Horizon 485 Scorpion Cuddy Review

OVERVIEW
Horizon Boats, one of Australia's leading alloy-boat builders, has expanded its already huge boat range with several new models. Among them is the 485 Scorpion, a practical, easily towable and great-value family cuddy cabin.

We tested the flagship 525 Scorpion back August 2016. For this review we have the entry 485 model from Marine Tune on the Gold Coast, powered by the lightweight Yamaha 60hp four-stroke outboard.

The 485 Scorpion is a ripper new boat for first-time boaters as it combines a versatile interior layout with plenty of standard features and a conservative, moderate-vee hull for easy handling, and good all-round performance.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Pleasingly, the new Horizon 485 Scorpion is very well outfitted as it comes direct from the factory — as evidenced by the excellent fit-out of our test boat.

The only additions above standard included an overhead bimini for shelter, a Raymarine Dragonfly 5 Pro fish finder/GPS and the starboard side transom door. Everything else you can see in the photos is included in the standard inventory.

We won't run through all of the included gear, but some of the key items include the large forward berths with carpeted lids (top and underside), under-berth storage bins, cabin hatch access to a larger anchor well, a neat curved windscreen with large dash area, carpeted rear cockpit, dual pedestal helm chairs, folding rear bench seat, wide, rolled gunwales, 3.0mm alloy hull bottom and topsides, underfloor foam flotation (to Basic Standard), centre transom battery storage area, and a 60lt underfloor fuel tank.

Packaged with a Yamaha's 60hp longshaft (20") four-stroke outboard and a single-axle braked trailer, Marine Tune has the standard boat priced at a bargain-basement $31,690.

With the Raymarine display, bimini and transom door, the drive-away price rises a little to an equally impressive $32,990. Now that's great value!

INTERIOR LAYOUT
It is debatable whether the new 485 Scorpion is best described as a cuddy cabin or a half cabin. The cabin berths are not quite full length, but the cabin structure is tall and there is loads of cabin space and headroom. In light of this, I'm inclined to consider the Scorpion as a proper half cabin.

The vinyl-upholstered berths are plenty big and wide enough at 1.57m x 600mm to sleep young children and the berths easily double as comfortable seats for adults to seek shelter from the outside elements.

You can also add an optional infill cushion between each berth to create one great big double bed. With the extra middle cushion one person (possibly two) could potential stretch out for a nap laterally, across the boat. Either way, the cabin is plenty big enough for families with small children.

Cabin storage space is limited to two bins under each of the side berth seats, but they are spacious, ideal for safety gear and clothing. A carpeted false-floor should make sure your gear remains dry.

The hatch covers are made from marine plywood, but carpeted front and back to check against rot and mildew, while the hatch hinges and other surrounding fittings are made from high-grade stainless steel.

In the cabin forepeak, a clear acrylic ventilation hatch opens out to provide easy access to the foredeck for anchoring.

The hatch-less anchor well is plenty big enough for the appropriate sized anchor and ground tackle but could do with some carpet laid down inside to protect the alloy and to dampen any noise from the anchor rattling about.

Surrounding the anchor well is a welded bollard, bowsprit, bow roller and low set bow rails.

There are additional rails and bollards in the stern of the boat, along with grab handles aft of the cabin structure and a nice big hand rail above the dash.

The dash itself is broad with loads of space for bracket-mounted electronics. This is just as well as the instrument panel and fascia is compact, suitable only for flush-fitting engine gauges, the switch panel and smaller items like marine radios.

The helm position is comfortable as the pedestal-mounted bucket chairs are set back just the right distance from the steering wheel and throttle lever.

The driving position is equally good when standing at the helm as the clear, single front pane curved windscreen is mounted at the right height for a clear view forward, while still sheltering the skipper from wind and spray.

The pedestal chairs are not fitted with a sliding base as standard, and yet you can still stand before the helm without feeling cramped up by the seats behind you.

For the rest of the family or crew, there is additional seating in the rear of the boat. Stretching three quarters of the way across the transom is a vinyl-padded bench seat with a comfortable backrest. The bench folds down or can be removed so you can stand up against the padded transom wall to fish over the stern.

Behind the bench seat you'll find a compartment for the battery in the centre of the transom, with a storage area to port and the optional step and transom door over on the starboard side.

Anglers will appreciate the decent-sized, carpeted, rear cockpit floor along with the full length, elevated side-storage pockets, the wide, rolled gunwales, the two standard plastic rod holders, underfloor auto bilge pump, and the external transducer bracket.

Options anglers might want to consider adding to the boat include an underfloor kill tank, bait board, and a live bait tank which can be built into the port side transom corner.

ON THE WATER
Horizon has been building aluminium boats for many years and this is reflected in the conservative hull shape the company has chosen for its family orientated Scorpion models.

Our test boat, for example, has a fine entry shape but with a gradual slope to the stem so the hull rides easily and safely out of wave troughs in a following sea, whil dealing pretty comfortably with typical bay and harbour wave chop.

The vee in the Scorpion hull also shallows quickly as you cast your eye from the stem to the stern, and it is this variation in the deadrise which accounts for the boat's excellent stability and solid performance with outboards as small as the 60hp Yamaha four-stroke fitted to our test boat package.

The Scorpion is rated for longshaft outboard to 75hp (and a maximum transom weight of 158kg) but performs more than adequately with the smaller engine.

According to performance data supplied by Yamaha, the Scorpion test boat runs to a top speed of 28 knots at 6000 rpm with two adults and 40lt of fuel onboard.

This is quick enough for most applications, but for tow-sports and large loads we'd recommend upgrading to the maximum 75hp engine for a little more grunt in the mid range and a higher top speed.

With regard to fuel economy the little Yamaha 60hp can just about run on the smell of oily rag — burning just 21lt/h at full speed and a miserly 11.5lt/h while cruising smoothly at 20.9 knots at 4500 rpm

The new addition to the Horizon boat range is an excellent family boat and budget all-rounder. The 485 Scorpion has an easily handling, well-mannered hull, combined with dependable Yamaha four-stroke performance, a spacious cabin, and an uncluttered fishing cockpit.

As with most Horizon boats, you get plenty of standard kit too — more than you might expect from a boat in the $30-$33k price range. With regard to value for money, you will be hard pressed to find a better entry-level family boat. - Jeff Webster words and pics

PERFORMANCE - SPEED
2.9kts (5.4km/h) @ 1000rpm
4.1kts (7.6km/h) @ 1500rpm
5.0kts (9.2km/h) @ 2000rpm
6.3kts (11.6km/h) @ 2500rpm
7.5kts (13.8km/h) @ 3000rpm
12.1kts (22.4km/h) @ 3500rpm
17.0kts (31.5km/h) @ 4000rpm
21.0kts (38.8km/h) @ 4500rpm
23.7kts (43.8km/h) @ 5000rpm
26.5kts (49.0km/h) @ 5500rpm
28.1kts (52.0km/h) @ 6000rpm (WOT)

PERFORMANCE – ECONOMY
1.3lt/h @ 1000rpm
3.1t/h @ 1500rpm
3.7lt/h @ 2000rpm
5.1lt/h @ 2500rpm
6.0lt/h @ 3000rpm
7.6lt/h @ 3500rpm
9.4lt/h @ 4000rpm
11.5lt/h @ 4500rpm
14.0lt/h@ 5000rpm
18.5lt/h @ 5500rpm
20.9lt/h @ 6000rpm (WOT)
MAXIMUM RANGE ON 95% OF 60l FUEL TANK: 104.1nm @ 4500rpm

Specifications: Horizon 485 Scorpion Cuddy
Price as tested: $32,990 including Yamaha 60hp four-stroke longshaft (20”) outboard with non-feedback mechanical steering, digital engine gauge, single-axle galvanised steel trailer with mechanical brakes, bimini cover, Raymarine Dragonfly 5 Pro fish finder/GPS with chart, transom door, and 12 months boat and trailer registrations.

Price from: $31,690 with a Yamaha 60hp four-stroke longshaft (20”) outboard with non-feedback mechanical steering, digital engine gauge, single-axle galvanised steel trailer with mechanical brakes, and 12 months boat and trailer registrations.

Length overall: 5.0m
Hull length: 4.85m
Beam: 2.2m
Depth: 1.16m
Hull weight: 510kg
Weight on trailer: Approx 1020kg (dry)
Length on trailer: 6.0m
Height on trailer: 2.4m
Bottom & transom alloy: 3.0mm
Topsides alloy: 3.0mm
Maximum power: 75hp
Maximum engine weight: 158kg
Engine as tested: Yamaha 60hp four-stroke
Fuel capacity: 60lt
Flotation standard: Basic
Maximum persons: Five

Supplied by:
Marine Tune
Phone: (07) 5576 7388
Email: sales@marinetune.com.au
More at Marine Tune and Horizon Boats.