21 vs. 23 Opinions

[HannahB]

I run a 21. It is not a "classic" and as far as I know it was not put into production until 1998. It has the same deadrise as the 23 according to all the brichure-ware. Mine is a '98 and is paried with a 225. I think it does alot of things well, and as was mentioned earlier it feels big for a 21'. I have not been excluded by WX conditions that would be suitable for the 23', but I have had to go slower than a 23' might have been able to go in those conditions. As also mentioned, wave period and hull-span will be an issue for any length boat in the wrong conditions. I was way offshore when the WX turned snotty one day with a 21' Regulator buddy boat and the Seacraft was much drier with the correct trim/tilt and tab positions. The 21' reg is a nice boat too, but the seas were just bad enough to make their crew wet, and keep us dry on that day.

What I don't like about my 21':

1. Bilge hatch & access to the bilge in the engine well. Poor design & crappy armstrong deckplate that I have re-ordered 2X and still can't get to fit right.
2. In-deck live well (fills with water when it rains)
3. The outflows for my 2 bilge pumps & the livewell are basically at water level

This boat does enough things really well that I will most likely keep the boat, re-finish the bottom and re-power. Interested to hear if anyone has bracketed a 21 and what those results have been like. Good Luck.