Horizon 485 SunRunner: Fishing Trailerboat Review

Horizon Alloy Boats has expanded its alloy runabout range with a new raised deck and windscreen model. In addition to providing improved crew shelter from wind and spray, the new 485 SunRunner has plenty of storage space, a comfortable, easily powered hull, and a spacious fishing cockpit. We tested this affordable coastal fishing boat coupled with Yamaha's great new 90hp four-stroke outboard.

OVERVIEW
- New raised deck Horizon reminiscent of the original Seafarer V-Sea
The Gold Coast's Horizon Alloy Boats has expanded its SunRunner alloy runabout range with a new 4.85m model with a distinctive raised alloy deck and centre opening curved windscreen.

At a glance, the 485 SunRunner looks like a low-profile cuddy cabin, but upon closer inspection it is revealed as a runabout — albeit with a heightened deck and windscreen.

The new SunRunner's helm/deck design harkens back to the original Seafarer V-Sea 474, a hugely popular coastal fishing boat of the 1970s with a similar elevated deck layout. The V-Sea was a fibreglass boat but the elevated helm design works equally well in alloy.

The reason for the raised deck, of course, is to allow the skipper and first mate to stand at the helm while driving in choppy weather. The heightened deck allows the steering wheel to be lifted a little higher (within reach of a standing helmsman), while the taller screen provides significantly more shelter from wind and spray.

The taller helm/windscreen also allows the fitting of an overhead bimini with standing headroom underneath, and the storage space under the elevated deck is larger and easier to access.

If the 485 SunRunner proves a success for Horizon — and we suspect it will — then we would expect this "shelter runabout" configuration to debut on a few additional SunRunner models in coming months.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Ready to fish for just $40k
The 485 SunRunner is more than a well-designed new fishing package with a trick new helm/deck layout. It is also great value for money. Melbourne's Chelsea Yamaha has package prices starting from just $38,690.

This sub-$40k price buys you a ripper new bay and coastal fishing boat complete with a super smooth Yamaha F90LB longshaft (20in) four-stroke outboard, a single-axle, galvanised-steel braked trailer, and 12 months' boat and trailer registrations.

Among the standard inclusions you'll find the centre-opening curved windscreen, easy-access anchor well with bollard and winch plate, deluxe swivelling and sliding helm chairs with flip-up front bolsters, sports helm console with glove-box and provision for flush-mounted electronics, a spacious, carpeted rear cockpit, full-height cockpit freeboard, transom door, sheltered battery box, extra wide side decks, elevated side storage pockets, underfloor foam flotation (to Basic Standard) 80lt underfloor fuel tank, and more.

Our test boat package was fitted with several options which lift the price to a still very respectable $43,690.

The additions included the overhead bimini with built-in rocket launcher, underfloor kill tank, rear bait board and a Raymarine Axiom 7 fish finder/GPS combo unit.

INTERIOR LAYOUT
- A versatile fishing runabout with a practical, spacious interior design
Space is always at a premium in small trailerboats. There never seems to be enough of it. So, it is important then to make the most of every square millimetre inside — from stem to stern. With the 485 SunRunner, Horizon has done a good job of this, thanks largely to the elevated deck and walk-through windscreen.

The centre opening windscreen and foredeck in this versatile new rig allows you fish from the bow, right up next to — and braced against — the anchor well bulkhead. You can dangle a line on the drift from this forward location, and/or cast lures into submerged trees in impoundments... or perhaps chuck poppers into the frothy backwash from a coastal headland.

Of course, you've also got the whole of the rear cockpit to fish from, aft of the very comfortable deluxe bucket helm chairs.

Anchoring the SunRunner will be a breeze too, as you can cast out the anchor while standing safely within the forward hatchway. The anchor well itself is spacious with ample room for the appropriate sized anchor and rode.

The anchor can also be secured on the bowsprit and tied off to the big cleat contained within the anchor well.

Other features at the bow and surrounding the elevated deck/windscreen area include a low-set bow rail, skipper and mate windscreen grab rail, and good-sized safety gear storage bins to each side of the centre walkway.

The spacious dash and fascia is large and has been designed to accept modern flush-fitted electronics displays and digital instrumentation.

In the test boat, the steering wheel was mounted a tad low for my liking, but it will be lifted a few inches in coming production models.

Otherwise the helm and driving position is excellent. The skipper has a good view forward through the windscreen and surrounds, the throttle falls naturally to hand, and the helm chairs swivel and slide so you can position the chair to your liking.

The seats also have a front bolster so you can simply flip that back, out of the way to stand at the helm, instead of pushing the whole chair aft on the slider.

In addition to the two bucket helm chairs, the SunRunner has a fold-down and removable three-quarter-0width bench seat up against the transom. There's also a big, deeply padded back-rest which doubles as padded bolster support when the seat is removed and you want to stand and fish up against the transom wall.

With regard to storage space, the SunRunner has the aforementioned glove-box and storage bins under the dash, along with 1.7m long elevated side storage pockets and a big shelf under the port side transom... alongside the centre-positioned battery box/platform.

Our test rig was also fitted with a large, mackerel-sized underfloor kill tank with overboard drain. We would consider this big tank, along with the bolt-on transom bait board, as must-have options.

As noted earlier there is plenty of fishing deck space in the 485 SunRunner. The cockpit is 2.45m long overall, with 1.63m x 2.0m of space aft of the helm chairs.

The cockpit also has 650mm of freeboard along the sides (450mm at the transom door) and 210mm-wide side-coaming extrusions which are fitted with four plastic rod holders, coaming rails and rear corner bollards.

ON THE WATER
- An excellent all-rounder with Yamaha performance and economy
The 485 SunRunner is a lightweight boat with a mild-transom-vee or deadrise so it doesn't need a great deal of power. The maximum size outboard for the boat is 90hp, yet it will likely achieve 30 knot performance with as little as 75hp.

Our test boat, rigged with the light and powerful new Yamaha 90hp in-line four cylinder, four-stroke outboard attained a top speed of 34.2 knots at a wide-open throttle of 6000rpm. This speed of close to 35 knots is more than respectable for a smallish runabout and should prove ample for coastal fishing with two or three anglers onboard.

The Yamaha 90hp also felt strong, spirited through the mid range so it should have ample performance to get you out of trouble in adverse seas and weather conditions.

As you would expect from Yamaha, the F90LB four-stroke is also very smooth, quiet and economical. According to figures supplied by Yamaha, the F90 on the SunRunner is most economical at a cruise of 18.3 knots at 3,500 rpm. At this point the engine burns just 11.2 l/ph for a maximum range on 95 per cent of the test boat's 80L fuel supply of 124.18 nautical miles.

The hull beneath the 485 SunRunner is a good solid performer — an excellent all-rounder. For its size and weight, the boat is quite comfortable in choppy water, well-balanced, responsive to steering, throttle and trim input, and stable at rest.

The SunRunner also hangs in tightly through turns, sitting nice and flat throughout. Ultimately you will get a little engine cavitation if you wind on the steering lock too tightly, but we consider a bit of propeller slip to be ideal for inexperienced skippers as it reduces the cornering forces and makes for a safer family boat.

VERDICT
- A terrific, affordable coastal fishing rig with reliable Yamaha four-stroke power
Horizon's new 485 SunRunner has all the fine attributes you need in an aluminium bay and coastal fishing boat. With its shelter runabout layout, economical performance, high topsides, and deep cockpit, it is also ideal for boating newcomers.

If you're a retiree looking to downgrade into a smaller, more manageable bay fisher — or a newbie keen to graduate from beach and rock fishing into your first boat — the 485 SunRunner should prove an excellent choice.

LIKES
>> Raised deck and windscreen for more weather protection
>> Walk-through windscreen and foredeck
>> Great windscreen grab rails
>> Excellent all-round performance
>> Smooth, reliable Yamaha four-stroke power
>> Large, deep fishing cockpit

NOT SO MUCH
>> Some shake/movement from rocket launcher/bimini
>> Steering wheel a tad low in launch model

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.78/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.7/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.9/5.0
On the water performance: 4.7/5.0
Value for money: 4.8/5.0
X-factor: 4.8/5.0

PERFORMANCE - SPEED
3.5kts (6.5km/h) @ 1000rpm
4.8kts (8.9km/h) @ 1500rpm
5.9kts (10.9km/h) @ 2000rpm
7.1kts (13.1km/h) @ 2500rpm
12.9kts (23.9km/h) @ 3000rpm
18.3kts (33.8km/h) @ 3500rpm
22.0kts (40.7km/h) @ 4000rpm
25.6kts (47.4km/h) @ 4500rpm
28.6kts (52.9km/h) @ 5000rpm
32.1kts (59.4km/h) @ 5500rpm
34.2kts (63.3km/h) @ 6000rpm (WOT)

PERFORMANCE – ECONOMY
1.9 l/ph @ 1000rpm
4.0 l/ph @ 1500rpm
3.9 l/ph @ 2000rpm
7.2 l/ph @ 2500rpm
8.8 l/ph @ 3000rpm
11.2 l/ph @ 3500rpm
13.9 l/ph @ 4000rpm
17.9 1 l/ph @ 4500rpm
22.3 l/ph @ 5000rpm
33.6 l/ph @ 5500rpm
38.9 l/ph @ 6000rpm (WOT)

MAXIMUM RANGE ON 95 PER CENT OF 80l FUEL TANK: 124.18nm @ 3500rpm

Length overall: 5.4m
Hull length: 4.9m
Beam: 2.4m
Depth: 1.23m
Hull weight: 450kg
Weight on trailer: Approx 950kg
Bottom & transom alloy: 3.0mm
Topsides alloy: 3.0mm
Maximum power: 90hp
Maximum engine weight: 178kg
Engine as tested: Yamaha 90hp four-stroke
Fuel capacity: 80lt
Flotation standard: Basic
Maximum persons: Five

Supplied by:
Chelsea Yamaha
Phone: (03) 9772 1212
Email: robert@chelseayamaha.com.au
More at www.chelseayamaha.com.au and www.horizonboats.com.au