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Wellcraft 220 Sportsman (2016-)



Brief Summary

Wellcraft’s 220 Sportsman is a versatile family-oriented, dual-console model. For fishing, she comes standard with a livewell, insulated fishboxes, and rod holders. When the time comes to cruise, she has dedicated space for a carry-on cooler, bow cushions, and a private head compartment in the port console. With an available ski pylon and outboard power up to 250-hp, she can also be a capable tow machine for watersports.

Specifications

Length Overall 21' / 6.40 m
Beam 8' 6''
2.59 m
Dry Weight 3,741 lbs.
1,697 kg
Draft Up 17''
0.43 m
Draft Down 33''
0.84 m
Deadrise/Transom 19-deg.
Max Headroom open
Bridge Clearance 8'
2.44 m (max)
Weight Capacity 2,100 lbs.
953 kg
Person Capacity 8
Fuel Capacity 103 gal.
390 L
Water Capacity 9 gal.
34 L

Engine Options

Tested Engine Currently no test numbers
Std. Power Not Available
Opt. Power 1 x 200-hp Evinrude E-TEC 200 DPX
1 x 250-hp Evinrude E-TEC 250 DPX
1 x 200-hp Mercury Verado 200 XL
Four Yamaha engine options at 200-hp and 250-hp


Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

The 21’ (6.40 m) long Wellcraft 220 Sportsman has an 8'6” (2.59 m) beam and is designed to be a versatile family fishing boat.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

The Wellcraft 220 Sportsman’s bow is intended more for cruising with its U-shaped seating and wraparound backrests, while the cockpit has good open space for fishing.

Features Inspection

We’ll start our look at the 220 Sportsman’s stern, which has a small swim step and boarding ladder to port. Pull-up stainless steel cleats are horizontally installed on each side of the transom just abaft hinged hatches that open a baitwell to starboard and an optional small sink with a fold-up faucet to port.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

In this photo, we see how easily three people can fish in the Wellcraft 220 Sportsman’s cockpit. Also note the swim step and boarding ladder to port.

The Cockpit.

Moving into the 220 Sportsman’s self-bailing cockpit, there are jumpseats in each aft corner with insulated fishboxes in the sole just ahead. Both of these boxes have drainage so melted ice can flow directly overboard and one box has a macerator.
For fishing, optional coaming pads run from the stern to just abaft the helm and companion seats on each side, and there are four in-deck rod holders. In-gunwale racks on each side have space for fishing rods or landing gear, and the boat comes standard with tackle boxes and dedicated storage. On the aft side of the helm seat is another small jump seat, and to port, there’s a dedicated rack for a carry-on cooler.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

This photo shows the Wellcraft 220 Sportsman with the optional back-to-back convertible seat to port and the ski tow pylon.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

With stainless steel rails in reach outboard and inboard, the passenger on the aft starboard jump seat has plenty of handhold options.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

For a 21’ (6.4 m) boat, the 220 Sportsman has good rod storage, and the twin fishboxes are ready to ice down the day’s catch.

The Helm.

At the starboard console, the 220 Sportsman’s helm has a stainless-steel steering wheel with a spinner knob. To port on the vertical section of the dash, Wellcraft installs the digital engine-monitoring gauges with a stainless steel cup holder just below.
The center area of the panel is left open for optional electronics, and there’s a compass up top. All the accessory switches and circuit breakers are to starboard in a dedicated panel that also contains a 12-V power plug. The shift/throttle controls are on the starboard gunwale. For comfort, there’s an angled footrest, and the driver’s seat is a pedestal-mounted model.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

In this photo, the boat is equipped with the optional stereo to the right of the wheel and the USB/MP3 plugs are below the gauges.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

To give the captain a good vantage point, the pedestal mounted seat is installed on a raised base.

The Consoles.

In the driver’s console, a large locker has space for carry-on bags and similarly-sized items. To port, the boat comes standard with another pedestal mounted seat or owners can opt for a back-to-back seat that folds out to create a long lounge. With the optional seat, the standard 48-quart (45 L) cooler is replaced by a 36-quart (34 L) model.
In the private compartment in the port console, the 220 Sportsman has a portable head that can be upgraded to a pump-out model.

The Bow.

The 220 Sportsman has a full-height aluminum framed windshield with a walkthrough center section that makes it easy to move forward into the bow. Forward, there are angled backrests on the console fronts and lounge cushions where an adult could stretch out. Two cup holders per side ensure that there’s room for refreshments. There’s storage in the seat bases and forward, there’s a hatch to access the anchor and rode. The boat comes standard with a roller for deploying the grounding tackle.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

With full-length coaming pads, the bow offers a variety of seating options and the stainless rails on each side provide security if the ride gets rough.

Power and Performance

We haven't tested the 220 Sportsman, but Wellcraft offers her with a choice of outboards from 200-hp to 250-hp from Evinrude, Mercury, and Yamaha. With a single Evinrude 200-hp turning a 14 ¾” x 17” (37.5 cm x 43.2 cm) three-blade stainless-steel propeller through a 1.85:1 reduction, the boat ran a top speed of 46.5 mph (40.4 knots) at 5727 rpm.
Best cruise came at 4000 rpm, where the boat ran 30.2 mph (26.3 knots) and burned 12.13 gph (45.9 lph), giving her a range of 224 statute miles (194.8 nm) with 10% of her 103-gallon (390 L) fuel capacity in reserve. In acceleration tests, the 220 Sportsman planed in 3.9 seconds.

Wellcraft 220 Sportsman

The 220 Sportsman’s semi-V bottom has a deadrise of 19-degrees at the transom and a sharp bow entry that should handle bay chop.

Construction.

The 220 Sportsman is built with fiberglass stringers, foam flotation, and a cockpit liner to give the boat a solid feel and seamless appearance where the hull and deck meet. The standard gelcoat scheme is all white with a choice of three accent stripe colors. All thru-hull fittings and cleats are stainless steel.

Price with Outboard Motor

• $67,615 with an Evinrude E-TEC 200 DPX 2-stroke

• $76,923 with an Evinrude E-TEC 250 DPX 2-stroke

• $68,923 with a Mercury 200XL Verado 4-stroke

• $68,977 with a Yamaha F200 XA 4-stroke

• $75,746 with a Yamaha F250 XCA 4-stroke


Individual Options and Prices

• Freshwater system with transom shower ($562)

• Trim tabs ($761)

• Ski pylon ($862)

• Baitwell cushion ($269)

• Cockpit bolsters port and starboard ($454)

• Stereo, AM/FM with Bluetooth, two speakers and iPod/MP3 port ($808)

• Head with dockside pump-out ($292)

• EZ Loader aluminum trailer with brakes ($5,654)

• EZ Loader galvanized trailer with brakes ($5,931)


Observations

The full height windshield and bow seating area make the Wellcraft 220 Sportsman a good boat for a family that likes to fish but also want to take some time to cruise and play with watersports. To appeal to anglers, she comes well-equipped with a baitwell, insulated fishboxes, and rod holders. For cruising, the aft jumpseats and full bow cushions make her comfortable. Adding the ski tow pylon can round out the boat.