From the vented, powdercoated Eddie Marine grab handles rooted to its transom to the flush-mounted, popup running lights that roll upward from the tip of the bow, the Sterling is a study in function, styling and detail. "One of the nicest overall packages we've seen," wrote one of our performance-
team members, a sentiment echoed time and again in the Sterling's test dossier.

You won't find a stock boat any better equipped than this. Every piece we list in this report, with the exception of the motor and drive upgrades, is built into every Sterling as standard equipment.

Nowhere does the Sterling more effectively straddle that combination than its interior. For most Essex customers, the buying decision crystallizes the minute they nestle into the upholstery, some of the most beautiful in all of boating. The Sterling will host ten or 11 comfortably within the firm, supportive depths of its triple-stitched upholstery (all done in-house). The feel aboard is roomy, open and moderately deep in the cockpit. There's an incredible amount of interior space available to those onboard the Sterling, an it feels much larger than its 21 feet.

Customers choose between flat bow seating and a design that's distinguished by a soft, contoured hump on one side that melds comfortably to the prone passenger. (Most people choose the latter option; it's destined to be the most popular sunning spot on the boat.) There's great back support built into all of the bow seating, and storage beneath each of the seat cushions. All are securely Velcroed in place.

The center piece of the bow cushion pulls out to reveal a hidden, neatly finished anchor locker, one of the series of the smart, integrated interior compartments that seem to fill every natural void in the Essex's layout. Lit, padded storage recesses are homes to powdercoated, integrated drink holders, and show the same level of posh interior detailing that marks the rest of the upholstery.

A network of 15 interior lights illuminates the cockpit and backlights the gauges and switch panels, making the Essex a gorgeous night cruiser. Through-bolted, low-profile, welded stainless railing hugs the perimeter of the bow seating section.

A large, carpeted locker occupies the front portion of the cockpit floor, and it's large enough to swallow wakeboards, jackets, wetsuits and such. Further aft, two splattercoated ice chests are walled off, creating optional dry storage or additional drink storage. It's worth noting that the covers of both of these floor lockers are hinged, not merely held down by gravity.

Front passengers are wrapped in luxurious, densely padded buckets that rest on resin-coated wooden bases, which are finished in the same seamless carpeting cover as the rest of the cockpit. They provided great support and comfort during test drills. Seat cushions peel away for small storage cubbyholes and, up top, at the base of their necks, hinged compartments fold out to reveal carpeted, glove box-sized stash spaces.

There's a good amount of legroom beneath the consoles for the driver and front passenger, and the walk-through area is wide and roomy. White-faced gauges are framed with Eddie Marine bezels. (The customer chooses all color accents.) Our test boat's whiteout treatment called for a matching Eddie switch panel. It was a clean way to show off the backlit rockers, which were clearly engraved and positioned nicely, just to the right of the padded, tilt Dino steering wheel.

A 100-watt Kenwood CD stereo with four speakers housed in glassed, sound-enhancing chambers is standard, and it rocks! Also within easy reach of the driver is the padded carve of the gunnels, which provide yet more storage and more drink holders. The Mercury throttle/shifter mechanism rests nice and high on the padded armrest, within comfortable reach. "Well thought-out, with everything in its proper place," summed up our launch-ramp inspection team.

Interior graphics are styled according to the individual owner's taste, and range from clean white to multi-panel accents throughout the seating and gunnel areas. Those on our test boat were beautifully matched to the four gelcoat colors.

Large, comfortable midseats are back up against the front buckets, and they prove to be nearly as comfortable as the front buckets. The interior design effectively allocates individual interior space, allowing passengers to interact from a comfortable distance. The rear deck lid is deeply padded and raised electrically.

Go beyond it, and you'll ease onto the angled lip of the rear boarding area, which is designed for a hassle-free deep-water boarding experience. A remote trim switch on the transom adjusts the drive, and twin, skid-resistant, fiberglass swim steps flank the MerCruiser. Combination grab handle/engine vents hug the transom, and the fuel fills and ski tow are sunk into the lines of the boat. Flush-mounted bimini hardware was through-bolted into place. All of the hardware was either powdercoated or stainless steel. Four popup cleats are standard and placed effectively.

We found the tooling and fiberglass execution flawless, both eliciting the highest possible ratings from our inspection team. Essex takes pride in walking each customer through the many individual decisions involved in building a custom performance boat, such as gelcoat color combinations and graphics. The result is an interactive, highly professional buying experience.

Beneath the hatch, Essex shows the same concern for detail and finish that once earned it our coveted Boat of the Year award. Lit, segmented storage is carpeted, and the bilge is splattercoated. Wiring and accessory hardware were mounted neatly. An IMCO electronic fuel switch with manual override for switching tanks is standard, along with dual batteries. (The crossover switch is easily accessible beneath the rear seat cushion.)