Robalo R222 Center Console, a Guide for Used Robalo Buyers

Used Robalo boats for sale, why the R222 is the one to learn first

Scroll through used Robalo boats for sale near you and the R222 turns up again and again. It has been in the lineup since the 2014 model year, it sits in the most popular size class for center consoles, and Robalo has sold it at a nationally advertised price for most of its life, which kept it within reach of first-time offshore buyers. If you understand the R222, you understand most of what Robalo does well.

It is a 21-foot 6-inch center console with an 8-foot 6-inch trailerable beam, a 21-degree deadrise hull, a 90-gallon fuel tank and an enclosed head inside the console. Robalo still builds it in Nashville, Georgia, and lists it as a 2026 model alongside the R160 to R360 center consoles.

The 2013 launch and the Reel Deal formula

Robalo introduced the R222 at its 2014 International Dealer Conference in Key Largo, Florida, in the fall of 2013, alongside its first bay boat, the 206 Cayman. Sport Fishing reported that it built on the success of the R180 and R200 and, at $39,765 with a Yamaha F150, was the largest center console in Robalo's nationally advertised sales program.

Standard features at launch included twin 30-gallon fish boxes, an enclosed head in the console, a 15-gallon livewell, Kevlar construction and a 10-year limited hull warranty. Robalo's current copy still leans on the same pitch: more centerline length, more storage, more ride comfort, more fishing features and a price that comes up short. Today's boats carry a lifetime limited hull warranty and a five-year premium component warranty.

What a 22 ft center console boat can actually carry

Robalo rates the R222 for 10 people or 1,445 pounds, which is generous for the size. Dry weight with engine is 4,100 pounds, light enough for a single-axle or modest tandem trailer and a half-ton pickup. Fuel capacity is 90 gallons, freshwater 9 gallons and the console head has a 3.8-gallon holding tank. Console headroom is 5 feet 3 inches, so the head is a sit-down compartment rather than a stand-up one.

Fishing equipment centers on the two 30-gallon fish boxes, which can hold catch or gear, and a 15-gallon livewell with LED lighting and a blue gelcoat interior under the standard leaning post. That is a simple, practical setup for live-baiting kingfish, drifting for snapper or chasing dolphin along a weed line.

Hull, freeboard and sensible offshore limits

The R222's 21 degrees of transom deadrise is a real offshore-style V for a boat this size. Salt Water Sportsman's look at the smallest boats you should take offshore singled out the R222 and the Scout 215 XSF as compact center consoles with plenty of freeboard forward, suitable for close-in offshore work where deep water is only a few miles out, such as off Miami Beach.

That article's caveat applies to every 22-footer: summer thunderstorms can build over land and cut small boats off from the inlet, so watch the weather and do not stretch the range. Sport Fishing made the economic case in its own small-boat feature, noting that a boat like the R222 can run offshore and troll all day on a single 200 or 250 hp outboard for a few hundred dollars or less, against well over a thousand for a twin-engine 30-footer.

Engines through the years, from F150 to 250

Launch boats came with a Yamaha F150, and many used examples still have one. Today the maximum is 250 hp and the build tool's base engine is a Yamaha F200. We have not found a published independent speed and fuel test for the R222, so we do not quote performance figures; ask a dealer for the Yamaha or Mercury performance bulletin for the exact engine on a boat you are considering.

• Yamaha F200: $82,795 (2026 build tool)
• Mercury 200: $83,595
• Yamaha VF200 VMAX: $85,195
• Yamaha VF250 VMAX: $89,095
• Mercury 250: $90,695
• Yamaha F250 with digital electric steering: $95,795

R222, R222EX, R230 and the 29-foot question

Robalo's lineup can confuse used-boat shoppers. The R222EX is a separate 21-foot 6-inch model from another Robalo series rather than an R222 with extras, the R200 is a size smaller at 20 feet 7 inches, and the R230 is a step up at 23 feet. Boating used a Robalo R222ES as the comparable model to the Scout 215 XSF in 2017, so expect to see other suffixes on older listings and confirm the exact model on the hull identification and title.

Searches for a 29-foot Robalo usually come from people who want more boat than the R222. Robalo's current center consoles jump from the R270 at 27 feet 6 inches to the R300 at 30 feet 6 inches, so there is no 29-foot model in the 2026 range; older and used boats in that size are worth checking by exact model name.

Canvas, T-top and hardtop fitment on the R222

Robalo 222 boat canvas questions come up constantly, and the answer starts with the top. The R222 is offered with a T-top or a hardtop, and Robalo lists different bridge clearances for each: 8 feet 4 inches with the T-top and 8 feet 7 inches with the hardtop. Aftermarket covers, T-top covers and console covers are cut to those configurations, so give your canvas shop the model year and top type.

If you store the boat in a garage or under a carport, measure with the boat on its trailer; the trailer adds significant height to those bridge clearance numbers.

Inspection notes for used R222s

Running costs are low: roughly $3,500 to $8,500 a year for insurance, single-outboard service, trailer upkeep, storage and registration, plus fuel. The R222's simplicity is part of its appeal, and most problems on used boats come from use and storage rather than design. Check the items in our list below, and pay particular attention to engine hours, trailer condition and the livewell plumbing.

A few buying tips specific to this model: early boats with the F150 are perfectly adequate for inshore and nearshore use but feel underpowered with a full crew and full tank, so test with a realistic load. Boats sold through the Reel Deal program were often lightly optioned, so price a T-top, electronics and trim tabs into any comparison. And because the R222 has been built for so long, look for boats that have been stored under cover; gelcoat, upholstery and canvas condition vary far more than the hull itself.