2019 Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab review

Stabicraft pontoon boats are renowned for their structural strength, safety and seaworthiness.

These innovative, cleverly designed craft are utilitarian in nature, perfectly suited to commercial marine applications (think coastal rescue or water police) as well as recreational fishing, diving – and pretty much any other application that requires an unsinkable, rough water-capable craft.

About 20 models make up the Stabicraft range, stretching between 4.3 and 8.4 metres. The entry model is a tiller-steer open boat called the 1410 Explorer. The flagship is the 2750 Ultra Centrecab; the sister model to the superb 2750 Centrecab we tested two years ago.

Following on from the success of the flagship Centrecab models, and following calls for a smaller, cheaper, more manageable walkaround cab model, Stabicraft has launched the 2250 Centrecab and the 2250 Ultra Centrecab. The two new models are clones of the larger boats, albeit scaled down to 6.8 metres in length.

The new 2250 Centrecab and Ultra Centrecab are both available with four levels of fit-out. Sparsely equipped base models are aimed at buyers who like to pick and choose their specific options. Base-model BMT packages start from about $130K.

Above the base or entry boat package, Stabicraft offers the progressively better equipped Offshore, Sportfish and Superfish packages. Each level has more standard inclusions than the last, with pricing separated by $7000 to $10,000.

If you don't like any of the three top-tier packages, you can start with the base model and add only the features you want.

You can also start with the Offshore pack, for example, and add features from the top tier Superfish model.

For this review, Brisbane's Northside Marine supplied us with a Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab with the Sportfish fit-out. Pricing for this model starts from $145K with a Yamaha 200hp V6 four-stroke outboard engine and a dual-axle Redco aluminum trailer with electric-hydraulic break-away brakes.

The Sportfish package will likely be the most popular of the factory fit-out options as it includes lots of good gear that you'll want, such as a hardtop with toughened glass windscreen with twin wipers and sliding side windows, a double-berth cabin with folding extension cushions, huge checker-plate alloy rear cockpit, centre transom live bait tank with rod rack and cutting board, deluxe pedestal helm chairs, 300-litre fuel tank, Maxwell electric drum winch with rope and chain, sub-floor kill tank, Fusion stereo with two speakers, dual 72-litre Icey Tek seat/ice boxes, hardtop rod rack, elevated battery shelf, boarding ladder, trim tab brackets, raw water deck wash, auto bilge pumps and more.

Paired with a more powerful 225hp Yamaha V6 four-stroke outboard engine and a range of options, the drive-away price of our test boat rises to $171,900.

Notable additions to our test boat included a bow-mounted Minn-Kota Ulterra 112-pound-thrust electric trolling motor along with a large Simrad NSS12 EVO3 multifunction electronics display flush-fitted into the fascia at the helm.

Our test rig also gained interior cabin paint, metallic paint to the topsides (belting up) and roof, noise suppressing flotation foam in the pontoons, a trailer spare wheel and carrier, an offshore safety gear pack, and a sand anchor kit.

Stabicraft boats do not have a conventional plate alloy vee hull. Instead these craft are classed as pontoon boats because they have air-tight aluminum flotation tubes surrounding a deep vee hull.

On the water, Stabicraft hulls have much the same performance and safety advantages as a large rigid inflatable boat in that the outside aluminium pontoons provide the boat with immense stability at rest.

The perimeter pontoon tube safety ring also allows for a deeper than normal centre hull, although our 2250 test boat has a relatively modest 19-degree deadrise to provide efficiency and economy underway.

Stabicraft boats produced during the company's early, founding years, were, to be kind, less than attractive. Today's boats are much better looking as Stabicraft has developed ways to soften the lines of the outer hull tubes without reducing their effectiveness.

Whilst the latest Stabicraft models could not be described as stunners, I personally consider them to have a tough, durable, hard-wearing look about them which gels nicely with the hardcore fishing and rough water applications for which these boats are designed.

As you would expect, Stabicraft hulls are unsinkable. The flotation pontoons have three air-tight chambers to provide the hulls with positive buoyancy to Australia's Level flotation standard.

If that isn't enough, our test boat was also injected with flotation foam - although this is more to do with suppressing hull slap for a quieter ride.

With regard to construction, the Stabicraft 2250 has a heavy duty 6mm plate alloy hull bottom combined with outer pontoon tubes made from 4mm alloy. The internal cockpit floor has a checker-plate non-slip finish, welded from 3mm alloy.

The Stabicraft design team has done a remarkable job with the new 2250 Centrecab, endowing it with a wonderful layout and more space and features than you would expect from a 6.8-metre by 2.5-metre boat.

The centre cab structure is deceptively spacious, easily accommodating two box-mounted bucket helm chairs side-by-side, along with two removable Icey Tek ice boxes that double as cushioned seats.

Deluxe swiveling helm chairs are equipped with fore and aft sliders and flip-up front bolsters so you can drive the boat comfortably either seated or standing before the well-positioned steering wheel and side-mount throttle box.

The skipper has an excellent view forward through the deck-to-hardtop toughened glass windscreen (with dual wipers), and there is ample dash and fascia space for engine instruments and your choice of multifunction displays.

Sliding side windows provide ventilation to the helm station.

In the centre of the dash the boat has a pair of Railblaza cup holders and a storage recess. More Railblaza fittings are scattered throughoout the boat.

Further forward the boat has a vee berth layout with vinyl upholstered cushions with deep storage lockers underneath. The berths are well short of full length in standard form, but hinged berth extensions fold out on each side into the helm and passenger footwell to increase the berth length to 1.82 metres. Clever.

Included infill panels and cushions also fit in between the side berths to form a large double bed with dimensions of roughly 1.82 metres by 1.4 metres.

The cabin also has elevated, perimeter storage pockets and a tinted acrylic ventilation and foredeck access hatch in the forepeak.

In rough weather you might use the cabin access hatch to go forward to the bow, but it is otherwise much easier to use the 340mm wide walkway/trench surrounding the cabin structure.

You can also stand and fish comfortably from each side walkway using perfectly positioned heavy duty alloy tube side rails that provide excellent bracing support.

Up on the bow there is still more footwell space, along with a railed-off, pulpit-style casting deck that is unquestionably the best spot in the entire boat for fly fishing and chucking lures.

With the optional Minn Kota Ulterra 112-pound-thrust electric trolling motor mounted on the bow, you can also sneak in close to target offshore bait balls, FADs, schools of fish, shallow reefs and more.

Given the inclusion of the bow casting platform you might be wondering about the location of the anchor. Well, cleverly, Stabicraft has the included Maxwell electric drum winch, rope and chain, concealed beneath the foredeck.

The anchor is suspended from the bowsprit, ready to drop at the press of button.

Similar to most Stabicraft boats the 2250 Centrecab has a very large, deep rear cockpit measuring 3.5 metres from the cabin bulkhead to the transom wall by roughly 1.9 metres across the beam.

Aft of the ice box seats there is about 2.2 metres of uncluttered fishing space.

The standard checker/tread plate alloy flooring is a little glary under the noonday sun, but it is easy to clean and almost maintenance-free.

At the stern the 2250 has the standard Superfish transom box layout incorporating a large live bait tank, cutting board, aft-facing rod rack, and an enclosed above-floor compartment to house the included dual batteries.

Fold-down seats are located alongside in the transom corners. The portside seat doubles as a step to climb out through the transom door to the rear platform and sturdy folding boarding ladder.

Anglers will appreciate the ultra-wide (250mm) EVA foam rubber-gripped side coamings, but may worry that the welded rear stern cleats could snag fishing lines.

Some of the other excellent fishing features include a huge underfloor kill tank between the helm chairs, raw-water deck wash, hardtop rocket launcher, cockpit rod racks, six stainless steel coaming rod holders, and elevated cockpit side storage pockets.

Stabicraft's latest Arrow pontoon hull is difficult to fault. I have tested this current design beneath a number of Stabicraft models in recent years and they have all excelled. The boats are designed to tame rough water and they do a great job of it.

Similar to its forerunners, the new Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab is a big, sturdy, soft riding boat. It is also very stable - both at rest and underway.

The Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab is set up to accept trim tabs, for example, but it doesn't really need them as it maintains a solid, level trim angle at speed via the support and lift from the pontoon tubes.

Our test boat also proved to be easy and predictable to drive, and quick off the mark. The big vee hull handled tight turns proficiently, and generally felt safe and sure-footed throughout the day.

The Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab accepts single extra-longshaft (25-inch) outboard engines between 200hp and 300hp. Best power is somewhere in between.

Our test boat pulled a top speed of 37 knots and felt pretty solid in the mid range, although the boat was lightly loaded with just two adults onboard.

The 225hp Yamaha four-stroke fitted to the boat will likely be sufficient for most applications, but I'd still be tempted to step up to the physically identical, but more powerful 250hp Yamaha V6.

Performance

Range on 95% of the 300L fuel supply at 3500rpm: 206.9nm

The Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab is a first-class trailerable offshore fishing boat; a scaled down, mini-me version of the flagship 2750 model.

It's a worthy addition to the Stabicraft range, combining hull strength, seaworthiness and safety features with a versatile, practical interior layout.

The 2250 Centrecab might not be the prettiest sport fisher on the market, and it carries a hefty price tag, but it is innovatively designed and superbly appointed for offshore sport fishing.

I'd rank it as one of the best new fishing boats we've tested this year.

Specifications
Model: Stabicraft 2250 Centrecab
Hull length: 6.85m
Maximum beam: 2.5m
Internal beam: 1.97m
Deadrise: 19 degrees
Bottom alloy: 6mm
Tube alloy: 4mm
Weight: 1787kg (dry, hull only)
Weight on trailer: 2520kg (dry, est)
Maximum power: 300hp
Engine as tested: Yamaha 225hp four-stroke
Maximum engine weight: 299kg
Fuel capacity: 300L
Maximum persons: Eight

Priced from: $145,300 including a Yamaha 200hp extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard with hydraulic steering and a tandem axle Redco alloy trailer with electric-hydraulic break-away brakes

Price as tested: $171,900. As above but with the upgrade to a Yamaha 225hp extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard, and the addition of a Minn-Kota Ulterra 112 pound thrust (72-inch shaft) electric trolling motor, Simrad NSS12 EVO3 multifunction electronics display, metallic paint to the topsides (belting up) and roof, interior cabin paint, flotation foam to pontoon tubes, a trailer spare wheel and carrier, an offshore safety gear pack, and a sand anchor kit

Supplied by: Northside Marine