The Tropic is a motor yacht and speedboat in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Grand Theft Auto V. It is manufactured by Grotti in GTA IV and Shitzu in GTA V.
Design
3D Universe
All iterations of the Tropic are essentially flybridge motor yachts or cabin cruisers, based on the Chris-Craft Corinthian 33.
The Tropic is evidently larger than most conventional boats, on par with the Marquis and the Rio. It features a long hull with tall hand rails and a large living space with opaque windows, while the back features an access ladder on the right and glass doors on the left that allow small visibility to the living space, along with additional accessories such as a lifebuoy on the left and a yellow box on the right. The bridge features the main controls on the front, as well as a bench seat on the rear. The stern features two small nozzles for the inboard engine.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the glass window allows limited visibility to a small kitchen, and the bridge is partially covered by a brownish structure, with the radar and antenna located on top.
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the windows on the living space are semi-transparent, allowing the player to see a small living area with red curtains, cabinets, tables and two sofas, while keeping the aforementioned features.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, it retains the opaque windows and the small kitchen, but the flybridge is exposed, no longer featuring the brownish structure.
All renditions of the Tropic are available only in an all-white color, with the secondary one revealed to be applied to the floors of the rear deck and flybridge, the structure covering the flybridge and the bench seats, as well as the sofas and part of the cabinets on the GTA San Andreas iteration.
Grand Theft Auto IV
In Grand Theft Auto IV, the Tropic is still a cabin cruiser, but it has a low-profile cabin housed in its bulky hull, strongly resembling a Sea Ray 300 Sundancer.
The Tropic assumes a much smaller design compared to speedboats such as the Jetmax or the Squalo (with the title of largest boat belonging to the Tug, which is easily twice the size of the pre-GTA IV Tropic). The boat features a short and wide hull with a slight curvature towards the stern, while the cabin quarters are mostly finished in black and use a sleek windshield with silver/chrome trim, two bucket seats with rollbar loops for the front occupants and large bench seats for the rear occupants. The boat makes use of conventional propellers and small vents on the rear.
The Tropic can spawn in different variations with pre-determined extras, which primarily affect the bow, gunwales and cabin:
- The first one has a flat, primary-painted front deck with short frames and trim finished in silver/chrome, short hand rails around the bow, cleats located near the windshield and a rectangular glass around the middle, while the small handles are located around the middle section of the gunwales.
- The second one is a variation of the first, having a secondary-colored deck short hand rails finished in silver/chrome, the same cleats near the windshield (albeit rotated) and a wider rectangular glass in the middle, while the cabin quarters have a wakeboard above. The small handles are also located on the rearmost section of the gunwales.
- The third one has a flat, secondary-colored deck with long hand rails finished in black, while a spoiler is seen mounted around the middle, over the ends of the windshield. The gunwales have no handles around.
- The fourth one has a concave deck with tall hand rails, while the cabin quarters have a painted arch with short retractable canvass roofs on both ends and a short top-mounted antenna on the right half. Small handles can also be seen on the rearmost section of the gunwales, but they are located on the top surfaces.
- The fifth one has an elevated deck with short frames and a circular glass in the middle, while the bow has tall hand rails with an extra horizontal frame in the middle. The cabin quarters feature a similar painted arch with a rear retractable canvass roof, but the front section has a small solid roof with a glass fairing connected to the windshield, and a taller antenna on the left half. Small handles can be also seen on the sides of the arch and on the rearmost section of the gunwales.
The boat spawns in a white primary color for most of the body, as well as a small variety of secondary colors for the upper portions of the hull, a frame on the dashboard, the rollbar loops on the seats and the propulsion systems.
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
The Tropic returns to Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online with the same design and features, albeit with circular headlights on the bow and rugged/metal flooring on the swim step, while the rollbar loops on the seats were removed. In the enhanced version, the boat uses analog "Truck" dials like most boats.
The vehicle spawns with the same extras, although the roofed variants were removed in the enhanced version. It also has the same color distribution, although it has a larger variety of color sets.
Current Design Gallery
Version History Gallery
Performance
3D Universe
Despite its size and weight, the Tropic in GTA Vice City has an exceptional top speed, although its ability to turn at high speeds is poor. In GTA Vice City Stories, however, it is generally one of the slowest boats (on a similar level as the Marquis and Rio) due to its size and weight. The GTA San Andreas rendition is remarkably fast, comparable to a Squalo.
Due to the two large inboard engines with Pump-Jets, the boat is able to navigate across shallow waters. It is a great boat for transporting large gangs, and great for just cruising around in the waters of San Andreas, but with the disadvantage of its bad turning.
3D Universe Overview
| Acceleration (0-60mph / 0-100km/h) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh / knots) |
Engine (Inboard / Outboard) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 118 / 190 / 103 | Petrol | 2200 / 4850 |
| N/A | N/A | Twin inboard engines | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto IV
The GTA IV rendition features greatly improved performance, but remains a lower-end speedboat. However, it is the third-fastest boat, having a similar speed as the game's Dinghy. Being generally shorter, the Tropic handles relatively well in narrow passages.
Again, the boat uses twin inboard engines with Z-drive propellers, and it shares the engine sound with most speedboats.
GTA IV Overview
| Acceleration (0-60mph / 0-100km/h) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh / knots) |
Engine (Inboard / Outboard) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 47 / 75 / 40 | N/A | 5000 / 11023 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | Twin inboard engines | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
In GTA V and GTA Online, the boat retains its significant qualities from its previous rendition; however, the handling has been revamped due to the large overhaul of vehicle physics. Its mass has been reduced significantly, allowing it to have higher speeds (though remaining inferior to the speedboats and the ones added in later updates). In addition, while not as versatile as the Seashark, it is still a safer alternative for narrow passages, as the Seashark is not very resilient to collisions and the occupants may be ejected.
Again, the boat uses twin inboard engines with Z-drive propellers and a relatively low-revving engine sound, with a tone similar to cars such as the Jackal and the modern Police Cruiser.
GTA V/GTA Online Overview
| Acceleration (0-60mph / 0-100km/h) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh / knots) |
Engine (Inboard / Outboard) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 71 / 115 / 62 | N/A | 2000 / 4409 | 10 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | Twin inboard engines | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
 |
Speed | 70.987663% | ||
| Acceleration | 76.470589% | |||
| Traction | 32% | |||
Image Gallery
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
Variants
Grand Theft Auto Online
Yacht
| This article (or section) refers to content in the Enhanced version for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC release of Grand Theft Auto Online that may be absent from other versions. For a complete list of the features of the Enhanced version for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC version of Grand Theft Auto Online, please see here. |  |
A special version of the Tropic appears when purchasing the Orion Yacht in Grand Theft Auto Online, added as part of the Executives and Other Criminals update. It spawns in the colors of the yacht; altering the color of the yacht will consequently alter the color of the boat and any other vehicles that spawn on the yacht.
It is essentially the same Tropic, with the same features and extras as the regular version. It also retains the same color sets and distribution, used by default when spawned through other means.
Static Variants
Rufus
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Rufus is the name for a boat based on the Tropic, appearing as a prop in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- All Hands On Deck! - The French use this boat to attack on water and block the yatch's patch.
- Stunt Boat Challenge - At some parts of the channels, Tommy has to avoid Tropics that are in the way.
- Naval Engagement - Tommy destroys two Tropics in Starfish Island, owned by haitians.
- Autocide - The fifth target, Nick Kong, owns a Tropic, which he uses for cruising before being killed.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Amphibious Assault - The guards patrols the water around the ship using four Tropics.
- Vertical Bird - The spy boats that Toreno wants Carl to destroy are Tropics on the waters of Sherman Reservoir.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Lost and Found - A Tropic and two Speeders are used by Martinez's goons after they attack Lance and steal his money.
- Civil Asset Forfeiture Impound - The Tropic is one of the 32 vehicles wanted by the Civil Asset Forfeiture Impound in the side-mission of the same name. Placed on the fourth and final list.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Buoys Ahoy - Niko and Bernie get in a Tropic for a ride, before it eventually turns into a chase to take out Dimitri's goons.
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Series A - Coke - The boat team must pick up a Tropic in order to raid the yacht with the packs of coke scattered throughout, along with the helicopter team.
Locations
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Docked on the eastern side of the Vice Point-Leaf Links canal, Vice Point.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Spawns at Bone County, usually seen floating north of Verdant Meadows
- Usually spawns at a small dock in San Fierro below the Garver Bridge in front of a Squalo.
- Used as spy ships during the mission Vertical Bird (obtainable).
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Spawns around Starfish Island.
- Docked at the Ocean Bay Marina in Ocean Beach, at the middle dock.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- It appears on the waterways of Liberty City.
- Sometimes spawns at a small dock next to Faustin's Mansion in Beachgate, at the end of the road.
- Spawns at a pier at the boatyard from Catch the Wave on Charge Island.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Can be purchased from DockTease for $22,000.
- Spawns around the Puerto Del Sol Yacht Club.
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Can be purchased from DockTease for $22,000.
- Available for free as a companion vehicle with the Orion Galaxy Super Yacht, with the color of the boat corresponding to the color of the yacht (enhanced version only).
Trivia
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
- If the player jumps on the bow (front) of the Tropic and walks towards the front window, CJ will suddenly appear either underwater, underneath the Tropic or appear in Blue Hell.
