Just ordered a 2017 Vortex 2430 VRX

[Jet16]

Hello everyone,

Well I pulled the trigger today on a 2017. Just wondering if you guys knew about this model designation and I apologize in advance if it has been discussed already, but before I went to the dealer today I did not. It is not on the regular Chaparral web site either. Apparently this is another version of the 243 VRX called the 2430 and from what I can gather, the biggest thing with the 2430 is that the boat is now offered with a bucket seat for the passenger instead of the one in the boat now with the top part that either folds flat or put up for a passenger. I never really liked the look of the old version so I was very happy to hear that Chaparral has now made it possible to get a passenger bucket seat!

Also for anyone that was wondering, the 2017 Medallion Viper 11 system has a function which will now display lake water temperature as one of its functions. Always thought it was strange that this was not an option on such an expensive boat. I'm still a bit skeptical but my dealer was on the phone with the Chap rep and he confirmed that it does indeed have it so we will see. Also due to the new throttle system the throttle is supposed to be buttery smooth and light which will be a nice change from my Scarab which was always a little bit heavy moving from forward to reverse.

My build is a follows:
Twin 1.5L Rotax 4-Tech 250 ECT
Lime Green Exterior
Folding Arch tower with Black Canvas top
Steering wheel with Medallion Viper 11 control
Medallion Viper 11 7" Color Touchscreen display
Porta pottie with Opening Portlight
Center Aft Cockpit Filler Cushion
Premium Bucket Seat
Premium Beach Weave Snap-in Cockpit Carpet Upgrade
Wetsounds System Stereo Upgrade
Fire Extinguishing System Automatic/Manual
Anchor
Air Pump

Will be trading in my Scarab 215 HO Impulse which I was pretty happy with aside from a few issues, but really wanted more room that the 24 footer will provide. Not to mention the fit and finish of the Chaps is absolutely awesome. Such a beautiful boat and I'm super stoked!!
Gnna be a real long winter!

Oh one more thing, the Chaparral rep said that the boats being ordered now are due for completion in February and I was able to have them put down end of March for an approximated completion date. Maybe this year I'll have to drop in a few times in late April which I've never done before. Oh well, sorry for such a long post.
Hope to give some good reports and take some pics in the spring. Thanks for reading....

 

[BobJohnson]

Awesome. Great boat. Congrats. First I've heard of the bucket seat model. Interesting. You're gonna love it. April will be here soon.

 

[Micah Thompson]

Congrats on the boat! I also just ordered a new VRX a week ago, but your statement regarding build time has me worried. Are you saying they are quoting a FIVE MONTH or longer build time right now? That is utterly ridiculous, I was told 6-8 weeks max, maybe faster, which is the norm for ordering a boat from what I've seen.

Guess who I'll be calling tomorrow, lol. I am hoping maybe this is due to regional differences and possibly they would prioritize the builds for warmer regions, but five months to build a boat? lol, damn. I guess that means I wouldn't have to worry about "winterizing."

 

[Jet16]

Well according to Chaparral, they were saying that they are already out to February for orders that are being taken now. These were my dealer's words after being on the phone with the Chap rep. Whether this is due to regional differences or whatever I have no idea. My dealer did make the comment that it was good that I was ordering now, instead of coming in a few months from now and then not being able to get the boat until July. I agreed, that would suck as I'd be missing at least a month and a half of good boating time!

 

[ILfamilyboater]

In regards to build time I had a different experience when I ordered my 2016 this spring. We had a 6 week build time because the dealer was able to change one they had ordered but was not too far into production to have options changed. We were told the normal build time was 5 months but doing it this way got us our boat earlier. They said it also depends o size of marina as they had 6 on order but only 2 were for customers so the other 4 were available to be customized as the customer sees fit as long as the production was not too far along. Believe they had a set date when no more changes could be made. I have encountered thus before with cars where I was able to customize a car and wait less time then ordering one because the dealer just changed one they had ordered.

 

[Micah Thompson]

Wow, 5-month backlog at the factory just blows my mind. On one hand I guess it's awesome they are doing so well as to get that far behind, on the other it means their production capability doesn't meet demand. That is a ridiculous backlog.

I've only ordered one boat before, a totally custom Malibu Wakesetter VLX, which was way more customized than a Vortex. I mean I customized every single piece of gelcoat, vinyl, etc. and it took around 6 weeks to hand build the boat. These boats are all the same, cookie-cutter builds with standard colors, and a few standard options, they should be kicking these out like Krispy Kreme kicks out donuts, lol.

Oh well, on the good side of it, means winter will be over when I get the boat, lol.

 

[2nazt]

On the Ft. Lauderdale Boat show page they show them as a 2017 25' boat, not sure if a type or not. http://www.showmanagement.com/ft-lauderdale-international-boat-show-2016/event/boat_listing/21041?from_search=yes

 

[Jet16]

I'm pretty sure it's a typo. Especially since they list the other Vortex boats as 21 and 23 feet and I know for a fact that the actual boats are 20 and 22 feet respectively.

Also all the 2017 Vortex 243 boats I have seen for sale are all listed as 24 footers.

 

[Micah Thompson]

Hey Jet16, just checking if you've gotten any recent updates on your boat? I just hit the 4-month mark. I think I ordered mine about a week before you, so we should be very close together on the assembly line.

I just saw someone post in the Facebook Chaparral group that they just ordered a VRX 243, and were given a 10-week lead time. Wondering if that's just a number he was given to not scare him away, or do they pick it up this time of year?

 

[Jet16]

Hey Micah,

Good to hear from you. I was actually going to come on and give an update as I saw your post. My dealer called me last week and told me that my bought arrived at the dealership. They want me to give them a check for 20 or 30k and they will keep the boat at the dealership until I am ready to pick it up sometime in early May. Pretty stoked except I can't really check it out yet since it's all wrapped up from the manufacturer. Hope you hear some good news soon!

 

[daned15]

Hello everyone,

Well I pulled the trigger today on a 2017. Just wondering if you guys knew about this model designation and I apologize in advance if it has been discussed already, but before I went to the dealer today I did not. It is not on the regular Chaparral web site either. Apparently this is another version of the 243 VRX called the 2430 and from what I can gather, the biggest thing with the 2430 is that the boat is now offered with a bucket seat for the passenger instead of the one in the boat now with the top part that either folds flat or put up for a passenger. I never really liked the look of the old version so I was very happy to hear that Chaparral has now made it possible to get a passenger bucket seat!

Also for anyone that was wondering, the 2017 Medallion Viper 11 system has a function which will now display lake water temperature as one of its functions. Always thought it was strange that this was not an option on such an expensive boat. I'm still a bit skeptical but my dealer was on the phone with the Chap rep and he confirmed that it does indeed have it so we will see. Also due to the new throttle system the throttle is supposed to be buttery smooth and light which will be a nice change from my Scarab which was always a little bit heavy moving from forward to reverse.

My build is a follows:
Twin 1.5L Rotax 4-Tech 250 ECT
Lime Green Exterior
Folding Arch tower with Black Canvas top
Steering wheel with Medallion Viper 11 control
Medallion Viper 11 7" Color Touchscreen display
Porta pottie with Opening Portlight
Center Aft Cockpit Filler Cushion
Premium Bucket Seat
Premium Beach Weave Snap-in Cockpit Carpet Upgrade
Wetsounds System Stereo Upgrade
Fire Extinguishing System Automatic/Manual
Anchor
Air Pump

Will be trading in my Scarab 215 HO Impulse which I was pretty happy with aside from a few issues, but really wanted more room that the 24 footer will provide. Not to mention the fit and finish of the Chaps is absolutely awesome. Such a beautiful boat and I'm super stoked!!
Gnna be a real long winter!

Oh one more thing, the Chaparral rep said that the boats being ordered now are due for completion in February and I was able to have them put down end of March for an approximated completion date. Maybe this year I'll have to drop in a few times in late April which I've never done before. Oh well, sorry for such a long post.
Hope to give some good reports and take some pics in the spring. Thanks for reading....

Nearly the same boat i just ordered minus the bucket seat!

 

[SilverTT]

Hi guys -

Just ordered a 2017 2430 VR as well. Very excited to get the boat. Spent a decent amount of time on Yamaha jet boats over the years and some time in Chaparral I/Os but no Chaparral Vortex series boats. Few questions for a few of you guys who have more seat time in VRs or VRXs:

1. What is the main difference in overall handling characteristic between a 243 VR and 23-24' I/O either Chaparral brand or other high quality brand like SeaRay, Cobalt, etc?

2. How loud are the jet engines when idling and also when cruising? I am a bit worried about the jet noise. I know you are getting awesome performance in return but I plan to use the boat on a quiet bay and ideally it is not too loud.

3. In 2-4ft chop, how does the 243 VR/VRX handle the chop? We live on a small bay that has Long Island Sound access and I would like to make runs over to the LI side from CT and also potentially out to the Hamptons once or twice a season in good weather.

Anything else I should know, be concerned about or just super pumped about? Happy to be part of the Chaparral community. Thanks all.

 

[Micah Thompson]

Congrats! You will love the Chap, I was really impressed when I demo'd the 243.

Anyway, just one opinion, but here's mine on your questions.

1. I've owned just about every kind of trailer boat there is, and a 25' Sea-Ray Stern-Drive with a 496 big- block, just before ordering my VRX, so I have a pretty good back to back comparison base.

When accelerating from a stop, the Jet has much less bow rise, and a different feel than an IO. The Jet just sorta goes from stopped, to moving very fast, quickly, without the front coming up hardly at all. Unlike an IO which the engine RPM's rise as you speed up, on a Jet the RPM's rise very fast giving you high thrust, then the boat "catches up" to the thrust, so it's a pretty cool feel.

Once moving and on plane, they feel very similar honestly. To me the jet feels more free when turning, and you don't get the engine RPM dragging down, or have to worry about blow-out in a sharp turn. Speaking of sharp turns, the Chap will turn so damn hard you could toss out a passenger if they aren't h0lding on. I was amazed at the G's it could pull. The amount of steering you have depends on thrust, so you can play with that, but it's very easy to adjust to. It's just a must to adapt totally to the concept that you steer with throttle, not rudder, so you cannot panic and cut throttle in some situations, because you lose steering. I've driven PWC's my whole life, same concept, so it's 2nd nature to me, plus I had an old-school jet boat back in the day.

Anyway, overall at speed a Jet boat will out-handle an IO, by a significant degree, but feels similar for the most part.

At idle speed, you have a little more wandering than IO, but it just takes some practice and it goes away. The BRP setup is pretty awesome though, you can steer the boat in forward, reverse, even neutral, and it's quite amazing. Once you get a feel for it, which doesn't take long, you can spin the boat in place, move it sideways, pretty much anything. It's one thing that really pushed me to the Chap over Yamaha, the slow-speed maneuverability.

2. Not as loud as I expected, based on some stuff I've read. Yes, you hear the engines, but to my ear, the 3-cylinder Rotax is a much more pleasing sound than the 4-cylinder Yamaha, but both pale in comparison to the big-block I traded sound quality wise, lol. Anyway, loudness is subjective. I didn't find the Chap that loud at normal cruising speeds, and at high speeds the wind was probably more noise than the motors. It's not super quiet, but not that loud? How's that? lol

3. 4-foot chop is pretty damn big, for any 24-foot boat. The Chaps are pretty deep Vs (20 degree deadrise), but you won't be able to blow across the lake balls to the walls in 4 foot chop, lol. I'd consider that pretty much near the top-end limit for any boat that size without getting crazy. I had a Malibu Wakesetter before my 25-foot Sea Ray, and that thing would shake your teeth out in 2-3 foot chop. My 25-foot Sea Ray could handle 3-4, but wasn't fun in it. The 24-foot Chap I demoed felt very similar to my Sea Ray to be honest, much better than the Wakesetter, but they are not an open-seas boat. They will get you through water that choppy to get you to a better place, but I wouldn't want to live in 4-foot chop in any 24-foot boat, honestly. So my answer is about the same as an IO of same size. Really a boat this size likes to play in 2 feet and under chop, with the ability to do bigger if needed.

Anyway, good luck! I'm still waiting on my boat too after ordering, so those opinions are based on my years of boating experience, and a day on the water demoing both a 243 VRX, and a Yamaha 242x Limited-S.

 

[SilverTT]

Micah -

Thanks so much for this awesome post. Incredibly helpful and basically answers all of my questions as well as relieving any slight concerns I have about making the leap to a jetboat.

I have been around boats all my life and generally speaking there is a reason why people all generally gravitate to the mean with boat setups. In my particular area that means 21-27' center console Grady White or Regulator with single or twin outboards...that represents like 90% of the boats you see in the waters around here. Having grown up with I/Os I know the pros/cons well but have never owned a outboard or a jetboat.

The closed loop cooling was really the key for me since we will be in salt water, though I do plan to lift the boat out of the water on our dock after every use. Don't think I mentioned my specific order before but I went with: 2430 VR in Black with White wakeboard tower, twin 250s, wet sounds, premium seats, steering wheel controls, viper ii, etc. Think the only option I didn't get was the trailer as I don't plan to trailer the boat and didn't have anywhere to store the trailer anyway.

Your description of the way the 243 pulls out of the water and immediately hops up on a plane is exactly what we need for our situation which is a small harbor with Long Island Sound access. It is a big enough to get a great slalom ski or wakeboard run from end to end, but you wouldn't want to waste much time getting up to speed or in having to take large sweeping turns so the handling you describe will be really awesome.

I'll have to look into additional sound proofing if the noise bothers me but will give it a shot first. Think the only time it might be annoying is on a little booze cruise where you just want to idle around the harbor like you can do with a modern outboard in near silence. But the key for me is having the safety of the jetboat with young kids and not having to navigate around that big a$$ outboard when getting in/out of the water. Also low draft was a big consideration as we only have about 18" of water at dead low at the dock. The technology of the medallion touchscreen and the new IST system just seems so great, can't wait to try it.

On the chop question...95% of our driving time the water in the harbor is glass smooth. Its only when we go out into the Sound where you commonly see 2ft chop...maybe 3ft on bad days. Just wanted to be sure I could get back from Long Island to CT in 2 1/2 - 3ft if absolutely necessary.

Lastly, is this the best forum for Chaparral 243 owners or is there a more dedicated forum somewhere on the Internet? This one seems pretty Yamaha heavy for sure which is not a bad thing, just asking the question for more specific model related questions / service, etc.

Super pumped to get the boat and your post made my day. Thanks again. Cheers!

 

[2nazt]

Even with the closed loop you still need to flush the boat at the end of the day. Pretty sure you know that but just wanted to make sure as it still uses the salt water but just doesn't pump through the actual motor.

 

[SilverTT]

Even with the closed loop you still need to flush the boat at the end of the day. Pretty sure you know that but just wanted to make sure as it still uses the salt water but just doesn't pump through the actual motor.

Thanks for this note as I am still learning the techniques here. I was told you can bring it up on the dry dock / lift and start the motors real quick just to blow out all the salt water. Dealer also said as long as you are using at least weekly and you are pulling the boat out you really don't have to worry about the salt in the propulsion system. You guys agree with that?

 

[2nazt]

Salt is really aggressive. For a large purchase I would flush and wash after every outing. The time and cost in supplies as a SaltAway product will pay for itself in the reduced wear and corrosion.

 

[BobJohnson]

is this the best forum for Chaparral 243 owners

simply, yes. Our chaps are only a couple years old, thus the more limited exposed here compared to Yamaha. But, our numbers of owners on this site are growing greatly and with it the brand specific discussions are also increasing. Also here you can check out the scarab, sea-doo & glastron and rotax sections for more talk on our engines. Welcome and congrats on your new boat.

 

[Mainah]

Perhaps I am missing something but can uou even flush a closed loop system? The water boxes have water in them because they are below the water line... right? So that leaves the pumps. Just lift run for a few seconds to blow out the boxes and hose (pressure wash would be better) the pumps, impellers, hull abd of course interior as needed.

Non Vortex Chap owners may snub the Vortex line up just like others snub jet boats in general based on what they remember of the late 90s falt bottom 2 strokes but they don't know what they are missing. This is likley the best site for Vortex owners. Had the 2430 VRX been out when I bought my Yamaha I may very well be a Chap Vortex owner myself. They are certainly giving Yamaha some good competition which is a good thing.

Yamaha has been the jetboat sales volume leader for sometime which is reflected by the membership here. Don't worry Chap guys and gals your numbers will grow as long as Chap keeps up the great work on the Vortex line. Keep posting up fresh pics of your Chaps ... I like to see them.

 

[Micah Thompson]

Perhaps I am missing something but can uou even flush a closed loop system? The water boxes have water in them because they are below the water line... right? So that leaves the pumps. Just lift run for a few seconds to blow out the boxes and hose (pressure wash would be better) the pumps, impellers, hull abd of course interior as needed.

On the Rotax/BRP powerplant, the engine itself is closed-loop, using anti-freeze, and heat exchangers on the bottom of the boat, so only anti-freeze passes through the engine.

However, the exhaust and supercharger intercooler (if present) are cooled by lake water, so good idea to flush if used in salt, even though it's not going through the motor itself.