The next to the largest boat in this new GLS series (Glastron Luxury Series) is the GLS 235. At nearly 24’ length overall, she felt like she was closer to 26’ with the roomy cockpit and comfortable seating. By the end of the day, I was really enjoying the aft facing rumble seat!
Our GLS 235 was powered with a 300-hp stern drive engine and delivered over 47 mph. The sole locker was large enough to stuff all the canvas inside when the rain went away and the snap-in carpet has a teak-looking design that really dressed up the looks and made clean-up a breeze. The primary gauges were large and easy to see and the bucket seats, well let’s just say, I could have ridden around on them all day!
The builder claims that the GLS line is the “…most advanced bowrider series Glastron has ever built.” That is quite a statement from a company that has built hundreds of thousands of boats over the last 50 years.
Glastron GLS 235
By Capt. Rob Smith
Building on the success of its heritage, Glastron wanted to exceed the buyers’ expectations with the new GLS 235. Having tested Glastron several times over the years, I have to say, I too was impressed with the quality and materials in the GLS line. She is 24’ LOA, but in comfort and spaciousness, she seems more like a 26-footer.
The builder claims that the GLS line is the “...most advanced bowrider series Glastron has ever built.” That is quite a statement from a company that has built hundreds of thousands of boats over the last 50 years.
I have mentioned in the other GLS tests that I was quite impressed with the stainless steel exhaust vents. Impressed because they look as if you could put them under a steam roller without breaking them. Impressed because about the first things usually to break on a sportboat are the plastic engine air vents and I don’t think that will be happening on the GLS series.
In the Bow
The bow area was actually quite comfortable to relax in. I measured about 60” across the top of the seat cushion and nearly as much from gunwale to gunwale in the bow. There are speakers to enjoy the music whether in the bow or the cockpit. Along the side are two stainless steel drink holders and a heavy duty grab bar. When you nudge up onto a sand bar or up to a beach, you have stainless steel boarding ladders off the bow or the integrated swim platform at the stern. Both are three step concealed ladders. I like a four step ladder for the bow and really would rather see that at the stern as well.
Moving back towards the cockpit, a standard feature that makes the new series identifiable from a distance is the retro, slightly-curved glass windshield with full side wing glass. I tested the braces by handing my weight across the walkthrough successfully and it held up.
In the Cockpit
The upholstery in the GLS Series is upmarket and well stitched. It looks nice and looks like it will hold up over time and use. I enjoyed the SuspensionAire adjustable seats with flip up bolster. They were very well molded to support you and after hours of riding around, I still didn’t have a back ache! The aft cockpit seating wraps around in a large U-shape with the port portion on a swivel so you can swing it around and convert it into a foot rest. Under the starboard side is a fully finished compartment with drain to keep extra food and drinks or more gear. Measuring the space, I found about 72” from gunwale to gunwale and the interior freeboard measured up to about 38”, far more than many runabouts.
Wood-grain accents enhanced the looks around the cockpit including in front of the companion dash and around the instrumentation and wheel of the helm. A Sirius Satellite Ready AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers is standard, but you might want to upgrade to the Premium Sound System with upgraded radio, transom speakers, bow and stern radio remotes, amplifier and subwoofer that will have the dock rocking.
The full fiberglass liner has standard snap-in carpeting with a teak look and plush feel. The sole locker has a mat to protect your valuable skis and boards from rubbing on fiberglass, which is a very thoughtful addition. The locker is large enough to stow all your canvas when you take her out. Glastron knows today’s water sports often are more enjoyable with a tower, so they have every cockpit reinforced and ready for an Xtreme Wakeboard tower with board racks.
At the Helm
The builder did a good job providing adequate visibility for the driver and good ergonomics to make them comfortable at the wheel. Speed and a multi-function 5” gauge are set high in the dash while 2” gauges monitor the rest of the engine parameters. The depth finder gets shaded behind the wheel at some angles, so I would push it outboard and have some other less important gauge in its place. There is room to add a GPS in the center between the two 5” gauges. The upgraded throttle/shifter is at the perfect angle to keep my hand in place and take the strain off my forearm, so no armrest is necessary.
The Stern and Engine
The entire GLS Series has the same walkthrough transom system with a single cushion from the stern bench you remove, swing out seat back and flip up the starboard sunpad section. Lifting the sunpad up, my test model had a 300 hp Volvo Penta 5.7L Gi installed with adequate room to do daily checks and maintenance. Room to starboard can be used for wet life jackets and under the port side is where the water tank for a swim shower is mounted.
The GLS 235 has a molded in integrated swim platform with concealed telescoping swim ladder. You can opt to add a swim shower which is part of an optional upgrade package that includes docking lights, transom tilt switch and engine hour meter.
Specifications
The GLS 235 measures 23’9” length overall with a beam of 8’6”, so she is still trailerable. She tips the scales at 4080 lbs. with standard engine and has a fuel capacity of 56 gallons. She has a draft of 17-½” with the outdrive trimmed all the way up, and 33” with it fully lowered. She is rated for 12 people. Glastron offers 17 – count ‘em folks! -- engine options from Volvo Penta and MerCruiser from a 250-hp sterndrive up to the 375-hp models.
Test Results
With 3 people on board and a ½ tank of fuel, I found the GLS 235 to be a smooth handling machine with decent visibility and ergonomics at the helm. Turns at 25 mph could be tight and were always easy to control. Time to plane averaged 3.8 seconds, while it took 8.6 seconds to reach 30 mph. She cruised comfortably at 26.8 mph at 3000 rpm burning 8.5 gph for a full tank range of 158 miles. I clocked her top speed at 47.4 mph which had her burning 21.2 gph.
Glastron is raising the bar for what is standard and what you should expect in today’s bowriders at its price point. She has a base price of $42,997 which includes the 5.0L GXi Volvo Penta 270-hp stern drive engine and a custom EZ Loader 5200T trailer to take her to your favorite boating spots.
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