Surtees 800 Game Fisher 2022 Review

Surtees is a leading New Zealand maker of production plate alloy trailer boats stretching from 5.4 metres through 8.0 metres in length. These distinctive, very well-appointed boats are popular with seasoned Kiwi and Australian anglers.

Surtees boats are well made and superbly designed for fishing with large cockpits, high freeboard, big, wide gunnels, live wells, bait boards, rod racks – the works.

Remarkably, most of this gear is included in the standard inventory.

Whilst most Surtees models are intended for coastal and offshore fishing, several of the larger boats also have amenities for family boating, giving these craft true all-rounder capabilities.

Perhaps the most family-friendly Surtees model of the lot is the new flagship Surtees 800 Game Fisher. This very large, yet still trailerable boat is wonderfully outfitted for fishing, but also has a full shelter enclosed wheelhouse cabin, large front double berth, toilet, dinette seating area, refrigerator and galley facilities.

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher doubles easily as a family overnighter and weekend cruiser.

Having noted the above, I expect most people will buy the Surtees 800 Game Fisher for its offshore fishing capability. This is a true blue water game fishing trailer boat, armed with a deep vee, water-ballasted hull to smooth out the rough stuff offshore.

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher is also available with single and dual outboard engines to a maximum of 450hp.

For this review, Brisbane's Northside Marine presented the Surtees 800 Game Fisher with dual Yamaha 200hp extra-longshaft outboard engines.

This behemoth of a trailer boat was also fitted with Yamaha's full Helm Master EX digital joystick navigation system for unparalleled low-speed manoeuvrability and docking control.

The Helm Master system also includes digital electric steering, autopilot, and a suite of fishing and navigation aids and controls for precise, pin-point boat positioning.

The test boat was also fitted with a Garmin electronics suite that integrated with the Helm Master EX navigation system.

This Garmin gear included a giant GPSMap 8416XSV multifunction display with a GT56 UHD transducer, G3 chart, and a Garmin GMR24 HD radome.

Other electronics included a Garmin VHF radio and six-speaker Fusion audio system, both of which are included in the extensive Surtees standard inventory.

There's a stack of other good stuff included with each Surtees 800 Game Fisher, but I will just run through the other options fitted to our test rig. This way you can figure on everything else being included in the standard boat package.

Okay, in addition to the Helm Master and Garmin electronics, our test boat was optioned with a cabin roof solar panel set-up; electric blue outriggers; electric toilet upgrade; window washer kit (both window wipers standard); SeaDek rubber to floor, topsides, inside gunnels and cockpit shelving; transom tuna tubes; centre-opening windscreen with gas struts; dual cabin roof hatches; bow-mount boarding ladder; engine tilt-limit switch; Hella Seahawk LED light bar; underwater LED lighting; triple battery system; trailer spare wheel and carrier; tie-down straps; open water safety gear kit for six adults; sand anchor kit; 12 months' boat and trailer registration; custom registration decals.

With the above extras, the test boat package price tops out a $374,021 with the dual 200hp Yamaha outboards and a tandem-axle heavy-duty Tinka Surtees alloy trailer with break-away brakes.

Pricing for the Surtees 800 Game Fisher starts at around $320,0090 for a single-engine boat package, or $335,000 for the twin 200hp Yamaha boat with the desirable Helm Master EX navigation system.

The Surtees 800 Game fisher has an overall length of 8.0 metres including the bowsprit and aft boarding platforms. The actual centre-line hull length is not stated.

As noted earlier, the maximum beam is 2.7 metres, while the dry hull weight is about 2000kg.

You'll need the biggest possible tow vehicle to haul this rig about as the highway towing weight is between 3500kg and 3800kg.

The hull itself is made using 6.0mm heavy-duty plate alloy for the hull bottom, and 4.0mm plate elsewhere.

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher is a fully welded plate alloy boat with six full-length welded stringers underfloor providing ample hull strength and rigidity.

Bulkheads at regular intervals create air-tight flotation chambers.

Similar to all Surtees hulls, the 800 Game Fisher has a hollow, flooded keel with a water ballast capacity of 500 litres. A shut-off gate at the transom, operated from the helm, allows the skipper to trap or retain the water ballast in the keel chamber to boost stability and ride comfort in rough weather.

The plate alloy hull bottom has a fine entry at the bow, a 20-degree transom deadrise, and wide, reverse chines for lateral stability and fast hole shots.

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher comes with a 10-year worldwide hull warranty.

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher is a proper cabin cruiser with a fully enclosed wheelhouse. Lockable bi-fold glass doors separate the wheelhouse/saloon from the huge aft cockpit.

Inside the wheelhouse, there is seating for four people with the skipper's chair to starboard, then a reconfigurable dinette arrangement on the port side.

Two bench-style storage box seats are located to port with a removable table between them. Reversible backrests allow the bench seats to face forward or backwards. This way you can have the benches set up as a face-to-face dinette eating area, or you can reverse the backrests to face forward or aft.

Whilst underway, the layout works best with the backrests folded aft so the crew can face forward, like the skipper.

At rest, however, I would flick the backrest forward on the rear bench seat so that two people can sit comfortably facing aft.

Cleverly, Surtees has positioned a pair of 70-litre removable Icy-Tek coolers beneath the rearmost box seat so they can double as footrests.

This seating configuration is tailor-made, deliberately, to give anglers and crew the perfect place to sit and watch the cockpit fishing action, and to keep a sharp eye on lures and baits trolled behind the boat.

If this isn't practical enough already, the dinette seating area also converts into an extra berth for overnighting.

Opposite the dinette seating area are galley facilities including a two-burner diesel cooktop (that converts to a heater), a sink with mixer tap and chopping board, storage space with three soft-close drawers, and a refrigerator beneath the helm seat.

The helm chair is fixed into position overhead, but the driver's footrest, folding armrests, and well-padded backrest make it comfortable to cruise the boat while seated.

For stand-up driving, the helm chair has a flip-up front bolster to enlarge the space between the steering wheel and the helm chair.

The dash and fascia design are also well thought-out. There is space for the massive Garmin GPSMap 8416XSV display, along with engine instrumentation, switching, and the side-mount throttle and Helm Master EX joystick control.

From the helm the skipper has a panoramic view of the surroundings through large sliding glass side windows and a three-piece toughened glass front windscreen with wipers.

Our test boat was optioned with a centre-opening gas strut windshield and opening ceiling vents to improve cabin ventilation.

Side storage pockets stretch the length of the wheelhouse and into the open-plan front cabin.

A pair of full-length, cloth-upholstered berths occupy the forward cabin to provide sleeping space for two adults.

The included infill boards and cushions convert the two single berths into a large double bed.

There is ample storage space beneath the berths, along with provision for the included toilet beneath the starboard bunk behind the helm

With the cabin infill boards removed, there is a companionway forward to the wide, clear opening hatch in the forepeak. This provides access to the foredeck for anchoring, although there is enough external gunwale space to climb around the cabin to the bow.

The 800 Game Fisher also has sturdy, thigh-height bow rails (with two welded rod holders) to make it safe to stand on the front deck to disembark, or to use the front of the boat as a bow casting platform.

The big Surtees is also set up with the included plough anchor mounted off the stem of the boat, operated by an electric drum winch.

As noted earlier, our test boat was also optioned with a practical folding bow ladder so the boat can be boarded from the bow.

Cockpit and fishing features

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher comes with enough fishing features to satisfy the most demanding offshore angler.

The aft cockpit is large and uncluttered. The floor in our test boat was surfaced with grippy SeaDek foam rubber in place of the standard tread-plate cockpit flooring.

Matching grey-coloured SeaDek rubber was used to cover the extra-wide side coamings and large rear boarding platforms.

The Game Fisher comes standard with two medium-sized live bait tanks located beneath port- and starboard-side transom doors.

Like the full-length cockpit side storage pockets, the bait tanks are elevated above the floor to provide standing toe/foot space underneath.

The two live bait tanks also have clear front viewing windows for monitoring the live bait.

Above the enclosed, centre transom battery/electrical box there is an included bait board with a cutting surface, tackle drawer and rod rack. A more elaborate bait board is optional.

Other fishing/cockpit features include cockpit LED lighting, raw-water deck wash, cockpit shower, coaming cup holders, overhead hardtop shade extension and rod rack, optional transom corner tuna tubes, and a total of 30 rod holders – eight of which are flush-fitted into the gunnels surrounding the cockpit.

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher is a big, wide, sturdy cruiser, and it feels like it out on the water – solid, stable and powerful, rather than sporty. Of course, this is unsurprising for a boat of its size.

Strength, solidity, stability and safety are the traits you want in a seagoing craft.

That said, with the twin 200hp Yamaha outboard engines on the transom, the Surtees 800 Game Fisher slides easily onto the plane and pulls strongly up through the rev range.

The sublime Yamaha Helm Master EX electric steering also makes the boat feel lighter and more agile than its size would suggest, especially through the turns.

We recorded a top speed of 37.4 knots at 6000rpm, so the boat is quick, even though its size and width tend to mask the feeling of speed.

This top speed was recorded running into a stiff breeze, so I'd expect the boat to gain a knot or two of extra pace in calmer weather.

The size, weight, and comfort of the Surtees 800 Game Fisher also allow it to maintain a high cruise speed. At 4000rpm and a speed of 25 knots, the boat runs smoothly and comfortably in choppy water, making for speedy trips out to the wide offshore fishing grounds.

When the sea roughs up, you can also flood the keel with 500 litres of water to add weight and carve through the waves with reduced bow lift and bouncing about.

At rest, the water-ballasted keel adds displacement to improve stability, and reduce side-to-side rocking.

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher comes standard with trim tabs, but they are not really needed with the twin Yamaha engine installation as the outboards can be used effectively to change the running angle, and to correct any lateral trim/wind list.

Performance*

Range on 95% of the 500L fuel supply: 249nm@3500rpm
*Both engines

Verdict

The Surtees 800 Game Fisher is one of this brand's best boats to date. This big semi-trailerable boat feels properly sorted, with excellent handling, balance, and comfort underway, along with ample speed and economy from the twin Yamaha outboard engines.

You can order this boat with a single larger outboard engine but, for me, twins are the go for the added reliability and boat control.

With twins, it is also debatable whether you need Yamaha's expensive (albeit superb) joystick navigation system.

As an allrounder, the Surtees 800 Game Fisher ticks all the boxes. It has the features, fit-out and comfort for family boating and overnighting, as well as an excellent layout for wide offshore game fishing.

Specifications
Model: Surtees 800 Game Fisher
Length overall: 8.0m
Hull length: 7.0m
Beam: 2.7m
Deadrise: 20 degrees
Hull weight: 2000kg
Towing weight: 3400kg-3800kg
Alloy: 6.0mm (bottom)/4.0mm (transom, topsides)
Maximum power: 450hp
Engines as tested: 2 x Yamaha 200hp four-stroke outboards
Fuel: 500L
Water: 80L
Water ballast: 500L
Passengers: 8

Priced from: $334,753 including a pair of Yamaha 200hp extra-longshaft (25-inch) counter-rotating four-stroke outboard engines with the full Helm Master EX docking and manoeuvrability kit (including built-in digital steering), twin outboard transom pods, and a Tinka Surtees dual-axle alloy trailer with electric hydraulic break-away brakes

Price as tested: $375,063. As above but with the addition of a Garmin GPSMap 8416XSV with GT56 UHD transducer, NMEA starter kit, G3 chart, and Yamaha engine bus cable; Garmin GMR24 Radome; cabin roof solar panel set-up; electric blue outriggers; electric toilet upgrade; window washer kit (both windows-wipers standard); SeaDek to the floor, topsides, inside gunnels and cockpit shelving; transom tuna tubes; centre-opening windscreen with gas struts; dual cabin roof hatches; bow-mount boarding ladder; engine tilt-limit switch; Hella Seahawk LED light bar; underwater LED lighting; triple battery system; trailer spare wheel and carrier; tie-down straps; open water safety gear kit for six adults; sand anchor kit; 12 months' boat and trailer registration; custom registration decals

Supplied by: Northside Marine