There's a little canal just about a stone's throw from the Ft. Lauderdale airport that runs from
Port Everglades and the Intracoastal Waterway to, well, it's difficult to say. Because unless you
live at the far end of this canal, there's no reason to follow it that far, so no one does. Not
even if you happen to be on board a Crownline 215 CCR and are enjoying playing hooky from whatever
you're supposed to being doing other than idling along under a hot Florida sun.
You are required by law to keep your wake minimal in this little canal. That works out well
because it means that you get to spend even more time on the 215 CCR than you may have intended
when you started this little adventure. True, you're not really getting to push the boat to its
limits, but if you really think about it, why exactly do you want to push a 21-foot cuddy to its
limits, anyway? Besides, this boat isn't about limits, it's about expanding your horizons and
getting as much use from the boat as you possibly can. And you have to admit, you're getting some
serious use out of the boat right now, although your horizons are pretty much limited by the homes
that line this canal. So it goes.
One thing a leisurely
cruise like this gives you is ample opportunity to explore the 215 CCR. You might not think there's
that much exploration to be done on a small cuddy like this, but there's a lot more to this boat
than first meets the eye. The cockpit alone has a lot of features that add room and comfort, even
though you may not consciously register them. The wraparound windshield, for example, has a pair of
flip-out vent windows ' one for the driver, one for the passenger ' that direct a welcome breeze
right at you as you tool around. These windows add a little nostalgic flair, too, harkening back to
the old-time vent windows cars had back in the days before universal air-conditioning. The
windshield also has a walk-though leading to the foredeck, and the step leading to this
walk-through is molded into the sliding cabin door, allowing the Crownline designers to make the
cabin door wider for easier access to and from the cockpit.
The designers also managed
to make the cockpit seem both roomier and cozier with a couple of nifty tricks. First, they removed
the 'passenger-side dash' to give the illusion of space. To further that illusion, they combined a
padded engine box and a pair of rear jump seats to create a seating area that takes the place of a
traditional sunpad, adding several cubic feet of usable space. The jump seats can also be extended
to form a sunpad.
The cockpit space was enhanced even more by making the gunwales thinner, giving a few more
precious inches of space all the way around. The gunwales are taller as well, making the cockpit
not only seem cozier but making it safer for families with small kids. The gunwales are hip-high on
an adult standing in the cockpit, making them chest- or shoulder-high on a kid, which means it's
tough for accidental overboards to occur. An in-floor cooler sits between the two adjustable
pedestal seats with flip-up bolsters (for the captain and one passenger), so you don't have to go
down to the cabin every time you need a fresh drink. And the starboard jump seat doubles as a
transom walk-through for easy access to and from the standard extended swim platform.
Crownline's designers are clever and creative, but even they can only do so much with the
cabin on a 21-foot boat. They give it a good effort, though. Standing up in the cabin, for a
6-footer at least, is a pipe dream, but that 6-footer can sit straight and tall at the dinette
table; that's more than can be said for many cuddys this size. Stow the table and place the filler
cushions, and the V-berth will sleep two average-sized adults. (A 6-footer will have to curl up for
sleeping or else let his feet dangle.)
Poking around the 215 CCR cabin and cockpit is a great way to kill some time while you're
idling down this Ft. Lauderdale canal, but sooner or later you're going to want to take the helm.
When you do, you'll be comfortable. The helm is well laid out, with the usual array of
instrumentation and a tilt steering wheel. You might expect it to be a bit cramped, but because the
steps leading to the foredeck are molded into the cabin door instead of the left edge of the helm,
there's room for everything.
Depending on which way you're headed and what the tide's doing at the time, this canal can
develop a pretty strong current, strong enough so that if you're going against it you have to push
the throttle up past idle just to stand still. So, since you're not so very far from Port Everglade
and the Intracoastal, you go ahead and push it up enough to start making a little bit better time.
Besides, although idling is a good way to kill time, it's time to start getting an idea of just
what the 215 CCR is capable of doing.
When the opportunity finally presents itself, you secure everything and lean on the throttle
and let the wind blow back your hair. It may seem like Crownline is willing to put just about any
engine on earth in the 215 CCR for you, but you can't get it with an outboard. Other than that,
though, there are an amazing 48 engine options available. The engines start with either the 190-hp,
4.3L MerCruiser Alpha or the 190-hp Volvo-Penta 4.3L GL SX, and top out with the 320-hp, 6.2L
MerCruiser MX MPI Bravo III or the 310-hp, 7.4L Volvo-Penta Gi SX DuoProp. If you're a diesel
lover, you can even choose between the 150-hp, 2.8L MerCruiser D-Tronic Bravo III and three
Volvo-Pentas, topped by the 159-hp KAD32P DP.
This particular 215 CCR is powered by a 5.0L Volvo-Penta Gi SX (not a DuoProp) that produces a
solid 250 hp and seems to be about the perfect setup for this boat. When you reach a point where
you can really open it up, the engine accelerates smartly and smoothly, going from 0 to 30 mph in
just more than 10 seconds. You keep leaning on the throttle, and the engine finally tops out at a
shade less than 48 mph. Solid performance for a boat this size.
Crownline has always been conservative in the best sense of the word ' reliable, predictable,
safe. As a result, its boats have always delivered exactly that kind of handling. For a family that
wants to go cruising on a holiday weekend, maybe do a little fishing once in a while, maybe even
toss a ski or a wakeboard or a tube over the back and take a ride, that's exactly the kind of
handling you want. And that's what the 215 CCR gives you. Dry, stable, steady. No surprises.
Admittedly, since it's designed to be a cruiser, the 215 CCR doesn't offer up the best ski or
wakeboard wake you'll ever see. It's better by far for wakeboarding than skiing and better for
tubing than wakeboarding, but as long as you're just out for a goof and not trying to set some kind
of personal record on the slalom course you should be happy.
For cruising, the hull is fine, although because of the boat's size you might want to
consider adding the optional trim tabs if you're going to be cruising in large bodies of water
where you might find yourself in semi-big chop.
There are a number of options that will make cruising more enjoyable. The shore power with
battery charger and 50-foot cord is highly recommended if you're going to do any kind of
overnighting. The depthsounder and compass make finding your way through unfamiliar water a lot
less stressful, and you know the compass will never leave you stranded due to dead batteries.
This little canal that runs a stone's throw from the Ft. Lauderdale airport is one of those
things that make boating an addiction. The canal winds past multimillion-dollar homes with
multimillion-dollar yachts moored out front, as well as past homes that are little more than
glorified lean-tos with jon boats on the front porch. There are bridges high enough for tankers to
pass beneath and bridges so low that even with the 215 CCR's minimal clearance requirements (61.25
inches without canvas) you find yourself ducking involuntarily. Every bend of the canal reveals
something new and beautiful. And there are literally millions of hidden little canals just like
this, waiting to be explored. When you're ready to start exploring, think about the 215 CCR. It
might be just the ticket.