Captain's Report

Hydra-Sports 2100 CC Mission

The 2100's mission is to be able to go basically where others in the same size boat fear to tread. In order to do that she would have to be designed and built to handle the same sea conditions offshore as her big sisters. Safety and comfort offshore would be the watch-words of the boat. Fishability comes standard.

Distinguishing Features

In a category of boats where many are quite similar, the Hydra-Sports 2100 CC stands out. Here are her most distinguishing features--

High freeboard.

At first the 2100 CC might look a bit odd. The reason is that our eye has gotten used to seeing center consoles this size with a lower freeboard. But high freeboard is important for sea keeping and safety. As pointed out above, waves offshore don't get smaller because the boat on them is 21' and not 35.' By having more freeboard forward the boat stays drier and is better able to keep water from sloshing in during sloppy conditions. The 2100's freeboard is 42" (106 cm) forward, 40" (100.9 cm) amidships and 35" (88 cm) above the waterline at the stern. By comparison, typically many center consoles in this size have a freeboard of about 25" (63 cm) at the transom.

Deeper cockpit.

Because the freeboard is higher, the cockpit is naturally deeper. A deeper cockpit is safer for both veteran anglers and youngsters or guests who may not be familiar with boats and their movements. The ABYC standards call for a minimum of 24" (60.5 cm) of gunwale or rail height on weather decks and the 2100 CC cockpit far exceeds that standard.

Cutaway outboard well.

One of the most important safety features on the 2100 CC is her integral outboard well that is cut down a foot below her transom. With this design the cockpit can be dewatered rapidly if the boat becomes swamped. Boats with closed transoms cannot quickly dewater by putting the throttle forward.

Ceramic transom support.

Hydra-Sports is the only maker of center consoles we know of that uses poured ceramic between the fiberglass hull and the inner liner at the transom for stiffness and strength. The builder says that the ceramic plate has the strength of an aluminum sheet 1.5" (3.7 cm) thick.

Kevlar in the keel.

Everyone knows Kevlar will stop a bullet, but it is also twice as strong as fiberglass and has three times the tensile strength of steel. By putting a layer of it in the keel, Hydra-Sport protects the boat from puncture by a rock or submerged debris in its lowest and most vulnerable area.

13 different colors.

Most builders offer two to four different colors of gel coat as options. Hydra-Sports offers 13, including the standard white. Not only that, but you can specify any one of those 13 colors for the hull sides, and a different color for the bottom, yet another to fill in the Hydra-Sports signature "bolt" graphics on the hull side, and yet another color of the outline of the bolt.

Heavy displacement.

Because of its higher freeboard, ceramic transom plate, sprayed ceramic sealing skin coat in the hull, its stringer system and a large console, the Hydra-Sports 2100 CC at 3,493 lbs. (1,587.7 kgs.) is one of the heaviest boats in class. That speaks volumes about her construction and design. Generally speaking, a heavier boat, all things being equal, rides better at speed in a lumpy sea on the way out for the big ones.

Performance

We have not tested the 2100 CC so we cannot comment on its performance or handling. However, the folks at Evinrude have tested the boat with their 200-hp E-TEC outboard engine and we pass along to you their published results. With a full load of fuel and three men aboard (640 lbs./290 kgs.), Evinrude techs say the boat weighed a total of 4,895 lbs. (2,225 kgs.). They said the 2100 CC had a top speed of 39.6 mph in a medium chop on a 84-degree day. At that speed the engine was turning 5625 rpm. Those are real conditions if we ever saw them.Best cruise was found at 3500 rpm where the boat went 20.8 mph, burning 7.46 gph, getting 2.8 mpg for a range of 301 statute miles, with a 10% fuel reserve, according to Evinrude's techs.

Construction

As you have probably gathered by now, the 2100 CC is built strong and tough. Just to fill in a few details that are a bit unusual, after putting on the gel coat and a layer of vinylester resin (to prohibit blistering), Hydra-Sport sprays in a ceramic coating to stop any pattern print through. A sheet of Kevlar goes in along the keel, then bi-axial fiberglass cloth and woven roving go in the laminate. The lay-up is all by hand. A fiberglass stringer grid is made outside of the hull, then is bonded to the hull with methacrylate adhesive which is the standard adhesive used these days by the best boat builders. An inner liner is set into the hull and bonded in.

Fishy Features

Since this a boat for keen anglers, she has all of the basic fishing features. The livewell is 20 gallons, has a light and an 800 gph pump and is located under the jump seat in the starboard quarter. Two large, insulated, and draining, fish boxes are under the seats (or casting platform) in the bow. In the sole between these seats is storage for nets and other gear.There are three pull-out tackle drawers and four rod holders in the gunwales. As usual, rod storage is to port and starboard under the gunwales aft. We would order the optional fishing station that attaches to the transom rail around the outboard well. There is also an optional table that fits on this rail that should be considered, depending on how you will use the boat.

Standard Equipment We Like

Hydra-Sports builds premium boats so she has most of the hardware and equipment you'd expect on that category of vessel. Nevertheless, a few things did catch our eye as we looked over the standards list: thru-hulls below the waterline are bronze and stainless steel above the waterline; the anchor locker is self-draining; the windscreen is glass, not plexy; the stainless steel transom rail; deluxe leaning post with rod holders, cooler and removable back rest; standard Porta-Potti in the head.

Options We Would Consider

The most important option is, of course, the T-top. You have your choice of a couple of types but both will do the job of protecting you from the sun and rain. We would also get the trim tabs and stainless steel insert for the rub rail. And that is about it. The boat comes very well equipped as standard. Put on a chartplotter, fishfinder, VHF, ground tackle and a couple of fenders and you're ready to go.

Power Options and Price

Hydra-Sports offers three engine brands for the single outboard this vessel requires: Evinrude, Yamaha and Mercury. Horsepower options range from 150-hp to 250-hp, the max rating for this boat. The MSRP price of the Hydra-Sports 2100 CC ranges from about $61,000 when equipped with a 150-hp outboard to around $74,000 with a 250-hp engine.

Observations About the Hydra-Sports 2100 CC

This is not a cheap boat and if that is what you want then we suggest you look elsewhere. If you are planning on fishing in protected water, then you probably don't need the stones that this boat has, and we would suggest that you look at Hydra-Sports' 23 Bay Bolt which is quite a bit different, and less expensive.However, if you are headed offshore for game, or would like to cross some big bodies of water, say, going across the Stream to the Bahamas for some fishing -- and don't want or can't afford a bigger boat -- then the 2100 CC should be on your shopping list. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of the safety features that this boat has. They, together with the boat's 20-degree deadrise at the transom and its overall construction, should hold you in good stead when conditions get smoky.

Standard and Optional Features