Glacier Bay 2780 Isle Runner

This versatile semi-displacement powered cat has the key features of a full-blown offshore sportfisher and lots of family-pleasing gear, such as a queen-size bed, marine head, shower, clever seating, sheltered saloon/helm, and ample dry storage. But then there is the remarkable ride...

The Glacier Bay range of semi-displacement powered cats has been absent from Australia for a couple of years, but returns now with Gold Coast company, Fishing And Leisure Boats.

The Glacier Bays are being distributed alongside the other World Cat brands (Carolina Cat, Livingston Cat) as well as other US marques – including Nitro bass boats, Sun Tracker pontoon boats, and Century, Tahoe and Mako fibreglass monohulls.

The subject of this test report is the Glacier Bay 2780 Isle Runner Enclosed Hard-Top, an update of the renowned 2680 model that made a record breaking 1328 mile journey from Hawaii to Midway Island back in 1998.

The Isle Runner 2780 and Glacier Bays in general are well appointed in standard form. There were only two options fitted to the test boat – the side and rear clear drop curtains, and what Glacier Bay call the Traditional Graphics Package – which is basically the blue pin-stripe on the hull topsides.

Everything else on the test boat is standard. The list of features is too extensive to itemise (refer to the website) but key features include a queen-size berth forward with marine head, shower and storage, L-shaped forward passenger seating, brilliant fold-down seats in the stern, massive live well, dual underfloor kill tanks, water, waste and fuel tanks, raw-water deck wash and rear pull-out freshwater shower, 316 grade stainless steel fittings throughout (including drink holders and four rod holders), sun-roof in hardtop, safety glass wrap-around windscreen, foam-filled, double bottom hull with collision bulkhead, walk-through transom door, four automatic bilge pumps, marine stereo with four speakers and I-pod connectivity, LED lighting throughout – and more.

The 2780 Isle runner comes to Australia with the above inventory of gear, and powered by two 150hp Yamaha four-stroke outboard engines in extra-longshaft (25-inch) configuration. In this form, the package is priced at $225,000.

Electronics will be extra of course, and the above price does not include a trailer. An extra $18K will buy you a 4.5 tonne capacity aluminium braked trailer – but you will also need an Ford F-350 size tow vehicle as the Glacier Bay has a hefty dry weight of 3,357kg (plus trailer) and is over-width in the beam for Aussie roads at 2.67m.

A Lewmar brand electric anchor winch is an additional option you would do well to consider for this boat – as is the stainless-steel saloon/cockpit refrigerator which replaces the fold-out bin.

Have a close look at the cockpit layout for example. It really is quite special. In the family boating configuration two big, soft, comfy chairs fold right out of the rear coaming wall. These are not cheap poly bench seats with a clip-on cushion, but well padded, quality UV resistant vinyl upholstered seats utilising stainless steel hinges for durability.

These two transom corner chairs take up a swag of space in the cockpit corners, but when you want to drop a line, you simply lift the chairs up and they fold back flush into the transom wall.

The cushioned seat back-rests, emblazoned with the Glacier Bay logo, stay in place on the top of the transom wall and are great to lean up against when fishing over the stern.

One could argue that the back-rests protrude a little too high above the coaming top, and may catch a stray treble hook or similar in the heat of fishing action – but we would still retain them given a choice.

Fishing features abound in the cockpit. Instead of side pockets the cockpit is flanked by a horizontal rod storage rack, and cupboards for accessing the fuel lines, fuel filters, plumbing, etc.

The side coamings, a near perfect 670mm above the floor, have two flush-fitted stainless steel rod holders on each side and the coaming width of 260mm will allow the fitting of extra holders, outrigger and downrigger brackets etc.

Matching the rear seat-back rests are padded vinyl coaming bolsters stretching the length of the cockpit on each side.

Underfloor, the 2780 Isle Runner has two 95 litre kill tanks with macerator pumps and gas-strut hatch covers. These are easily big enough to hold the day’s catch.

Stainless steel pop-up (so no fouling fishing lines) stern cleats are perched on the stern corners. You’ll find two more amidships and another two up at the bow.

Scuppers in the transom corners of the cockpit carry deck water overboard.

In the centre of the cockpit, a walk-through transom door leads back to a platform between the outboards and a retractable boarding ladder.

The 76-litre live-bait/live fish well is situated in a moulded cupboard/bench set-up on the port side, aft of the passenger seating area.

The live well is surrounded by tackle storage drawers, a rear cockpit hand rail, and four stainless cup holders.

One of the few fishing features missing is a cutting board/workbench. This isn’t listed as an option so you will need to fit an after-market model.

Moving forward, the saloon/helm area is well designed. The L-shaped lounge on the port side can accommodate about four people, and there are storage lockers underneath.

Immediately opposite is a sink with tap and freshwater and fold-out garbage bin. The latter can be swapped for an optional stainless steel refrigerator.

The helm chair is a big, comfy, well padded model with a flip-up front bolster and arm-rests. The chair slides fore and aft and can be rotated into four different positions.

We found the helm comfortable seated and standing as the combination of the seat slider and the flip-up bolster made it easy to adjust the driving position.

The dash and fascia in the Isle Runner are not all that sophisticated in design, but it has provision for a single 12-inch flush-fitted fish finder/GPS combo unit – or two smaller, individual units. The switch panel and engine gauges are positioned below and around the steering wheel respectively.

The binnacle-mount dual engine throttle box sits on a special pad alongside the steering wheel and is comfortable to operate in a seaway. There is a single up/down switch to raise and lower both outboards simultaneously – or you can use separate buttons to trim each outboard individually.

The helm and saloon area feel quite spacious as the forward and side safety glass windows are large and there is ample headroom under the hard-top.

A sun-roof or ventilation hatch in the ceiling opens up for better air-flow, and overhead LED lights brighten up the saloon area at night.

A starboard side windshield wiper and freshwater washer are fitted to improve the skipper’s vision in rough weather.

The forward cabin is accessed from the port side of the saloon, opposite the helm. A fibreglass bi-fold door and lockable hatch opens to reveal two grip-taped steps which lead down to a surprisingly spacious cabin area.

Immediately to the left of the steps, as you descend, is a toilet, sink and shower area. A privacy curtain can be drawn around this area to enclose it.

Moving forward from here is a storage area (with provision for an optional microwave oven) and a queen-size bed.

There is a shallow storage locker under the port side of the bed, and a deep locker to starboard.

There's lots of headroom, a general feeling of spaciousness, and ample lighting – due to the clear perspex ventilation hatch and side windows. 

The hulls underneath the new 2780 Isle Runner are identical to the earlier, awarding winning 2640 model. The design team for the new model must have taken the 'if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it' approach. Certainly during our test the Glacier Bay lived up to its reputation.

The incredibly slim, knife-like sponsons of the boat’s semi-displacement hull slice cleanly through medium swell and sharp chop – rather than riding over it. The ride aboard the boat in choppy water is subsequently about as good as it gets in a hull of this size.

The Glacier Bay also glides up from a displacement speed to a semi-plane with virtually no hump or rise in the bow. It remains flat the whole time – a feature that improves fuel economy and suits high speed lure trolling.

Through turns, the Glacier Bay will lean outward as we have come to expect from powered cats, but this is par for the course for this style of boat.

Like many powered cats (and most boats in general) in a following sea the Glacier Bay runs best with plenty of positive trim to the outboards to lift the bow and the finely angled sponsons up and out of the wave troughs.

In a calm following sea having positive trim is not that important, but in rough weather trimming the nose up will keep the hulls running stable and sure-footed.

Australian delivered Glacier Bay Isle Runners are powered by two extra-longshaft Yamaha 150hp four-stroke outboards – fed by two massive 318 litre fuel tanks.

During our performance tests we recorded a top speed just shy of 36 knots at 6000rpm and a cruise of about 19 knots at 3500 rpm.

This big powered cat has most of the features of a full-blown offshore sport fisher, but also comes with lots of family pleasing gear – such as the queen-size bed, marine head, shower, clever seating, sheltered saloon/helm, and ample dry storage space.