Boat Reviews

These are big figures for a little boat, however a 60hp motor on a lighter, pressed alloy tinnie would surely result in even higher numbers. Though what a lighter boat couldn’t do is make a mockery of decent size waves created by passing boats. Even with its shallow 10-degree variable deadrise, the RMP managed to avoid the dreaded ‘tinnie slap’ over …

In this instance, the F115XB fitted with a 13 1/8” diameter, 16” pitch Talon stainless steel prop punched out some impressive figures, especially in the 3000-4500rpm range. At 3000rpm, the Bar Crusher 575C was well up on the plane, cruising along at about 24km/h with an impressive 2.3km per litre fuel economy figure. And it only got better from there: …

Overall, the Stessco Catcher SFX450 SC brought plenty to the table in terms of inclusions and performance. If you are after a well-appointed boat that performs well and is ready to hit the water straight out of the box, it would definitely be worth considering. The test boat was supplied by Motorsport Marine at Burpengary, so for more information, give …

Our test boat cost $21,900, which included the 50hp four-stroke Suzuki, Aluvan trailer, safety gear, electronics pack, electric motor bracket, Garmin GMI 20 instrument display and 12 months boat and trailer ergo. While not the cheapest 4.4m boat on the market, when you consider what is included I think it is definitely up there for value for money and ahead …

“I started out with little 10-footer tinnies, then upgraded to 12 footers and then a 16’ aluminium centre console,” Shaun said. “I also did a lot of professional fishing in catamarans – 18, 23 and 28 footers as well as a 48’ Randell. “But most of my fishing career was out of a large plate boat – a 22’ Pacific …

In saying that, the Armour 45 has a massive amount of storage, with plenty of room to stow a number of items. The front storage hatch is huge, though I think some little ‘keeper’ walls on the sides to prevent things rolling off may have made the shelf section a bit more user friendly. However if you want to store …

These new Quintrex Explorers have received the first real update to the model line in about 10 years, with a host of changes made to try to improve upon the already stellar reputation of the range. So, what’s new? Well the most immediately noticeable feature when walking up to the boats bobbing patiently in the water was the forked bow …

Again I was happily surprised by how level and true the boat remained, which gave a good indication of the performance of the hull. Having satisfied my curiosity about performance, I set about checking out the layout and how it worked. For a 5.8 model there is plenty of fishing room as well as a good amount of storage, with …

My initial thoughts were that it was going to be a 175hp (which I think might be just around the corner) however I was wrong and a brand new light-weight 200hp 4-stoke Yamaha was sitting on the back. Obviously I was keen for a ride, so along with a few other media people we went for a run in the …