Catalina 26
The Chris-Craft Calypso 24 is a 25-foot dual-console bowrider yacht that was launched by the legendary Michigan-based yacht-building company Chris-Craft in 2020. A classic streamlined form inspired by almost 150 years of Chris-Craft boat-building features a flared bow-entry, sloping lines to transom and a floating hard-top with an assertive presence. Buoyant enough for the Gulf of Mexico, shallow enough for inland lakes or isolated beaches, and with a gel-coated navy-blue livery that will stand up against briny salt-waters, this is one of the stand-out multi-purpose dayboats on the market today. A range of plush seating with a sedate mid-century vibe have been paired with 21st century amenities and the very latest in precision-engineering and cutting-edge outboard propulsion for the perfect family experience.
A walk-through, tempered-glass windscreen leads out to a spacious and convivial bow lounge that plays host to a wrap-around V-shaped sofa with backrests that trace the edge of the bulwark and which can be converted into a pair of forward-facing chaise-longues. Head back into the cockpit, meanwhile, to find a larger entertaining space with a flip-down transom sofa and a rear-facing single seat, all lined in marine-grade piped upholstery with a pop-up table available as an optional extra. Need to keep guests refreshed? Then use the starboard-side wet-bar that comes equipped with a Yeti ice-cooler, a sink, cup-holders and an optional outdoor grill. This self-draining space with a synthetic teak or woven Seagrass sole also doubles as a fishing cockpit, and boasts padded coamings, a livewell, a fish-box, sports lockers, rod-holders, steel grabrails, a side boarding gate and a transom lift-door that leads out to a bathing platform with a transom shower and an extending swim ladder. Swimming isn’t the only thing you will enjoy back here, as there is also an optional ski-pylon available to stern that allows for high-speed watersports fun.
A pair of plush helm seats face a dual-console helm station boasting Lenco trim-tab switches, a 10-inch Garmin MFD screen, a CZone control monitor, fish-finding instrumentation, a power-assisted steering wheel, hand-held Garmin VHF radio, a mounted compass and underwater light controls. While at the helm you can control the vibes and try your hand at being a DJ thanks to Sirius Satellite radio and a Fusion stereo system linked to a set of integrated JL Audio dotted around the deck. To port there is carefully hidden lower-head with a flush toilet, a sink with a mixer tap and a vanity mirror, perfect for freshening up after a hard day sunbathing or reeling in those prize catches.
A classic tumblehome hull design with a deep-V bottom, a 21-degree transom deadrise and a mere 18-inch draft has been optimized for outboard propulsion, and you can expect a single 300HP Mercury Verado DTS engine fitted as standard. Upgrades to a single 400HP Mercury Verado V-10 motor are also on the agenda, and you will enjoy competitive top speeds of up to 43 knots at full-throttle as well as superb fuel efficiency at smooth cruising speeds.
