Stanley Lighthouse 264 CC: Built for Big Water

By Mike Burns

There are aluminum boats, and then there are aluminum boats that make you forget you’re in an aluminum boat. The Stanley Lighthouse 264 CC falls squarely into the second category.

Built by Connor Industries, the company behind the Stanley line, the Lighthouse combines the ruggedness you expect from a serious aluminum boat with a surprisingly refined level of finish and equipment. At 26’4” with a 9’6” beam, the 264 CC is a substantial boat, but it doesn’t feel like a workboat that has simply been dressed up for recreational use. It feels purpose-built for serious boating.

I recently had the opportunity to test the Lighthouse on Lake Simcoe, and it didn’t take long to appreciate what this boat is about. The first thing that stands out is how solid it feels underway. Even when Lake Simcoe started to develop a bit of a chop, the boat remained composed and predictable. There’s a reassuring lack of flex, vibration and rattling that you sometimes associate with aluminum construction.

The wide beam also pays dividends. There is plenty of room to move around the cockpit, while the centre-console layout gives the Lighthouse considerable versatility. It can easily serve as a serious fishing platform, but it is equally well suited to family cruising, entertaining or simply making a long run across the lake.

Our test boat was powered by twin Yamaha 150XSA outboards, providing a healthy 300 hp on the transom, and was equipped with Yamaha’s Helm Master EX system. On a boat this size, the system is particularly impressive. Docking a 26-foot boat with twin engines can be intimidating when the wind is blowing across the marina, but Helm Master EX takes much of the drama out of the process.

The ability to move the boat sideways, rotate it in place and make precise low-speed adjustments with the joystick is something you quickly come to appreciate. After using it for a while, backing a boat into a slip the traditional way starts to seem unnecessarily complicated.

The Lighthouse was also equipped with Siren Marine, adding another level of connectivity to the package. Siren allows the owner to remotely monitor the boat and provides features such as GPS tracking and security alerts. For anyone who keeps their boat at a marina or cottage, being able to check on things remotely is a worthwhile bit of technology.

Performance on Lake Simcoe was impressive, particularly considering the conditions of our test. With five people aboard and approximately 89 percent fuel capacity, the Lighthouse reached a top speed of 43.5 mph at 5,650 rpm. That’s a respectable turn of speed for a 26-foot aluminum boat, especially with five people and a substantial fuel load aboard.

More importantly, I found a comfortable cruising speed of 28.5 mph at 3,850 rpm. At that speed, the Lighthouse settled nicely into its stride, offering a good combination of speed, comfort and relaxed operation. It’s also the kind of cruising speed that makes covering serious distances on a large lake both practical and enjoyable.

What I particularly like about the Lighthouse is that it doesn’t try to disguise what it is. This is a serious aluminum boat designed for Canadian conditions, but it has been equipped and finished to the point where it can comfortably compete with much more conventional recreational boats.

For boaters who regularly venture onto big water, the Lighthouse 264 CC offers an appealing combination of strength, stability and technology. Add 500 hp of Yamaha power, Helm Master EX and Siren Marine to the equation and you end up with a boat that isn’t just capable on a big inland lake—it’s also remarkably easy and enjoyable to operate.

In short, the Lighthouse 264 CC is a serious piece of Canadian-built hardware, but it doesn’t require you to sacrifice comfort or sophistication to get it.

SPECIFICATIONS / PERFORMANCE

• Length: 26’4” (8.03 m)
• Beam: 9’6” (2.90 m)
• Power: Twin Yamaha 150XSA outboards (300 hp /  kW220 total)
• Tested top speed: 43.5 mph (70.0 km/h) @ 5,650 rpm
• Comfortable cruise: 28.5 mph (45.9 km/h) @ 3,850 rpm
• Test load: 5 persons, approximately 89% fuel capacity
• Test location: Lake Simcoe, Ontario

RPM                            MPH

700                                             3.25
1000                                          4.18
3000                                          20.8
3500                                          25.7
4000                                          31.5
4500                                          33.8
4750                                          36.5
5500                                          41.7
5650                                          43.5