Allison RAB 540

Taking to the water - whether it be fishing, skiing or simply motoring around the waterways - has always been an outlet from the rat-race.

In that respect, Allison Boat Company has been offering boaties a social release valve from society's pressure cooker for over 15 years.

The Queensland-based company has established its own niche in the somewhat volatile Australian boating arena.

Producing boats revered for their structural strength and durability has ultimately contributed to the company's success - albeit in a hostile environment of takeovers, mergers and liquidations.

PRIDE OF PLACE
Col Allison takes immense pride in the manufacture of his boats. Indeed, no timber is used in the construction of the hull. Instead, a rigid network of fibreglass stringers ensures the durability of the hull and eliminates any rot in the glass.

Allison is a firm believer in reversed chines and pronounced running strakes, which are instrumental in producing lift, stability and decreasing spray. These are admirable attributes we all like to see in a boat.

The Allison fleet's latest addition - the RAB 540 - continues the tradition utilising the ever-popular hull of the Vision 175, which has been one of the company's all-time best-sellers.

Its 6.0m LOA is popular as it's big enough to handle open water but can still be towed by the family six-cylinder car.

While anglers have taken a shine to most boats in the Allison range, the RAB 540 is designed for a specific niche market. Not that you can't fish from it, though. It is a smart versatile craft in runabout format that will appeal to families, couples and skiers.

The low-profile wraparound acrylic windscreen and back-to-back helm seats are similar to some skiboats. With the seats low, the wind sweeps over your head while in a seated position. The boat has a good level attitude, which is essential if trying to pull out a skier.

Standing at the helm, your hands are placed nicely at the wheel. A hinged windscreen and a bow hatch provide good access to the anchorwell. The bow hatch (actually a big door) opens up the walkway to the bow and also covers the anchorwell. Open the door and you automatically have access to the well.

This runabout layout with walk-through screen makes dropping anchor an easy task for any member of the family.

With the hatch down, the anchor can't bounce out of the well in rough conditions. I've seen a few nasty accidents caused by the anchor flying out of the well after hitting a decent wave.

Additional space under the bow section provides good leg area and storage space. You'll find a bit more storage under the double-sided helm seats, though this area suits smaller items.

POCKET EDITION
Allison's boats have always had spacious sidepockets and the 540 is no exception.

At the aft end of the sidepockets is a flat shelf which is raised off the floor to accommodate the battery and oil bottle. Aside from keeping these out of the way and up off the floor, it generates a fair amount of room under the enginewell for storing larger items such as Eskies, buckets and tackle boxes.

The helm seats provide comfortable padded seating for four adults, while two smaller bench seats are located in each stern quarter. Small but practical, these seats are simply lifted out if not required or you want to stand in the corners and fish.

Boarding platforms are located just above water level and have two good grabrails. One features a fold-down ladder. Ski hooks are also fitted either side of the transom.

When it comes to performance the RAB 540 has the capacity to accommodate an outboard up to 150hp, although the recommended horsepower is 115hp.

The testboat was fitted with a Yamaha 115hp EFI four-stroke outboard - a beautiful choice for a family runabout as it provides good economy, delivers trouble-free starting and lacks the oil smoke associated with carbed two-strokes.

The 115hp Yamaha revved out to 5800rpm while pushing the rig along with three adults onboard. At these revs we reached a top-speed of around 70kmh. Makes you wonder what the likes of a 150hp would do!

Comfortable cruise revs were achieved around 3400-3700rpm, which pushed the 540 along at around 40kmh.

The stability of the boat while at rest and on the move is quite good and while the conditions were calm on our testday, I'd suggest that the 17° deadrise of the hull would handle most inshore and bay conditions. At 630kg the hull isn't a lightweight for its size, so the extra weight should improve the ride in choppy conditions.

The Allison RAB 540 is a nicely balanced and well laid-out rig. It should appeal to boaties stepping up from aluminium to fibreglass or first boat-buyers who prefer the softer-riding qualities of fibreglass over aluminium.