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CENTURY’S NEW 2901 COMES WITH A HOST OF INTELLIGENT DESIGN FEATURES.

BY JOHN BROWNLEE

Century’s 29-foot Center Console has been a mainstay in the company’s lineup for some time, and has always been a popular boat. I’ve run previous incarnations of the 29 lots of times, so I was eager to see how the latest version, the 2901, stacked up. I got the chance to do just that through Century’s Key Largo, Florida, dealer—Tony Santaguida from Performance Marine.

For instance, the transom bulkhead contains a divided, lighted livewell that holds 62 gallons.A clear acrylic lid covers the well, and cushions sit atop the bulkhead, providing comfortable passenger seating. A removable backrest attaches via clips on the bulkhead, and flips upside down and out of the way when you’re fishing.

A sink with a cutting board lies to port, and contains both fresh and saltwater washdowns. A transom gate to starboard lets you get out onto the engine platform with ease, and a stainless steel telescoping swim ladder makes getting into the boat from the water a breeze. A three-rod rocket launcher was mounted along the aft edge of the transom bulkhead, in front of the engines. Two in-deck hatches just forward of the bulkhead house the boat’s batteries—two per side, and a door beneath the gunwale in the port hull side hides a well-designed electrical panel and the boat’s battery switches. There’s no standing on your head or crouching in a cramped area to get to the breakers on this boat— it’s all right there and extremely convenient. Other bins built into the hullsides contained lockable rod storage and plastic tackle drawers.

And speaking of tackle storage, the boat’s optional leaning post/tackle center has tons of it. Two large boxes on the aft side of the unit have StarBoard drawers, hanging tackle storage bags, and even StarBoard hangers on which you can mount spools of leader material like fluorocarbon. The leaning post has five rod holders and four drink holders built into its aft edge, and the helm seats are racing-style bolsters with flip-up seats for driving while you’re standing, and arm rests.

Two 277-quart fish boxes sit below the deck on either side of the console, and the lids for these spacious boxes raise on gas rams, so it will be quite easy to drop in a large fish without having to hold the lid. The console has the helm to port, with space for a large electronics unit above the wheel. Two storage boxes to starboard hold an impressive amount of loose gear, and the switches are arranged beneath the helm, where they’re clearly visible, yet out of the way. The sub-console head compartment is finished with a headliner, and features an electric head with a macerator, a bunk that extends forward beneath the foredeck, a fresh water sink, and a mirror that opens to afford access to the wiring at the helm. The console is topped by a molded fiberglass T-top with built-in LED lighting, a molded electronics box, and built-in recessed speakers, and an acrylic windshield provides protection to those standing at the helm.

The 2901 has a level deck all the way to the bow, where raised forward seats contain two 311-quart insulated fish boxes that can also be used for dry storage. Our test boat had a round table up here, perfect for cocktail cruising, and the bow sported a pulpit with a windlass, plus the whole area is surrounded by a low profile stainless steel bow rail. Thick coaming pads encircle the entire interior of the boat, making it easy to lean against the gunwales while fighting a fish.

I ran the boat in blustery conditions on Florida Bay, where a short chop looked like it could easily get us wet. But we needn’t have worried—the big Century’s 23-degree transom deadrise made short work of the chop, and the hull threw water down and away where it belongs. The boat never pounded or threw even a single drop of spray our way, even when we ran it hard and took tight turns into the waves. It was an exemplary ride.

Twin F250 Yamahas got the boat on plane quickly, with a little bow rise, and at a cruise speed of 4500 rpm, the 2901 hit 39 mph while burning 24.7 gph.Wide open, we reached a little over 52 mph while still only burning 42 gph. That’s excellent performance for a large offshore hull with a 7,000 pound dry weight!

Century’s 2901 offers a complete package—it has a roomy head compartment, copious fish box capacity, lockable rod storage (with room for a LOT of rods!), and well designed and executed tackle storage. It also happens to perform like a champ, and this combination of factors should place the 2901 on the short list of anyone in the market for a boat in this size range

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