Mission of the Nitro ZV 21

In a word, her mission is to take anglers out on big lakes, provide them with all of the boat-related tools necessary to find and boat different species of fish -- all on the same day -- then make sure the anglers get home safe and dry. Secondly, Nitro is taking what it has learned in bass boats and the comfort they have and applied it to multi-specie fishing. The boat is designed to be safe, seaworthy and dry. All that is needed is a reasonable price, and that has always been one of Nitro's missions.

Description of the Nitro ZV 21

The ZV 21 is 21'7'' (6.57 m) LOA with an 8'4" (2.54 m) beam, drawing 18" (.45 m) and weighing about 2,900 lbs. (1,318 kgs.). It's cockpit depth is 25" (63 cm). She comes standard with a 250-hp XL OptiMax Pro XS Mercury outboard and a tandem-axle trailer.

This boat is designed to get anglers on their feet and moving around the boat with alacrity when fish are biting, something that is not advisable on many small aluminum multi-species boats. By creating raised casting decks bow and stern Nitro has gotten the angler up off the thwarts of small boats.



This image says a lot about how the new ZV 21 can be used. Note the men are standing, moving around and one is even steering with the kicker. The boat's beam is 8'4" wide.

Distinguishing Features

●Fiberglass Hull. We are talking big boats here and that means high freeboard (28"/70 cm), contoured bow flare, a modified deep V bottom and the beef to stand up to white caps in a sloppy lake.

● Heavy-duty gunwale-mounted fore and aft trolling rails

● Port and starboard drop-in aft storage boxes with tackle tray holders

●Patent-Pending port net storage

● Dual consoles with Lowrance HDS-7 fishfinder with GPS, easy-to-read instrumentation

●Anti-fatigue matting below bow and cockpit carpet

●Illuminated storage (manual)

●Fold-down molded fishing seat with power pedestal

●10" adjustable jack plate for the standard engine

●Stainless steel prop



A bird's eye view of the deck layout of the Nitro ZV 21.

Major Features

●Standard fire extinguisher

●2-tone paint scheme

●22-oz. plush, marine grade carpet on decks

●Stowable navigation lights

●Elevated bow and stern casting decks

●Minn Kota Terrova 36V 101-lb. thrust, 60" (1.52 m) shaft trolling motor

Snapshots of Fishing Features--



There are two bins in the stern quarters that each hold six tackle drawers. This system allows the anglers to sort through their tackle at home and prepare for the weekend hunt with the right arsenal of lures.



This is a 26 gallon (98.4 L) livewell in the stern of the boat. Note the round collar for a bait bucket at left. By having bait buckets both at the stern and the bow, anglers don't have to disturb each other.



The forward bait bucket is just in front of the helm console on the bow platform.



Just forward of the companion console is an insulated box for ice. Use it for night crawlers or beverages -- or both!



This rod rack is on the centerline just forward of the console under the casting deck.



This rotocast tackle box bin sits between the helm and companion seat.



The boat comes standard with four stainless steel mounting rails for trolling and spiders.



When in the hunt there is special rod storage close at hand under the navigator's console to port.



A clever piece of Velcro keeps the rods from rattling around.



In the bow this recessed location for the optional trolling motor pedal is always a favorite of keen anglers.

Fishing Features

The ZV comes equipped for comfortable fishing. There is a movable fishing seat that can be raised and lowered, along with a bike seat with adjustable height. There is a removable 5.5 gallon (20.8 L) insulated baitwell with removable bucket in the bow. Aft there is a 26 gallon (98.4 L) insulated Guardian livewell with removable bait bucket. Supporting these wells are two 500 gph aerator pumps with timers, and two 750 gph recirculating pumps with timers.

All of the wells are rotomolded with oxygen generators and pump out systems. On the centerline between the consoles there is an organized locker for rods up to 8' (2.44 m) long. All of this is in addition to the fishing gear mentioned above in the "Distinguishing Features" and "Major Features" sections.



The helm console is larger than it might appear as this picture demonstrates with these two huge screens. A Lowrance sonar/chartplotter comes standard with a 6.4" screen. Note the wheel, which is the sportiest one we have ever seen on a multi-species boat.

Helm Details

The helm seat slides fore and aft and under the console there is a canted foot rest and a place for the optional Hot Foot pedal. All of the diagnostic instruments are standard and are installed on the black panel which eliminates the glare often seen reflected by white fiberglass. The windscreen is acrylic.

The custom tilt wheel has hydraulic steering made by Mercury Marine and is integral to its engine.



(A) Courtesy light. (B) Rotocast tackle box bin. (C) Foot rest with room for a Hot Foot pedal. (D) Molding between the 22-oz. carpet and the fiberglass bulwarks. (E) Helm seat swivels. (F) Acrylic holder for tools of the trade.

Fishfinder/GPS. The HDS-7 Lowrance unit is not a cheap depth sounder and comes with a number of important features. It has a 6.4" (163 mm) display with a 16-bit color and full SolarMax Plus TFT. The display is sun-viewable and it has LED backlighting. It has Go Free wireless technology which makes it possible to view the sonar and chartplotter on a laptop or tablet.

The HDS-7 includes built-in charts or bundled map options. It is compatible with the most expansive selection of cartography on the market. It also has the TrackBack function that allows users to review their course history and save key fishing locations.



Look aft into the cockpit between the two casting platforms. An optional walkthrough windshield can be ordered for an additional $525.



The port console has a lockable compartment that is large enough for all sorts of stuff.

Construction Details

The Nitro ZV 21's hull is built with conventional hand-laid techniques and standard industry scantlings. The stringer system is all fiberglass with foam core. The transom, which is 28" high, is all-composite fiberglass materials. The deck and hull are bonded together chemically and then mechanically fastened. The insulated deck hatches are aluminum supported by aluminum hat sections for strength. The boat has foam flotation which meets USCG standards.



We were impressed to see these two Johnson 1,600 gph bilge pumps with their solid state water sensors. These are good, industrial grade pumps.

Electrical System

As every boater knows the most vulnerable system on a boat is the electrical system. The folks at Nitro have worked hard to provide a class-A system on the ZV 21. First of all, connectors on pumps and nav lights are water resistant. When the wire is laid into the boat it is carefully bundled and wrapped with an abrasion-resistant material.

Batteries. The boat comes standard with three heavy-duty Interstate Series SRM-29 trolling batteries and one heavy-duty Interstate 27M-XHD cranking battery. There is a 4-bank (35 amps total) onboard battery charger with external receptacle.

Nitro uses plug-in type automotive-style fuses which are labeled under a cover. The trolling motor has a 50-amp circuit breaker.



The 9.9 Mercury kicker seen here is a $4,000 option.



The jackplate seen here comes standard. Note the 18-degree deadrise at the transom and the wide chine flats.



No trailer should be without a spare and an optional one is available with the Nitro ZV 21 package. The trailer has standard disc brakes.

The Standard Trailer

A division of Nitro's parent company makes trailers, so it is not surprising that the tandem-axle trailer that comes with the ZV 21 is loaded with features. We like the surge disc breaks on two axles and the custom-matched, color-coordinated powder-coated treatment. It makes the rig look like something from the Penske Racing Team.

The wheels are 14" and an optional spare is available. The lights are LED and are submersible. The frame is all-welded tubular for greater strength and is covered with Galvashield corrosion protection.



The standard casting seat that can be used on any of several places around the boat. It comes standard and raises and lowers.



This is the standard bicycle seat that raises and lowers.

Pricing and Power Options

The ZV 21 with a standard 250-hp Mercury two-stroke and the tandem-axle trailer has an MSRP of $49,995 plus $495 prep and $850 for shipping (to Stamford, CT). For example, to ship this rig to our office in Stamford, CT. Total price: $51,340, plus tax.

Upgrading to the 250-hp four-stroke Verado, the total price will be $54,540. Go to the 300-hp Verado and the total price is $56,940.

Options We'd Consider

In addition to canvas to cover the boat, options we would consider are the walkthrough windshield ($525), the Keel Guard ($200) and Lenco electric trim tabs ($945). None of these things, except the canvas, are necessary, which speaks well for the way Nitro has equipped the standard boat.



The cockpit is 25" deep which provides security as the boat trolls along.

Observations

A Special Boat. It's hard to find a multi-species boat quite like the Nitro ZV 21. Several world-class anglers collaborated with Nitro on its design, and with its raised casting decks fore and aft she certainly has elements that relate to tournament fishing.

Big Water. Several years ago we went fishing on Reindeer Lake in Northern Saskatchewan. The lake is 140 miles long and 37 miles wide and for a week we ranged over much of it in a 18' aluminum boat. The weather was perfect, so no worries.

But what would the conditions have been like if a cold front had come roaring in from the Northwest Territories while we were 35 miles from home base? What if we had to power into the teeth of 30 to 35-knot wind with waves breaking after a long fetch? It is for that reason that we think that there is a lot to be said for a large fiberglass boat with generous freeboard and a bottom that can provide a relatively soft ride at high speed in a chop as well as stability at trolling speeds.



There's nothing quite so much fun as pouring the coals to a big engine on a good hull when the water is flat. The ZV 21 can take rough water, too.

Other Thoughts. The ZV 21 is rated for 6 people but we think it would be most comfortable for two to four people. We haven't tested the boat, but we can't imagine that more power than the standard 250-hp OptiMax is needed or useful for this 2,900-lb boat.

Why So Reasonable? Perhaps the most important thing to take away from this boat is its quality. The price is very competitive but that is not a reflection on how it's built, its materials or the components used. All three of those elements are as good or better than any boat produced in class. As we have mentioned before, Tracker Marine Group's volume, tremendous buying power, efficient production methods, and low sales margins are what make its boats so reasonably-priced, not cutting corners or cheaping out on hardware and equipment.