Glastron GLS 255 Bowrider
By Capt. Rob Smith
The GLS 255 is the queen of Glastron’s new lineup of upscale bowriders. She has three siblings; the GLS 195, the GLS 215 and the GLS 235, so the range can fit most any size family. The great thing about them is they do it with more style and less cost than you might expect. They have a lot of standard stainless steel features, and many standard cockpit comforts you may expect to pay for as extras from many competitive brands.
Crossing the Transom
Each of these upscale runabouts has an integrated swim platform. The GLS 255 has a concealed stainless steel telescoping swim ladder on the stern as well as a beach boarding ladder in the bow. Both are three-step ladders, although I’d like to see at least a four-step at the bow. On the stern is a very good grab rail design that flows from the gunwale down, maintaining a sleek look. Glastron also upgraded the rub rail to a stainless steel insert as well as put six stainless steel cleats of sufficient size to tie your boat up to the dock properly (using more than clothes line!). The GLS 255 has a signature starboard side walkthrough for all the models with a flip up section of the sunpad, a swing out seat back on the stern bench and a single small seat cushion to remove to get onboard without stepping on cushions. Very neat and simple. The sunpad doubles as the engine cover. The greatest part of the stern seating for me was the rumble seat where I can see spending many a sunset!
From the Cockpit
Once in the cockpit you realize the real story on the GLS 255. It has big seating. The U-shaped stern seat has a ton of room for everyone to gather together. The helm and companion seats are the very comfortable SuspensionAire bucket seats with bolsters. Both are very well tailored and very well padded for a day’s worth of rides without a week’s worth of aches. I especially like the handles for the swivel and slide adjustments being outboard of the seat where I could actually find the darn things without getting down on my knees with my head under the seat. Thank you Glastron! The boat has rated capacity of 12 people.
The full fiberglass cockpit liner has standard snap-in carpet that makes cleanup a snap and cushions the soles of your feet. It is plush and has a teak decking design to it rather than the dull design-less gray stuff most builders use. The sole locker is big enough to stow water toys for the trip, or stuff the canvas in if you need to take it along. It has a standard mat to protect your gear.
Under the sunpad, the engine on this one was the Volvo Penta 320 hp GXi. The boat has 18 engine options total from both MerCruiser and Volvo. Access to daily liquid check points was adequate and there was room to the starboard side for gear such as wet life jackets and to port for a water tank.
At the Dash
Stainless grab rails, stainless speaker covers and stainless drink holders rule aboard. No cheap plastic here. My test model had the upgraded Premium Sound System which adds the amplifier, sub woofer, stern speakers and remotes at the bow and stern. I recommend that since enjoying music is one of the most common things you will do on the water, go for this option.
The helm was set up fairly well ergonomically. They have 5” speed and multi-function gauges up high so they can be scanned quickly underway. 2” gauges are right beneath them with a minimum of obstruction from the tilt wheel in certain positions. At six feet tall, I found I needed to sit up on the bolster so that I was not looking into the window frame as I took off, but felt comfortable seated once underway. The dash has room to mount a GPS unit in the center between the two 5” gauges.
If you own a bowrider over 25’ in length, you are going to have more than just a couple people on board, which means a lot of time running back and forth to the marina for bathroom relief, if you don’t have the head compartment this model has. Now, as a big guy, the head compartment was rather tight for my 235 lbs., but the ladies and the kids are going to love it.
Going to the Bow
Up front, you have the kind of room you expect in a large bowrider as well as the comfortable seating to make it reasonable for the adults to want to use it also. Stainless steel drink holders, beefy grab rails and stainless steel grills on the speakers mean they will last and maintain that great look stainless steel is known for. If you want to hang out at the sand bar with a crowd, or nudge up to a secluded beach, you have a three step beach boarding ladder. I would prefer a forth rung.
Specifications
The GLS 255 measures 25’4” length overall with a beam of 8’6”. She weighs in at 4600 lbs. dry and has a fuel capacity of 56 gallons. She can have engines from MerCruiser or Volvo up to 425-hp installed for that rush of speed you need.
Test Drive
I tested the GLS 255 with four people onboard to get a more real-life idea of her performance. I had just over ½ tank of fuel and a picture perfect lake. She was on plane in 4.2 seconds and up to 30 mph in 7.4 seconds. She reached a top speed of 47.6 mph while a more comfortable cruising speed was reached at 24.7 mph at 3000 rpm for a fuel burn rate of 7.4 gph and a range of 168 miles on a full tank of gas.
With a hard-over turn at 25 mph I didn’t get even a little splash of water onboard. Bow rise was minimal keeping the horizon clearly in view even when seated when getting on plane. Gauges were easy to view underway. There was some glare from the dash cover in the bright daylight.
She certainly has the upscale amenities and the performance necessary to make her a good choice for the larger family. With the exception of the windshield brace, I found the fit and finish great. I am sure they will make that work as well as they do the rest of the boat. Glastron is committed to building a better boat as evidenced with the extensive CAD/CAM design and upgraded materials. If you are ready for a full sized runabout, you should add the GLS 255 to your short list.
