Boat Review: Smoker Craft 21' Millentia

Having spent so many years in and around boats there are fewer and fewer surprises. So when I heard that Smoker Craft had raised the bar in big water, multi-species boating, I was predictably apprehensive.

Doug Smoker, the Vice President of Smoker Craft, along with several of his top executives unveiled the new Millentia Series to a group of us. Smoker took us carefully from one end of the boat to the other, explaining every nuance of this new Smoker Craft series.

It was hard not to be impressed. First, the fact that the company owner was so thoroughly involved in the intricacies of this product, and second, the fact that such a quality-driven product had been priced so much lower than comparable packages.

Step-by-step we poured over every inch of the new introduction. As long time boaters and industry professionals we took a long admiring look at the new Millentia and then starting looking for faults. We didn't find any.

The real acid test though isn't how it performs in a showroom but how it feels on the water. I would soon learn that this boat was exceptional in ways I would need to see to believe.

I had been invited to join the editor of Western Outdoor Magazine, Lew Carpentar, along with his sales representative, Mike Nelson and Smoker Craft representatives Mike Burns and Jim Farrand for a day of fishing for Fall Chinook below Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.

When Jim rolled up towing a 21' Millentia powered by a Yamaha 4-stroke 115 hp outboard my heart sank. A 115 hp anything on a 21' hull is, in my experience, woefully under-horsepowered. Farrand assured me it was plenty of engine as we backed the package in and loaded all five of us aboard.

At the helm I was genuinely surprised that this boat loaded with five big men, a full load of fuel, a 4-stroke 9.9 trolling motor, and our gear responded so well as it easily came onto plane. The ride felt solid and sure as we made our way upriver.

Ground swells, the result of an upriver barge, tested the ride characteristic of the hull. Long, undulating pillows of water that often beat most boats into an idle were no match for the 21' Millentia. It cut through each wave, directing the water away from the boat and delivered us softly along the bottom of each trough as we climbed wave after wave.

It was hard not to be impressed by the performance of this new Smoker Craft.

The 21' Millentia starts with a one-piece, .125 aluminum bottom at its foundation. By riveted boat standards this is a battleship. The stout material is further enhanced with Smoker Craft's exclusive AIRS (Advanced Integrated Rib System) construction that reflects sincere engineering…not over-inflated marketing hype.

AIRS, is a symphony of latitudinal (transverse) ribs that provide lateral support along the bottom to the bow where longitudinal ribs are used to strengthen the bow for use in big water. Add to the thicker material, and AIRS construction, 5 bottom keels that run the length of the boat and, in its class, there's no stronger, more solid feeling boat built.

Our GPS showed speed readings that consistently hovered around 40 mph on our upriver run!

In fishing, getting there is only part of the game. How the boat handles off-plane is as important as how it handles under power.

We began back trolling and again, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this big boat handled. Even in a steady wind the 21' Millentia responded beautifully to my commands at the trolling motor. The 5 bottom keels provide flawless control and are a definite advantage when backing down the river.

Like most 21' designs, this boat's stable and roomy…plenty big for all five of us. We put in a long day and were never uncomfortable or looking to stretch our legs. This boat had delivered far beyond our expectations.

When Smoker Craft developed the Millentia, part of the mission was to make a statement. They wanted to create a boat series that showed their capacity to produce detailed, high-end boats. With the Millentia they've succeeded.

Smoker Craft has long had the reputation of owning the small boat market. Their Alaskan series is widely accepted throughout the West as their flagship series, with thousands regularly fishing Western waters. These are boats that are easily maintained, affordable, easy-to-resell, and perfect for smaller protected waters. The reputation of Smoker Craft as a premium aluminum small boat in the West is unchallenged, it's their identity in the big boat market that needed to be elevated.

The introduction of the Millentia has done just that.

Offered in 16', 17', 19' and 21' lengths, the Millentia is a no-excuse series. The 19' and 21' models especially, stand alone.

At a glance it's hard not to embrace this boat. It's wide, deep and full-featured. The dash, for instance, is rich and beautifully laid out. Gold bezels around the gauges provide a sophisticated accent that's difficult to find on even the most expensive glass designs. Switches are easily accessed and are on circuit breakers rather than fuses.

One of the first things you'll notice about this boat is Smoker Craft's answer for creating more interior space. An outboard jack plate to mount primary power is standard and effectively reduces the size of the splash well. The benefit is added space and better performance.

The jack plate allows the engine to run in "cleaner" water, optimizes trim adjustment, and enables the fulcrum position of the boat to occur closer to the transom for better hull separation off the water which results in better top-end performance.

Smoker Craft's unique Rolled-V Hull relies on a full vee that carries to the transom and then rolls to the chine capturing water that generates lift so the ride is dry, the hull rides high, and the feeling is soft as you course across waves and wakes.

As a fishing boat Smoker Craft's really done their homework. Generous "toe-kicks" which are long cutouts under the rod storage along each sidewall add security when fighting or netting fish. Large 30 gallon fore and aft livewells that are lighted, with timed aeration and recirculating pumps also double nicely as fish boxes. These livewells feature a dedicated drain that runs through the transom rather than into the bilge so you're not besieged by odors after a long week of productive fishing.

Additionally, great care has been given to eliminate any sharp, line-cutting edges, even the deck cleats are retractable so they're out of harms way in the heat of battle.

Bass and walleye anglers won't be giving anything up fishing in the bow, even in the dual console. Ample deck space is available in the bow which allows complete freedom of movement for casting or setting a hook, along with a full set of controls for trimming the engine and running other necessary functions without leaving the casting deck.

You won't have to look far to find lots of storage either. Both the 19' and 21' Millentia feature lighted port and starboard rod storage, 3 battery compartments, bow storage, stern storage and under-console storage.

Last is the equipment list. Smoker Craft wanted to produce as complete a boat as possible so even though items like fishfinders, which tend to be a passionate item for most anglers have not been included, everything else has. A trolling motor bracket is standard, so is a fishermen's top, courtesy interior lights, an AM/FM stereo cassette player, hydraulic steering, tilt steering and Smoker Craft's exclusive lifetime warranty on all riveted seams.

Even for the most experienced boaters, there's still seems to be some pleasant surprises that excite the spirit that brought us to boating originally…Smoker Craft's 21' Millentia is one of those welcome surprises.