If you’re an active angler, the bowrider platform is probably your best compromise boat when it comes to picking something that is family friendly as well as fishing friendly. They have a front deck full of casual seating that can be converted to a full front deck by adding a deck infill and removing the cushions.
Head aft and the situation is the same – this Stessco has a removable ski-pole and you can drop in a bait station into the same hole to complete the change, while still having a bimini top amidships that offers shade for the helm seats.
Stessco have been making bowriders for a while now, but this is the first we’ve seen with a new pearl-white Yamaha 115hp bolted on the back. In the afternoon sun at Redcliffe, the metallic paint matched nicely and the photo shoot drew a few spectators.
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Not bad for a rig built a short drive north at Narangba, north of Brisbane.
Stessco’s Owen Jones joined us for the test, which you can also watch on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel. Since y’all are COVID check-in trained, you can watch it just by scanning the QR code above on your smartphone camera.
“This boat is the type of rig that a family would buy as their first comfortable boat,” Owen said, “They’ll usually come from owning a tinny and be looking to spend around the $50K mark for something with more range and comfort.”
Fitted with the maximum sized outboard, a Yamaha F15 4-stroke, the Bowrider got up and moved with a top speed on 71km/h at 6,300rpm. At that speed, it got 1.7km/L. Drop down to the most economical cruising speed of 36km/h and that economy rises to a neat 3km/L. That’s a range of over 300km with a 110L underfloor fuel tank.
The new, white Yamahas are proving popular with local builders and customers alike and, at the time of testing, they’d just released the colour in engines down to 50hp.
The hull liked a little trim as well and when you get a little air under it, the mechanical steering lightens and you really feel like you’re driving a speedboat.
The transom door and heavy duty, folding boarding steps are standard, as is the folding rear storage compartment that doubles as a bench seat for a couple of passengers. It takes a little room from the cockpit, but adds a lot of storage. Folded, it offers access to the transom hatches, and batteries and isolators.
The helm is simple and effective and able to hold a mid-sized sounder, flush-mounted, and the passenger side has a glove box for valuables.
The test boat is supplied on a factory-fitted Stessco trailer. The advantage of buying the trailer and the hull together is that you get a 5-year warranty on the hull by buying the combination.
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“A factory trailer means that it’s fitted right and that’s how we can extend the warranty in this way,” said Jones.
As tested, the 520 came in at $53,550, but with no options and a 90hp, you can start at $46,000 for this package. The smaller 490 Bowrider begins at around $42,000. You can tow any of them with a standard, family car and manoeuvre it easily with the single axle trailer.
Search for more information at your local Stessco dealer or by visiting www.stessco.com.au online.
Specifications:
Length 5.29m
Beam 2.29m
Depth 1.20m
Max. hp 115
Bottom 3mm
Sides 3mm
Capacity 5 persons
Fuel 110L
Performance:
RPM km/h km/L
700 3 3.1
1000 7 2.9
2000 12 2.2
3000 27 2.7
3500 36 3.0
4000 42 2.8
4500 50 2.6
5000 57 2.4
6300 71 1.7
