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On a cruise along Like Austin, Glastron’s new GS 259 demonstrates why the company is still going strong after 50 years.
Unless you’re a redwood tree or a giant sea turtle (in which case you’re probably not reading this), reaching your 50th birthday is a pretty big deal. It’s a bigger deal if you’re a boat manufacturer, because it means you’ve kept afloat (pun intended) through changes in construction materials, regulations, and, hardest of all, the ever-changing tastes of consumers. If a boat-builder celebrates a 50th anniversary, it means that boatbuilder’s doing something right—and has been for half a century. The GS 259 is proof that Glastron has overcome the hurdles of the boating industry—and now it’s celebrating its success.
For the first 15 to 20 years of its now 50-year existence, it was uncertain whether Glastron would last. Not because the boats weren’t good enough, but because they were just too cool, too stylish. So cool and stylish that when Hollywood brought Batman to the big screen in 1966, Glastron was picked to create the Batboat. Now, almost 40 years later, even though Glastron’s designs are more traditional, it’s still pretty cool to be on a Glastron GS 259, cruising Lake Austin—not five miles from the Paramount Theater where the Batman movie (featuring the Batboat) had its world premier back in 1966.
The GS 259 will never be mistaken for the Batboat, but that’s okay; in spite of all its way-cool gadgetry, the Batboat wasn’t really designed for the occasional sleepover, much less entertaining friends on a sunset cruise. And the reality is, most of us are going to be doing a lot more entertaining and sleeping than chasing supervillians. Sad, but true.
Austin, for example, hasn’t been threatened by costumed supervillians for quite some time. So there won’t be much, if any, crime-fighting this time out. Just have to make do with enjoying a warm, late morning with the other lucky people who’ve taken the rest of the day off from work to enjoy the water. And the best way to do that is to start with a full-speed run to the north, going the whole of Lake Austin, all the way to Mansfield Dam, from where one can essentially kill the engine and let the slow, gentle current carry one and one’s boat all the way south to Tom Miller Dam and the cluster of restaurants that anchor the busiest section of the lake.
Running the length of the lake is also an excuse to open up the GS 259’s 300-hp MerCruiser 350 Magnum MPI (equipped with a Bravo III drive for improved performance). There are smaller engine options available for the GS 259, starting with the choice of a 5.0L MerCruiser (220hp) or a 5.0 GL Volvo Penta (220hp), but you’ll probably be better off with at least the 250-hp MerCruiser or 270-hp Volvo Penta GXi DP package. This isn’t a huge boat by any means, but those extra horses prove their merit when it comes to getting up and going, or pulling a wakeboarder or inflatable rider. Of course, if you have the extra money, you can always go big on the engine, all the way up to a MerCruiser MX 6.2 MPI Bravo III (320hp) or a Volvo Penta 5.7 OSXi DP (320hp).
The 300-hp package running today works very well, and would be highly recommended as an upper-end package. With three people and half-tank of gas, the GS 259 accelerates from 0 to 30 mph in a little over 10 seconds (10.2) and keeps accelerating until it tops out at an even 48 mph.
The handling is better than the acceleration. Glastron has long been proud of its hull designs, and the GS 259 hull works like a champ. The boat feels light on the water, and responds quickly and positively to steering input, still riding very comfortably through chop and rougher water. Almost a contradiction in terms, but accurate: the GS 259 feels light when you’re really working the helm, but heavy and stable during easy cruising. Fun to drive and pleasant for passengers, this is a win-win situation.
The high-speed fun has to be cut short, though, while passing beneath Lake Austin’s prime landmark, the arcing Austin 360 Bridge. What makes this bridge special is that it spans Lake Austin without actually touching the water, one of very few such bridges in the world. It’s pretty enough to make you want to slow down to admire it. And it’s a good idea to slow down anyway. Even if you’re not impressed by the bridge, the public launch ramp on the northern shore beneath the bridge is heavily trafficked, so this is always an area where you slow to nearly idle speed, even though it’s not Terms of Use & Privacy Statemently required.
Even on a weekday morning like this, there’s traffic at the 360 launch ramp, as hooky-playing wakeboarders, anglers and sun-worshippers splash in their boats and take to the water. So you cruise slowly past, waving at everyone, then lean on the throttle again as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
The best part of running the length of Lake Austin is watching the civilization fade as you go north, away from downtown. It’s not a terribly long lake, but within just a few miles, the shores are no longer lined with million-dollar homes, but with empty land and even cattle, grazing at the water’s edge. One thing Lake Austin doesn’t have, though, is an abundance of coves where you can do some serious goofing-off. It’s more of a river, really, than a lake, so when you decide to cut the engine and let the GS 259 take a deserved rest, that slow current starts pushing you back toward the town where you started.
It’s a slow current. So slow that it might take two or three days to get all the way back to the southern tip of the lake, but that might be OK. It would give you plenty of time to enjoy the GS 259’s cruising capacity, which includes enough room for a family of four to spend the night onboard, as long as each pair’s willing to share a bed.
Step into the cabin and the spaciousness is surprising. The GS 259 is a true 25-footer, yet there’s enough headroom in the cabin for a 6-footer to stand tall and straight. The galley is workable for overnighting, or even whipping up some quick snacks on a long cruise. Although a 6-footer can stand comfortably in the cabin, he or she won’t be nearly as comfortable when trying to take a shower—the enclosed head doesn’t offer quite the headroom of the cabin—but there’s enough room to brush your teeth. That done, the tall folks (assuming there are only two of them) can sack out on the v-berth while the short fry wedge into the midberth.
While the cabin is roomy for a trailerable 25-footer with an 8-foot-6-inch beam, the best place to be on the GS 259 is above deck. There’s plenty of room to move around up top. Not enough room to host a 15-person cocktail party, but enough for that family of four to hang out (without invading each other’s space) or for a crew of friendly watersports lovers to come along for an afternoon’s session.
Watersports always comes to mind when you’re on the northern half of Lake Austin, because this is watersports central for central Texans. Slalom skiers, barefooters, wakeboarders, kneeboarders and inflatables riders come from all around to get their share of water time. Because it’s a constant-level reservoir, and because the northern half is farther from downtown and therefore much less developed and populated, this part of Lake Austin provides reliably glassy water almost 365 days a year. The only time it gets rough is when there’s excessive watersports traffic or high winds.
Slalom skiers are likely to be disappointed by the GS 259’s tall, solid wake, but that’s OK—it’s not meant to be a ski boat. It wasn’t really designed to be a wakeboard boat either, but the wake works well for recreational boarders—and inflatables riders will have fun, too.
There is little discouraging feedback about the GS 259. The only thing anyone would change would be to add an option or two, like an electric anchor windlass and dockside air-conditioner and heater. And for overnighting, go with the 13-inch flat screen TV/DVD. It’s no Batboat, true, but the GS 259 is a prime example of why Glastron is celebrating its 50th anniversary—it’s building good boats.
Test Data
Performance data was gathered with a 300-hp MerCruiser 350 Magnum Bravo III, three people onboard, full gear, half a take of fuel, and a full tank of fresh water.
Top Speed – 48 mph
0-30 mph – 10.2 seconds
Decibels @ Idle – 64 dB-A
Decibels @ WOT – 97 dB-A
Vital Stats
Length Overall – 24’10”
Beam – 8’6”
Weight – 5,450 lbs.
Fuel – 56 gal.
NMMA Certified – Yes
Base Price - $49,025 (w/220-hp, 5.0 GL Volvo Penta)
Price as Tested - $55,392 (w/300-hp MerCruiser 350 Magnum Bravo III)
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