2024 Princecraft Platinum 220

Boat Reviews

Boat Review by: Rick Layzell

There are only a handful of brands that can claim 70 years of boat building history. Princecraft, who began in 1954, have now joined that prestigious club in 2024. Based in Princeville, Quebec, Canada, Princecraft has earned those 70 years through a passion for their people, their dealers across North America, and the thousands of families who put their trust into their products year after year.

The brand has three primary manufacturing channels – pontoon boats, deck boats, and fishing boats. Their experience, passion, and craftsmanship shines in their stunning layouts and performance results. And of course, everything they build is based on decades of experience crafting aluminum boats.

At the top of their fishing boat lineup sits their Platinum Series, and at the top of the Platinum Series sits the Platinum 220. This is Princecraft’s flagship fishing model and she is packed with quality features.

We first met her dockside dressed in Platinum Grey with blue trim accents – immediate eye candy. Her metallic exterior hull glistened playfully off the water, and the exterior trim designs naturally lead your eyes into her spacious interior. Mercury’s’ 350 V10 Verado sat neatly on her transom. Nestled beside her was the optional 15 Pro Kicker.

My eyes then moved to the unique and hidden windshield design where the engineers have created an ‘outside-in’ look where the frame becomes part of the tempered glass. At both port and starboard the windshield wraps beside the helm and is trimmed with stainless steel accents.

The helm station is one you’ll simply never want to leave. It starts with the heated captains chair with adjustable armrests. Our test boat included the optional co-captains heated seat to keep everyone happy. I did find the aisleway between the two seats a little narrow for my liking. The deluxe dash panel has a mix of black and silver trim and inlays that play perfectly with the wrapped steering wheel. A Simrad Go7 is standard with VesselView, GPS, Sonar and downscan imaging. The head unit for the 200-watt Clarion sound system is ergonomically positioned and four, 6 ½” speakers with LED lights are scattered through to the boat.

The bow casting platform features anchor storage, pre-wired 12, 24 or 36 V trolling motor plug and wiring harness, seat base, 44” 77L/20 US gallon livewell, extendable cargo nets, an ice chest, deep cycle battery compartment, and an easy to use trim switch for the main engine.

The aft casting deck offers up two folding jump seats, seat base, optional wash down system, center-mounted multi-function unit with tool support, cup holders, LED lighting, 12 V outlet, and a 34” 64L/17US gal livewell. Here is also located the base for the optional ski pylon – a great option if there are kids in your crew. You will also find a pop-up privacy enclosure here. Our test boat featured the optional head with holding tank and a pump out system. I do not recall ever seeing this option before on an aluminum fishing boat, and in our world of endless creature comforts this one’s a win.

A massive in-floor lockable rod locker will house up to 12 rods and features the ACS system which allows airflow into the locker. There is even more lockable rod storage on both port and starboard side panels. The PrinceTrak system runs bow to stern on both sides, allowing you to set your attachments in your desired position. Coaming pads are well placed, and a toe kick gives you additional space and security while netting your catch.

A total of 8 cup holders are spread throughout her interior and four have LED lighting. You’ll also find LED docking lights and interior ambient lighting to add to your Platinum experience.

With a range of engine options starting at 200 HP to a maximum of 350 HP, Princecraft has clearly targeted the 220 model for big water applications. Her 84” chine offers a stable running surface and her 208L / 55 US gallon fuel capacity will give you lots of range.

With our dockside tasks complete I was grinning from ear to ear when the green light was finally given to fire up the V10. She lit with an ear-pleasing growl and promptly settled into a purr that was teasing me knowing what was in store – at least I thought I knew.

Our camera guy jumped onboard the tower boat to prepare for capturing footage while two of us left the dock in the Platinum. The lake waters were calm with fall temperatures in the 10 degree Celsius range (53 Fahrenheit).

My first take off used barely ¼ throttle and we were smoothly and comfortably on step nudging the boat along at speeds in the low 20’s. This is typically when I like to do multiple take offs using a variety of throttle positions to feel the marriage of hull and engine. Results across the board were crowd pleasing to say the least.

We then moved into cruising speed trials, and for us the Platinum performed very well anywhere from 24 mph all the way up to 35 mph. And with the Mercury 350 turning a mere 2,950 & 3,520 RPM respectively she was barely even working. I smiled with anticipation knowing how much more power she had to deliver.

Repeated hole shots gave us excellent results with the boat readily up and on plane in 3 seconds. I thought there might be a bit of lag with the V10, but she proved me dead wrong. She pushed us back in our seats quickly as this combination literally jumped out of the water.

With the video and photography assignments complete and the waterway clear, it was time to put the Platinum to the test. It was time to ‘let the big dog eat,’ as some would say. With both of our hats and all gear safely stowed, we set our sights on an open section at the other end of the lake. We let her rip. The power is instant, and in what felt like nanoseconds we were over 40 mph and still climbing. She played on top of the water while the power kept building, and the V10 kept purring while the speed kept climbing. In the end, we found our way all the way to 58.2 mph at 5,880 RPM. The on-board excitement as we headed back to the dock was awesome!

Princecraft simply has done an exceptional job with the Platinum 220. With big water angling in mind there are endless hardcore fishing features here that are purposely positioned for unique customer aesthetics and benefits. The flagship must always be the model that over delivers, and Princecraft have hit the mark beautifully.

2024 Princecraft Platinum 220 Photo Gallery

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