At a time when outboards are more plentiful than ever, it seems fitting that more and more people are looking at single engine outboard performance boats to buy. One problem is when the economy crashed in 2008, many builders, if they survived, stopped building their small models. Small boats are pricey, because it’s only a little bit more time and money to build a slightly bigger hull, so builders prefer to build bigger boats, unless they can build more volume. One builder that quietly has one of the coolest small V hulls around is Hustler. Known for midsize and larger offshore boats, Hustler is a high quality custom builder out of Calverton, New York.

I recently talked to Paul LoGiudice, Hustler’s VP of Sales and Marketing, in Miami about the Hustler lineup, and we ended up talking about their 221. He told me they have a brand new one in their shop they are getting ready to rig. Since they are a custom builder, Hustler usually builds boats to order, but will sometimes builds boats for demo purposes, and I was happy to find they had built this 221 on spec. There is a ton of interest in restoring old performance boats right now, partly because hardly anyone is building them anymore, but if you can buy a new one, the Hustler 221 would be a great option.

Like you would expect from a top notch builder, the 221 is overbuilt in every way. Like the bigger Hustlers, the deck and cockpit are molded in one piece, making a strong and light structure. Vacuum bagged foam core stringers are rigid and light. Another nice touch is every passage through the stringers has a tube glassed in, making a perfectly sealed hole, so there is no way water collects anywhere. Coosa backing in deck areas enforce hardware like cleats, and aluminum backing where the seats are mounted mean nothing will come loose or rot. The 221 is a serious boat, built to last.

Paul has it rigged for a Mercury, and is powering it soon. I think a 250R would be amazing, but this boat could run really well with a new Mercury four stroke V6 as well, either way this thing will fly. The hull is an original Hustler design, the specs are: 21’ long with a 7’10” beam, making it lean and mean. A nice little wave crusher, and from one of the premier boat builders out there, make this a very unique boat. You could order a new one from Hustler, and get it custom painted, with all sorts of options. This one is available right now without an engine.