Chaparral 256 SSI
The Chaparral 256 SSI is a 25-foot boat, with model years from 2001 to 2009 in the listings we track. Across 29 listings we have observed (model years 2001–2009), the median asking price is $34,000, with most boats asking $23,000 to $39,000. The engine we see most often on this model is Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop) and MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L).
BoatVerdict market snapshot
These are asking prices. No free or public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices, so nobody — us included — can honestly show you what these boats sold for. What we can show you is what 29 sellers are asking, which is the number you are actually negotiating against.
29 priced listings across 12 states is a national sample, so the range is stable.
Method: Asking prices from active listings, de-duplicated so a re-posted boat counts once (69 raw listings collapsed to 29 distinct boats). Quartiles, not averages, so one outlier cannot move the band. Rounded to $500.
Coverage: Model years 2001–2009, 12 states, 17 metro areas. New-boat listings excluded.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations (craigslist + rightboat + boatcrazy) · US state vessel registries (9,763 registered Chaparral hulls)
Looking at a Chaparral 256 SSI for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.
The BoatVerdict take
- Recall (USCG/CPSC)
3 federal recall campaigns on file touch this builder. Check the specific hull against the recall list below before you put money down; remedies are free but only if the work was actually done.
Each point is tagged with the evidence behind it. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace back to a counted listing, a federal record, or a named analyst judgement.
Chaparral 256 SSI prices by model year
Show the numbers by model year
| Model year | Boats | Middle half of asks | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2008 | 3 | $31,500 to $39,000 | $39,000 |
| 2007 | 3 | $33,500 to $34,000 | $34,000 |
| 2006 | 3 | $16,000 to $27,000 | $23,000 |
| 2005 | 4 | $19,500 to $25,500 | $21,000 |
| 2004 | 1 | too few to show | - |
15 distinct boats, listed now or since taken down, re-posts counted once. Years with fewer than 3 boats show a count only. Asking prices, not sale prices.
What a used Chaparral 256 SSI is worth
We have seen 15 distinct Chaparral 256 SSI boats for sale between Jun 14, 2026 and Nov 14, 2026, model years 2004 to 2009, in 10 states. The median ask is $31,000 and half of all asks sit between $23,000 and $34,500. Asking prices fall about 10.1% for each year of age (41% over five years), measured on these 15 boats and steadied with the class rate.
Engines: median 420 hp across 3 boats that stated it. Engine brands named: Volvo 4, Mercury 1. Median engine hours on the 5 boats that stated them: 509.
Recent Chaparral 256 SSI asking prices
| Year | Model | Length | HP | Hours | State | Asking | Seen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 256 ssi | 25 ft | 320 | 239 | CT | $38,999 | Jun 22, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (4 posts) BoatCrazy |
| 2005 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | 496 | 371 | FL | $22,400 | Jun 22, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (2 posts) BoatCrazy |
| 2006 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | 509 | NY | $31,000 | Jun 22, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (2 posts) BoatCrazy |
| 2005 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | 556 | FL | $19,999 | Oct 18, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (2 posts) BoatCrazy |
| 2004 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | 732 | KY | $29,900 | Nov 14, 2026 | listed BoatCrazy |
| 2008 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | - | NY | $38,995 | Jun 19, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (36 posts) Craigslist |
| 2007 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | - | GA | $33,995 | Aug 28, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed Craigslist |
| 2007 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | 420 | - | CA | $33,500 | Sep 9, 2026 to Oct 28, 2026 | taken down (2 posts) Craigslist |
| 2007 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | - | NC | $34,000 | Aug 26, 2026 to Oct 10, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2005 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | - | MI | $19,000 | Jun 14, 2026 to Oct 1, 2026 | taken down (17 posts) Craigslist |
| 2009 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | - | NC | $35,900 | Jun 14, 2026 to Aug 5, 2026 | taken down (6 posts) Craigslist |
| 2006 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | - | WY | $23,200 | Jun 19, 2026 to Aug 3, 2026 | taken down (2 posts) Craigslist |
| 2005 | 256 SSI | 26 ft | - | - | NC | $35,250 | Jun 22, 2026 to Jun 28, 2026 | taken down Rightboat |
| 2006 | 256 SSI | 25 ft | - | - | FL | $8,977 | Jun 22, 2026 to Jun 28, 2026 | taken down Rightboat |
| 2008 | 256 SSI | 26 ft | - | - | MD | $23,999 | Jun 22, 2026 to Jun 28, 2026 | taken down Rightboat |
The 15 most recently seen of 15 distinct boats. These are asking prices, not sale prices: no free source publishes US used-boat sale prices. A boat re-posted several times counts once, at its latest ask. "Taken down" means the ad disappeared; that can be a sale, a seller who gave up, or an expired post.
Chaparral recalls and accident record
Of 895Chaparral boats in USCG accident records: fire or explosion 5%, flooding or swamping 5%, capsizing 2%, total loss 5%, at least one death 6%. The rate counts accidents in Texas and New York waters from 2014 to 2023 (38) against 9,749 Chaparral boats registered in those two states, the only states that publish boat-level registrations. Accident records reflect how and how much boats are used, not only how they are built. Only accidents above the USCG reporting threshold are recorded. Personal watercraft are left out.
These numbers are for the builder, not this model. Check the specific hull with a HIN lookup for recalls and reported accidents.
Recalls affecting Chaparral
3 federal recall campaigns on file. Recalls are issued against hull-identification ranges, so a campaign listed here may or may not cover the specific boat you are looking at — check the HIN. Remedies are free from the builder, but only if the work was actually performed, and there is no central database that proves it was.
- ⚠ Recall
990058T8/30/1999ELECTRICAL UNFUSED WIRE; IN CO MONITORING SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
950161T11/1/1995FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS; FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS
- ⚠ Recall
060065T10/25/2006FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS
Method: Matched to the builder by normalized company name and MIC. A campaign is shown when it touches this builder; the model and year columns say how narrowly it applies.
Sources: US Coast Guard recall database · CPSC recalls
Engines we actually see on the 256 SSI
- Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop)
Smooth, strong drives — the Duoprop in particular handles and holds beautifully. The catch is parts cost: Volvo Penta components run materially higher than MerCruiser equivalents, so service and repair budgets are larger.
Service reality: Same wear items as MerCruiser (bellows, gimbal, impeller) but pricier parts. Verify drive-oil condition (milky = water intrusion = seal failure).
Full Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop) reliability profile →
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L)
The most common inboard/outboard in US bowriders and cruisers. The engine itself (GM-based) is reliable; the maintenance burden is the drive and exhaust. Bellows, gimbal bearing, U-joints, and — in any saltwater service — exhaust manifolds and risers are the recurring costs.
Service reality: Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost.
Full MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L) reliability profile →
Method: Engine family matched from the listing's engine fields and title text against BoatVerdict's engine-family profiles. Prevalence is share of our sample, not factory fitment rates.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · BoatVerdict engine-family profiles
Chaparral 256 SSI specifications
| Length (median listed) | 25.0 ft | Our listing data |
|---|---|---|
| Model years traded | 2001–2009 | Our listing data |
| Chaparral hulls in US registries | 9,763 | TX + NY open data |
Rows marked "our listing data" are measured from listings, not published by the builder, and will differ from a brochure. Rows without a source we can name are not shown at all.
What to inspect on a used Chaparral 256 SSI
- Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop): Same wear items as MerCruiser (bellows, gimbal, impeller) but pricier parts. Verify drive-oil condition (milky = water intrusion = seal failure). Seen on 6 of the 29 256 SSI listings we track (typically 320 hp on this model).
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop).
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L): Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost. Seen on 1 of the 29 256 SSI listings we track (typically 496 hp on this model).
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L).
- Assume saltwater service unless the seller can prove otherwise: pull the engine cowling and look at the powerhead, check trim-cylinder rams for pitting, and open the battery and fuse boxes for green corrosion. 85% of the listings we observed for this model are in coastal states.
- On the older hulls, core moisture is the deal-breaker: sound the transom and the deck with a plastic mallet, and treat any soft or dull-sounding area as a survey-stopper rather than a bargaining chip. We observe listings back to 2005, so boats over 21 years old are actively traded in this model.
This list is specific to this model: analyst items for the hull, plus items driven by the engines and the regions we actually observe on 256 SSI listings. It is not a generic pre-purchase checklist, and it does not replace a surveyor.
What a 256 SSI costs to own
$3,750 – $10k per year
- 25 ft hull, the median observed length for this model
- Saltwater berth, based on where most listings we see are located (NY)
- Includes insurance, storage, routine service, fuel at moderate seasonal use, and a reserve for wear items
- Excludes loan payments, major engine replacement, and refit work
This is a modelled band, not observed spend. Real cost swings hard on where you keep the boat and how much you use it.
Method: The same ownership-cost model BoatVerdict's paid Deal Report uses: boat class and length set the base band, then saltwater berth and size adjust it.
Sources: BoatVerdict ownership-cost model
Where 256 SSIs are for sale
- NY 5
- FL 5
- NC 4
- CT 4
- WY 2
- CA 2
- MI 1
- MD 1
- IL 1
- GA 1
Counts of distinct boats we observed per state, from 29 listings in 17 metro areas. We publish the distribution, not the listings themselves.
What else buyers cross-shop
- Chaparral 246 SSI
- Chaparral 23 SSI
- Chaparral 270 Signature
- Chaparral 230SSI
- Chaparral 220 SSI
- Chaparral 21 SSI
Chosen by measured similarity — same builder first, then comparable length — and limited to models whose own page meets our evidence bar. No paid placements, no filler links.
Chaparral 256 SSI FAQ
How much does a used Chaparral 256 SSI cost?
Which model year of the Chaparral 256 SSI is the best value?
Are there recalls on the Chaparral 256 SSI?
What engine does the Chaparral 256 SSI come with?
What does it cost to own a Chaparral 256 SSI per year?
Looking at a Chaparral 256 SSI for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.