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Draco Boats D22 (2020-)

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Specifications

Length Overall 21.92'
6.68 m
Beam 7.87'
2.40 m
Dry Weight 2,314 lbs.
1,050 kg
Fuel Capacity 37 gallons
140 L

The Draco D22 is designed to be seaworthy with deep freeboard and cockpit. She measures 21.92’ (6.68 m) with a 7.87’ (2.4 m) beam.

By Eric Colby

Brief Summary

The Draco D22 is a retro-styled dual console with definite Scandinavian roots in her styling. She’s powered by a single outboard and has a large, deep bow seating area that can be filled in with an optional cushion.

Draco D22 Key Features

  • Single outboard power
  • Beach boarding ladder
  • Air dam closes off the bow
  • Teak cockpit table
  • Convertible aft bench seat
  • Cockpit and bow covers

Notice the extra heavy-duty rubrail protecting the D22’s hull-to-deck joint.

Mission Statement

The Draco D22 is designed to be a versatile dayboat with a deep cockpit, bow seating and a convertible aft lounge. She’s powered by a single outboard up to 250 hp and built with top-shelf materials and accessories. There’s a dedicated storage area for the optional Bimini top, and other available upgrades include trim tabs or Zipwake interceptors.

Draco designed the bow to be almost as large as the cockpit, and the forward area can seat up to five comfortably.

Company History. Kåre Drangsholt founded Draco Boats in Norway more than 50 years ago. Hochmuth Bootsbau AG in Stansstad, Switzerland became one of the first Draco dealers and delivered more than 5,000 boats for the company. The business still works with the modern-day version of Draco today. The naval architecture for the new series of Dracos was done by Hans Jorgen Johnsen, while the exterior design and styling were from Ed Dubois and the Windy Design Team.

Draco Boats founder Kåre Drangsholt was a fiberglass-boat pioneer in Scandinavia.

This picture is showing the yard filled with boats from Draco at Hochmuth Bootsbau AG in Stansstad, Switzerland.

Draco 22 Features Inspection

The Bow. Draco calls its boats dual-consoles, but many will probably think “bowrider” upon first seeing the 22. She has deep backrests on the console fronts and bolsters wrap the area in padding. Two adults can stretch out facing forward or up to five can sit facing each other, although it looks like some knees could be knocking. Storage is under each side cushion. Handrails on the side decks run the length of the bow seats. The forward backrest folds down, revealing a step to the foredeck that’s covered in nonskid. There’s a beach boarding ladder beneath a hinged hatch.

The bow looks deep and secure, so mom should be fine with the kids riding up front.

An optional filler cushion turns the boat into what could be one of the largest protected sunpads in class.

Two-position stainless-steel cupholders are abaft the bow on each side. We’d like to see them somewhere lower in the boat so empty cans or bottles don’t fly out.

The Cockpit. The center section of the windshield and a clear, acrylic air dam framed in stainless-steel can separate the bow from the rest of the boat. Open both for easy passage aft into the cockpit. There’s storage in each console and an owner can upgrade the D22 with an Isotherm cooling box. The captain and a companion travel in bucket seats that swivel and adjust fore and aft. On the port console, there’s a glovebox and a stainless-steel grabrail wrapped in hand-sewn leather. Aft, the bench seat can fold out into a sunlounge and upholstery is from the Spradling-Marline collection. A teak cockpit table can be installed in a centrally positioned socket. Storage is in the gunwales and beneath the aft bench and the cockpit is self-draining.

Here we see the cockpit with the aft seat in the upright position to create a more conventional arrangement.

When it's time to catch some rays, the aft seat can be lowered to create a second sunlounge.

The custom-embossed logo and the hand-stitching on the bucket seats are evidence of the attention that Draco pays to the details.

The Helm. To starboard, the D22’s helm station is straightforward with space for available multifunction displays from Raymarine or Garmin. Owners can also upgrade with an autopilot and Nextel antiglare surface on the dash. The boat comes standard with accessory switches to the left of the wheel plus a USB port. Controls are positioned to starboard. For comfort, there is an angled footrest.

The helm has plenty of space for the optional Raymarine Axiom display plus the digital engine monitoring instrument.

Nextel anti-glare surface is available as an option in the price list.

Accessory switches are in a stainless-steel panel and they have integrated icons that illuminate when activated.

The Stern. A passageway to starboard leads aft to the D22’s stern where there are swim platforms that extend past the outboard and are angled so the motor can still turn its full range. There’s space to pass between the outboard and the back seat, and the boat comes standard with a boarding ladder.

Power

The Draco D22 is available with single outboard power ranging from 115 to 250 hp.

Draco will equip the D22 with an outboard from Mercury or Yamaha as shown in this photo.

With her deep cockpit and bow, the D22 will more than likely see time as a tender.

Options To Consider (Not discussed in report)

  • Teak deck in cockpit and on the swim platforms
  • Cockpit deck lighting
  • Combined canopy and Bimini
  • Stereo with DAB+ Bluetooth/USB and four speakers
  • Removable Ski Tow

The Bimini top is on a folding frame and the boat has a dedicated storage compartment for both.

The Draco D22 looks like she would be a fun, nimble boat to drive.

Observations

The Draco D22 looks to be well built, and she’s designed by a firm with a proven pedigree for drafting boats that run well and look just as sporty. She has that Northern Europe signature look and the freeboard that should make her a secure boat even when conditions aren’t ideal.