2019 Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Offshore Centre Console review

From humble beginnings in 1998, Brisbane's Formosa Marine has grown to be one of Australia's leading aluminium trailerboat manufacturers, with dealers spread the length and breadth of the country.

Formosa started small, but today the boat range numbers more than 50 models across its Tomahawk and Sea-Rod boat ranges. There is a trailerable craft for just about every family boating and fishing application, covering all the popular configurations.

There are tiller-steer entry models for first timers through to 7.0m-plus hardtop cruisers for experienced offshore sports fishermen, and everything in between.

Traditionally, Formosa's centre consoles have been the company's best selling models, and still sought after today.

In the deluxe Sea-Rod centre console range there are seven different hull sizes, each available with the Classic and the Offshore configuration. The latter are slightly more up-market in that they have hydraulic steering as standard, along with a sealed, self-draining alloy cockpit floor.

By contrast, the entry-level Classic models have regular mechanical steering (upgradable) and a carpeted, plywood internal floor.

All of the Sea-Rod models above 5.2m have a moderate or deep vee hull with a four-chamber water ballast system to boost stability, along with a minimum of 4mm plate alloy for the hull and topsides.

In recent months we have tested several Formosa Marine boats, including the Formosa Sea-Rod 520 Classic SC, the Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Territory Classic, and the Formosa Tomahawk 480 Classic SC.

For this review we secured the Sea-Rod 580 Offshore Centre Console, a versatile craft with the interior layout, size and seaworthiness to fish choppy bays, harbours and impoundments, as well as coastal offshore waters.

Gold Coast Boating Centre has packages for the Formosa Sea-Rod Offshore Centre Console starting from $54,000 when packaged with a Yamaha 115hp extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard and a Dunbier tandem-axle galvanised steel trailer.

That's rival-beating value for a production plate alloy boat with a proper self-draining welded alloy floor, along with a box section alloy stringer structure underfloor.

For the money you also get a dual-width centre console with folding windscreen, 4mm plate alloy to the transom, hull bottom and topsides, a 200-litre underfloor fuel tank, forward casting deck, open anchor well, side and transom storage areas, boarding platform and ladder, noise-suppressing carpet to the large anchor well, navigation lights, bilge pump, and Formosa’s unique Active Transom that gives you a choice of three different transom configurations.

Our test boat was rigged with a number of options, most notably an engine upgrade from the base 115hp Yamaha to the more powerful 150hp four-stroke model.

The test rig also gained a folding targa/hardtop with radio box, two-tone hull paint, underfloor kill tank, transom bait board/live bait tank, electric trolling motor plate, checker-plate cockpit flooring, rubber tube matting to the casting deck, anchor tubes, electric anchor winch plate and more.

Rounding out the options were a GME VHF radio and a Lowrance Elite 12 Ti fish finder/GPS plotter with mapping and an external aerial.

With all the additional kit, our test boat price increases to $70K, but that’s still pretty decent value for a ready-to-fish 5.8m plate alloy centre console.

Formosa has several different open console models within its Sea-Rod boat range. Each has a slightly different interior layout.

For example, the Formosa 580 Territory Classic we tested recently has a narrow, aft-mounted console along with quite a high forward casting platform. This layout is ideal for fishing shelter waters – the likes of bays, harbours, estuaries and impoundments.

In contrast, the 580 Offshore Centre Console has a larger rear cockpit, a forward mounted, dual-width console helm station and a smaller, lower casting deck.

I’d rate this layout best for coastal offshore fishing as the wider console provides better weather protection and the additional freeboard at the bow allows anglers to stand and fish safely from the boat in rough weather.

Our test boat was also fitted with optional tube rubber matting on the bow deck for better grip underfoot.

Anchor tubes were attached to the bow rails, alongside the deep, carpeted anchor well optioned with a plate to fit an electric anchor winch.

A pair of welded alloy rod holders built into the side coamings in the bow area match the two in the rear cockpit; options that serious anglers would do well to include. The standard boat comes with regular black plastic rod holders, and these are just not strong enough for offshore fishing applications.

The centre console and helm station adjoin the elevated bow fishing deck, but is welded to the main, lower cockpit floor. It is not as wide as some two-person consoles at 800mm across, but two people can stand side by side with a reasonable degree of shelter provided by the tall windscreen and the overhead targa/hardtop.

The windscreen and the hardtop can fold down so you can fit the boat into a garage at home, although you will need to have a long garage as the boat will be well over 6.0m on the Dunbier tandem-axle trailer.

The dash and fascia is traditional in design with a centre-mounted steering wheel and the throttle box on the starboard side of the console. I would actually like to see this boat with the steering and throttle offset to the port side, as I believe this would provide more space for two people to stand or sit before the helm.

The fascia above the steering wheel is appropriately angled to accept flush-fitted electronics gear and engine instrumentation. Our test boat was rigged with a Lowrance Elite 12 TI Fish Finder/GPS plotter.

The boat also had a GME VHF radio built into a panel/radio box beneath the hardtop, alongside a pair of LED downlights.

A sturdy handrail is included on the port side of the console to compliment the targa/hardtop support struts that also serve as handholds.

Beneath the console is a useful storage shelf for stowing clothing, charts, lunch boxes and so on, whilst an open glove box/storage nook below the windscreen caters for mobile phones, car keys and the like.

The Sea-Rod 580 CC is most comfortable to drive whilst standing up, but the storage box/helm seat box does a decent enough job of seating two adults, perched on each side. It also has a reversible backrest so you can sit and face aft to fish over the stern of the boat.

Behind the helm seat box there is 1.5m of clear fishing space back to the full-height transom. The checker-plate finished alloy floor provides decent grip underfoot, but is also hot and glary in full sun.

Ultra-wide side coamings flank the cockpit to port and starboard, beneath which there are elevated side storage pockets.

Two separate side pockets are on the starboard side at staggered heights above the floor. On the port side there is the single side pocket as well as an enclosed rear storage shelf and a very handy set of drawers for stowing terminal tackle items such as hooks, sinkers and swivels.

Formosa's Active Transom allows for three or four different transom designs. Our test boat had the standard, and simplest layout with a single transom door on the port side alongside a fixed, full-height (600mm-plus) transom with built-in storage cupboards.

I like this simple transom layout best as it provides for increased storage space, and has the batteries nicely protected on shelves behind Sopac hatches.

Other fishy features at the stern of the boat include the optional underfloor kill tank and the bolt-on transom bait board/live bait tank.

The Formosa Sea-Rod 580CC has a vee hull design with a fine entry at the bow, wide waterline beam, and a transom deadrise of 18.5 degrees. This is about spot on for alloy craft in the 5.5-6.0m range. If the vee angle were any sharper there is the risk the boat could be a bit tender at rest.

Our test boat was certainly not tender. At rest and underway it proved to be very solid and stable, due to a combination of the wide beam, modest deadrise angle, and the flattened outer chines.

The four-chamber water ballast system also stiffens the hull when the boat is at rest, reducing side-to-side rocking.

When the Formosa accelerates away and rises onto the plane, the water in the ballast chambers drains back out of the stern, lightening the load for economical performance.

With regard to ride and handling, the Formosa 580 series hull performs very well. At modest cruise speeds it rides comfortably through bay chop and ocean swell, the high bows shedding much of the generated spray away from the boat.

Through hard turns and figure eights the hull sits quite flat, or level, and it grips the water nicely. It's no performance ski boat, but the Formosa has enough handling and performance prowess to tow the kids on tubes or wake boards.

The test rig was also paired with close to the maximum power outboard in the form of Yamaha's long running in-line four cylinder 150hp four-stroke outboard in the extra-longshaft (25-inch) configuration.

The Yamaha/Formosa combination proved quick and agile on the water, accelerating strongly through the rev range to a top speed of 38.8 knots.

Best economy was achieved at 3000rpm, at which point the Yamaha burned 14.7L/h for a boat speed of 15.7 knots and a maximum range on 95 per cent of the boat's 200-litre fuel capacity of 202.9nm.

PERFORMANCE - SPEED
4.0kt (7.4km/h) @ 1000rpm
5.2kt (9.6km/h) @ 1500rpm
6.2kt (11.5km/h) @ 2000rpm
8.4kt (15.5km/h) @ 2500rpm
15.7kt (29.0km/h) @ 3000rpm
20.7kt (38.3km/h) @ 3500rpm
25.2kt (46.6km/h) @ 4000rpm
29.1kt (53.8km/h) @ 4500rpm
32.5kt (60.1km/h) @ 5000rpm
35.7kt (66.0km/h) @ 5500rpm
38.8kt (71.8km/h) @ 5800rpm (WOT)

PERFORMANCE – ECONOMY
3.0L/h @ 1000rpm
4.7L/h @ 1500rpm
7.3L/h @ 2000rpm
12.9L/h @ 2500rpm
14.7L/h @ 3000rpm
20.0L/h @ 3500rpm
24.7L/h @ 4000rpm
33.3L/h @ 4500rpm
41.5L/h @ 5000rpm
51.5L/h @ 5500rpm
62.0L/h @ 5800rpm (WOT)

Maximum range on 95% of 200l fuel supply: 202.92nm @ 3000rpm

The Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Offshore Centre Console is a terrific fishing boat, small enough to fish rivers and streams, big and seaworthy enough to bottom bash the nearshore reefs, and to chase tuna, mackerel and more a dozen miles or more offshore.

The 580CC is also built like the proverbial out-house, well appointed and excellent value for money. Our heavily optioned test boat was priced close to $70K, but with a smaller engine you can grab yourself one of these ripper Aussie built boat packages for just $54K. That's a bargain basement price for a 6.0m trailerboat.

Specifications
Model: Formosa Sea-Rod 580 Offshore Centre Console
Length overall: 6.0m
Hull length: 5.80m
Beam: 2.45m
Deadrise: 18.5 degrees
Hull weight: 820kg
Weight on trailer: 1600kg (est)
Bottom and transom alloy: 4.0mm
Topsides alloy: 4.0mm
Maximum power: 175hp
Engine as tested: Yamaha 150hp four-stroke
Fuel capacity: 200L
Flotation standard: Basic
Maximum persons: Seven

Priced from: $53,990 including a Yamaha 115hp four-stroke extra-longshaft (25-inch) outboard, Dunbier tandem-axle braked (mechanical over-ride) trailer, white hull paint, and 12 months boat and trailer registrations.

Price as tested: $69,890 including a Yamaha 150hp four-stroke extra-longshaft (25”) outboard with two x Yamaha LAN gauges, SS prop, trim limit switch, Dunbier tandem axle braked (mechanical over-ride) trailer, coloured hull paint, folding targa/hardtop with radio box, Lowrance Elite 12 TI fish finder/GPS with mapping, GME VHF radio, underfloor kill tank, deluxe bait station/bait tank, electric trolling motor plate, twin flip-up seats, 4x welded alloy rod holders, bow rail anchor tubes, checker-plate cockpit flooring, electric anchor winch plate, under-gunnel LED lighting, tube matting to bow deck, battery and isolator, water separating filter, and 12 months Qld registrations.

Supplied by: Gold Coast Boating Centre