DOCKSIDE SURVEY (from OFFSHORE October ,1998)

Steiger Craft 21

By John Page Williams

    With all the boat builders in his home state, it might seem strange that Florida shell guide Captain Mike Fuery went to Steiger Craft in Bellport, New York, on Long Island's South Shore for his new guide skiff. Fuery, however, had carefully thought through what he wanted. Steiger's classic 21-foot hull gave him everything: seaworthiness and safety, a true self-bailing cockpit, good looks, low maintenance, durability, riding comfort and an efficient Honda 90 outboard---all at a reasonable price.

     Fuery's life would seem to be a perpetual picnic. Based at Captiva Island's 'Tween Waters Inn on Florida's Gulf Coast, he leads about 200 shelling trips a year to the Gulf Coast beaches. His runs aren't long, but his boat, carrying up to five passengers, must negotiate the choppy waters. It must be beachable and easy for clients ( some elderly) to climb in and out. In short, it must be an ideal family utility boat.

    I was intrigued by everything Fuery can do with his skiff, especially the fact that he can operate it effectively with Honda's quiet, clean, economical but strong 90-horsepower outboard. So I jumped at the chance to test the boat on a visit to Captiva in June.

    An east wind of 10 to 15 knots blowing against a flood tide produced a steep two-foot chop. At an easy planing speed of 20 mph, the skiff bridged several seas at once and munched her way through them; there was neither shuddering, shake nor drop of spray. At slow speeds in the chop, she was rock-steady with an easy motion. Trolling in this boat with an engine like a Honda would be a pleasure.

    This is about as much skiff as the Honda 90 wants to push, but it does the job. Turning a 13-by-15-inch Mercury aluminum propeller with the two of us aboard and the 60-gallon fuel tank half-full, speeds were .5 mph at 3,000 rpm, 25.6 at 5,000 and 30 at 5,500 (measured in two-way runs with a handheld GPS).

    In practice, Fuery cruises at 4,200 to 4,300 rpm with clients. The engine sounds happy at that speed, and the Steiger's 14-degree transom deadrise allows the hull to plane cleanly. Longer, faster runs and some water-skiing duty would require a 115- to 150-horsepower engine, but the skiff's performance with the 90 is testimony to its sweet bottom design.

    Fuery actually bought his skiff as a bare-hull, commercial model (the 21 Clammer) with a deck cap, anchor locker, running lights and distinctive teal gel-coat that is easy to clean and doesn't show dirt. He fastened four swivel seats in the cockpit forward and amidships, then built a bright wooden console aft for his "office," with a cooler in front of it for additional seating and storage. If you want your skiff furnished, Steiger offers its 21 Long Beach model with a fiberglass console and variety of seating, cooler and fishing options. It makes a great inshore light-tackle boat for Northeast waters. And for those looking for an over-nighter, Steiger's 21 Chesapeake has a hard top, bunks and portable head. 

     Undergirding all is Steiger's handlaid hull, reinforced by a massive fiberglass stringer system with all voids foam-filled and a "bullet-proof," three-quarter-inch-thick fiberglass cockpit floor. Like all Steigers, this one carries a lifetime hull guarantee for the original purchaser. After crawling around, peering under gunwales and into deck hatches, I understood why. "Will you buy a Steiger next time?" I asked. "Nope, this is my last boat," Fuery said,"I expect to give it to my daughter." She just celebrated her first birthday. That's a pretty good advertisement.