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| The Frontier 21, a bay boat that fulfills great expectations. |
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Frontier 21: Great Expectations
You need a new bay boat that has a reasonable price, yet still provides you with quality and functionality? Then you need to look to new frontiers—Frontier boats, that is. The list price for this bay boat, which runs on a 15-degree deadrise semi-V bottom designed and built by industry veteran Bill Kenner (yep—the same guy that started Kenner Boats) starts under 30K with a 150-hp Yamaha outboard and an aluminum trailer. An average center console of this size and quality usually runs a solid five to 10 grand more.
Do you have to give up on performance to get into in this price range? Heck no. When I ran the Frontier is ate a one to two foot chop for breakfast, and hopped up onto plane in just a few seconds without excessive squatting or hesitation. Top end busted past 50-mph and cruising speeds were in the upper 30’s. So, where’s the sacrifice? Instead of being built with a full fiberglass liner, which raises the expense level, the Frontier has a spackle-style gray and black cockpit interior. Gunwales and fore and aft decks are finished off by a fiberglass cap, which stiffens the sides of the boat and contributes to overall strength. So essentially, the “big” sacrifice you make is purely cosmetic.
But, wait a sec—there are advantages to that spackle interior, too. It makes for very easy clean-up, and the spackle-and-cap design provides integrated stowage compartments in the fore and aft deck. The foredeck has an anchor locker and stowage compartment, and the aft deck has two stowage areas plus a large livewell. There’s a second livewell forward of the console, under the console seat. There are also two jump seats built into the aft deck, which fold flat to create an unobstructed raised casting deck. There aren’t any integrated in-deck fishboxes, but a 94-quart cooler fits under the leaning post. Put this boat’s low cost, competent performance, and smart design together, and you get a bay boat that fulfills all of your expectations—even if you have great ones.
Get the manufacturer’s take on things at www.k2marine.com.
LOA – 21’4”
Beam – 8’3”
Hull Draft – 10”
Dry weight – 1,580
Fuel capacity - 43
Max. HP - 200
Price – $30,000, give or take.
Observed performance notes w/2 people and 1/2 load fuel, single 150-hp Yamaha F150 outboard swinging a 13 3/4” x 19” three bladed ss prop:
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Cruise RPM
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Speed in MPH
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Gallons per hour
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Miles per gallon
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Slow cruise/3500
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28.0
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4.8
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5.8
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Fast cruise/4500
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38.6
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7.9
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4.9
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Wide open throttle/6000
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51.9
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15.6
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3.3
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