Boat Review - Stingray 216 CC

At 21-feet 8-inches in length, the 216 CC Deck model from Stingray is a slightly scaled down version of the 236 CC also seen this year on Best Boat. Running these two boats consecutively offered a chance to closely compare the similarities side by side despite the fact that the smaller model tested was more geared toward family cruising.

From a performance standpoint this boat was equally impressive in the ride department as the 236 CC due to the identical Z-Plane running surface. Often when a hull feature is assigned a title (Z-Plane) I approach a test ride with a bit of skepticism but in the case of the Z-Plane strake design the soft and especially dry ride was “as advertised.” Our test model was rigged with a 150-horsepower Yamaha which popped us out of the hole quickly and was stingy on fuel, a highlight which would only improve with the maximum rated 200-horsepower engine.

The 216 CC saw our crew through a bit of mixed use boating with a young couple and their 5-year-old son which began with some performance testing. We followed up with some light inshore fishing although it would be easy to fill the two live wells (17 and 14-gallons) with baits to get more serious about fishing if that was required. Our day wrapped up with a bit of sand bar relaxing and lunch. Through it all we tried to evaluate this model through the eyes of this young family who perfectly represented a potential owner of a boat like the Stingray 216 and as the day passed it quickly became evident that this design was ideally suited for just such a family to enjoy multiple activities on the water.

The boat offered all of the storage we needed to carry fishing gear (12-rod holders) as well as beach chairs and assorted toys for the sand bar. A pair of matching insulated 114-quart compartments under the bow seating could double as fish boxes or dry storage depending on the day. Extra lift out, lined bucket compartments as well as the console interior provided additional options for gear. An optional head within the console is available as well. Comfortable seating was available all around between the forward V-seating and the cockpit flip seats to the companion helm seats under the shade of a Bimini top. Everyone had a place to relax and for each activity we sampled, the boat never seemed crowded.

As a price point starter boat for a young family; the Stingray 216 is delivered with a “Convenience Package” that includes a list of luxury amenities at no additional cost that add plenty of value to a boat. LED docking lights, a Fusion Audio RA-55 sound system, a full removable cushion set for bow seating, trim tabs with LED indicator and an Engel 74-quart and more, are all standard equipment. At the end of our test day on this model the fact that we had a 5-year old on board who never got fussy and plenty of grown-up smiles to go around was a testament to the fact that this boat passed the family fun test at the very least and should be a very successful addition to the Stingray model line-up.

Stingray 216 CC Deck Boat Specifications

Length: 21-feet 8-inches

Beam: 8-feet 5-inches

Draft: 15-inches

Deadrise: 21-degrees

Weight: 3150-pounds

Max HP: 200

Fuel: 57-gallons

Fresh water: 13-gallons

Capacity: 10-persons/3050-pounds

Base price: $39,000 with Yamaha F-150