Stingray is known for bringing ­reliable, durable, great-performing and easy-to-operate runabouts to boaters at an economical price. The 253 CC is the brand’s third entry into the center-console arena, not counting fishy deck boats.

The 253 CC fishes hard, with four shotgun rod holders, three more in each gunwale, and six rocket launchers in the hardtop to keep trolling gear in action. The leaning-post rigging station has rod holders doubling as cup holders. Kingfish rod holders widen the spread if you don’t opt for outriggers. A three-tray tackle box also stows lures and tackle for easy access. A 20-gallon livewell on the transom has an acrylic lid, and a powerful pump keeps it filled to the top and aerated. Forward seating includes two forward-facing lounges with stowaway cushions and seatbacks, plus a double seat at the front of the console. Under the console is a roomy head compartment with a wide entry door and easy steps to the sole. 

The helm station is set up beautifully to control dual 200 hp Yamaha, Mercury or Suzuki outboards. Smooth controls, electric steering and automatic trim tabs ease maneuvering. Seating is properly spaced for comfortable driving.

The Z-Plane hull has inverse chines grooved into the hull surface, adding stability but not drag. The effect is a hull that planes and accelerates quickly, and brings thrilling handling and crisp maneuverability at top speed. We liked the black dash panel for adding a stylish look to the flush-mounted Simrad displays and an induction-charging phone holder at the center. The dual helm seats are thick and firmly padded, with sturdy stain-resistant vinyl that is supple to the touch but tough enough to resist abrasions. Stingray’s upholstery is made in the factory, and seamsters are skilled at employing multiple vinyl colors with texture and ribbing. 

Stingray has a long history of bringing quality boats to the market at prices families can afford. The boats are powered to run like race boats but designed so anybody’s grandma could confidently take the helm.

High Points

• Stingray’s exclusive Z-Plane hull optimizes speed, acceleration, stability and seakeeping capabilities.
• Stain-resistant vinyl resists “pinking” and mildew for years.
• Enclosed head in a 25-footer is a nice bonus.
• Black instrument panel cuts perceived glare and reduces eye fatigue while navigating.
• Freshwater system includes a transom shower and deck wash.

Pricing and Specs

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The 211DC is a sleek, versatile and top-performing dual console dayboat that has magnificent comfort matched by truly exceptional performance. The model uses a Z-plane hull, a reverse chine design which maximizes performance on moderate horsepower. The wide, sport deck design creates plenty of interior space, with a large bow and aft seating with filler options, a freshwater sink in the head compartment and a cockpit table with side mounts to make a day on the water with your crew a breeze. The 211DC combines all these features to make for an unforgettable day on the water. Boating Magazine went aboard the dayboat to capture key stats like top speed, time to plane and feature highlights. See all that and more in our certified boat test review!

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Stingray has a decades long reputation for always being able to bring a great performing well-built boat at a moderate price to the marketplace. The 273CC is no exception to the legacy and is designed to maximize your time on the water. This model comes in just over 27ft and is packed with fishing features and creature comforts for your entire crew. Stingray’s iconic Z-Plane hull design and vacuum infusion system guarantees a safe, solid ride too. Other notable features include a sizable, aerated livewell, insulated fish boxes in the cockpit, shotgun rod holders, a dedicated anchor locker, a sink with a freshwater faucet, a Fusion audio system and a cooler with an overboard drain. Whether you’re fishing for big game or out on the water with family, the Stingray 273CC is a well-equipped boat with above average performance.

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Stingray makes sleek, versatile and top-performing sportboats for all types of families. Every one we’ve tested proved to be quick, agile, smooth-riding, and packed with amenities for family boating or fishing fun. The 211DC combines all these features.

The dual-console design is growing in favor, and Stingray’s dual-console with an almost-deck-boat look is a departure from some of the boxy high-bowed competitors. This one is sleek but retains a bow seating depth of nearly 3 feet. The maximum cockpit depth is 58 inches at the windshield, and the aft cockpit is 34 inches. Families will feel safe, secure and still part of the surrounding seas.

Stingray uses a Z-plane hull, a reverse chine design we’ve found maximizes performance on moderate horsepower. Max horsepower on this model is 225, but knowing Stingray’s skill at making strong boats light, we think a 200 would make a nice package. Fuel capacity is 42 gallons, a generous amount, giving an excellent range for a boat in this class. We’ve found Stingray helms comfortable, and this one is enhanced with an integrated touchscreen digital-switching system, the kind normally found on larger and far more expensive boats.

The 211DC’s vinyl seats are tough and stain-resistant. Stingray’s upholstery shop is its own, and the work has a custom look. Aft cockpit seating is thickly cushioned and generous for a big crew. Forward seating is just as comfortable with a better view. The deck plan is ideal for cruising but doesn’t leave serious anglers out in the cold.

Rod holders on the transom and gunwales accommodate trolling, rigging and bottomfishing. The fishing package includes rod holders, a casting chair and an 11-gallon livewell. A transom shower, head, sink and 13-gallon freshwater tank are included in an optional package. And for summertime clamming and scalloping, there’s a stainless-steel boarding ladder on the generous swim platform.

Stingrays come with a limited lifetime structural warranty and a three-year hull blister protection plan, and are NMMA-certified to be built to best practices of the ABYC and USCG specifications.

High Points

• Stingray’s Z-plane hull optimizes power and stability.
• Self-bailing cockpit for convenience and safety.
• Integrated LED docking lights.
• Igloo 25-quart carry-on cooler with dedicated storage.
• Sporty dash includes touchscreen and Italian wheel.
• Bow seating area is spacious and deep for kids.
• Bimini top is standard.
• Dual bucket seats for the skipper and passenger are comfy.

Pricing and Specs

Stingray Boats – Hartsville, South Carolina; 843-383-4507; stingrayboats.com

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Stingray Boats has been building exciting family boats in Hartsville, South Carolina, for more than four decades. As boaters increasingly moved toward coastal waterways, Stingray enhanced its boats to bring the company’s brand of family fun to salt water. So, it was a natural evolution to morph runabouts and deck boats with rod holders and livewells into serious fishing boats thanks to Stingray’s strong ethic of quality vessels on a family budget.

The 173CC is Stingray’s latest nod to that ethic. It’s too new to test but is planned for availability in early 2022. When equipped with a 90 hp outboard—choose your brand—it’s Stingray-exclusive and patented Z-Plane hull will give crisp tracking, a soft ride in bay chop, and good stability for battling fish at anchor or under electric trolling power. We’d definitely add a trolling-motor mount to the bow for easy boat handling. Another good option is the raw-water washdown to keep the deck clear after catching fish or bait.

Stingray’s construction is top-notch, employing high-quality materials. The 173CC is built with NMMA-certified ABYC methods for reliability and safety.

A standard livewell aerated with a sturdy 800 gph pump keeps bait fresh. Stainless-steel gunwale rod holders keep rods handy. In fact, Stingray’s stainless-steel package is standard on this boat, so virtually all deck hardware (hinges, cup holders, pull-up cleats, and bow and stern lifting rings) are all stainless steel. 

A flop-back seat converts the leaning post from forward-facing for driving to aft-facing for fishing over the transom. The helm station has a plexiglass windscreen, which provides protection in weather and removes easily for stowage. A bow seating package is optionally available, and we’d definitely choose it for family comfort. Stingray uses what it calls Nano-Block stain-resistant vinyl to keep your boat looking good for years.

With 40 years of boatbuilding and 40 years of listening to its customers through the Stingray Boats forum, the company knows what fishermen want, and Stingray’s experience proves it knows how to deliver it. 

High Points

• Stingray’s patented Z-Plane hull tracks well, cleaves waves easily and optimizes performance.
• The 173CC is easily towable and stowable in most garages.
• Optional tow pylon makes it naturally fun for board sports.
• Stainless-steel boarding ladder is handy and adds safety for reboarding.
• Color-matched safety rails add security to good looks.
• Optional leaning-post seat is sturdy, comfortable and good- looking.

Pricing and Specs

Stingray Boats – Hartsville, South Carolina; 843-897-5405; stingrayboats.com

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Overview

Stingray’s 2021 269DC represents a new tack for the popular boatbuilder. It’s the company’s first crossover fishing boat aimed at the premium boat market—and it’s still comfortably priced, keeping within Stingray’s outstanding reputation for delivering quality and fun in family boats with an eye on value.

Engines

Twin Yamaha F200 outboard engines powered our test boat. These are inline-4, 2.8 liter, outboards rated to maximum rpm of 6000. With these outboards, our boat planed out in just 3.7 seconds and made an average top speed of 49.9 mph, with several 50-plus mph trials. Power steering, a three-spoke stainless steering wheel, and a heavy-duty stainless hardware package are included. You can equip the 269DC with Optimus joystick steering with autopilot ($16,152), and anglers who venture far offshore for pelagics or bottom fishing should strongly consider it. This joystick autopilot system is among the easiest to learn and most convenient to use.

Interior and Accessories

Its fishy nature is a departure from the sporty bowriders and deck boats, sure, but all the accoutrements of a fun rec boat are aboard the 269DC. The dual-console style, a fast-growing category in coastal boats, is a saltwater-hardened bowrider that gives the comfort of forward seats, posh interior cockpit seating and a walk-through windshield. Dual consoles’ versatility is the primary asset that has driven the category’s growth over the past decade, and we are glad to see Stingray in it.

Taking a cue from popular performance boats, the seating throughout is firm, with multidensity foam that ensures comfort in the roughest waters. Durable rot-proof stitching, supple vinyl, and sewn-in accents add to the luxurious look and feel. Vinyl colors are rich, available in shades like charcoal gray and deerskin brown. At the bow, seating is deep and plush. Our 269DC test boat came upholstered in brown, with diamond pleat accents and contrasting black piping. Thick bolsters surround the area, making it comfortable to sit facing any direction while leaning against the deeply padded bolster. Storage under the port and starboard seats keeps the deck organized. The bow seat’s center cushion lifts up to reveal a step to the anchor locker. Beneath it, an insulated cooler drains overboard.

In the cockpit, portside seating is back-to-back, but the cooler module slides open to stretch the lounge aft to the transom to provide comfortable bench seating, with a bolstered coaming serving as a backrest to accommodate big crews in this Yacht Certified vessel.

Stingray prioritizes comfort over fishing, as typified by the transom seating, which is fixed in place and does not fold away. Most fishing boatbuilders use foldaway benches in the cockpit, which is often less comfortable but frees up the deck for fish-fighting action. In a further nod to comfort and relaxation, Stingray built an aft-facing couch on the transom, keeping those who choose to remain in the boat comfortable when at anchor while others swim or go beach combing.

In addition to comfort, there is an added bonus to the fixed transom seat: It hinges upward, supported on durable hardware and gas shocks to reveal the plumbing and standard four-bank battery system belowdecks. The work area is spacious and convenient to access, reducing maintenance efforts in long-term ownership.

The captain’s chair is extra-wide and comfortably positioned for a clear view forward when in command. On our tester, we had the optional hardtop ($11,768), and the underside was color-matched to the hull sides ($691). There are additional rod holders in the hardtop, and the entire structure is powder-coated for a cool accent in an off-white tone. The convenience package, included as standard, provided many features normally optional on competitors’ boats, such as a Fusion stereo. The most desirable option would be the windlass.

For fishermen, there are a pair of rod holders in the gunwales, a pair of under-gunwale rod holders, and four shotgun rod holders in the transom. Also, in the transom is a handy 25-gallon baitwell. Tackle storage below the cockpit seats keeps gear handy.

The 269DC is certainly a departure in hull style for Stingray, but it keeps the boatbuilder squarely in the middle of its lane in providing quality boating fun for adventurous families.

Construction and Design

Stingray built the 269DC on its proven Z-Plane hull. The design features a hull bottom with three planing surfaces., of varying deadrise: steepest along the keel, less shallow mid-body and flattest near the chines. A sharp stem cleaves wakes and transitions to a 21-degree deadrise at the transom.

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin 200 hp Yamaha F200s
• Drive/Props: Outboard/Reliance 14 1/4″ x 18″ 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.86:1 Fuel Load: 70 gal. Crew Weight: 550 lb.

High Points

• Fusion audio system rocks the boat, and can be controlled via the head unit or multifunction display.
• Convenience package is standard and offers important features, like an audio system.

Low Points

• Fixed transom lounge encroaches on fishing space, but is more comfortable than folding seats while offering easy access to the bilge, batteries and pumps.

Toughest Competitor

Sailfish offers a 276DC of comparable size ($194,426 with twin 200 hp Yamahas and hardtop), but takes a hardcore angler’s approach to its design. Foldaway seating opens the transom, and a 22-degree deadrise at the transom is better suited to heavy seas but more tender at rest when the crew is moving about the boat.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Stingray Boats – Hartsville, South Carolina; 843-383-4507; stingrayboats.com

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Take a virtual walk through of the all-new 269DC dual console flagship model by Stingray Boats and see all the amazing things this boat has to offer you and your family. This magnificent dual console is completely versatile and can be utilized for any activities out on the water.

The optional hardtop provides immense shade and protection from the elements and is available with six different underside color options. As you walk through the safety glass windshield from the helm, extremely comfortable seating awaits you in the bow. You can upgrade with the optional bow filler cushion for complete lounging. Available seating in the cockpit is ample, as is the room to fight the fish should you choose to take the crew out for the prize catch. And you can keep those prize catches in the insulated fish/storage box located aft. The enclosed, lighted head offers a Porta-Potti, or can be upgraded with dockside pump out or even a porcelain head with holding tank and pump out. This beauty is built for fun, performance and for making memories with you and your family.

Stingray Boats began over 40 years ago with two molds, a few skilled craftsmen, and a passion to build great performing boats. That passion has endured and continues today. Boatbuilding is not just a business at Stingray – it’s a part of who we are. Building lifelong memories one boat at a time.

Stingray is a privately owned, family-run company that focuses on building quality, not quantity. We also provide our customers with the assurance that they are getting the most boat for the best price. This has been the driving force of Stingray for over four decades and has provided us with the honor of having two-time, three-time, and even four-time Stingray boat owners. It is this loyal following of families who love boating that will continue to drive our passion to keep building great boats for many years to come.

At Stingray, we know that our customers lead busy lives and want to make the most of their free time and money on the water. With that in mind, we take advantage of our performance history and the current market trends and combine that with our passion for building great boats. Stingray’s motto is performance, quality, and value at a price more people can afford.

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Stingray’s 231DC proved itself a solid value and an SUV of a runabout. It embodies a playful dual-console layout combining versatility, comfort, utility and performance with an appealing presentation.

The patented Stingray Z-plane hull delivers a spirited performance with a stout Mercury 250XL V-8 outboard spinning an Enertia ECO 18-inch pitch wheel. Acceleration will satisfy just about any watersports enthusiast, planing in 3.3 seconds and gaining 30 mph from a dead stop in a cat-quick 5.2 seconds. Top speed hovered at 52 mph. The most economical cruise speed was 31.6 mph at 3,500 rpm, burning 8 gallons per hour for 4 miles per gallon.

The 231DC focuses on family fun, with multiple gathering pits within the -cockpit. There’s well-designed space, so no one feels cramped or runs out of stowage space for gear. All Stingray models get a completely new upholstery upgrade for 2020, with a soft-vinyl pebbled finish designed to be comfy yet stand up to the elements. Our test boat employed gray vinyl, which complemented the red-gelcoated hull.

The spacious split swim platform -features a transom walk-through into the cockpit on the starboard-side. Finished in SeaDek soft nonskid, the platform -provides room for watersports prep and water gatherings. The stainless-steel grab handles, stainless-steel retractable four-step boarding ladder and the dual stainless cup holders provide utility. Stingray’s optional fishing package adds four flush-mounted, stainless rod holders across the transom with a pop-up stainless ski tow.

In the aft cockpit, a full-width stern seat curves up the port side, -complemented by a starboard-side lounge. Swiveling -pedestal seats for driver and -companion rotate for at-rest conversation. The self-draining cockpit sole is finished in SeaDek snap-in flooring. Overhead, Stingray’s -optional folding wakeboard tower -offers utility plus sun protection with an -integrated Bimini top. The helm console features a large, integrated storage compartment. The dash console is accented by a wood-grain instrument panel fitted with a Garmin GPSMap 742xs multifunction display and Mercury SmartCraft display.

High Points

⋅Fusion RA670 stereo with remote control and 1400-watt, four-channel digital amp delivers great sounds on the water, whether you’re engaged in watersports, entertaining friends and family, or cruising to your next boating adventure.

⋅Starboard-side entertainment unit features console with a solid-surface countertop, sink and trash bin.

⋅Passenger console houses a generously sized head with portable toilet, dockside pump-out and small vanity with sink. Porthole provides fresh air.

Specs

LOA: 23′8″

Beam: 8′4″

Draft: 1′5″ (drive up)

Dry Weight: 4,599 lb.

Seat/Weight Capacity: 12/2,535 lb.

Fuel Capacity: 56 gal.

Price: Unavailable (at press time)

How We Tested

Engine: Mercury 250XL FourStroke

Drive/Prop: Outboard/Mercury Enertia ECO 16″ x 18″ 3-blade stainless steel

Gear Ratio: 1.75:1

Fuel Load: 22 gal.

Crew Weight: 500 lb.

More Information

Stingray Boats – Hartsville, South Carolina; 843-383-4507; stingrayboats.com

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Stingray’s 225SE serves as a 40th-anniversary special model that combines family flexibility with a sassy dose of sportboat performance and looks. It impressed our test team on a number of levels. Read on to learn more.

Power comes from a 300 hp V-8 -Volvo Penta DuoProp sterndrive. With this -combination, the sleek 225SE accelerated to plane in just 3 seconds; 30 mph came up in a rushed 5 seconds flat. Top speed was nearly 59 mph at 5,650 rpm, with the bow carrying at a near-perfect 3- to 4-degree angle and a long, low -rooster tail from behind. With -sportboatlike -acceleration and speed, it was a pleasant surprise to record a best cruise rate at a sedate 21 mph and 2,500 rpm, where the rumbling Volvo V-8 sipped fuel at 4.4 gallons per hour, reaching nearly 5 miles per gallon. The 20-degree deadrise Z-plane hull carves turns sharply and cuts through the lake chop well with no pounding. Handling is nimble, well befitting a boat meant for those who want exhilaration.

Stingray offers solid-color gelcoat -options for both the hull and deck. Ours was finished in a sort of Richard Petty blue; -together with custom black dash, black vent covers, black rub rail and custom black Stingray logo treatment, the -effect was racy yet elegant.

Special sport upholstery, including an SX-style sun deck, matches well with twin bow loungers. A filler cushion converts the forward space into a large sun lounge.

Captain and first mate sit in comfortable yet firm, swiveling bucket seats with flip-up bolsters. The helm features a sporty black-and-chrome steering wheel, accented by a dash panel with full instrumentation set in racy chrome bezels. An optional depth gauge and trim-tab -control completes the setup and enhances your ability to fine-tune the ride. The port console features a large storage -compartment, mesh storage pouch and glove box.

The aft cockpit boasts a plush -U-shaped lounge and large stern sun pad, with center walk-through to the swim platform. SeaDek flooring is featured throughout the entire boat as well as the swim platform, for easy clean up, sharp looks and nonslip security.

High Points

⋅Good looks, ready performance, a useful cockpit and attention to detail—all for a competitive price—are the highlights of this 40th–anniversary model from Stingray Boats.

⋅Volvo DuoProp sterndrive provides low-end punch, ripping top speed and great economy thanks to optimized combustion and the enhanced bit and thrust delivered by twin, contrarotating propellers.

⋅Performance, looks and a plush interior that will provide seating for—and thrill—your entire crew.

Specs

LOA: 22′11″

Beam: 8′4″

Draft: 1′6″ (drive up)

Dry Weight: 4,348 lb.

Seating/Weight Capacity: 10/2,080 lb.

Fuel Capacity: 56 gal.

Price: Unavailable (at press time)

How We Tested

Engine: Volvo Penta 300 V-8 DuoProp

Drive/Prop: Sterndrive/FH-7 23″ pitch 3-blade stainless steel

Gear Ratio: 2.32:1

Fuel Load: 22 gal.

Crew Weight: 585 lb.

More Information

Stingray Boats – Hartsville, South Carolina; 843-383-4507; stingrayboats.com

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When engineers create a 20-foot deck-boat hull with exciting top speed and watersports-capable hole shots using a four-cylinder 150 hp outboard, you either have a great design, a magical motor or a marriage made in heaven between the two.

This boat has Stingray’s Z-Plane hull, the result of nearly 40 years of successful engineering. It is designed to provide a stable platform with a crisp ride in chop, plus comfortable steering and stability at any speed. The power comes from Yamaha’s proven 150 hp four-stroke motor. On our muggy day, the boat topped 48 mph, but on cooler crisper days when the air was denser and perhaps the load a little lighter, Yamaha techs saw over 50 mph on their speedo. We think it’s doable.

And the driving was done in a comfortable bucket seat with flip-up bolster facing a tilt wheel, Fusion audio controller, stainless-steel bezel gauges and a central panel that fits up to a 7-inch navigation display. The 201 may be easy to trailer, but it’s got a big-boat feel you won’t fully appreciate until you load the coolers and fill the seats with friends.

Aft of the cockpit is a step-over transom with a platform that allows easy passage from port to starboard — a feature only gradually becoming available in outboard designs. There’s a boarding ladder angled away from the motor so feet won’t get nicked by kicking a prop. The 201DS has a wraparound windshield, providing wind protection and converting the deck-boat seating plan into a sleek-looking runabout without losing important passenger capacity. Forward of the dual consoles are cozy lounges with padded seat backs and coaming bolsters. A center step is concealed beneath another cushion, with a cooler under the step.

Styled to look great at a convenient price, the 201DS we tested had color stripes to complement the glossy gelcoat. Two-tone vinyl upholstery adds flash to the boat’s zippy dash. Stingray didn’t just marry exciting power to a functional and stylish hull; it created a fun machine that’s easy to trailer, comfortable to purchase and ready to make your family’s marriage to boating fun a lifelong pleasure.

High Points

• Color-matched Bimini comes with the preferred equipment option.
• Hydraulic steering is a wise option given the horsepower.
• LED cockpit lighting (optional) illuminates the interior and adds ambience at night.
• Stainless-steel trim on gunwale molding, rub rails and cup holders adds durability and good looks.
• Italian steering wheel is standard, adding panache to the dash.
• Electronic engine-hour meter tracks maintenance intervals.

Price: $49,746 (as tested)

How We Tested
Engine: Yamaha 150
Drive/Props: Outboard/Reliance 19
Gear Ratio: 2.0:1
Fuel Load: 32 gal.
Crew Weight: 400 lb.

Stingray Boats – Hartsville, South Carolina; 843-383-4507; stingrayboats.com

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