Goldstar Adventurer 5800 Cuddy Cabin

Most models have smooth sided, naval architect designed plate alloy hulls with a noticeable sheer in the topsides, a fine entry forward and a shallow to moderate transom vee.

Goldstar’s trailerable models include the full-featured, heavy-duty Excalibur series, the middle-of-the road Sailfish range, and for fishermen on a tight budget, the new Adventurer series.

The Adventurer models are destined to be very popular with anglers Australia wide. The boats have most of the features of the deluxe Goldstar models, yet the asking price is little more than a pressed alloy boat of the same length.

The Goldstar Adventurers are available in 5.5, 5.8, 6.0, and 6.2m lengths and with centre console, centre cabin and cuddy cabin layouts.

For this test we secured an Adventurer 5800 cuddy cabin from Gold Coast dealer Coastal Powerboats.

The boats are built with an underfloor matrix of welded frames, stringers and bulkheads, while the hull bottom and topsides are made from 4mm plate alloy.

To keep construction costs down, Goldstar fits the Adventurer series models with a plywood floor in place of the sealed, self draining alloy floor used in regular Goldstar models. 

The carpeted, 17mm plywood floor is secured down over the fully-welded frames and the underfloor area is filled with polyurethane foam for flotation and to dampen hull noise and rattle when the boat is underway.

Above decks there are fewer bells and whistles than in some more costly plate alloy rigs, but the Adventurer 5800 is not lacking.

Berth cushions are not included, but you do get Seastar hydraulic steering (which worked beautifully), swivel helm chairs mounted on storage boxes, glove box, 200-litre underfloor poly fuel tank, compass, transom door and boarding ladder, above floor rear battery shelf, rear bench seat, folding rocket launcher, navigation lights, and a bilge pump.

Good quality fittings are used throughout, and the finish and fit-out on the test boat was excellent.

With regard to pricing, fitted with a 115hp Suzuki four-stroke motor, tandem-axle trailer, base-model sounder, VHF radio, bimini, inshore safety gear pack and registrations, the Goldstar Adventurer 5800 is priced from $58,990.

As tested the 5800 is priced at $67,990 -- but this includes a 140hp four-stroke Suzuki engine, Tropical icebox and pedestal helm chair in lieu of the standard seat boxes, twin batteries with isolator, transom corner bait box, and rear bimini extension.

Electronics gear fitted included a Lowrance HDS10 sounder/plotter, Fusion IP600G sound system, Garmin 750 GPSMAP plotter, and Garmin digital instrumentation.

The small size of the cabin makes it most useful as a storage and seating area -- although headroom is minimal with a maximum 880mm above each seat/berth.

Three lockers under the seats provide storage space but there are no side storage shelves. I believe the cabin would be improved with the fitting of small bulkhead or lip at the end of each of the berths to stop gear from falling back out into the cockpit. At present there is just a rail which doubles as the foot rest for the skipper and passenger.

A clear perspex hatch is situated in the forward cabin ceiling to provide access to the foredeck. This hatch is listed as an option, but I would consider it mandatory because it is difficult to climb around the cabin sides with a bimini fitted -- and there is no non-slip finish on the foredeck.

The anchor well is large and with the anchor permanently perched on the end of the long bowsprit, it is easily lowered from the cabin hatchway.

Moving back to the helm area, I was impressed with the amount of angled panel space for electronics gear. Fitting new gear and fixing faults will also be simple as the wiring is easily accessed behind the cabin bulkhead and protected with a clip-on vinyl cover. 

The height of the windscreen was about right for me, and the steering position was good while standing up. It wasn’t as good when seated because there was no fore and aft seat slider.

In the rough conditions off the Gold Coast during the test I could also have used a decent grab rail at the helm -- just like the one in front of the forward passenger.

The Goldstar 5800 comes standard with swivel chairs mounted above storage boxes. The owner had set the test boat up with a big Tropical brand icebox on the port side and a pedestal mounted seat to starboard.

The rear cockpit in the Goldstar 5800 is big, wide and deep, measuring 2.5m long, 2.2m wide, and with a minimum internal freeboard of 700mm.

Some surrounding features not mentioned earlier include 270mm wide side coamings, above floor cockpit side pockets, heavy duty bollards, and four standard rod holders. The rear bench seat is a useful addition to the Goldstar 5800, but I was disappointed that it did not fold down flush with the transom wall – as it would have been possible to fish over the stern more comfortably.

Accessing the underfloor area is not readily possible as the carpeted plywood floor is screwed down tight. However, a bilge pump is fitted to remove bilge water.

With some boats in the 5.5-6.0m size range, engine weight can be an issue. That isn’t the case with the Goldstar. The wide waterline beam, in combination with the moderate vee shape provides plenty of stern lift to support the weight of a single large motor or twin engines.

The ride too was better than I had anticipated. The Goldstar may not challenge a deep-vee fibreglass rig for ride comfort, but it is softer and quieter than many comparable alloy boats I have tested.

In an overall sense, the Goldstar 5800 performs admirably. It is very stable at rest, rides comfortably, runs very dry and handles well in a following sea.

The Goldstar also responds well to power trim -- so you can trim the bow down to run into the chop, then trim it back out again when turning and running downwind.

The only real negative to the shape and size of the hull is that it tends to list into a strong breeze when running beam to the wind. The high topsides catch the breeze, pulling the boat over on one side. Fortunately this issue can be addressed with the fitting of a set of trim tabs to correct a listing situation and maintain an even trim.  
 

The number of standard features and inclusions has been trimmed in this model to keep the package price down, but most of the important stuff is included -- with the exception of a self-draining cockpit.

The absence of a sealed, self-draining deck will put off some buyers. Others will accept it as a trade-off for the reduced package price.

The Goldstar 5800 Adventurer is a welcome addition to the new-boat market and will appeal to budget-conscious anglers looking for a tough, durable, solid performing boat that is affordable to buy and to run.

PERFORMANCE
8.9kts (16km/h) @ 2600rpm (Slow plane) 
11.0kts (20km/h) @ 3000rpm
20.0kts (37km/h) @ 3500rpm
24.5kts (45km/h) @ 4000rpm
29.2kts (54km/h) @ 4500rpm
33.5kts (62km/h) @ 5000rpm
35.7kts (66km/h) @ 5500rpm
39.4kts (73km/h) @ 5900rpm (WOT)

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.8/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.7/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.8/5.0
On the water Performance: 4.8/5.0
Value for money: 4.8/5.0
X-factor: 4.6/5.0