February 21, 2007

Up Close and Personal with The Correct Craft 236 Crossover

I can't think of an instance where the term "photos do not do it justice" has ever come into my mind as strongly as when I saw the Correct Craft 236 Crossover in person. I saw a few on my tour of the new Correct Craft headquarters in various stages of construction, and due to Correct Craft's rules I was not able to photograph them. But this weekend I had the opportunity to experience one at the New England Boat Show, and this time I have pictures. Good ones too - as we just acquired a Canon Digital Rebel XT. Anyway, along with a few pictures I have a few thoughts.

Point! It is big. But we already know that, don't we? However it isn't so big that you'll feel like a charter captain with acres of boat beneath you. I have heard that some dealerships have been finding that the market for large wake boats is an extraordinarily niche one. This boat just seems to be a phenomenal middle ground for someone looking for a roomy and functional wake boat, but would prefer to not drive a Maine lobster boat. The storage compartments in the stern are considerably roomy, even on a Team Edition with rear tanks installed but I am pretty sure I could fit inside the storage compartment under the passenger seat. It is enormous. I debated crawling in there to prove the point, but at the last minute decided against this juvenile maneuver. I took a picture instead.

Point! The seating system is brilliant. Employing some of the new seating features found in the Super Air Nautique 220 and 2007 Super Air Nautique 210, the interior makes more sense than pictures can demonstrate. When I spoke to Correct Craft's Lead Designer Steve Carlton about the interior of the Super Air Nautique 220, my motivations were somewhat selfish; I needed to learn more about the interior. After speaking with him I understood the approach, but after playing with this system myself, I am sold, so to speak. For some reason I expected the hardware that facilitates the leanback portions of the seats to be structurally capable of supporting someone's torso, but not much more. I was wrong. You could stand on the leanbacks if you wanted to. Large, stainless fittings, hinges and posts comprise this system and it appeared to be rattle-free and unyielding.

Point! Oh, gosh did they get that tower right (image courtesy of Correct Craft Inc.). Overall the fit & finish on the Correct Craft Crossover 236 are typical of Correct Craft; superb. But the tower that is on this boat feels, looks, and belongs, like it was meant to be on this boat and exclusive to it. I'm an old-fashioned Flight Control Tower kind of guy, but the tower on the 236 is the best next-generation Flight Control Tower that Correct Craft has created to date.

Point! Its design is going to hold up very well over time. From several different perspectives, the boat is not one that captures a super current design component and forcibly expresses it through every badge, rack, speaker grille or other marginally significant item on the boat. It carries a design that is as classic, familiar and stable as some of their previous mega-hits. One comment I have heard a few times is that the dashboard is too old-fashioned. Anyone who takes a look at the dash and says it is boring needs to consider the alternative. The dashboards that some manufacturers are putting out right now are downright goofy today, and you can only go downhill from goofy; trust me. And adding the top stripe back to the 2007 gelcoat pattern was a great move on Correct Craft's part - and the Correct Craft 236 Crossover looks great with a top stripe that matches the hull color. So does the 220, and the 211, and the 210; you get my point.

There was a Correct Craft Mustang 16 in my life when I was born, and there is a Super Air Nautique in it now. Between those 2 boats, a 1986 Ski Nautique 2001 spent almost 20 years in my family as a slalom boat, a kneeboarding boat, a trick ski boat, a barefoot boat, a skiboarding boat, and finally a wakeboarding, wakeskating, and wakesurfing boat. That Ski Nautique's crossover capability, despite being somewhat accidental in nature with regard to its prowess as a phenomenal wakeboarding platform, extended its life and worth to my family and kept it relevant for far longer than we could have anticipated. So from that standpoint I have accepted the concept of a boat that has crossover potential.

In the past, we've been somewhat critical of wakeboard boats that are marketed as crossover platforms. We've maintained that the boats that we're most interested in are purpose built and with the Correct Craft 236, we'd like to allow ourselves a little bit of wiggle room with that stance. Crossover boats can come in many shapes and sizes - and as the editors of this site enjoy the trend toward larger boats, we can't help but like what we see in terms of potential in the Correct Craft 236 Crossover. With the expanded use of the term "Super Air Nautique", we were surprised that this wasn't given that name as well. We'd order ours without any graphics anyway - so this boat could be called the Correct Craft 236 Popsicle and we'd still want one. My wife (who also acts as a grammar editor, censor and sounding board for this site) also loves this boat and we even agree on the color scheme with which we'd need Correct Craft to build our 236! That makes things so much easier for everyone involved.

In closing, special thanks goes out to New England Correct Craft for assisting us with press entry to this event. That is a responsibility which should fall on the shoulders of the promoters of such an event - and in this case the promoter didn't return our phone calls. Regardless, back to the 236 itself - we've heard very good things about the wake but need to verify this for ourselves; thus this article is not a full review quite yet. We're on New England Correct Craft's radar and have arranged for some time behind one as soon as Mother Nature loosens her ice claw grip and gives us northerners a break.

Posted by erik