth, four 6-inch blue LED lighted speakers.