Chalk Gray Tuff 25: The Yamaha SHO Powered Lake Hot Rod

There is something so clean and understated about Noah Jeppesen’s Chalk Gray Tuff 25 that you forget this is one of the deadliest single engine sport boats being made. Not many boats are as fast with the same power and the Tuff 25 looks incredible with perfect proportions. Noah had his new Tuff 25 done in Porsche Chalk Gray, a Yamaha 250 SHO and a Porta Bracket, plus a few other custom features to make this one of the coolest builds I’ve seen in a while. Let’s take a look.

At 25’ feet and a narrow but not skinny beam of 7’1”, the Tuff 25 is deceptive, it’s a pretty big boat by single engine standards. With enough hull and deadrise to handle some chop, the gray 25 is also incredibly fast. This one is not a light build either and features nice Alcantara seating, full stereo and SeaDek flooring. For power, the Yamaha SHO was chosen partly because it’s a really tunable platform and is also a really reliable engine that has been around forever.

The Yamaha 4.2 is a big engine but looks great on this Tuff 25. The Chalk Gray gelcoat suits the Dark Gray Yamaha, and the power of the Nizpro tuned SHO is perfect for the Tuff. A supercharger is next.

Noah wasted no time getting a Nizpro tuning program for it, and a custom Imco side steering kit. With a modified gearcase, the Tuff 25 will run 95 MPH easily with a 30.5” Max 5, even though it was not quite right with the engine hitting 7000 RPM. Another Tuff 25 with a Nizpro tuned SHO and a Bravo ran 104 MPH. The Porta Bracket is a really nice piece that is versatile and really one of the best jack plates out there.

Guiding that power is a custom Imco side steering kit. Side steering and solid mounts make for a really tight steering setup. The Porta Bracket is a really nice piece too.

When I talked to Noah about the boat, we were in Lake of the Ozarks and he had come down with his family to see the event and run his boat. During that week it’s one of the busiest times for Lake of the Ozarks and the narrow lake becomes a washing machine of boat waves, so any boat will get tested in the slop there. All in all, he said it ran great, it was choppy for sure and there are some good shots of him jumping some waves. What I like is that the Tuff is really sleek and low profile but the extra length always helps the ride and it’s going to outrun most 22’ foot sport boats.

Really custom and really comfortable. Alcantara seats, SeaDek and a nice screen to go with the gauges.

Noah absolutely loves the boat and I do too. The color is amazing, it’s rigged really custom and the boat absolutely hauls. To me it has the perfect proportions, length and beam. Lots of old school sport boats have 8’ and more beams that make them kind of fat, where there are some big advantages being a little skinnier.

All business.

The 4.2 V6 Yamaha has been popular up north because they are easier to get as far as availability and the tuning is a big feature for some. Out of the box the big V6 is a bullet proof performer with a few aftermarket items it can become a monster. Even without tuning the engine, you can add solid mounts, taller gears and a larger prop shaft for surfacing the gearcase. When you add the ECU tuning or a supercharger it gets really wild.

Hanging out at Lake of the Ozarks. About 110 degrees.

This is a really cool build of one of the coolest boats on the market. To me it’s the perfect size for the 300+ HP bigger outboards. You can tell it’s the sibling of the big Tuff 34, with the low profile deck and rear design. Thanks to Noah for sharing some pictures and letting me take a look. I will be heading to Canada shortly to take an even closer look at more Tuffs.