Allison Bayrunner 5

If you're looking for an all-rounder that's equally suitable for fishing forays or family days on the water, it's hard to go past a runabout. It's the type of craft we all think of when it comes to small boats, with its windscreen up towards the bow, its forward helm and large aft cockpit behind.

It's no surprise then that this type of boat accounts for a large slice of the Aussie trailerboat market. Consider them the Aussie battlers of the water...

Remarkably, the many manufacturers of runabout-style craft can be relied upon to come up with something to distinguish their boats. Indeed, the inclusions and layouts are as diverse as many other more complex types of boat and go a long way to defining the characteristics of a particular manufacturer.

Brisbane-based boatbuilder Allison Boats has produced a wide range of boat styles and sizes over the years, including a number of runabouts. The maker's latest offering, the Bayrunner 5, is a revamped version of an older model, and is one of the more versatile rigs that the company produces.

This versatility stems as much from the craft's size as its layout. The overall length of the boat including pod is 5.18m - around 17ft. This size boat is just as capable pulling a few skiers and taking the family out for the day as it is heading out for a serious fish. In reasonable conditions the offshore reefs are certainly a viable proposition.

Towing duties can be performed by the family six-cylinder and the boat can be manhandled on and off the towball by a single person.

MUCH IN STORE
But there is more to the equation than just overall size. Once you have a look at the generous amount of room available in the Bayrunner 5 and its simple open layout, you can easily appreciate the boat's flexibility.

The cockpit has gunwale heights of 0.62m which enable safe movement around the boat for adults and kids without the risk of overbalancing when near the sides. The uncluttered aft deck allows freedom of movement and limits the things you or the kids are going to run into.

When it comes to more sporting applications, a few waterskis or surfboards are easily swallowed, especially considering the 2.6m of clear deck space and sidepockets that run right to the transom.

Underfloor storage is available too, providing an ideal, safe place to keep ropes and jackets. Wells in the transom give other options for storage, and swivel seats at the helm allow the observer to spin around and watch the skier in tow while the driver sits in comfort.

For fishing trips, the advantage of the room in the aft cockpit is obvious. Three and four anglers can quite easily fish from this boat and the sidepockets have generous toe space underneath them so you can get your feet in and under and fish right up against the gunwales, assisting your balance when the seas are a bit rolly. The long sidepockets can be used to stow all your fishing essentials.

If fishing is your bag, then the transom wells can be plumbed and used as livebait tanks. While they are not insulated, a bit of ice thrown in here will also keep a few drinks or your bait cold for the day.

There are no sleeping quarters in the Bayrunner 5, but the area under the bow offers ample dry storage for your clothing, eskies, picnic baskets and safety gear. There is a good amount of room here so there is no need to clutter up the back deck.

Also at the sharp end, access to the anchor well is through the split windscreen and the moulding of the dash allows you to move right up to the foot of the well.

As is often the case when pushing off from the ramp, someone ends up jumping onto the bow as the boat is cast off. This layout makes it easier to slip from the bow through the split screen and into the boat.

Most boats of this nature have a canopy of some sort. The importance of keeping the sun off has become as critical these days as keeping out the rain. Shade certainly makes your day on the water more enjoyable.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Our testboat was fitted with a Mercury 90hp two-stroke outboard which well and truly got the boat up and going. This engine would be more than suitable for casual skiing and generated an indicated top speed of around 95kmh.

Aside from waterskiing applications, there are not too many occasions I can think of where you would need to (or in fact are able to) travel at this speed.

Still, for long trips across the bay or around some of our larger waterways it is nice to know that you can cruise comfortably at lower revs and still maintain good speeds and enjoy good economy.

Should you be doing most of your boating around the estuaries and don't require any great speed, then engines of 60-70hp would be more than adequate.

Previous runs were done in the same rig with a 60hp engine which yielded a WFO top speed of just under 70kmh.

The hull of the Bayrunner 5 has a reasonable deadrise at 19°. This allows the boat to handle a decent sort of a chop without bouncing you all over the place.

Generous planing strakes and reversed chines combined with a beam of 2.1m gives good stability and you can move around the boat safely at rest and on the move.

Very little spray is generated from the bow section of the boat as you ride through the chop and it would only be those sitting in the optional rear lounge who would cop a bit of spray in windy conditions when quartering a sea. This should stop 'em from falling asleep anyway!!

What I did notice while taking the photos was how cleanly the hull rides through the water. The flow from the stern of the boat was clear and smooth - a good indicator of an efficient set-up. With the motor trimmed in around the quarter mark there was no cavitation in tight turns and the boat didn't want to dig itself into a hole when doing so.

This is particularly handy when skiing, as is the smooth water coming out from under the hull.

Water enthusiasts from all walks of life should find this boat comfortable and reliable. The boat as tested runs in at $23,690 (ex-Brisbane) including the canopy and on-water costs.