Bar Crusher vs Stabi-Craft vs Bermuda

There's no doubt that plate alloy is one medium firmly entrenched in the boat manufacturing industry - particularly on this side of the Pacific. While our friends in the US don't appear to have really embraced the tough-tinnie concept, in Australia and New Zealand it has a solid following.

Considering the popularity of trailerboat gamefishing and sportsfishing in Australia and New Zealand, it's not surprising that plate-aluminium boats are often the boat of choice. Plate-alloy is light, strong and easy to weld. The weight saving that an aluminium boat has over a comparably-sized fibreglass boat is what trailerboat anglers find particularly appealing.

With most 4WD vehicles in Australia having a towing capacity of around 2500kg, many fibreglass boats over 6m cannot be legally towed. So for those anglers wanting a trailerboat over 6m, they either buy a very large, and usually very expensive, tow vehicle or consider purchasing an alloy boat.

Once the domain of the custom boatbuilder, plate alloy is now being embraced by more and more production-line manufacturers. Indeed, these boatbuilders can see that the strength-to-weight ratio that plate alloy provides makes it an ideal medium with which to work.

We have tested several plate-alloy boats through our sistermag, Trailer Boat over the past twelve months and have picked out a trio that, with a few minor modifications, would comfortably carry out the role of an offshore sportsfisher.

BAR CRUSHER 6.7
Our introduction to the Bar Crusher name was in early 2000 when we tested the company's 5.5 and 6.1m models. At the time, they were the new kids on the block and weren't afraid to trumpet the quality of their New Zealand-built product.

In a whirlwind two years for the Bar Crusher team, the company has established itself as a serious contender in the plate-alloy market. The company's 5.5 and 6.1m models received plenty of attention from the boating media, with several credible scribes giving the thumbs-up to the marque's innovative features.

With the success of the 5.5 and 6.1m models evident, it was only a matter of time 'till the company launched a bigger model. Although similar in design to its 6.1m sibling, it's surprising how 600mm in length can make so much difference to the internal volume of a boat. Indeed, the cockpit on the 6.7 is huge. Make no mistake, this is a serious fishing machine in every sense.

Like its stablemates, the Bar Crusher 6.7 is manufactured in NZ, imported in its barest form, then painted, powered and fitted-out in Australia.

While the exchange rate to the Kiwi dollar is strong, the company intends continuing this practice. However, there is potential in the future for the boats to be fully manufactured on the Australian side of the Tasman.

INNOVATIVE DESIGNS
Like the 5.5 and 6.1, the 6.7m Bar Crusher includes three innovative designs that set the company apart from the rest of the plate-alloy crowd, namely its Quickflow water ballast system, Rigideck floor and subframe, and Waveslicer hull design.

In my opinion, the most innovative, by far, is the Quickflow water ballast system. This system enables Bar Crusher to produce a deep-vee hull that incorporates a water ballast cavity running the entire length of the keel line.

This cavity is open at the transom, so when the boat is at rest, the cavity fills with water, causing the boat to sit down on its chines. This gives the Bar Crusher excellent stability at rest; something which would normally be difficult to achieve on an alloy hull with a 20° deadrise.

As soon as some throttle is applied and forward motion is achieved, the ballast cavity quickly empties and allows the boat up onto the plane.

The Rigideck term comes from the boat's assembly of fully-welded longitudinal stringers, cross frames and one-piece checkerplate deck, which, combined, says Bar Chrusher, give the boat great torsional strength.

The Waveslicer hull is also a unique and seemingly effective Bar Crusher design. Unlike most boats, the hull features no running strakes. The manufacturer believes running strakes aerate the water, resulting in cavitation. For the record, the strakeless hull doesn't seem to generate an obviously different ride.

PUT TO THE TEST
To see if the Bar Crusher lived up to its name, we tested the new 6.7 on the Inverloch bar, a notorious inlet opening southeast of Melbourne. With 15-20kt of breeze and a solid swell pushing through the bar, there were enough breaking waves and sharp chop to put the Bar Crusher through its paces.

While I hold the utmost respect for coastal bars, if conditions suit it's a good test for the boats and a bit of a rush for me. The Bar Crusher lived up to its reputation, handling the moderate conditions with integrity. It handled both oncoming and following seas admirably, although every time you came off a larger wave with no back, you were reminded that you were, indeed, driving an alloy boat.

The full windscreen on the testboat was appreciated when the occasional plume of spray was sent into the air. On cold and windy Victorian mornings, this hardtop configuration is essential.

The short, sharp chop inside the bar was of no consequence, as the 6.7 crushed it with ease. I noticed the Bar Crusher turned very flat, which is quite unusual for such a deep-vee. Even in a tight turn, it held an upright attitude.

The testboat was powered by a 150hp Yamaha HPDI direct-injected two-stroke outboard. The new generation powerplant provided relatively quiet, smoke-free running, with excellent acceleration throughout the powerband.

Spinning a 17-inch stainless prop, the 6.7m Bar Crusher achieved a comfortable cruise of around 21kt at 3500rpm. Wide open throttle resulted in 5300rpm and a top speed of 37kt. Bar Crusher advised that the craft is now getting better numbers from a 15-inch stainless prop.

ABOVE THE WATERLINE
While Bar Crusher actively promotes the boat's below-waterline features, there are several above the waterline that are also worth noting. Of particular note is the oversize hatch in the cabin roof. This hatch is much larger than those fitted to most boats and provides safe and easy access to the bow during anchoring duties. Foredeck features include a large anchorwell, low-profile bowrail, bowroller and cross-bollard.

The cabin features a large V-berth, with each bunk at least 2m long and providing good dry storage space. Deep sidepockets also provide storage areas and feature padded edging that forms a backrest if seated on the V-berth. A Porta Potti is located between the bunks.

The helm area is basic, but functional. Both helmsman and passenger are provided with Reelax seating with both slide and swivel functions. Each seat is mounted on sturdy aluminium boxes that are welded to the floor. These boxes also incorporate recessed housings for an EPIRB and fire extinguisher.

The helmstation itself features a hydraulically-operated sports steering wheel, various Yamaha digital gauges, including speedo, tacho, battery, hourmeter, switch panel and 12V power socket. A 27MHz radio is incorporated in the dash while a VHF is mounted overhead.

The dash incorporates a large flat surface that provides ample space for electronics.

The hardtop and five-piece toughened glass windscreen provide all-weather protection, while maintaining excellent all-round vision. The hardtop incorporates a six-pot rocket launcher, anchorlight and plenty of grabrails.

Aft of the helm area is a fisherman's dream - a huge, clean and uncluttered deck with excellent freeboard. The maintenance-free checkerplate decking is fully self-draining and features a killtank and 200lt underfloor fuel tank.

The gunwales are nice and wide and feature deck-tread on their horizontal surfaces. Six rodholders are also incorporated in the gunwales. These rodholders are fixed with heavy-duty aluminium pop-rivets to prevent electrolysis.

Sidepockets run the full length of the cockpit and are positioned inside the coamings, so you don't bash your shins. They are also raised to allow for toe space. Each sidepocket provides space for storing gaffs, tagpoles and the like.

Incorporated in the transom is a drop-down seat that conceals batteries, oil reservoirs, fuel filter and extra storage. The transom incorporates a good-sized livewell on the port side. A removable baitboard is centrally located and, when the family beckons, can be replaced by an optional ski-pole in seconds.

The outboard mount and boarding platform are fully integrated. A drop-down boarding ladder, located on the port side, aids access, while a recessed berley-pot is included on the starboard side.

The Bar Crusher 6.7 is a very well constructed boat that will definitely appeal to the serious fisho. Best of all, at around 1700kg on a braked tandem trailer, it can be legally and safely towed by a large family car.

BERMUDA 6100
While sterndrive powerplants aren't a foreign concept in fibreglass boats and are relatively common in custom-built aluminium boats, they are a rare breed in production-line aluminium hulls. Until now.

A recent marriage between WA boatbuilder Trailcraft, Bermuda Boats and MerCruiser has resulted in a range of production-line aluminium craft powered by both petrol and diesel sterndrives.

While the boats are manufactured at Trailcraft's South Fremantle (WA) factory, that's where the association ends. These are Bermuda boats, and that's how they will be marketed. That said, it's comforting to know that behind the Bermuda badging is a tried and proven hull design that has been receiving applause right around Australia.

Sterndrives have traditionally been more expensive than outboards. However, when compared to the larger four-stroke outboards that are available today, sterndrives are becoming more competitive in dollar terms. This makes the option of either a four-stroke petrol or diesel inboard quite appealing.

DIESEL POWER
Our testboat was Bermuda's new 6100 Saltwater Series, which was powered by MerCruiser's 1.7lt four-cylinder turbo-diesel sterndrive, with an Alpha One leg. This boat can also be powered by MerCruiser's 4.3lt V-six petrol powerplant.

Diesels being diesels, the first thing that comes to mind is the noise factor. There is further cause for inquiry when such a powerplant is fitted into an aluminium 'amplifier' in the form of a sealed bilge.

Thus, our first reaction on climbing aboard was to get the lid open on the engine box. What we found inside was a well-designed and sensibly laid out engine compartment that was a sealed unit in its own right - totally closed off from the rest of the boat's hull. With fully-welded seams, the walls of the bay were heavily and neatly soundproofed, as was the full interior of the box lid.

With the mass of the four-cylinder diesel much less than the optional V-six, the engine is easily accessed all round for maintenance. This was especially so at the forward end of the motor, where space is needed most - around the pump and belt area. The location of the batteries in a compartment high and dry in the centre of the transom bulkhead is also smart.

Obviously Bermuda's (and Trailcraft's) attention to detail has paid dividends because, even when started from cold, there's little of the telltale diesel rattle that gets through to the crew. Right through the revrange, noise levels are comparable with petrol powerplants, if not perhaps a little easier on the ear. Personally, we enjoy the hint of turbo 'whistle' the little MerCruiser lends under load - like a pocket version of the note the big Cummins sometimes exhibit.

Our seatrail to Garden Island, off Fremantle (WA), was into a 15kt breeze, with associated shallow water chop. Indeed, the wavefaces measured up to a metre and were closely spaced and quite sharp. With the sternleg fully trimmed in, we cruised at 3000rpm and around 17kt for the most comfort.

Rather than flying off the top of a wave, we ran down them and into the next. No spray, whatsoever, came back into the cockpit or over the screen. Although the ride produced some slamming, considering the wave action, it was definitely better than the average aluminium boat of this size.

Running an 18-inch, four-blade prop, the 6100 had plenty of punch out of the hole, easily getting on the plane with four large, would-be anglers aboard. It also displayed good manoeuvrability and stability among the waves.

Being a high-revving diesel, we reached 27kt at 4000rpm and 30kt at 4300rpm wide open throttle.

Other than a very slight puff of unburnt diesel on starting when cold, there was no smoke or fumes associated with this motor, which appeared to be burning fuel as cleanly as any petrol four-stroke.

Although fuel consumption figures are not available, if MerCruiser's claims of outstanding fuel economy are to be believed, your local service station proprietor should be worried!

INTERNAL AFFAIRS
A powerplant does not a fishing boat make, however. Fortunately there's more to the 6100 story.

Inside the cabin area, the floor is a continuation of the cockpit and is fully-welded, sealed and drained astern via two scuppers. A partition across the aperture of the cabin proper has checkerplate foot treads for skipper and passenger and a rebate in the centre allows entry to and from the area.

Chamfers taken off the upper edges of this rebate may reduce the likelihood of an injury to people moving about this area in rough conditions. Especially if they are working the anchor area via the cabin hatch.

A dry storage shelf sits across the forward end of the cabin, which has a carpeted floor. Swivel helm and passenger seating, with hard plastic frames, is provided.

The section between the seat base and the cabin wall is rebated with a carpeted tray atop, and access to the dry storage inside the unit is via a vertical flush-mounted hatch that opens into the cockpit proper.

MerCruiser instrumentation stretches along a short, angled dashboard facia. The flat topside has a flush-mounted compass.

Note, though, that sounder and GPS units that have large housings may be difficult to mount on the flat section, due to the swept back windscreen. The centre of the dash has the most room, but this position is well to the port side of the helm. Therefore, electronics that can be read from an angle should be carefully selected.

In my opinion, the units should be mounted directly in front of the skipper, either flush or gimbaled, and the gauges shifted elsewhere.

A heavy-duty grabrail serves the passenger and anyone standing in the companionway. A strong targa-style rocket launcher holds six rods. This is a sturdy unit, which didn't move when two men were swinging off it in big seas during the journey to and from Garden Island.

The carpeted deck space is uncluttered, with no hatches in the floor to interrupt its expanse. Three-quarter sidepockets run each side and a sealed section between engine box and starboard aft corner has a flush-mounted vertical hatch.

A stainless steel fold-up telescopic ladder tucks up under the boarding platform that runs the full width of the transom. Access to the board is via a deep transom door.

Access to the bow is via the footway on the coamings along the side of the cab. The bowrails sweep back to where the cab rises from the coamings, but they are squat, and as there is no handhold on the side of the cab for the other hand, traversing this footway in rough seas may be a bit of a problem. Ceiling hatch access to the bow area is an option that we feel should be offered on this boat.

That said, the bowsprit on the Bermuda 6100 is a sturdy unit and the hatchless anchorwell is large enough to accommodate a 100m-plus of 14mm rope and chain and necessary ground tackle.

The testboat had a bimini cover, and the short distance between the top of the screen and the front of the frame was covered with a set of clears.

This boat, as tested, will be available from dealers off the showroom floor. The available work space, combined with attributes such as stability and economy, sees the diesel-powered Bermuda 6100 aimed fair and square at the serious fisherman.

STABI-CRAFT 753HT
When we first laid eyes on the Kiwi-built Stabi-Craft, it occurred to us that when ugly pills were being handed out this boat had gone back for seconds. However, after spending some time with the 753HT model - the largest in the Stabi-Craft range - we were less concerned about aesthetics... This boat is a real performer.

The 'Stabi' part of Stabi-Craft is pronounced 'stay-bee', as in stable, and it certainly is that. Without doubt, it's the most stable 'big tinnie' we've sample, with one qualification... Perhaps cat designs have an edge, but if they do, it is only slight.

The hull design and those looks set this boat apart. To understand how these features came about, let's precis a little company history from the brochure: "At the southernmost corner of NZ lies Foveaux Strait, a notoriously stormy stretch of water that separates Stewart Island from the South Island. In 1986, two local fishermen approached the fledgling Stabi-Craft Marine with a brief to design a small, rugged, unsinkable pontoon-style boat so they could fish in almost any conditions and get back to the mother vessel with their catch."

SPECIAL SPONSONS
Thus, the company's distinctive rigid buoyancy designs began. The first generation boats were designed with standard round pontoons, but the second generation pontoons have a deeper cross-section that gives more freeboard. The pontoons are also slimmer, giving more internal beam.

Underwater, the pontoon design features two stepped, wide chines that provide lift, responsive cornering and a drier ride, say Stabi-Craft. Each separate pontoon, or sponson section on either side of the cabin area is watertight for positive buoyancy and safety.

The centre hull is a conventional vee-formation with a 20° deadrise at the transom. Twin 130hp Hondas, bolted on a half-pod, provided heaps of grunt on the testboat.

How does it perform? An initial inspection of the boat on its Dunbier multi-roller, dual-axle trailer raised the interest substantially. Our tester admits to having doubted how such a hull design could ride comfortably. He soon changed his mind.

Thanks to Michael and Theo Rozarkis, of MY Marine at Dromana (Vic), we played with and tested the boat for a week in Bass Strait and on the Gippsland Lakes. A wind of 15kt in the Strait's short, sharp and sloppy conditions is probably equivalent to 25kt in deeper waters, so we'd found an ideal testing ground.

The Stabi-Craft cruised comfortably in these conditions at a GPS recorded 25kt at 4000rpm. And while we didn't seem to be going that hard at all, I hesitate to call this is a soft-riding hull. If a wave was caught under those wide chines on the sponsons, it slammed and rattled the aluminium plate. That said, we were genuinely surprised at how well the boat rode. It wasn't often you copped a bang, and usually only into a headsea and a sidesea caught on the wrong angle.

Downsea the Stabi-Craft flew and with the pedal to the metal, the hull really worked efficiently. Indeed, with the Hondas trimmed in, we achieved a top speed of 33kt at 5500rpm and trimmed out 37.8kt at 6000rpm. Note, the motors were fitted with SE Sport300 trim vanes.

FROM THE FRONT
The bow has a substantial 38mm split aluminium bowrail that is as solid as a rock. A strong bowpost, with a rubber mat for sure footing, is an excellent feature, but the anchorwell behind that is too small and lacked a cover. There was no hatch to the cabin - because the bow is so short there just isn't space.

Sidedecks are an unusual step down from the gunwales, but are extremely wide and safe with substantial non-slip stick-on strips. There are also plenty of handholds on the hardtop, windscreen and deck for the walk from the cabin to the bow.

The gunwales are exceptionally wide and flat with rubberised non-skid pads - the best I've seen. The hip height depth of the coamings is also a plus. They are made to seem even deeper because, from outside the craft, they look so shallow!

The cabin is open, with a long, cloth-covered V-berth that has basic storage underneath for lifejackets, etc. Serviceable carpet lines all surfaces. The deck is all checkerplate aluminium. Sidepockets are long, but very narrow, obviously squeezed by the wide deck walkways.

AYE AYE SKIPPER
The skipper's seat is set on an aluminium box, which is welded to the coaming. This box contains two storage compartments - one carpeted - on the skipper's right hand behind the throttles.

Engine controls were a little low and forward, particularly at full noise, but apparently the control mount has been completely redesigned since the testboat was built.

The huge screen on the hardtop consists of three panels, the central one being safety glass and the corner curved bits acrylic - all tinted. This meant there was a substantial black aluminium joining column right in front of the skipper's vision - I got used to that quite quickly and it didn't bother me at all. A windscreen wiper graces the centre panel.

The front section of the hardtop's two side panels slides open easily, giving flow-through ventilation - something we found we needed at times once the sun came out.

The large hardtop is fibreglass and has a substantial cockpit overhang. Carpeted inside, an 'eyebrow' above the windscreen contains speakers for the GME CD player and 27MHz marine radio.

Hardtop height is okay, but it probably needs a grabrail across the trailing edge, even though grabrails are mounted on the huge support pillars and on top. Each pillar has storage pockets incorporated at hip and ankle height (the higher with a lid) and the fire extinguisher is mounted nearby.

Topside is a black aluminium rocket launcher for four rods, mounts for twin aerials, two spotlights, nav light and GPS antenna. This is mounted too far forward, making access to the rods one hell of a stretch for anyone under 183cm tall.

The cockpit is very large. We loved the wide gunwales and deep coamings. The checkerplate sole is great to work on, too. Sidepockets are long and wide, and although there is nowhere beneath to lock your toes, that really doesn't matter, as the hip-high coaming height is so good.

There are no underfloor storage compartments, apart from the fuel tank. Exposed cabling (albeit in a concertina hose) from the controls to the motors and batteries is zip-tied along the starboard side beneath the sidepocket and looked rather agricultural.

The transom featured open, but off the floor and easily accessible, battery compartments either side of an open bilge that is small, but handy. A lift-out panel on the port side allows easy access, but maybe this would be better if hinged somehow.

Beyond the transom is a wide, almost full-width panel to give the motors swing-up room. An aftermarket poly livebait tank, with deck hose, was bolted to this.

On the port side of the engine pod is a step-aboard panel, to which is bolted a swing-down aluminium ladder. This is great for boarding, but perhaps the two steps are positioned a little close together.

Overall, we reckon even someone who isn't a big fan of aluminium boats could get to really get to like the Stabi-Craft 753HT. The Kiwi tinnie is a big, solid bruiser, especially on the trailer at almost 9m long. Its sea-keeping ability is a standout, and it would, no doubt, perform most offshore duties with ease.

And remember, beauty remains in the eye of the beholder...