Evolution Platinum 550
Tested Issue 11:

Evolution Boats are fibreglass boats that are built extremely tough. Paul builds them to last and to be comfortable. Up front they have a very sharp entry point, a 21° deadrise, and down the back they have a significant reverse chine. This is the oft mentioned compromise between stability at rest or on the troll, and rough water capability. The sharp V at the front slices the water as the boat pushes through the wave, meaning as smoother ride as conditions will allow. Down the back the hull flattens out, so that there is greater stability when drifting or anchoring. The fact that this boat is the widest 550 class boat I have seen also contributes heavily to its stability.

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Mercury 60hp 4 Stroke EFI Outboard
Tested Issue 11:

One of the great truisms of the modern marine industry is that it is hard to find a bad outboard engine these days, (setting aside the old technology carburetted 2 stroke engines). The marine engine manufacturers have used the great advances in automotive engine technology to produce clean, efficient and fuel efficient outboard engines across a wide range of horsepowers. The mid-range (40hp to 90hp) has seen perhaps the greatest technological advance for ordinary family boaters, as these smaller powerhead engines aren’t able to be directly modified from car engines.

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Tracker Avalanche
Tested Issue 10:

The Avalanche is a top line tournament boat produced by American boat manufacturer Tracker. Tracker is the largest builder of aluminium boats in the world, and they use boats like the Avalanche to demonstrate their ability to produce purpose designed fishing boats.

Like the V16 Pro Guide reviewed in issue 5, this is a boat quite unlike any other previously seen in Tasmanian (and Australian) waters.

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Surtees Sport Fisher 6.7
Tested Issue 10:

At first blush you would be excused for thinking that this boat is a Bar Crusher. In fact the New Zealand built Surtees are the precursor of the Bar Crusher range in Australia – have a look at some of the early Bar Crusher models and you will find the Surtees logo there at the stern. In fact jump on the Surtees New Zealand web site and you will see some of
their models are in fact called a Barcrusher! The 2 companies shared designs for a number of years before Bar Crusher in Australia became masters of their own destiny.

Surtees Boats are made in New Zealand, and currently cover 10 models between 5.5 metres and 6.7 metres. These
boats are unashamedly aimed at the blue water market – big waves, choppy conditions and windy weather, which makes them pretty good for Tasmanian conditions!

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Evolution Apex Predator 650
Tested Issue 9:

These days big trailer boats are increasingly popular, and for good reason, they enable you and the entire family to
enjoy the ocean. Or if you are like me, a big trailer boat opens up a whole bundle of offshore fishing options for big fish that pull hard.

While I do love getting up a river to chase bream or trout there is nothing I enjoy more than towing a spread of lures
in the deep blue with a perfectly set up boat. I used to think I had it good until Paul Junginger of Evolution Boats went one step further than other boat builders and built the new and improved Evolution 650 Apex Predator. I used to think the original Evolution 650 was good, but this boat is in a league of its own.

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Stacer Nomad 519 and Honda BF75
Tested Issue 8:

The day we were faced with for this test was, to put it mildly, pretty damn ordinary! While hooking the boat up at Mayne’s Marine, Rhys and I were trying to kid ourselves that it wasn’t so bad – the light was good for pics, the wind didn’t seem to be too much of an issue, and hey – we might even get a crack at a good sea runner!

Upon arriving at the Austin’s Ferry ramp I began to think that this test might be carried out within 100 metres of the
shore! There was a nasty chop coming straight down the river and the clouds up around the mountains to the north west of us looked decidedly ominous! Rhys was still keen but Chris from Honda was already reaching for another 3 layers of clothes!

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Lyndcraft Tournament 4.8
Tested Issue 7:

Fishing boats can be such individual things. What is perfect for one angler is not suited to another. Today’s boat market place is full of boat choices like never before, but apart from some accessories and a choice of horsepower,
there often isn’t much choice in what you can have in your boat. Tasmanian boat builder Greg Lynd of Lyndcraft Boats is seeking to change all that with his custom built range of tournament style boats.

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Tracker V-16
Tested Issue 5:

These days anglers looking to purchase a boat are far more discerning in their preferences. The boat has to fit their ‘niche’ in fishing, and if it does a heap of other things as well then so much the better. As a result, boat manufacturers have increased the different models in their ranges, and increased the size ranges available within these models, giving anglers choices like never before. Tracker boats are a clear example of this diversity. Tracker is an American brand of aluminium boat that is pretty much the number one aluminium boat in the USA. Which means that they sell a lot of boats! Because they sell a lot of boats, they are able to pump huge amounts of money into hull performance research, resulting in a range of boats that ride well in rough water and still have good stability at rest.

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Bar Crusher 640HT
Tested Issue 3:

Renowned for its superior product and focus on customer satisfaction, Melbourne-based Bar Crusher Boats is one of the most respected plate aluminium boat manufacturers in Australia. With models ranging in size from 5.30m to 6.40m, in cuddy cabin, walk-around and hard-top configurations, the 640HT is the flagship vessel in the company’s range. Despite the test boat’s classy ‘too good to fish out of’ appearance (its pearlised finish a result of the same
paint system as that used by BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche – an exclusive Bar Crusher option), the 640HT is
tough enough to handle everything avid offshore anglers – and angry boatside marlin, tuna and sharks – can throw
at it.

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Savage Escape 650
Tested Issue 1:

Savage Boats have been an Australian icon since 1898 when J.J. Savage built his first boat. Since then the Savage name has been synonymous with Australian boating with both fibreglass and aluminium boats. In this modern boating era the full range of Savage fibreglass boats are made by Whittley in Melbourne. The Whittley family have a significant family heritage in Australian boat building and this experience is now available in Savage boats. The Whittley expertise and style in fibreglass boat building is immediately evident in the Escape 650.

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