Small Boats Make a Comeback: New Small Single Engine Boats of 2020
Right now, we are seeing a bit of a resurgence of single engine outboard boats. This phenomenon stems from the previous lack of boats available on the market and the proliferation of amazing outboards available. The big three outboard manufacturers Mercury, Evinrude and Yamaha have an outboard for everyone, or close anyway. We see so many restorations of classic outboard performance boats which tells me the demand is there, the benefits of small single engine boats are apparent. Let’s see what is available now, what is new and where the trend is going.
Let’s start out west. For a long time, California was a bastion of great boat design but California boating is very different than boating out east and in the Midwest. California is known for great weather, high taxes and crystal meth; all great things for performance boating.
The biggest thing about west coast boats is the craftsmanship. Although there have been some great designs and fast boats built out west, to me the biggest difference is the gelcoat work. Seeing older Eliminators, Halletts, Howards and countless other boats, you see right away the multi color gel work is amazing. Out east, you often see painted boats, some are in the gel, but there is a very obvious design difference due to environmental and cultural factors.
If we are talking small boats, West coast boats often have shallow V hulls and live on rivers and small lakes, you don’t need heavy deep boats the way you do on the larger lakes out east. This list is builders from all over and varying sizes. Let’s look at what is out there in V hull boats under 21’ and can mostly run less than 225 HP.
Hallett 210 Outboard
A classic design wise. I love seeing older boats being reborn as outboard options.
Hallett was acquired by Nordic a couple years ago and moved production to Arizona. For the most part, they’ve stayed the course, modernized the construction and tweaking a few models. One of my favorite Halletts of all time is the 210. The Hallett 210 is most popular as a sterndrive model but recently Hallett has made a couple outboard versions, one featured at the LA Boat Show with a single 450R.
What I like about the 210 is its classic clean lines, the boat just looks great. Fit and finish from Nordic and Hallett is usually excellent. The 210 measures 20’10” and has an 18 degree hull, 8’ beam and are usually quite heavy. The Mercury Racing 450R equipped one I hope is just for PR because that would be extremely overkill on a small boat and a little dangerous. Some of these older hull designs could probably be updated for the difference in outboard performance these days. I am waiting to hear performance reports.
I would run a 250 HP on this hull. No need to get crazy, great river cruiser.
Low and sleek, like a real California style river cruiser. I love the size, looks sharp. A 150 ProXS would be perfect on this.
I love the fact that Jerry Barron is going back to basics here. This is a simple little river runner that is 19’ overall, an old school modest deadrise of 15 degrees, and a 7’ beam. Although available in a jet and V-drive as well, an outboard just makes way more sense.
Barron Boats showed a 190 RS at the LA show with a tower which I can’t understand personally, but it looks like they’ve built a few now. I really think the magic of a boat this size is usability and affordability. Barron showed the 190 with a V8 ProXS, but realistically, this boat should run great with a 150 ProXS or V6 175 ProXS. The point of running a smaller boat like this is to not break the bank either. Hoping for some performance reports soon from Barron.
Don’t love those lounge seats, I’d stick with the bench in the back.
That’s a shallow V, but should be a fun lake hot rod. Love the retro look.
This is a racing, 21 Cyclone. But the 21 Crossfire is the consumer version of this hull.
Nordic has been building this 21 for a while and the hull is used in ski racing. The wide pad bottom, and unique design make this a really cool boat. Plus, it has been proven in the most extreme environment. The 21’ Crossfire is a regular layup hull, whereas the similar Cyclone is a race version.
Nordic is a custom builder, so seating layout can be configured how you want. These are pretty fast, you could run a 250 or 300 HP and be flying into the 80 MPH range easily.
Tuff 16
The coolest small performance boat on the market. Looks and performs amazing.
Now let’s get to the really small boats. The Tuff 16 might be the coolest on this list. Tuff makes a 24, 28 and is preparing an even bigger model, but what makes Tuff such a cool brand is they still make this crazy little 16 footer. If you squint, the 16’ looks very similar to its big brothers, with the low sleek lines and molded in wind fairing.
Fully cored, and vacuum infused, the Tuff 16 is built like a serious performance boat. 16’10” overall and a narrow 63” beam make this a mini hot rod.
What sets the Tuff apart is that it is truly a great design in a small package. You can seat four people, but the narrow beam and light weight mean this thing rips with minimal power. I love that. Most are equipped with the Mercury Racing Formula 60, which is also a very cool engine. The Formula 60 utilizes a 15” midsection and can push the Tuff to almost 60 MPH. That’s fast, and efficient. Tuff is Canadian, and their boats mostly stay up north, so these are extremely rare in the US.
Small boats are more fun. You don’t need to spend 100K to have a good time on the water.
Simple design, bold colors, solid build quality. This is a great little boat, perfect for a 90 HP.
Also in the small boat category is the Sutphen 16, which looks like a shrunk version of the 21 Sutphen. These have a very simple and basic layout, making them a fairly practical 16 footer. Nice colors, great finish work make these also standout.
The Sutphen 16 will run great with a 90 or 115, and won’t break the bank as a small boat shouldn’t. Expect about 64 MPH with a modern 90 HP. The little Sutphen has a small pad, and simple straight V. The interior is clean and simple as well. There is a lot to like about the Sutphen 16; affordability, styling, and fun come up big here.
To me, the Allison Grand Sport is simultaneously the oldest boat here and the fastest and most modern. Because the Allison Grand Sport is 20’ long but so light, it’s difficult to get the right power for it. I have one, and mine is powered by a Mercury 150 four stroke, mostly as an experiment. The 150 Mercury is one of the lightest 150s on the market and although it’s more of a workhorse than performance engine, I made a few modifications to improve it.
With a 87” beam and tipping the scales at 940 Lbs, the Tennessee built Allison features an incredible hull design. Darris Allison has implemented every element of design to make this truly one of the most efficient sport boat hulls out there. With a 150 Mercury, the Grand Sport will do 80 MPH. Featuring a 22 degree deadrise, with wide pronounced pad and deep running strakes, the 20 footer will carve up the lake, handles exceptionally well, and will slice through a serious chop. There is nothing else like an Allison as far as build, design and features. A full unibody design, kevlar reinforced and unique aluminum transom. Allisons are one piece boats, light and extremely rigid.
With some seat time, there aren’t too many more rewarding boats to drive. And, with modern power, you can run all day at 40 MPH achieving about 10 MPG.
Simple practical layout, tons of storage. One of the most efficient boats on the planet.
The 150 Mercury with a custom lower unit and stiffer mounts make the affordable 150 a decent performer.
