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The Century 2102 bay boat: time to cast!

Why should you be interested in a review of the Century 2102 Inshore bay boat? Simple: It takes die-hard anglers a season to get a new boat rigged to fish, and the process never really ends. We’re always installing fishfinders, rodholders, and more – you know the deal. But the 2102 is a turn-key fishing machine which needs little to no prep work from the time you stroke a check, to the time you launch at the closest ramp.

            Let’s start out with bait-hauling ability: the 2102 has a pair of livewells, an 18-gallon well in the aft deck and a 12-gallon well forward of the console. Turn those livies into a catch and you’ll be reaching for the insulated fishbox in the bowdeck, which is plenty big for a brace of redfish or stripers. There’s the standard 94-qt. cooler hidden under the leaning post for your drinks and food, which will handle any fishbox overflow in a pinch. Larger items will fit in the large aft stowage compartment. And cargo nets are mounted under the aft deck, so you can take full advantage of every inch of stowage space.

You want even more? No problem – the forward stowage compartment is huge, and was intentionally sized for three deep-cycle batteries so you’d have the option of choosing a whopping 36-volt model without worrying about how you’ll find space for the power packs. Yes, this option will up the ante but the dealer can do the install so you don’t have to lift a finger. What about rodboxes? Bow stowage boxes long enough to house seven-footers are integrated into the port and starboard decks.

While running across a one foot chop the 2102 was solid underfoot (transom deadrise is 14.5-degrees, which is relatively steep for a dedicated bay boat) and running through the inlet won’t be a problem on calm days. That said, when we launched off of a tugboat wake at 30-mph I wished I had pulled back on the throttles—remember, this boat is designed for a bay chop, not big rollers.

Fishing-wise, the 2102 is a charm. The spacious bowdeck extends aft on the sides, and there’s plenty of room for two people to cast from an elevated position at the same time. We probed the backcountry during our test and discovered the relatively large 80-gallon fuel capacity matched up with the 150 four-stroke gives you some seriously long legs; range at a 32-mph clip is about 300 miles, so you’re not likely to run the 2102 dry any time soon. That means you won’t have to fuel up after every trip, leaving you with plenty of extra time to spend on boat rigging—or in this case, time to spend on something else.

Century’s take on the 2102 can be found at www.centuryboats.com.

LOA – 21’8”

Beam – 8’6”

Draft – 13”

Dry weight – 2,000

Fuel capacity – 80

Max. HP – 55

Price – The lower to upper $40’s, depending on power choice and options.

Observed performance notes w/2 people and half load fuel, single 150 HP Yamaha F-150 four-stroke outboard, swinging a 14 1/4” x 17” three bladed stainless-steel prop: