The Caribbean Adventurer is a graceful craft manufactured by International Marine Pty Ltd of Scoresby, Victoria. The Caribbean brand is probably familiar to many boaters, given the length of time that these craft have graced Australian waterways.

The sleek cuddy cabin has a 3 piece screen, well designed bow rail and blue bimini that makes the Adventurer an eye catching craft that will appeal to the booming family boating market as well as keen anglers.

The Adventurer is a versatile rig, capable of fulfilling many roles without being dedicated to one in particular. And with an overall length of 5.83m and a width of 2.33m, she is rated for up to six adults.

The Adventurer has a split bow rail on the forward area of the cabin. A good-sized bow sprit has been included with a useful roller. The anchor well sits behind with a hatch allowing access via the forward cabin area.

A useful storage hatch is located under the forward vinyl cushion and you could easily store an extra anchor in there.

The Adventurer’s cabin is lined, as are the wide overhead shelves that will hold plenty of spare clothing, towels and small tackle boxes. There is also plenty of storage below the paired adult-sized V berths. An in-fill cushion would allow extra people to sleep easily in the wide cabin.

I liked the practical stainless bed ends on the V berths because they double as foot rests for people sitting at the helm. The floor depth in the carpeted cabin was great, as was the head height.

An easy, uncluttered design is a feature of the new Caribbean and by simply carrying the wide dash down in two equal sections to port and starboard they’ve managed to include two effective bulkheads.

To port there is a glovebox, onboard sound system controls, Navman UHF radio and easy side pocket access for the front passenger. On the driver’s side of the cabin entry there is an instrument panel in front of the pedestal mounted bucket seat.

Instruments on the raised dash area include a compass, gauges to monitor the motor, fuel and trim, a Navman Tracker 5380 GPS unit and a Navman Fish 4380 sounder. Also on the dash is the ignition switch, the wheel and its hydraulic steering system, an array of switches and the Suzuki controls. I found the driving position comfortable with great visibility.

The bimini (complete with eight rod holders) offers plenty of protection from the sun and can extend or be tucked out of the way if longer rods are in use.

The test rig offered a number of interesting options, among them the special moulded seat box under the passenger’s pedestal seat. The seat box is fully insulated and has a sealed lid, which makes it ideal for storing bait or food. It could also be set up as an icebox. The aft section of the box was equipped with a cushion, making it a great spot to watch the troll lines astern.

A very large under floor storage area has been set up between both seats and could store your catch, tucker or gear easily.

The carpeted cockpit offers plenty of useful fishing room. Five anglers could fish without lifting the aft three-person bench seat. Cockpit coaming, large side pockets with rod racks and a pair of livewells in the transom all make for good fishing trips, with the cockpit’s padded side panels a bonus.

The pair of batteries for the engine and electronics were housed separately in an off floor shelf tucked below the transom.

The paired rod holders aft (additional ones are optional) and the generous gunwale height make the craft very suitable for offshore, estuary or bay fishing pursuits. Cockpit drainage was via a sump astern with an auto bilge pump but given the gunwale height the only water that would make it onboard would be rain.

The reviewed craft came with a 150 Suzuki 4-stroke outboard. I found the Suzuki to be whisper quiet at idle and very quiet throughout the rest of its rev range. The engine kicked the craft out of the hole and onto an easy plane at a modest 3,000rpm for 20.3km/h.

4,000rpm registered 41.8km/h, 5,000rpm a lively 57.2km/h and a burst at Wide Open Throttle (WOT) at 6,200rpm saw a top speed of 64.8km/h. The Suzuki always seemed to have plenty in reserve with very strong mid range power quite noticeable.

I loved the Caribbean’s ride. The test day was really choppy but the ride remained soft and dry thanks to a fine entry and fair degree of bow rake. Powering into turns the Suzuki wouldn’t cavitate and the Adventurer straightened up almost immediately after the turns without loss of pace. The superior hull configuration showed here, with large underwater strakes and big reversed outer chines contributing to ride quality and easy handling.

The Adventurer’s stability at rest was impressive and two of us on one side didn’t cause the craft to lean. The Adventurer sports a 19 deadrise at the transom, which classifies the hull as a deep V.

Thanks to a useful layout, a great free ride and ample features the Caribbean Adventurer has a lot to offer the family boater or dedicated angler. Given the generous gunwale height plus the full height transom the rig would perform well as an offshore craft. There is 144L of fuel under the floor to feed the 4-stroke, which amounts to a pretty extensive cruising range.

The test rig was equipped with a canopy, side curtains and storm cover, all options that a lot of Victorian anglers will want as part of their package. The rig is priced competitively at $55,500 (as tested) with a start up package costing around $49,500.