2020 Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open review

Well-known aluminium boat maker Makocraft has expanded its boat range during the last year or so. Now headquartered on the Gold Coast, Makocraft continues to produce great value, full-featured boats for less money than rival brands.

The boats are strong, well built and innovatively designed.

The Makocraft range now encompasses more than 30 models ranging from the diminutive 3.0-metre Rat Pack car topper dinghy through to the 630 Island Cab sport fishing boat we tested last year.

The most popular mid-sized Makocraft models in recent years have been the Commander tiller-steer and side console boats. Available in 4.45m, 4.6m and 4.9m lengths, the Commanders are value-driven models with high-sided, traditional pressed alloy vee-hulls with lots of interior space and features.

With the Commander models, Makocraft's Tim Stessl strives to provide boaters with maximum value for money. This is evident in the design, layout and pricing of our review boat for this week, the Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open.

The Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open can be purchased for just $14,990 with a manual start, tiller-steer Tohatsu 30hp four-stroke outboard and a single-axle Dunbier trailer.

The Commander package is drive-away, ready to fish as it includes 12 month's Queensland registrations, an inshore safety gear pack, cushions for the thwart bench seats, an anchor kit, trailer tie-downs, motor support bracket, and a custom made overhead bimini.

Handing over $14K for all of the above represents excellent value for money.

The Makocraft 445 Commander Open is no stripped-out, loss-leader either. Hull paint is optional, but the boat is otherwise nicely appointed with inclusions such as the reinforced foredeck with formed anchor well, welded bow roller and cleat, bow and stern rails, extruded side decks, bow casting deck, carpeted low floor, side storage pockets, two big cross seat thwarts, fuel tank racks, an outboard engine splash well, transducer bracket, and a pair of transom boarding steps with handrails.

As presented, the Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open is ready for the water, but there are several custom options available. They include an electric trolling motor plate to the bow, a rear casting platform, paint to the hull and interior, and a side console helm station with remote controls.

The Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open has a conventional pressed alloy vee hull with high topsides, a deep interior and modest hull deadrise.

The boat has on overall length (with steps) of 4.65m, a beam of 2.05m and a hull weight of 290kg. With the Tohatsu 30hp longshaft (20-inch) outboard engine and a Dunbier trailer, you can expect the towing weight to be around the 490-550kg mark.

For its size, the Makcraft 445 Commander HD Open is sturdily constructed using 3mm marine grade alloy for the hull bottom, transom and topsides.

This outer alloy sheeting is supported by a full-length keel and an internal framework of 10 cross ribs, most of which extend across the floor (welded at the chine) and up the internal topsides to the gunwale.

Extra strength is provided by the fully welded, extruded side decks and a reinforced plate alloy foredeck.

A welded transom cross beam, engine splash well, central bracing strut and V-shaped transom gusseting counter the weight and thrust of outboard engines to a maximum of 60hp.

The two foam-filled cross-thwart seats help to stiffen the hull underway and provide the boat with flotation to Australia's Basic standard.

The Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open has a typical layout for this type of craft, featuring an elevated forward casting deck combined with a deep aft cockpit. Importantly, the size and depth of each are just right for mixed boating and fishing activities.

The bow platform is configured as an extension of the 420mm wide bow seat thwart, running 680mm forward to the reinforced alloy foredeck and the formed anchor well.

Access to the space underneath the deck is via a hatch that is carpeted front and back for weather protection.

This storage area does not have a false floor, so it can't be used as a dry locker for keeping clothing or life jackets, although you could throw a waterproof safety gear back in this locker.

Surrounding features include a cleat recessed inside the anchor well, and low bow rails with welded alloy side panels designed to accept navigation lights.

The main cockpit area in the centre of the boat stretches 1.45m between the bow and stern cross thwarts.

The carpeted floor is classed as a low, or half floor because it does not extend out to the chines. This low floor layout is generally best in small boats as it keeps the centre of gravity down low, improving stability.

Elevated side storage pockets are on each side of the cockpit beneath broad side coamings/side decks that allow those plastic rod holders commonly available from chandleries and boat shops to be fitted flush.

A plate on the starboard side storage pocket caters for the installation of a bracket-mounted fish finder.

There's also the option to fit rail-mount rod holders to the bow and stern rails.

Moving to the helm position, I found the rear seat thwart to be quite well situated to operate the tiller-steer Tohatsu 30hp four-stroke outboard engine on our test boat.

Reaching back to the front of the outboard to change gears was relatively straight-forward too.

The Tohatsu was mounted on the transom wall in the usual fashion, but with the addition of a short outboard well to collect any water that may splash over the transom when the boat drops off the plane.

Carpeted plywood fuel tank platforms are on either side of the outboard splash well to cater for two tote tanks. The second platform could also be used to stow a battery to run a fishfinder or navigation lights.

Externally, the two railed transom boarding steps make it easy to clamber aboard the boat after pushing it off from the beach or launch ramp.

Makocraft's 445 Commander HD Open is a safe, seaworthy boat with a conservative vee hull bottom shape suited to boating in bays, harbours, estuaries and impoundments.

Given mild weather and sea conditions, you can also run this boat a few miles offshore protected by the high topsides and deep interior freeboard.

In choppy inshore waters the Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open delivers a smooth ride at cruising speeds, combined with excellent stability.

The hull is also reasonably dry, well mannered and nicely balanced with the relatively lightweight Tohatsu 30hp outboard on the transom.

Tohatsu's MFX30C is a modern, latest technology four-stroke outboard engine with batteryless EFI and a host of user-friendly features.

This 526cc, three-cylinder, manual-start motor paired nicely with our 4.45-metre Makocraft test boat, providing excellent all-round performance.

The Tohatsu proved easy to pull-start and the controls are straightforward and intuitive to use.

Engage forward gear, twist the tiller-arm throttle and the Makocraft accelerates easily onto the plane.

Underway the Tohatsu is smooth, quiet, and responsive, subtle adjustments to the throttle changing engine and boat speed equally smoothly.

The Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open is quite a big boat to run a 30hp outboard, so the top speed of 22.5 knots is nothing to write home about, but this torquey little motor still delivered ample power for our lightweight test boat with two adults on board.

If you need more performance, you can always upgrade to the equally impressive Tohatsu 40 or 50hp four-strokes, although these larger engines are heavier at around 100kg for the tiller-steer models versus 71kg for the Tohatsu 30hp.

The Makocraft 445 Commander HD Open is a big, safe, spacious open tinnie with plenty of features, and excellent all-round performance.

Combine these attributes with a rival beating BMT package price of just $15,000, and this versatile boat should prove very popular with budget boaters and fishermen.

Price as tested: $14,995 including a manual start, tiller-steer Tohatsu 30hp longshaft (20") three cylinder, four-stroke outboard with a single axle, galvanised steel Dunbier trailer (unbraked), bimini cover, thwart seat cushions, inshore safety gear pack, anchor kit, and 12 months QLD boat and trailer registrations.

Supplied by: Makocraft