2019 Surtees 540 Workmate Hardtop review

Because of its size, the Surtees 540 Workmate has few, if any peers that afford so much weather protection and yet still offer a sizable deck space via a carefully designed configuration. This boat, released into the Australian market early in 2018, almost immediately made a statement by winning the “Specialist Fishing Boat up to 6m” category at the 2018 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show – and this is on top of a strong of awards won by its Surtees stablemates. I don’t think they got it wrong.

A base package for a Surtees 540 Workmate starts from $48,000. Our optioned-up test boat landed at $62,000 including an 80hp Honda four-stroke outboard engine, a Duniber Alloy Series trailer fitted with a Quik Hitch retrieval system, Garmin 7.5-inch sounder/GPS, VHF radio, deck tread, docking lights, boarding ladder, six-way backlit switch panel, alloy bait station with three rod holders, anchor and rode, a battery isolator switch, a 70L/min bilge pump and a 70-litre Icey Tek cool box.

Our test boat also came kitted out with a stunning Nyalic resin coating.

The first impression once boarding the Surtees 540 Workmate is that it offers much more deck space than its compact 6.4-metre length would suggest. A boarding ladder attached to a rubber-surfaced transom platform leads up to a simple step-through section.  A sliding divider can close the step off to stop water slopping in. Underneath the step is a plumbed bait tank with a clear window.

The transom also houses a central raised locker with a Sopac hatch that houses a battery and an isolator switch. This space has room to add another battery if needed. To starboard is a large open storage space to help keep the deck clear.

Right in the middle of the transom is a hardwearing non-removable bait station with a cutting board and three fixed rod holders. Dangling from beneath it is a chord and stopper that is attached to the Surtees 540 Workmate’s flooded keel system enabling the owner to manage the system manually from inside the cockpit. Pull it out and lock it in the cam cleat, and the keel tank floods; drive off while moving, and the tank empties.

Non-skid padding covers most of the cabin’s surfaces, meaning grip is not an issue. Any water that finds its way into the boat runs into a bilge visible from most of the working areas of the boat, with the bilge pump in plain sight. A raw water washdown system is tucked into a corner of the transom.

The middle section of the cockpit lifts up to reveal an underfloor storage bin with a drain plug. It is not insulated, and can double as a storage space for gear when not needed for storing the catch of the day.

The Surtees 540 Workmate’s topsides are a generous 30cm wide, yielding plenty of room to park an arse while fishing, and the gunnels sit almost 700mm off the water, providing plenty of freeboard. It also has as trio of recessed rod holders, and a pair of drink holders, to either side.

Wide pockets, lifted off the floor to allow foot access right up to the hull, run down each side. They are long enough to allow rods, gaffs and landing nets up to about 2.4 metres in length to be stowed.

The compact but ergonomic helm console, offset to starboard, leaves plenty of room to access the deep cuddy-style cabin. The skipper is looked after pretty well, with a premium-look, comfortably padded seat with flip-up squab so that it doubles as a leaning post, but the crew has to make do with a swing-up square of aluminium bench that stows out of the way against the hull when not in use. If the deckhand complains too much, a more permanent solution is available.

Despite its compact size, the console has enough room for an array of electronics – in our case a 7.5-inch Garmin chartplotter and fishfinder. There is even a USB charging point. The hardtop’s roof – lined on its trailing edge with seven fixed rod holders and a handrail – provides generous standing headroom even for taller skippers. Vision all-around is clear and uncluttered, with the wrap-around screen providing good protection from the elements while under power.

The open-style cuddy is economical with space, standing tall but offering no room for bunks and a little privacy (an optional curtain is available), but it does offer more than enough space to drag in the cooler box and plant yourself on it to sit out of the weather. There are also shelves to stow extra gear. A decent-sized tinted hatch lets light flood the cabin, and provides access to the anchor well – there’s no room to sneak around the sides of the cabin.

The Surtees 540 Workmate is a welded aluminium boat using 5mm plate on the hull and 4mm plate on the sides, and 3mm plate for the topsides and cabin. It measures 5.4m overall, has a 2.19m beam and weighs only 1100kg.

Its anti-roll “Stabilty Ballast Technology” uses a 190-litre flooded tank running along the keel to give added stability at rest when flooded, or by locking the rear-mounted gate closed it yields more stability while ploughing through annoying chop. The boat has also gained a Euro CE certification for its seaworthiness that mandates how well a boat of the Surtees 540 Workmate’s size should handle wind and waves.

The sparkling shiraz-style finish above the chines makes the boat pop on the water.

The exposed areas of the hull show quality welding, while under the floor, six full-width welded stringers help to provide an extremely rigid hull – a feature that rolls across the rest of the Surtees range.

Sealed compartments add much-needed buoyancy if ever the boat is swamped.

At speed, the flooded keel makes the Surtees 540 Workmate feel more planted, providing a softer ride over ugly chop with less of that typical aluminium tinnie bang. Don’t forget to empty it by bringing the boat up to planning speed and opening the tank’s gate – leave the gate shut and the tank full and the boat is more noticeably heavy when you ride it up on the trailer. The gate’s seal is so good that you’ll carry all that water up the boat ramp.

If the Surtees 540 Workmate’s 2.99-metre height on the trailer is a worry for the garage, Surtees does do a folding hardtop version of the boat. It is worth checking out.

Our test day at Safety Beach on Port Phillip Bay presented us with a gusting 20-knot north-westerly, giving us the opportunity to test the Surtees 540 Workmate in relatively calm and sheltered bays, and the typically snotty half- to three-quarter metre chop a bit further offshore.

The 80hp Honda BF80 four-stroke fitted to our test boat is the smallest engine recommended for the Surtees 540 Workmate. It responded well right through the rev range with two people, a flooded stability tank and about 80 litres of fuel on board, topping out at just under 30 knots at WOT, about 5500rpm. However, with more crew on board and frequent use of the flooded tank while under way, we’d probably spend the extra to tap the 540 Workmate’s maximum 100hp rating via the BF100 engine adapted from the Honda Jazz road car. A bit of reverberation at higher revs vanished with some trim adjustment.

The Honda engines are renowned for their fuel efficiency, and the 80hp test unit was no exception, providing a 128nm range at 4000rpm, all while clipping along at 18.4 knots. Slow down to trolling speeds, and the frugal Honda powerplant will use just 1.5 litres an hour.

The Surtees 540 Workmate responds well to the throttle, and the steering is effortless underway. It drives easily either sitting or standing with excellent visibility via the toughened tinted glass screens. On the plane the nose sits proud, giving a commanding view over the sea ahead. The steering uses cable controls rather than a hydraulic system.

The sharp variable deadrise hull provides a comfortable and quiet ride starting at the pointy front end and down to the 16-degree deadrise at the rear, with noise supression helped by the rubberised flooring that helps insulate the cabin.

A relatively flat hull near the transom, combined with the relatively bantamweight 1100kg hull, gives the Surtees 540 Workmate a minimal draft, meaning the keen angler can get into places some other boats of this size will struggle to negotiate.

The hull’s design also makes beach landings possible, and the low weight marks it as a tow package for most family cars.

Performance

Range on 95 per cent fuel at 4000rpm: 136nm

Such is the clever packaging of the Surtees 540 Workmate that you could park it up alongside the slightly larger 575, and apart from the noticeably wider beam you’ll be hard-pressed to tell which one has more deck space. The key difference with the 540 Workmate is the convenience of that hardtop, and the protection from the weather that it affords.

The 540 has enough space for up to four people to fish comfortably, delivering a class-leading workspace for getting on with the task. Add to that a bow with a fine entry and smooth ride, decent performance and handling, an aesthetically pleasing construction and that popping red hull with a 10-year warranty, and the Surtees 540 Workmate represents a lot of bang for your buck. The fact that it is built to last means the relationship will be a long and happy one.

Specifications
Model: Surtees 540 Workmate Hardtop
Length: 5.4m
Length on trailer: 6.4m
Beam: 2.19m
Deadrise: 16-degree variable
Weight: 650kg (dry, hull only)
Horsepower: 80hp (min), 100hp (max)
Engine on test: Honda 80hp four-stroke
Fuel capacity: 100L
Bridge clearance (on water): N/A
Bridge clearance (on trailer): 2.99m
Passengers: 5

Priced from: $48,000

Price as tested: From $62,000 including 80hp Honda four-stroke, Dunbier Alloy Series trailer, Garmin 7.5-inch sounder/chartplotter combo, VHF radio, full paint, deck tread, boarding ladder, bait station with three rod holders, anchor storage compartment, battery isolator switch, Surtees Quik Hitch trailer catch system and transom docking lights