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Avid Boats 21 FS (2020-)

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Captain's Report

Editor’s Report by Capt. Peter d’Anjou

boat

The Avid 21 FS.

hull and deck

The Avid 21 FS has an aluminum hull and deck, but the center console, fish and storage boxes and baitwell are made of fiberglass to combine cost and utility.

Brief Summary

The Avid 21 FS is a 20’7” (6.27 m) aluminum bay boat fit out for fishing. The 21 FS has a fiberglass center console, livewell, baitwell and insulated fishbox. The package includes Yamaha 115-hp outboard, a Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin GPS fishfinder, and single-axle aluminum trailer.

Key Features

  • Fiberglass center console
  • 7-person, or 1,025 lbs. (465 kg), total passenger capacity
  • V-hull
  • Teleflex Baystar hydraulic steering
  • Fore and aft casting decks
  • Jump seats

Mission

The Avid 21 FS is a bay boat that with a 13” (33 cm) draft has the ability to fish in skinny water. The boat’s features include basic fishing equipment.

Distinguishing Features

  • TruTaper™ beam forward gunnel

Fishing Features

  • 21 gallon (79 L) livewell aft
  • 13 gallon (49 L) baitwell forward 
  • 25 gallon (97 L) fishbox in bow
  • High-speed aerator pickups
  • Aft recirculator pump – 500 GPH with timer and Max air system
  • Aerator pumps – 800 GPH with timer
  • 1 1/8” standpipe overflow drains overboard
  • LED livewell and baitwell lights
  • Rod storage
  • Plano tackle box storage
  • Garmin Fishfinder
  • Minn Kota trolling motor
  • Eight rod holders

Design

promaster

The Avid 21 FS’ ProMaster™ hull rides on an aft pad for performance. The TruTaper™ beam forward gunnel gives the bow a more sweeping, less angular look than most aluminum boats.

The Avid 21 FS has a 13-degree deadrise and a 4” (10 cm) setback at the transom.

Aluminum fishing boats in this size range are typically dual console boats, while fiberglass bay and flats boats tend to be center consoles, so this boat is a bit of a crossover.

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, but we have more forward-thinking designs,” says Faulkner regarding the mix of materials, styles, and techniques used on the 21 FS.

Construction

people

Mississippi Governor, Phil Bryant (tan suit) along with Avid Boats founder, Phillip Faulkner (fourth from left) along with members of the Avid Boats team and local officials open the company’s 80,000 sq. ft. plant in Amory, Mississippi in 2019.

The Avid 21 FS is constructed with 5052 aluminum alloy. Closed cell flotation foam is injected to comply with USCG flotation standards. The hull has a limited lifetime warranty.

people

“Although we are a start-up”, says founder Phillip P. Faulkner, “our team brings 100-plus years of combined marine industry experience to the table.”

Boat Inspection

Bow

Step up two steps from the center console onto the forward casting deck that is prewired for a trolling motor and can accommodate a pedestal chair. Rod storage lockers flank an insulated fishbox.

toe rail

A molded-in toe rail provides safety on the forward casting deck.

rod boxes

The dual rod boxes with fold-out organizers hold ten 8' (2.44 m) rods. The forward fishbox is insulated and drains overboard. A baitwell is under the console seat base.

center console

The center console seat has a baitwell under the cushion. All of the storage boxes are gasketed.

tackle box

Tackle box storage is behind the center console seatback.

Helm

gauges

Gauges include speedometer, tachometer, and fuel. The toggle switches each have circuit breaker resets. The battery selector switch is mounted on the side of the console’s exterior.

The fiberglass center console comes standard with a 7” Garmin Echo GPS/fishfinder, tilt wheel, and hydraulic steering.

rod holders

The 21 FS has eight rod holders, four on the helm leaning post, and another four molded into the center console.

Transom

jumpseats

The aft jumpseats are welcome additions to the seating aboard and close to create an aft casting platform.

jumpseats

The center hatch between the closed jumpseats holds the 21-gallon (79 L) livewell.

stepback

The 4” (10 cm) stepback in the transom is obvious in this picture. This boat has the optional engine upgrade to the 150-hp engine.

Specifications

speed

The Avid 21 FS has an expected speed of 45 mph, according to the builder, once she is kicked into gear and the throttle is pegged.

BoatTEST has not tested the Avid 21 FS at the time of this report.

The Avid 21 FS has a LOA of 20’7” (6.27 m), a beam of 8’1” (2.46 m), and a draft of 1’1” (.33 m). The boat has a dry weight of 1,488 lbs. (675 kg) and a fuel capacity of 34 gallons (128.70 L).  Freeboard at the transom is 25” (.63 m).

Price

diamond city

The Avid 21 FS comes standard on a single axle Diamond City aluminum trailer with mag wheels and a spare tire.

The base price is $34,995.

This includes the Yamaha VF115SHO 25” shaft engine, trailer, a Minn Kota Riptide 80 lb. (36 kg) Fourtrex hand control trolling motor with two batteries, Dual Pro 2 bank onboard charger, and Garmin Echomap 7” Plus GPS/FF with GT23M Transducer. A fuel-water separator is also included.

Optional Equipment to Consider

colors

Exterior colors are black metallic (shown) or charcoal, red, white, ice blue, cobalt blue, and sea foam.
  • Yamaha F150XB (Maximum horsepower rating of 150-hp)
  • Stainless steel or aluminum prop
  • OceanGrip anti-fatigue helm mat
  • OceanGrip flooring, front and rear deck
  • Console cover
  • Leaning post cover
  • Custom boat cover
  • Garmin 9” Echomap Plus with GT51 transducer
  • Atlas 6” hydraulic jack plate
  • Fishing seat with pedestal
  • Acrylic console glovebox
  • Removable LP backrest with folding arms
  • Powder coated seating upgrade (black or white)
  • Aft swim platform with ladder
  • Low pressure washdown system
  • Dual battery switch
  • Surface-mount compass
  • Power pole 8’ Pro II with jack plate
  • JBL stereo with two 6.5” JBL speakers

The trailer options available are a swing-away tongue, spare tire, 14” wheels, and brakes.

Observations

fish

Avid’s first boat looks ready to fish and enjoy. It is unusual to see a center console in an aluminum boat. Note how the optional removable seatback fits into the rod holders.

We like that the standard boat is equipped to fish right out of the box and that the options are generally, the same gear, only bigger, like the engine, Garmin touchscreen, or trolling motor.

The company has plans to produce three bay boats and three bass boats for the saltwater and freshwater markets over the next 12 months. They are expanding their workforce and plan to be building 1,500 boats a year by 2022. Given Faulkner’s experience working for his dad at NauticStar and their familiarity in finding boatbuilding talent in Amory, MS, we look forward to seeing new Avid boats come to life, and of course testing them.