What do you get when you cross arguably Australia’s most popular mid-range outboard with an aluminium hull configuration that’s favoured by recreational anglers Australia over? You get the Stessco Breezeaway 480 powered by Yamaha’s sensational F70 outboard.
Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain and cheap to run, runabouts in this size class are a favourite of anyone who likes to drop the anchor, set a couple of fresh baits, relax and wait for the fish to find you. Stessco’s Breezeaway does all of this in comfort and style.
We took the 480 out on the water on Queensland’s Jumpinpin recently and you can watch the boat test video by scanning the QR code on this page or by jumping on the FishingMonthly YouTube channel.
Starting at the transom, we cornered Yamaha’s Will Lee to explain just why the F70 was one of the most popular Yamahas on the market.
“The F70 is the lightest 70hp outboard in its class – that’s two-stroke or four-stroke,” Will said, “and the reason that they’re so light is the single overhead camshaft design. With four cylinders and four valves per cylinder, the F70 gives awesome power-to-weight that’s applicable across a whole range of popular hulls.”
And we can’t argue the point. The F70 is a very common and popular motor. With the Stessco carrying a duckboard and fold down aluminium steps, getting into and out of the boat is easy for the whole family. The hull draws so little water that you can just swing the transom around to the beach and load up that way.
The test package had an optional bait board and bimini top, which helped set it up nearly perfectly for whiting fishing. Anchored in the channel and with a couple of rods hanging over the transom with live bloodworms – who can see themselves in this picture?
The front seats swivel around to watch the rods, you sit in the shade of the bimini and there’s a mile of cockpit space to work in. You just need to convince your spouse that it really is their job to pull up the anchor when you’re moving spots. And that you need to move, because you had no bites in the last 15 minutes.
The bimini top on the test boat is an optional extra, but I’d argue that it’s virtually a mandatory option no matter where you are in Australia.
“The Breezeaway is a boat that we sell to anglers both downsizing their bigger boats or upsizing from a plain tinnie,” said Russel Tippet, Stessco Sales Manager.
Indeed, with its ease of use and user-friendliness for anglers that like to slow the pace down a little, it should be on your shopping list when you’re after a craft of this ilk. Packages start at around $30,000 – the test boat weighed in at $31,500. You can get more information from www.stessco.com.au, or like Stessco on Facebook.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Length | 5.18m |
|---|---|
| Beam | 2.18m |
| Depth | 1.16m |
| Bottom | 3mm |
| Sides | 3mm |
| Max hp | 80 |
| Capacity | Five persons |
| Hull weight | 480kg |
| Fuel | 70L |
Stessco’s Breezeaway 480 is a really easy to use rig, whether you’re downsizing from a bigger boat or opting for a more comfortable option than an open tinnie.
Like all good boats, there’s a place for your phone, keys and wallet. It’ll even stay dry under there.
An underfloor kill tank solves the problem of where to store the catch. It drains into the bilge.
You don’t know that you need a transom door until you have had one.
The Breezeaway draws nearly zero water and allows you to get into the tightest fishing spots. It’s also easy to launch and retrieve.
The Breezeaway can handle a little chop, but it’s probably not the Stessco I’d choose for long trips offshore.
All of Stessco’s accessories are factory-fitted, giving the owner peace of mind that they have been installed correctly.
At cruising speeds and pulling 4000rpm, you can expect nearly 3.5km/L of fuel burned.
The Breezeaway is eminently suitable for laying a few baits out the back and fishing at a relaxed pace.
Duckboards either side with handrails and a fold-down aluminium ladder make transom boarding easy.
The helm is simple – here it holds the Yamaha LCD gauge and a small fishfinder. The test boat was fitted with mechanical (rather than hydraulic) steering.
Lean through the windscreen to deploy and retrieve the anchor. Or at least get your mate or partner to do it. They’d pay money at the gym for a workout like that.
The helm seats swivel 360° to be useful for fishing and driving. The bimini top is an optional extra that can be ordered and fitted at the factory.
Now that’s a lot of workspace for a 4.8m boat. The rear lounge folds over as required and the transom door makes loading from the stern pretty easy.
The anchoring system is simple and manual. Drop it in the well while travelling and tie it off to the cleat when it’s deployed.
