Boat Reviews

FORMOSA Marine is certainly one of the more innovative boat-building brands operating today. In the 20 years since its inception, the business has gone from strength to strength and the Formosa range has continually expanded, including adding the Sea-Rod sub-brand to its portfolio in 2011, with a plethora of innovations along the way. I recently found myself on the Tweed …

IT’S often said in the marine industry there is no substitute for length, and that is certainly the case with Sea Jay’s new 5.38 Avenger Sports model. The Sea Jay Avenger Sports line-up already looked pretty good, with models ranging from 4.25m to 4.88m, but this new 5.38m example has raised the bar again. Not only is it half a …

ONE boat to do it all. One boat to capably fish the bays, rivers, creeks and offshore. I didn’t have my ‘one’ picked until I recently tested the Australian Master Marine 5700 Sea Class centre console off the Gold Coast. As far as plate aluminium boat builders go, you’d be hard pressed to find one better than AMM. Customisation and …

I RECENTLY fitted a Lowrance Hook2 9 GPS/sounder to my boat and have subsequently tested the product. This sounder features an inbuilt GPS with map as well as sonar with CHIRP, StructureScan and DownScan all in one as a standard unit. The unit only runs one transducer, which simplifies installation. Straight out of the box it came with everything needed …

GOLD Coast boat building company Horizon Boats has hit the mark delivering quality sportfishing boats with the new-for-2018 Northerner range. The Northerner line-up consists of six models ranging in size from 4.15m to 5.4m, giving anglers plenty of choice when deciding on a boat. Already a popular choice for keen fishos, the Northerner has seen a few upgrades for all …

AS much as it is awesome fun to run around in flash big new rigs for boat reviews, sometimes it is good to get back into something that would suit a mix of boaters from the first-timer to the hard-core fisho and crabber. In this instance I’m referring to the Stessco Catcher. For many years, the 4.3m Stessco Catcher was …

HAVING owned and fished out of a side console for over 10 years, I have a bit of a soft spot for this style of boat. The reason I feel this way probably relates to how I use the boat, which usually involves fishing two or three-up with a mix of casting and trolling lures or bait fishing, crabbing and …

EVERY now and then I come across a boat with a fit and finish so fine it’s akin to a luxury car. This was exactly the case when I hit Moreton Bay in the McLay 651 CrossXover Hardtop, which is interesting as this boat is marketed as a hard-core fishing weapon. Leading up to this boat test, McLay’s reputation for …

An additional six rod holders can be found on the targa, which keeps them well out of the way, as well as a few more in each gunwale. As with all Sea Jay boats, the finishing and attention to detail is top-notch and I think the quality of Say Jays and the pride in workmanship is one reason why more …

But with technological advances, two-strokes are not necessarily lighter than modern four-strokes. This is highlighted by the range of portable Yamaha four-strokes, which are becoming increasingly lighter and torquier. When run over the scales, the portable Yamaha 9.9hp four-stroke comes in at about 40kg (add an extra kilogram for the long shaft model), while the 15hp weighs a touch over …