Bermuda Saltwater Series 6100

While sterndrive powerplants aren't a new 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 both petrol and diesel sterndrive powered production line aluminium craft.

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

Sterndrive powerplants have traditionally been more expensive than outboards. However, when compared to the large four-stroke outboards that are available today, sterndrives are competitively priced. This makes the option of either a four-stroke petrol or diesel inboard quite appealing.

DIESEL POWER
Our testboat on this occasion 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.

Diesels being diesels, the first thing that comes to mind is the noise factor associated with this type of combustion engine. It is further cause for inquiry when fitted into an aluminium amplifier in the form of a bilge. 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 treated 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 diesel engine is easily accessed all round for maintenance work. 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 smart.

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 with no handhold on the side of the cab for the other hand, traversing this footway in rough seas might be a problem. Ceiling hatch access to the bow area is an option and one that we feel should be ordered on a new boat.

The bowsprit is a sturdy unit and a hatchless anchorwell is large enough to accommodate a hundred-plus metres 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.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS
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 is provided and feature hard plastic frames.

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. Sounder and GPS units that have large housings may be difficult to mount on the flat section due to the encroachment of the swept back windscreen. The centre of the dash has the most room, but this position is well to the portside of the helm. Therefore electronics that can be read from an angle should be carefully selected. In my opinion, the units could 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 expansiveness. 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.

SMOOTH OPERATOR
Our trip to Garden Island was into a 15kmh breeze, with associated shallow water chop. 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 30kmh 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.

This relatively smooth ride can be attributed to the engine weight being low in the stern. This brings the hull down the back of a wave quickly, rather than the boat flying off the top of the wave and landing with a horizontal hull.

Running an 18in four-blade prop, the 6100 had plenty of punch out of the hole, easily getting on the plane with four large men aboard, while displaying good manoeuvrability and stability among the waves.

Being a high-revving diesel we reached 50kmh at 4000rpm and 54kmh 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 a 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!

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

It will also provide another option for those that prefer aluminium but could not get into sterndrive power without custom building in the first place.