262 Cruiser

A topo-selling model, the Monterey 262 is a well-designed and heavily built trailerable cruiser with a number of attractive features that set her apart from some of her better-known counterparts. Few 26-footers with standing cabin headroom can be described as sleek—their elevated foredeck usually give them a decidedly bulky appearance—but the 262’s wraparound (walk-through) windshield, oval ports, and integral bow pulpit add a good deal of sex appeal to her profile. While the cockpit is about average in size, the built-in reclining lounge opposite the helm is a nice touch, and the helm seat can be flipped up and turned into a leaning post for standup driving. (It can also be folded down with its aft-facing jump seats to form a sun lounge.) A wet bar was standard, and the transom seat folds away into the transom when more cockpit space is required. Below deck, the midcabin floorplan of the Monterey 262 is arranged in the conventional manner with a dinette/V-berth forward, a small galley, standup head compartment, and a double berth aft beneath the raised bridge deck. A single 300hp Volvo 7.4-liter I/O will cruise at 20 knots (35–36 top).