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2020 Princecraft Vectra 21 RL

Boat Reviews

Boat Review by: Rick Layzell

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Consumers shopping for a pontoon boat in the 21’ range will inevitably find themselves met with dozens of choices from multiple manufacturers. In order to be competitive in this important category, manufacturers need to stand out in the crowd and while its not easy, standing out involves creative thinking from research and development teams. Princecraft has nailed it with the new layout on the versatile Vectra 21. Welcome to the Vectra 21 RL.

Everything you know and trust about Princecraft is here. From the 2 ½” heavy duty extruded Z aluminum cross channels to the 1 ¼” anodized rails, 25” pontoon logs with sealed bulkheads, multiple lift gates with lock hinges to the 4 – 6” chromed deck cleats. Rest assured, the Vectra 21 RL is built on a solid foundation.

The exterior look is eye catching with colour choices of ruby red as our test boat was set up or steel grey or black. The Vectra 21 incorporates 3 gates and I noted the port side gate was a generous 24” wide. Her built in fuel tank stows up to 110 L (29 US gallons) of fuel.

Her interior is plush featuring heavy weight upholstery and roto cast furniture bases incorporating self-draining storage systems. Flooring choices range from classic carpet to anti-skid vinyl to select grey vinyl and more.

Our test boat was dressed in the optional Classic Edition which upped the exterior appearance with some metal colour accents, added LED lighting under the console, a deluxe helm seat, upgraded steering wheel, chromed docking lights, horn housing and cup holders. I smiled when I noted the chromed cup holders – are actual chrome.

The transom of the Vectra 21 RL features a generous stainless steel telescopic reboarding ladder and we also had the optional ski bar which added more chrome to the transom. The rear lounger is magnificent and would readily accommodate 3 adults. Unique here was an innovative stainless safety railing that wrapped the entire lounger area creating an openness to the transom area and once again complimenting the additional stainless.

The standard Vectra 21 comes with a captain seat on the passenger side. I appreciated the benefits of the optional dinette package that gave us a seat back for two guests left of the helm seat to readily face forward or aft. A monstrous self-draining ice chest was tucked neatly beneath this seat. Added to the rear lounger and the ultra-sturdy dinette table that featured two mounting posts, there was plenty of room for 5 adults here, 6 if the captain simply swiveled the helm seat.

Any captain would be proud to sit behind the helm of this craft. Underneath the quick release smoked windscreen sits an array of gauges, toggle switches, 160-Watt Jensen Bluetooth sound system, beverage holder, cell phone pocket and more.

Mercury Marine’s 115 Pro XS was the perfect compliment to the Vectra and she moved the boat to excellent results. Our cool September test day had become a rather chilly 4 degree C September evening with our lake showing light to limited chop and boat wakes. Our 110 L fuel tank had just been filled and we eased away from the dock to the testing grounds. In no time I found myself pleasantly surprised with 4.33 second hole shots to plane the Vectra and running solo I enjoyed cruising speeds of 19 MPH @ limited trim and 23 MPH @ ¼ trim. A very respectable top speed of 36 MPH was readily achieved and I appreciated that she really didn’t look for me to play with too much trim. This is a pontoon that anyone can confidently pilot with ease.

Princecraft has proudly been perfecting their craft and proving their market position as a leader in the pontoon segment for many years. They are built in Princeville, Quebec and are blessed to have the benefit of many years of craftsmanship skills being passed down through multiple generations of the same family.

In the realm of 21’ pontoon offerings, the Princecraft Vectra 21 RL should absolutely be on everyone’s shopping list.