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| The Robalo R220 center console has the beef for big water, but is small enough to handle easily. |
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Catch 22: Robalo R220
Twenty two feet is a great length for a fishboat: it’s small enough to handle single-handed on the boat ramp, its draft is shallow enough to go into fairly skinny water, it can run economically on a single outboard, and yet it’s got the beef to handle some waves. Just how big and how many, however, depends on what 22-footer you choose. Some can deal with offshore conditions, yet others will rattle to pieces in a bluewater chop. If you want a 22 that takes waves like some boats with three or four more LOA, Robalo’s R220 is one you might like to take for a ride.
When I sea trialed the 22 we had a 25-knot wind howling in from the North-east, and three to four footers stacked in a nasty white-capped frenzy. No fun. But when I put down the tabs and throttled back to 21 MPH, the R220 smoothed out the bumps. There was only one problem: it’s hard to keep the throttle this far up, when you know that slamming it down on the dash would shoot you close to 50 MPH.
Other elements of this boat are as well-designed as the wave-eating 21-degree deep-V and the strength-giving molded stringer grid which is bonded down with Plexus adhesive (the same stuff they use to stick the tiles on the Space Shuttle.) Check out the seats, for a perfect example. They have not one, not two, but three layers of foam in them. The first is firm for support, the second is soft for comfort, and the third is “flow” foam, which drains easily. And they’re capped off with 38-ounce vinyl, while most boats have 24 to 30 ounce vinyl.
Fishability is top-notch, too, with one exception: I love the leaning post with four rocket launchers on the backrest and a livewell underneath, but I hate the fact that it’s not adjustable. Some guys simply won’t fit it well. The T-top holds four more launchers, there’s an inset in the forward stowage box for a five-gallon bucket, twin 30-gallon fishboxes are integrated into the deck, and two-tray tackleboxes swing out of the inwale. The livewell and washdown each have a dedicated pump, and they cross over so either one can back-up the other. Another cool perk is a head that slides up under the deck, opening up a lot of extra space inside the console. If 22 seems to be your magic number, check this boat out – and take it for a ride when the wind’s howling down out of the North-East.
Go to www.robalo.com and you can find specs and videos of the boat.
LOA – 21’6”
Beam – 8’6”
Draft – 2’2”
Dry weight – 3,9,00
Fuel capacity - 109
Max. HP - 300
Price – A hair over 50K with the big outboard.
Observed performance notes w/2 people and 1/3 load fuel, single 225-hp Yamaha F225 outboards swinging a 14 3/4” x 17” 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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21.6
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5.6
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3.9
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Fast cruise/4500
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31.9
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9.4
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3.4
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Wide open throttle/6000
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47.4
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19.0
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2.5
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