Stessl 520 Bluewater boat review

“DAMN, that’s a good-looking boat” were the first words out of my mouth upon laying eyes on the 2018 Stessl 520 Bluewater.

With a striking teal and black wrap and sharp, aggressive lines all over, this particular Bluewater was one of the best-looking rigs I’d ever seen. Developed using Stessl’s exclusive Platerix Series heavy-duty plate alloy construction, this is one solid boat designed to withstand the rigours of serious offshore fishing.

Utilising sturdy 4mm plate bottom and side sheets, the 520 Bluewater adds offshore pedigree in the form of fully welded gunwales and side decks, an enclosed transom with twin hatches and acres of fishing room. Ubiquitous underfloor flotation is standard, as is a massive 150-litre fuel tank tucked under the floor, providing a serious cruising range of 350km when teamed with Yamaha’s superb 115hp four-stroke.

That impressive range would increase even further with the recommended 90hp on the back, instead of the maximum 115hp. I wouldn’t have it any other way however, as the test rig powered by the Yamaha F115 four-stroke proved to be an absolute gem. The F115 was almost unbelievably quiet at all speeds, barely whispering whether idling or punching through chop and swell in the Tweed Bar.

In fact, another boat on the test day was powered by a 90hp Yamaha four-stroke, and despite the two engines being largely similar with the same 1.8-litre engine block and identical bore and stroke, I found the F115 to be a good few decibels quieter than the F90LB. Possibly the F115’s double overhead cam head design had something to do with it (compared to the F90’s single-cammer), but whatever the reason, the F115 was the notably quieter engine and raised voices were not needed to converse at the helm when under way.

I felt the test rig was perfectly powered, jumping on the plane with no fuss whatsoever, and in the Tweed Bar showing the sort of instant, mid-range grunt necessary to safely navigate most coastal bars. And this wasn’t just thanks to the motor, as I could really feel the Platerix hull working underneath us to slice through the substantial waves and push spray well clear thanks to effective reverse chines.

We decided these ugly conditions would also present the perfect opportunity to test the boat’s stability, and with three ‘full-size’ adults sitting on the gunwale in over a metre of fast-moving swell, the 520 Bluewater wasn’t fazed, which is great news for those keen on offshore fishing. Heading back to calmer waters further up the Tweed River meant punching through some of the shortest and sharpest chop I had ever encountered. With 20 knots of wind blowing into our faces against who knows how many knots of tide, these were brutal little waves, but sitting happily at 4000rpm and 40km/h, the Stessl 520 Bluewater just ate it up, skipping athletically over the worst of the chop to provide a mostly cosseting ride.

And this is despite the driving position being almost on the bow of the boat. In the pursuit of maximum fishing room, Stessl has pushed the seating position as far forward as sensibly possibly, and amazingly (unlike some other brands that follow this design ethos), the ride didn’t unduly suffer as a result.