Evolution 500 Cuddy

Evolution was founded in 2003 by experienced shipwright Paul Junginger and his wife Melinda. The business started with the production of fibreglass boating and fishing accessories, but quickly moved on to boat building.

Passionate anglers, it was only natural for Paul and Melinda to concentrate on building a better class of trailerable fishing boat -- and that’s exactly what they did. The 550 Cuddy, the first boat out of the Evolution factory, proved a resounding success and was acclaimed by serious sport fishers Australia-wide.

Some five years later and the Evolution range has expanded to ten models built around four different hull sizes. The subject of this test report is one of the smallest models and one of the few Evolutions not yet tested on boatsales and boatpoint, the 500 Cuddy Cabin.

The standard boat doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as some cuddy cabs on the market, and there’s not a lot of plush upholstery or carpet -- but it does have most of the gear and equipment required by anglers.

Among the key inclusions are several underfloor storage lockers/kill tanks, full length, above-floor cockpit side pockets with built-in rod racks, cabin seating area with vinyl seat cushions and back-rests, a pair of deluxe bucket helm chairs, drink holders, fibreglass bait board, above-floor, enclosed battery and oil tank locker, bilge pump, mechanical steering, a pair of stainless-steel rod holders, bait locker and a live-bait tank.

The latter is interesting as it has a clear front window so you can see your live baits swimming about. The only draw-back with the bait tank is that it is not quite large enough.

In addition to the above, the 500 Cuddy has stainless-steel deck hardware throughout, a fibreglass stringer system, hand-laid fibreglass construction and underfloor closed-cell foam floatation as a safety feature and to dampen hull noise underway.

In standard form as above, and fitted with the recommended 90hp Evinrude E-Tec engine and single-axle Dunbier trailer, the 500 Cuddy is priced from $40,215.

The test boat, supplied by the Gold Coast’s Whitewater Marine, was fitted with a number of options -- including rear boarding steps, safety-glass windscreen (instead of perspex), bimini with side and front clears, fold-down stainless-steel rocket launcher, removable rear bench seat, inshore safety gear pack, and Lowrance Elite 5X Fish Finder.

These options lift the price to $47,348 -- which sounds like a lot for a 5.0m boat, but the Evolution is much bigger and has a lot more interior space than most other 5.0m cuddies on the market.

For the size of the boat, the cockpit in the 500 Cuddy is big at 2.4m x 2.05m wide. But that’s not what makes it special. What is special is the perfect height of the side and rear coamings (minimum of 630mm at the transom) and the carefully designed 'toe-under' space beneath the side coamings and the rear storage compartment.

Note also how the battery and oil tank are tucked away on an elevated shelf behind lockable transom doors, and how the live well is recessed or flush fitted into the port side transom corner.

The stainless-steel coaming rails and stern cleats are recessed too -- so as not to catch a stray fishing line.

The side pockets run the full length of the cockpit and incorporate horizontal rod racks. They are also wide enough to stow all sorts of fishing paraphernalia -- from landing nets to short tag poles.

The padded vinyl bolster at the transom works a treat too. You can lean comfortably up against it while fighting a fish over the stern. And because the outboard is mounted on what I would describe as an integrated half pod (and not a full pod) you can easily work your fishing line out and around the back of the outboard’s powerhead.

Scuppers in the cockpit floor drain water from the cockpit down into the bilge area -- which is at the aft end of the underfloor kill tank.

A full cockpit self-draining system is best for a sea-going craft, but this would have necessitated lifting the height of the cockpit floor, which would in turn reduce the stability of the boat at rest.

No, the Evolution’s system is the best solution for this size of boat, especially as the water is then pumped overboard with a big capacity automatic bilge pump.

My only criticism of the cockpit concerns the width of the side coamings. For easier installation of rod holders I would have liked them to be a bit wider.

Moving forward now, the design and layout of the helm, dash and console is also very good. As noted earlier the dash and windscreen height is spot on for the average size 6ft bloke. At the helm you can stand and look over the top of the windscreen with the wind in your face -- or lean back a bit so that the top of the screen deflects most of the wind above your head.

The pedestal-mounted bucket seats are comfortable and fitted with a fore-and-aft sliding base to move the chair closer to the steering wheel. This seated driving position is okay -- but it still feels most comfortable to drive the boat while standing up.

In front of the skipper, the fascia has space for engine gauges, a compass and a flat panel space for a flush-fitted sounder or combination unit. The test rig was fitted with a Lowrance Elite 5X.

There are no grab rails around the helm area, but a dash-mounted stainless steel rail is available for the forward passenger.

Other features include a passenger side pocket, two drink holders, foot-rests, and an underfloor storage locker between the helm chairs.

In a craft the size of the 500 Evolution there is not enough space for a proper sleeping area so Evolution has fitted two side seats (with shallow storage underneath) and a step in the forepeak to improve access to the foredeck.

The cabin is open to the cockpit and there is a step in the floor so you can duck under the dash to move forward to the cabin hatch which opens up and back against the windscreen.

The large anchor well is easy to reach from the forward hatchway and you can anchor the boat without having to climb up onto the foredeck.

I would happily run the Evolution 500 a dozen or so miles offshore on a nice day. I would not be comfortable doing this with many other craft around the 5.0m mark.

The size of the boat has a lot to do with the impressive seaworthiness of the 500 Cuddy, but the hull design is also very good. The vee at the transom is a substantial 21 degrees and this increases sharply going forward.

The entry is fine to cleave through short chop, although it will patter a bit at some sea angles due to the pronounced and slightly reverse-angled bow strakes or spray chines which have the affect of countering the sharp vee shape.

I also noted some minor rattle noise from the various cockpit and transom hatches, but otherwise the hull rode quietly and the bow strakes suppressed much of the spray coming off the bow and provided lift to help the hull out of the troughs in a following sea.

The most impressive thing about the performance of the 500 Cuddy is not the ride, but its superior stability at rest and the ease with which it can carry weight on the transom.

The test rig was fitted with a lightweight Evinrude E-Tec, but it will comfortably handle a much heavier, older-style four-stroke motor, such is the amount of lift or buoyancy generated by the hull at the stern.

The trim range in the Evolution is also very wide or broad. For a slightly smoother headsea ride you can trim the motor down, and the nose will tuck in nicely, allowing the fine entry to do its job. Conversely, you can trim the bow of the boat back up for running in a following sea.

With regard to performance, the Evolution 500 Cuddy is rated for a single long shaft (20”) outboard engine up to 115hp. The test rig’s 90hp Evinrude E-Tec provided adequate performance with a top speed of 31 knots -- though I would be tempted to go the maximum as the hull can easily handle it.

The 500 Cuddy is the smallest of the Evolution models but it stands tall in its class. The price is a tad higher than some comparable brands, and it lacks a few creature comforts, but it really works as a coastal fishing rig.