2018 Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Classic Territory review

Brisbane's Formosa Marine is one of Australia's leading manufacturers of production plate aluminium boats. Established in 1998, the company celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, having endured the ups and downs of the boating industry during the past two decades and prospering whilst many rival brands have fallen by the wayside.

Innovation and product development have been keys to Formosa's success. The company's design team never stops thinking about how to improve its boats, and how to offer its customers better value for money.

For example, carpet is glued down in the anchor wells of all Formosa models to stop the anchor from clattering about whilst underway. It costs bugger-all to fit, yet few other manufacturers bother to do it.

The more significant innovations Formosa has introduced over the years include the four-chamber water ballast system in the Sea-Rod models, an Active Transom (which gives customers several optional transom layouts), the Tow-Catch quick release trailer towing eye, and a clever boarding ladder that rotates off the bow so you can climb aboard the boat when it is nosed into the beach or boat ramp.

Formosa Marine boats are also great value. You generally get a bigger boat for the same cost as rival brands, and with more standard features. This is certainly true of our test boat this week, the Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Classic Territory.

The Formosa Sea-Rod Territory range spans six different models from 4.8m to 6.6m. Each has a thin, but high centre console mounted well aft in the boat to boost the fishing deck space forward.

As with all Sea-Rod models, customers can choose between the Classic configuration or the deluxe Offshore specification. The two differ in that the value-driven Classic models make do with a carpet-over plywood floor instead of the sealed, self-draining alloy floor included with the Offshore series boats.

The Offshore models also have standard hydraulic steering and are made from 5083 marine-grade alloy instead of regular marine-grade alloy.

Otherwise the Classic and Offshore Sea-Rod models are the same. Both have Formosa's latest V2 series moderate vee (18.5 degrees at the transom) 4mm plate alloy hull, foam-filled to basic flotation standards.

The Sea-Rod hulls also utilise Formosa's innovative, four-chamber water ballast system to boost stability at rest without compromising ride comfort underway.

The 580 Territory model offered for testing was configured as a Classic series model with the carpeted plywood floor. The Gold Coast Boating Centre has package prices starting from $48K with a Yamaha 115hp extra-longshaft (25-inch) outboard and a Dunbier galvanised steel tandem-axle mechanically braked trailer.

That is a sharp price for a nicely appointed 5.8m plate alloy boat.

Key features include a huge forward casting deck with underfloor storage, heavy duty alloy bow roller, carpeted anchor well, cockpit side pockets, wide, welded side coamings, three lift-out pedestal chairs (with six floor socket positions), sheltered transom battery location, transom storage shelf, bow and stern rails, and an external boarding platform and ladder.

Our test boat came with a larger Yamaha 130hp four-stroke outboard engine and a range of options that lifted the drive-away price to $52,990.

The extras included coloured hull paint, a Lowrance Hook 5 fish finder, VHF radio, Active Transom with port and starboard side transom doors, underfloor kill tank, deluxe bait station/bait tank, navigation lights, 12 months of Queensland registration, and more.

The interior of the Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Territory differs from a traditional centre console boat. Most models have the helm console positioned forward of the centre line. In the Territory the console is situated well aft to allow for a decent-size forward casting deck.

In the 580 Territory the forward deck is 1.34m long with a maximum width of 2.34m. It is elevated 560mm above the main cockpit floor, which represents quite a big step up from the lower level.

The deck is carpeted and there is a pedestal socket in the floor to accept one of the three included pedestal chairs.

Two deck hatches open out to provide access to a spacious storage area for safety gear, complete with a false, carpeted ply floor to keep gear dry and elevated off the alloy floor beneath.

The undersides of the hatch lids are painted for protection against rot and mildew.

Ultra-wide, fully welded side coamings surround the forward deck and extend aft to the transom. They are easily wide enough for flush-fitting rod holders, navigation lights, and more.

Another option is to fit an electric trolling motor plate off the port-side bow, with the trolling motor battery housed under the casting deck.

Further forward is a deep, carpeted anchor well, along with a sturdy bollard tie-off point and bow roller.

Moving aft, there is enough deck space between the casting deck and the rear mounted helm console to fit two pedestal chairs side by side.

Two floor-mounted seat sockets are situated aft; one directly behind the helm console, and a second alongside in the floor to port.

The helm console is narrower than most, and is barely wide enough to shelter the skipper. But it does open up the deck space to either side of it (830mm) for fishing.

The console does not have a windshield, and doesn’t really need it. It does have a useful handrail on top, a storage shelf underneath, and enough fascia space to accommodate engine instruments and a single (flush-fitted) electronics display.

Underway the test boat was comfortable to drive as the steering wheel and side-mount throttle lever were set at just the right height for smooth operation.

There is only about a metre of space aft of the helm console running back to the transom wall, but the overall cockpit length is much larger, stretching 2.86m from the casting deck back to the stern, by 2.15m wide.

There is also ample cockpit freeboard, roughly 660mm along the sides and a minimum of 560mm in the transom corners.

Our test boat was fitted with two transom doors that fold forward and down to create a step that leads out to the stern of the boat – one option in Formosa’s Active Transom design portfolio.

Another option is to have the whole transom wall fold down in two sections to create a full-width platform or rear casting deck. This option is also popular with divers as it provides open access to the water over the stern of the boat.

Other noteworthy features in our test boat included an optional underfloor kill tank and a deluxe bait station/live bait tank bolted to the transom top.

We have tested Formosa's 580 series V2 hull under several different boats during the past year or so, including the Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Classic Centre Cabin, and the Formosa 580 Tomahawk Offshore X Bowrider.

On each occasion, it has proven to be comfortable and dry running in chop, and very stable – especially at rest where the wide water-line beam combines with the reverse angled chines to make it more stable at rest.

The flooded or water-ballasted keel also adds stability by reducing side-to-side movement, or rocking, as the flooding of the four hull chambers allows the boat to sit lower and deeper in the water.

When the boat moves off, the water in the hull simply drains back out the stern, lightening the load and letting the hull rise onto the plane.

With the 580 Territory there is more of a planing "hump", or rise, than in the other models tested due to the helm console’s more aft driving position.

On the plus side, however, once up and running, the ride feels a little softer because you stand behind the centre-line of the boat, well away from the working section of the hull.

In terms of power, the 580 Territory accepts single extra-longshaft (25-inch) outboards between 115hp and 175hp.

Our test boat was rigged with a smooth-running Yamaha 130hp in-line four-cylinder, four-stroke engine with the included hydraulic steering.

Underway, the boat and engine combination are well matched, the Yamaha providing ample power through the mid range and pushing the boat to a top speed of 35.5 knots.

The Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Classic Territory is a big, open, deep-bodied trailerable fishing boat with a versatile interior layout and plenty of clever design features. It is sturdily built, comfortable, dry and stable underway.

The 580 Territory is also great value, with boat-motor-trailer package prices starting from $48K. That's a bargain considering the size of the boat and the included features.

Specifications: Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Classic Territory

Performance - speed
3.0kt (5.5km/h) @ 1000rpm
4.4kt (8.1km/h) @ 1500rpm
5.7kt (10.5km/h) @ 2000rpm
6.7kt (12.4km/h) @ 2500rpm
13.1kt (24.2km/h) @ 3000rpm
17.8kt (32.9km/h) @ 3500rpm
22.1kt (40.9km/h) @ 4000rpm
24.2kt (44.8km/h) @ 4500rpm
28.1kt (52.0km/h) @ 5000rpm
32.3kt (59.7km/h) @ 5500rpm
35.5kt (65.7km/h) @ 5900rpm (WOT)

Price as tested: $52,990 including a Yamaha 130hp four-stroke extra-longshaft (25-inch) outboard with digital gauges and an SS prop, Dunbier tandem axle braked (mechanical over-ride) trailer, coloured hull paint, Lowrance Hook 5 fish finder, VHF radio, Active Transom with port and starboard side transom doors, underfloor kill tank, deluxe bait station/bait tank, navigation lights, battery and isolator, and 12 months Queensland registration.

Priced from: $47,990 including a Yamaha 115hp four-stroke extra-longshaft (25-inch) outboard, Dunbier dual-axle braked (mechanical over-ride) trailer, white hull paint, battery and isolator, and 12 months boat and trailer registrations.

Length overall: 6.0m
Hull length: 5.80m
Beam: 2.45m
Deadrise: 18.5 degrees
Hull weight: 790kg
Weight on trailer: 1590kg (est)
Bottom and transom alloy: 4.0mm
Topsides alloy: 4.0mm
Maximum power: 175hp
Engine as tested: Yamaha 130hp four-stroke
Fuel capacity: 150L
Flotation standard: Basic
Maximum persons: Seven

Supplied by: Gold Coast Boating Centre