Brooker 435 Getabout

When I received the assignment to test the Brooker 435 Getabout I must confess to approaching the job with the wrong attitude.

"Just another tinnie," I thought. But after just half an hour's run on Port Phillip Bay I didn't want to get out of the thing.

I was impressed. This is a very comfortable little boat. It looks good, too, in its battleship grey paint and it has some lovely little touches which you don't expect to see on a tinnie.

For example, the split aluminium bowrails are fully painted, the battery is mounted on its own shelf, it has a lockable glovebox and also features protective metal fairings around the navigation lights on the bow.

The 435 features a painted clinker-style hull with a short bow, small bowsprit with roller, an open anchorwell and a bowpost between that and the three-piece wraparound windscreen. The centre section opens for easy access to the foredeck and anchor. Two vertical struts support the screen very well indeed, because inevitably it's going to be used and abused by people hauling themselves up, out and over as is usually the case with small boats.

It's a point which not all manufacturers seem to appreciate. A wobbly screen attached with a few self tappers is one of my pet hates. The test boat was fitted with a canopy with central zip-out section and a radio was fitted centrally with a switch panel on the right side of the helm. Two bucket helm and passenger seats were low and comfortable. The two short side pockets were adequate.

Grabrails towards the stern were useful and there was a transom bench seat over a huge storage bin which hinged forward for access to a portable fuel tank. As I said earlier, the battery was well off the floor in the rear starboard quarter on its purpose-built shelf. The cockpit sole was neatly carpeted.

The test boat was fitted with two plastic rodholders but there was plenty of room for more on the wide gunwales. A small checkerplate swim platform, painted as well, sat beside the 40hp power-tilt Yamaha outboard which was mounted on a buoyancy-enhanced pod.

The direct Morse steering was easy to use and the boat good fun to drive. It skipped along in a half-metre sea very smoothly indeed. In fact the way it rode felt very much like a GRP hull.

The Brooker ran well into the sea with only an occasional slap but unfortunately the boat was not fitted with any instrumentation so performance figures aren't available. But the 40hp Yamaha was indeed a very good match for this boat.

Downsea the little grey 'destroyer' absolutely flew. The boat turned very flat, was dry and surprisingly stable at rest - something tinnies are not usually noted for.

I'd certainly recommend this little number for first-time boat buyers, young families and retired couples who want ease of operation and a bit of comfort in their boat. The Reef Marine package of $15,390 includes a Brooker 146 trailer with 13in alloy wheels, 40hp Yamaha, canopy, radio, bilge pump and safety equipment for four people.