2015 Rinker Captiva 170 OB Bowrider

Boat Reviews

Boat Review by: Richard Crowder

“As the oldest American boat brand in continuous production,” the Rinker Boat Company, for the past ten years part of the multi-brand (Godfrey, Sanpan, Aqua Patio, Sweetwater, Polar Kraft, Parti Kraft) Nautic Global Group out of Elkhart, Indiana, has introduced over fifteen new products in just the past three years.

Rinker’s newest introduction, this Captiva 170 OB is so new in fact, that it was not even included in Rinker’s 2015 printed catalog but you can find all you need to know about it on Rinker’s website, rinkerboats.com. and it was displayed front and centre at this year’s Toronto International Boat Show in January.

For 2015, Rinker offers a total of twenty-five models in two series of Captiva Sport Boats and Express Cruisers. The Captiva series consists of nineteen models of some outboard and mostly sterndrive-powered bowriders, fish & ski, cuddy cabins, and MTX deck-style boats from almost seventeen to over thirty feet. There are six models in the Express Cruiser line-up from almost twenty-nine to almost thirty-eight feet.

With this new Captiva 170 OB, Rinker is aiming to stand by its claim of building “best-boat-for-the-money value.” In achieving this, the Captiva 170 OB does not appear “plain-Jane” but is an enticing “looker” with its sheik lines and snazzy graphics. Most noticeable and different are the twin, tinted, curved windscreens – one over each helm console to offer protection for the driver and passenger. Optionally available, and as shown at the Toronto show, is a curved, tinted safety glass full windshield with walk-thru although the twin windscreens remain in place behind this windshield.

The contrasting yet coordinated interior colour accenting accentuates the 170 OB’s good looks with its standard graphics on a white hull and with a black helm plus “Turned Titanium” dash and helm accents. Lots of colour choices are optionally available to create the look of your choice with hull side colours in orange, lime green, black, chili red, dark platinum, navy, sky blue, or yellow. Add to this, interior vinyl accenting in almost all of the above colours plus you can colour match the helm colour to the hull colour or you can choose dark platinum for the helm.

Full surround U-shaped seating with two built-in recessed drinkholders plus padded full backrests for lounging provides ample bow accommodation while a full-width contoured 3-passenger bench seat serves additional passengers. The driver and front passenger are provided with molded, contoured and ventilated high-back bucket-type seats. Molded swim platforms provide water access on each side of the outboard motor with a swim ladder on the starboard side platform.

The driver’s helm is most modernistic with a large tachometer and speedometer nestled within the windscreen, a recessed cupholder to the left of the steering wheel and DC rocker switches to its right. A Sony CDXM20 stereo is standard equipment and may be optionally upgraded with Sirius satellite radio, a CD player and Bluetooth connectivity.

Storage is found in a large in-floor locker suitable for waterskis, wakeboards, etc. plus under seat cushions, in the driver’s console and in a portside dash glove box. Outboard power of your choice up to 115 horsepower maximum should be quite ample for the Captiva 170 OB to achieve whatever your cruising and watersports needs.

Other notable options you may wish to choose to personalize the 170 OB for your activities include a bimini top, bow and cockpit cover, snap-in cockpit carpeting in silver mist colour, a fixed ski tow arm, 5-position tilt steering, and digital depth gauge, or, choose perhaps the Deluxe Sports Package or the Hardware Upgrade Package and obtain many of these single items in a package.

The Rinker Captiva 170 OB would certainly appear to live up to the company’s ideal of “best-boat-for-the-money value” – and especially if you are a first-time boater.