BERMUDA’s move into solid ally cuddy cabs sees the production of a structurally stronger boat, which looks and feels as though it would take a serious wave over the top in its stride.

The 510 Ocean Rover, supplied by Boat Scene in Cairns, had a surprising amount of room inside the cabin and excellent access to the nose via the larger than standard front hatch.

The cutaway between the pedestal seats means you don't have to stick your face into your knees to get into the cabin. The anchoring set-up is spot on, with everything within reach when you’re kneeling on the soft padded seats inside the cab. The inclusion of an alloy reef anchor tube on the port side of the anchor well typifies the functional layout of the Bermuda. Having the split cross bollard between the hatch and the self draining anchor well makes it a breeze to operate, especially when the rope can't help but end up on the bow roller due to the practical construction of the split bow rail.

The roof of the cuddy cab is lined and there’s a deep well between the seats, making for comfortable sitting when sheltering from the elements. The carpeted seat hatches slide out revealing carpeted floors in the bottom of the storage compartments which keep gear out of the bilge. A diagonal shelf behind the steering wheel finishes off the interior storage.

The front hatch is easy to operate and folds back nicely to lean against the canopy. The canopy fitted to the test boat is spot-on in height and size, providing plenty of protection from the sun while still leaving good rod access at the stern. Having the leading edge come forward of the screen pushes air into the cabin for excellent ventilation – something that’s vital in the tropics.

The helm is a moulded fibreglass dash and wheel mount and the dash holds standard instrumentation of fuel gauge, speedo, tacho, and volt meter. The Mercury cable steering was so smooth and responsive I had to ask whether it was hydraulic! The pedestal mounted helm and passenger seats are super comfortable and there’s a small storage shelf that’s within seated reach on both sides. A wide passenger grab rail on the port side of the dash is yet another sign of the practical thought which has gone into the Ocean Rover.

The rear end is as functional and no-nonsense as the pointy bit, with a fold-down/lift-out rear lounge, full width under transom shelf, side pockets, bait board and fold-down boarding ladder.

The rear lounge folds down to act as a shin support when fishing, thus opening up even more floor area for anglers. The filleting board is big enough without being obtrusive, and has twin rocket launchers. These, along with the two rear quarter through-gunwale rod holders complete the rod storage.

The full-width duck board and fold-down ladder provide excellent access over the stern and to the motor while maintaining full transom height for open water safety. The wide flat transom top gives less agile people a stable and comfortable platform to sit and rotate on when boarding. The hull bottom carries right through to the back of the pod, giving maximum planing surface, and a welded transducer bracket means no holes in the hull when mounting the sounder.

The 75hp Mariner two-stroke provided ample power, with more than enough top-end speed and a stainless steel prop (standard on Mariners from 75hp and greater). The Ocean Rover reached 35km/h (19 knots, 22mph) at 3500rpm, 43km/h (23 knots, 27mph) at 4000rpm, 48km/h (26 knots, 30mph) at 4500rpm, 58km/h (31 knots, 36mph) at 5000rpm, and topped out at 62km/h (33 knots, 39mph) at 5300rpm.

The Mercury cable steering was beautiful to use and the Bermuda easily handled the worst conditions I have struck in Trinity Inlet. The 20 to 25 knot northerly was blasting up the inlet into a falling tide and the waves were steep and very close together. They were standing up over a metre high and only a couple of metres apart, making for very difficult boating. The Ocean Rover handled it easily at all angles to the swell, with none of the all-too-common kidney bruising when coming off a wave, hard. It ran with the sea beautifully, with no hint of broaching or burying as it went over the top of the swell. A bit of spray that was thrown up when running at an angle to the sea could easily be dodged by ducking below the perfect height perspex screen.

Overall, the functional layout of the Bermuda 510 Ocean Rover will suit serious offshore fishos who also want to take the family outside, secure in the knowledge that if it blows up they’ll have plenty of protection from the elements.

BMT package prices start from $28,000. For more information contact Boat Scene in Cairns on (07) 4051 4922.