Hydra-Sports 2200 Vector Dual Console

Model Introduction
The Hydra-Sports 2200 Vector Dual Console can be used to fish, cruise, tow boarders, dive or just about anything else a day on the water is likely to offer. The 2200 Vector Dual Console is based on the smallest hull in the builder’s high-end fishing series. It is a beefy, high-freeboard, seaworthy boat with plenty of reserve buoyancy under a self-draining deck, all-fiberglass construction, generous fuel capacity, a smooth-riding deep vee hull, a family-friendly layout and plenty of fishing amenities. The 2200 Vector DC also comes with an enclosed head that offers plenty of privacy.

Construction
All-fiberglass construction includes a skin coat of 3 oz. chop wet out in premium vinylester resin to prevent osmotic blistering. Non-woven fiberglass and Kevlar (used in the keel and the transom) reinforcements are used in the hull layup, and foam-cored fiberglass stringers support the hull bottom as well as the one-piece cockpit deck and liner above. The transom is a solid, rot-proof, high-density composite material. The hull-to-deck joint, which is what holds the two major structural components together, is bonded with a high-strength adhesive and clamped with self-tapping stainless steel screws. Decks are cored with PVC structural foam, making them stiff and light. The boat has a corrosion- and rust-proof 109-gallon poly fuel tank.

Walkthrough
Cockpit and Topside
The Hydra-Sports 2200 Vector Dual Console is laid out for cruising, fishing or water sports and there’s plenty of open space back aft. The cockpit is 25 in. high, which is just enough to provide good balance, and the toe kicks are deep, which is also an important safety factor. The nonskid used by the builder is aggressive underfoot, but it’s still easy to keep clean. The boat is ready for fishing, with a livewell, a big in-deck insulated fish box, tackle drawers and coaming rod holders and under-gunwale rod racks. The cockpit scuppers drain rapidly through four 2-in. hoses, which is about twice the drainage capacity seen on most “offshore” boats of this size—this makes the boat more seaworthy as well as easier to clean.

Aft to port and starboard are transom seats and a filler section creates a one-piece transom lounge. There’s also a hinged gate to keep passengers from falling into the motor well, and this feature also helps to keep waves outside of the boat. A hatch leads to the bilge aft where the fuel filter, bilge pump and the livewell pump that also supplies the washdown hose are located. The deep hatch gutter drains directly overboard and keeps the bilge, which is smooth and bright white for great visibility and easy cleanup, and components dry below. Under the gunwales are potato bin-style storage lockers that hinge out.

Forward to port is a back-to-back seat that folds out flat for use as a lounge. This is a good option for a family day boat, unless the boat is mainly used for fishing, but a pedestal seat is standard. The port console has a door that opens for access to the head—a head is a great feature to have on any boat and enclosed heads have been available for a while now on dual console boats of this size. This particular head is nice and roomy—a 6-ft. tall passenger can easily sit down and shut the door without banging their knees. It’s easy to get in and out of and there’s even a sink and a spigot. Another nice feature is the way the builder styled the port console—it looks good, not big and bulky, thanks in part to the generous hull volume provided by the high freeboard.

Opposite to starboard and just aft of the helm seat there’s a console with a sink and countertop lid, along with storage and tackle drawers below—a nice advantage for a mixed-use boat like this one. There’s also a shore power connector below the sink that is easy to get to, and a handy option to have when dockside and needing shore power to keep the batteries charged.

Between the consoles are two deck hatches opening to a large locker measuring 87 in. long and 17 in. deep—big enough for a wakeboard. Inside the locker is another pleasant surprise—rod racks that can hold six 7-ft. rods, and that fold outboard when not in use, so they don’t take up space if the space is being used to store something besides rods.

Forward in the bow seating area is a very versatile seat design—there’s a gap between the aft and forward seats in the bow, so passengers can practically walk right up to the gunwale, which is perfect for fishing or for handling lines dockside. The only problem up here was the hatch latches, which were a little hard to reach with the cushions snapped down in place. This is also is a very safe bow seating area—it feels very much like passengers are sitting down in it, not up on it. There’s also a wraparound hand railing—most boats just have a couple of short grab bars up here—and storage below the seats. The test boat had an anchor pulpit, a feature not usually found on a 22-footer, that provides a permanent home for the ground tackle.

Helm
The big, well-contoured and beautifully upholstered helm seat has a flip-up bolster, which makes room for comfortable standup driving. There’s room on the dash for a 12-in. GPS chartplotter and the steering wheel and engine control are comfortably positioned and properly angled for both standing and seated operation.

The windshield is high enough to offer decent protection from the wind and spray and is a lot higher than the windshields found on the average bow rider, which, along with the self-bailing cockpit and all-fiberglass interior, gives this dual console design an advantage. The center windshield section closes to block off much of the airflow when running at speed.

Engine and Propulsion
The Hydra Sports Vector 2200 Dual Console comes with single 2- and 4-stroke outboard power from Yamaha, Evinrude or Mercury up to 300 hp.

Hull Design
The Hydra-Sports 2200 Vector Dual Console has a deep-vee hull design with a sharp, deep-deadrise entry for a smooth and dry ride in a chop. The hull flattens out to 20° of transom deadrise with side chine flats adding stability at rest and lift at speed.

Sea Trial
The test ride took place in a light chop with a light load of 2 passengers and a 3/4 tank of fuel. The 250-hp Evinrude pushed the boat to a little over 43 mph at full power. The Hydra-Sports 2200 Vector Dual Console made just 5200 rpm, which is about 600 rpm less than the maximum rated rpm for this engine. Barring a problem with the engine, that likely means that the prop was a little big for this boat. This will lead to a little more top end with a smaller pro, and a little less speed in the mid range. The boat was also able to cruise comfortably at 31 mph at 4000 rpm and range at that speed was 227 nautical miles. The boat was quiet at cruise speed, just 83 dBA at 4000 rpm. At top speed on a center console, some of the noise measured was coming from the wind. Fumes were minimal and only noticeable with wind abaft the beam at slow speed.

Helm ergonomics were excellent, with the controls right at the driver’s fingertips and comfortably angled. There’s enough room to stand and drive, thanks to the flip-up seat bolster, though moving the fiberglass seat base (not the seat itself), which is part of the deck liner, a couple of inches aft would add a little room where it’s needed most: at the driver’s heels. Sitting down, visibility was very good and the big windshield let the driver look through glass rather than right at the top of the frame.

The Evinrude mechanical shifter worked smoothly and quietly, with absolutely no clunking or gear grinding. The ride in the 1-ft. chop was very smooth and comfortable and the boat heeled just right in a hard, high speed turn, never slipping or sliding unpredictably. The manual hydraulic steering was not overly nimble at 6 turns lock to lock, but the boat handled predictably both out on the water and at the dock.

Hydra-Sports 2200 DC Vector Dual Console, 250-hp Evinrude, 3/4 fuel, 2 pax

Manufacturer’s Comments
The new 2200DC boasts solid Kevlar reinforced construction and all the quality performance features found throughout the Vector Series. The kicker is its versatile dual-console layout that provides plenty of room to maneuver no matter what thrill you're after. There's ample storage below deck to handle your skis, wakeboards and safety gear. For the fishing action there's a 25-gallon baitwell, stainless gunwale mounted rod-holders and a 68-gallon fishbox. Add the comfort of a convertible seating and a freshwater shower and your ready-for-anything package is complete.

Conclusions
The Hydra-Sports 2200 Vector Dual Console is a great-looking boat with nice lines, generous freeboard and cockpit depth and pleasing proportions. The boat is well suited to fishing and cruising, and has an intelligent design, thoughtful touches and versatility. It provides a great ride.

The boat has a seaworthy, high-freeboard hull design. The off-white interior minimizes sunlight glare, and the multi-function layout includes a roomy enclosed head, ample storage space, high quality, all-fiberglass construction and many quality components throughout. Last but not least, important safety features are provided by the deep cockpit, great nonskid and plentiful handrails.

Company Background
Part of boatbuilding giant Genmar’s Saltwater Fishing Group, Sarasota Florida-based Hydra-Sports is a highly regarded boatbuilder of strongly built, well-outfitted and superb-riding offshore and inshore fishing machines. Hydra-Sports makes three lines of boats, all specializing in the saltwater fishing market: the high-end Vector series center consoles and family-fishing cabin boats; a Lightning series of mid-priced center consoles, dual consoles and walkaround; and a Baybolt series of center console bay boats. Taking advantage of Genmar’s purchasing clout, Hydra-Sports, as well as its sister companies Wellcraft, Scarab and SeaSwirl, is positioned to deliver good value by passing along cost savings to its customers.—Eric Sorensen

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Specifications
In production since: 2007