Caravelle 24 feet long and a beamy 8 feet, 6 inches wide in excellent condition one owner purchased new, the 242 has ample seating, a large swim platform and a refreshment center with a sink and cooler.  Perhaps the greatest boon to creature comfort (not to mention dignity) is an enclosed head installed in the port-side console.

This bow rider cruiser is made for enjoyment, with comfortable furniture, well-placed cup holders and a better-than-decent Sony AM/FM CD player with four speakers.  It’s also an easy boat to keep clean, with the optional snap-in carpeting on the fiberglass sole.

The bow rider area includes a speaker and two cup holders on each side, with wraparound seating that could easily accommodate five passengers.  You’ll find storage under each side seat, with another compartment under the pad.  Two insert pieces convert the whole space into a sunpad.  Both inserts could be stowed in the in-floor ski storage section; they also fit in a compartment in the corner of the L-shaped aft sofa.  Passengers can move easily around the bow, thanks to nicely recessed handrails that are within grasp.  The boat also has a roomy anchor storage compartment up here.

The helm sports an optional flip-up bucket seat, which can be used as a standard chair, but also quickly converts into a leaning bolster to give the pilot a higher perch.

The dash has all the instrumentation you need, plus a depth finder, also standard.  The tachometer has a built-in hour meter to help you keep track of your maintenance schedule.  A 12-volt outlet in the dash lets you plug in accessories such as a portable chart plotter or cell phone.  We also liked the comfortable tilt steering wheel.

Port side, the head compartment is well-lit and roomy enough to not cause instant claustrophobia.  The refreshment center just behind the helm seat includes a sink with portable wat