Specifications

LOA: 21’8” Beam: 8’6” Draft: 13”

Fuel: 55 gal. Max hp: 250

Base price: $56,717 with Yamaha F200 outboard

EdgeWater: 386-427-9783 • ewboats.com

With $4 a gallon gas becoming a fact of life, smaller boats that are stingy on fuel make good sense these days, especially when you’re fishing bays, tidal rivers and other protected waters. That’s the thought behind EdgeWater’s 210IS (IS stands for Inshore Series) — an ideal boat for those trips when you plan to fish close to home with just a buddy or two.

This bay boat sports a 21-foot-8-inch hull that draws just 13 inches (with the outboard up) for chasing inshore species such as bluefish, redfish, tarpon, snook and striped bass. Yet when weather permits, it can also take you out to fish wrecks and reefs for kings, grouper, snapper, and more. With an 8½-foot beam, it boasts 65 square feet of usable cockpit space.

Yamaha’s new four-cylinder F200 four-stroke outboard powered our test boat. This lightweight engine mates perfectly with the 2,400-pound 210IS, propelling it to an impressive top speed of more than 48 mph in the waters of Biscayne Bay near Miami. This boat-and-engine combination jumped on plane in just a tad over four seconds, and reached 30 mph in about six seconds during our test. At the same time, the F200 offered fuel economy in spades, achieving 5 mpg at 3,500 rpm and 25.6 mph. That equates to a range of 250 miles with the 210IS’s 55-gallon fuel tank. Maximum rated horsepower is 250.

The 25-inch transom features fiberglass-composite construction, and the 210IS is also unsinkable, thanks to full-foam flotation. In addition, the gunwales are 21 inches high, and the deck is completely self-bailing. That’s reassuring, especially if you happen to get caught in a blow.

Performance with a single Yamaha F200 outboard

Edgewater-Specs

The 210IS features a simple — but effective — angling layout. Knowing that most of the action will take place up front, EdgeWater designed the boat with an expansive casting platform in the bow that can easily accommodate a pair of anglers, as well as a bow-mounted trolling motor. In the forepeak is a big anchor locker, while the casting deck houses three dry-storage lockers, all featuring hatches with gelcoated undersides, gas-assist support struts, gasket seals and compression latches. Storage for four fishing rods is built into the lockers on either side of the bow deck. The center compartment can double as a fish box.