Bribie Island is a special place in Queensland. There is extensive shallow mangrove-lined estuaries where you can go to catch a feed of whiting, flathead, and mud crabs. The relatively protected waters of the Pumicestone Passage are abundant, and Dave O’Neal from Bribie Marine sells the boats to enjoy them.
We got to test the Stessl Sportsman 440 matched with a Honda 50hp 4-stroke on the test day. He calls this build of Stessl a ‘Bribie Special’ and sells plenty of them to residents of the island. The rig is light enough to be supplied on a non-braked trailer, can be towed by any car and offers access to all of the shallow waters.
Runabout style boats are popular because they offer shade, a large cockpit, and enough comfort to spend hours on the water chasing a feed of fish. You can also take the family out in them and enjoy swimming and some light tubing. Families and retirees in particular find them popular because of their affordability and functionality.
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Stessl have made a few improvements to the existing 440 Sportsman by changing the aluminium dash for a moulded one and incorporating their Delta hull design with reverse chines and improved stability.
Dave adds to the package by adding a bimini top and clears as well as a transom door. Dave is particularly impressed with the 50hp Honda strapped to the back.
“Honda’s new 50 was only released a few years ago and offers best-in-class power-to-weight and fuel economy,” Dave said.
This hull is rated to 60hp but the 50 Honda does just fine. On the test day it returned a maximum speed of just under 50km an hour – although the weather was superb. There was no fuel metering available to measure economy, although the 50L underfloor fuel tank would offer sensational range for close fishing.
The transom door allows easy access both on the water and when the boat is on the trailer. It is matched with a set of aluminium steps, which allows easy step up onto the duckboard.
Given the short length of the boat, the Sportsman is quite spacious. Swivel the seats around and you have a large cockpit space to lay down a few fishing rods and wait for a bite. If you are travelling with more than two persons on board, more passengers can sit on the fold down storage seat on the back starboard side.
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This compartment eats up a lot of gear and when folded over allows access to the batteries and pumps in the transom.
Up for’ard the split windscreen opens and gives easy access to the anchor well, which holds enough rope and ground gear to keep you in place while fishing.
Back at Bribie Marine we wash the boat down and discussed why this is such a popular boat in the area with Dave.
“Nearly all of the rigs we sell come with the bimini and the transom door option. The locals just like it because it suits their style of fishing to a tee. We can’t get enough of them recently,” he concluded.
For more information on the hull you can visit www.stessl.com.au or for more information about the Bribie Special version see Dave at Bribie Marine. Their website is www.bribieboatsales.com.au.
Specifications:
Length 4.45m
Beam 2.05m
Depth 1.05m
Bottom 3mm
Sides 3mm
Hull weight 300kg
Max HP 60HP
Capacity 4 persons
