Blazer Bay 2020, a True 20-Foot Bay Boat From Pensacola

Blazer Bay 2020 and the Pensacola family behind it

The Blazer Bay 2020 is the smallest boat that many anglers associate with the Blazer Bay name, and the model number simply means 20 feet. Blazer Boats is a family-run builder in Pensacola, Florida; the company says the Craft family has been building Blazer boats since 1978 and describes itself as a leader in the high-performance bass and bay boat market. It stresses that it is not part of a large corporation that owns many brands, which shows up in a lineup aimed at value.

The 2020 was pitched as the 20-foot bay boat with more premium features and more interior room than its rivals. Blazer's argument was specific: many builders sell a 19-and-a-half-foot boat as a 20-footer, while the Blazer Bay 2020 measures a full 20 feet 2 inches. Combined with a 100-inch beam, its transom design and a standard jack plate, Blazer claimed more interior room than many 21-foot bay boats.

The model appeared on Blazer's site through the 2025 model year. Blazer's 2026 configurator moves the small end of the range to the PureBay 2200 and 2400, so the 2020 is now a used-market boat. Searches for a used Blazer Bay boat for sale at this size will mostly turn up 2020s along with the related 675 Ultimate Bay and larger 2200 to 2400 models.

A full 20 feet 2 inches on a 100-inch beam

On paper the 2020 is a compact, light bay boat. It measures 20 feet 2 inches overall and 8 feet 4 inches (100 inches) across, weighs about 1,700 pounds without power, draws 11 inches fully loaded and carries 49 gallons of fuel. Deadrise is 18 degrees at the transom, which is moderate for a bay boat and should help in a short chop without hurting shallow-water performance too much. Interior freeboard is 19 inches.

The capacity plate allows eight people and 1,250 pounds. With the boat on its trailer and the motor fitted, the rig measures about 28 feet, which fits most garages and driveways. The transom height is 26 inches, and Blazer specified a 10-inch manual Shoemaster jack plate as standard, letting the owner raise the engine to run shallow and fine-tune performance.

The structure is fully composite: foam-filled fiberglass stringers, a high-density foam transom and a fiberglass inner deck, with no wood. Deutsch plugs on most electrical connections are a nice detail for a boat at this price, as they resist corrosion better than crimped butt connectors.

• LOA 20 feet 2 inches, beam 8 feet 4 inches (100 inches)
• Dry weight about 1,700 pounds, draft 11 inches fully loaded
• 18-degree transom deadrise, 19-inch interior freeboard
• 49 gallons of fuel, eight persons or 1,250 pounds capacity
• 115 hp minimum, 150 hp recommended, 200 hp maximum

Two livewells, rod racks and a deck plan for two anglers

Blazer calls the 2020's rear livewell tournament size and pairs it with a large front console livewell, a combination that suits redfish and trout anglers who carry both shrimp and finger mullet. A 750 gph livewell pump feeds them. A built-in fish box or cooler is set into the floor, and there are large storage compartments under the decks.

Rod storage includes port and starboard racks plus eight rod holders in the console, and the deluxe leaning post adds four rocket launchers and a storage tray. A fold-down fishing chair on a pedestal, rear flip-up seats, an anchor locker, four pull-up cleats and a splashwell hatch for rear bilge access round out the standard list.

The console has a tinted windshield, an aluminum grab rail, a glove box and a custom dash with the engine maker's digital gauges, while hydraulic steering and a deluxe stainless wheel come standard. A six-gauge trolling-motor system is prewired, so adding a bow-mount electric motor is straightforward.

Choosing the outboard: 150 recommended, 200 for speed

Blazer let buyers pick from all three major outboard makers. Mercury options included the 150 FourStroke and 150 Pro XS and the 200 FourStroke and 200 Pro XS; Yamaha offered the F150, VF150, F200 and VF200; and Suzuki listed DF140, DF150, DF175 and DF200 models in black or white. Boats could also be ordered without an engine.

The builder recommends 150 hp and says the 2020 is light enough to perform well at that rating, while a 200 makes it really fly. We could not find an independent instrumented test or an engine maker's performance bulletin for this model, so we do not publish speed or fuel figures. For context, a 1,700-pound hull with a 150 four-stroke is a light, easily driven package, and most owners should expect good fuel economy at cruise with the small 49-gallon tank still covering a long day of bay fishing.

Our advice is simple. Choose the 150 for economy, lighter weight on the transom and lower cost; choose a 200 Pro XS or V-MAX SHO if you run long distances across open bays or carry three or four adults regularly. Avoid the 115 minimum unless the boat is used lightly on protected water.

Ownership costs for a trailered 20-footer

This is one of the least expensive boats to own in our database. Kept on its trailer at home, a Blazer Bay 2020 costs roughly $2,500 to $5,500 a year excluding fuel and depreciation: insurance, annual outboard service, trailer bearings and tires, trolling-motor and battery upkeep, and registration. Fuel is modest because the boat is light and the tank holds only 49 gallons.

Most mid-size SUVs and half-ton pickups tow it comfortably, and the 11-inch loaded draft opens shallow ramps and flats that larger bay boats cannot reach. The trade-off is open-water comfort: 19 inches of interior freeboard and 18 degrees of deadrise make it a bay and river boat rather than a nearshore one.

Used Blazer Bay boats for sale: pricing and inspection

Used Blazer Bay boats for sale in the 2020 size are common along the northern Gulf Coast, where Blazer's dealer network is strongest. We estimate that 2020 and 2021 boats ask roughly $30,000 to $46,000 depending on engine and options, while 2024 and 2025 boats with low hours sit in the mid-$40,000s to low $60,000s. A 200 hp boat with a Power-Pole, trolling motor and good electronics tops the range.

Inspect the jack plate and transom bolts for stress cracks, check the livewell pump and plumbing, and look for gelcoat cracks around the leaning post and console mounts, which take most of the load in rough water. Confirm the outboard's hours with a diagnostic rather than relying on the listing, and make sure the trailer has been rinsed and maintained.

Because Blazer has replaced the 2020 with the PureBay models, buyers should compare a lightly used 2020 against a new PureBay 2200 with dealer incentives. Blazer's own promotional programs, such as its Blazer Bucks rebates, can narrow the gap.