Mustang 1650 Tournament

Mustang Boats is perhaps better known for the large luxury cruisers than the smaller trailerboats in its range. These larger vessels are beautifully designed boats with all the comforts of home for those families with a big budget who enjoy spending quality time on the water together.

Mustang's smaller boats like the 1650 Tournament are quite different from these luxury cruisers. Indeed, if you didn't see the brand name on the side of the boat you would never know that they were from the same manufacturer.

The 1650 is aimed primarily at the boating family and, to be honest, is a pretty basic rig, though it is well finished off.

HANDLING THE CHOP
The hull itself rides very well in choppy conditions, with a lot of work going into the placement of planing strakes and a gentle flare in the bow to see that the boat behaves and handles well in a sea.

The Mustang tracks well and is quite easy to drive. Its ability to handle the bay chop can be attributed to the reasonable deadrise and the fact that the rig is not overly beamy at 2.13m.

The basic theory is that a narrow boat travels through the water easier than a wide one, as it is not punching into as much water. The downfall is that the narrower the boat, the less stable it becomes. This is why manufacturers play around with variable deadrises, planing strakes and chines. Balancing the different elements of the boat design can give an overall desirable performance.

In the case of the 1650 Mustang, it is the ride in choppy conditions where the boat shines. With two of us onboard and only the basic safety gear requirements, stability was not ideal while at rest. When moving around the boat, we had to make sure that we didn't move to one side too quickly without being aware of what the other was doing.

However, like any boat you soon get used to its characteristics. After a while, we began to compensate without a second thought.

THE POWER OF ONE
Performance-wise, the boat was fitted with one of Suzuki's new fuel-injected 16-valve DF60 four-stroke outboards, which I must say is a beautiful engine.

Though we were only carrying a light load, the boat was no speedster. If all it was ever going to carry was two adults, then the Suzuki four-stroke 60hp would be a very economical engine to have pushing the rig about. But to be frank, once the full crew step aboard, the 60 is likely to be somewhat overwhelmed. Indeed, it's our estimate that it will struggle to get you anywhere in a hurry or up onto the plane.

For general use, engines from 70hp-90hp will be better suited and for those who like to go offshore, a 115hp engine will be ideal.

One thing that did amaze me was that the boat didn't come standard with an underfloor fuel tank, instead opting for a couple of red portable tanks down under the transom. This is especially surprising when you consider that the 1650 is rated to 175hp. Engines of this size will rapidly consume one or two portable tanks.

The boat does have the option of having an 80lt underfloor tank fitted, and it's an option I would suggest warrants tested the 1650, Mustang has incorporated an 80lt underfloor tank as standard equipment.)

SIMPLE AND SOUND
One of the more appealing aspects of the Mustang is the clean open layout of the boat, both in the cabin/helm area and the aft deck. Simplicity often signifies a very smart boat and Mustang has obviously kept this in mind when designing the basic layout.

Internally, the cabin is more of a day version with the helm area left wide open for easy access into the cabin, relieving the cramped feeling that handicaps some low profile cabins. Part of the dash on the passenger's side has been reduced to make it easier to move in and out of the cabin.

Inside, you will find two covered vee-berths with a small amount of storage below them (usually where the lifejackets and raincoats are kept). Handy sidepockets inside the cabin are suitable for all those extra bits and pieces you need to stow each trip.

While there isn't the height to stand up you can certainly sit up on the bunks with adequate head and leg room. Additional ventilation, light and access to the anchor well is achieved through the overhead hatch in the cabin.

As the bulkhead between the cabin area and the helm doesn't really exist, there is plenty of leg room for the captain, and the end of the internal bunk has a slight raised wall which has been adapted as a footrest.

The dash area itself has the usual display of instruments and these are presented in a semi-circular format right above the steering wheel. Room for electronics is at somewhat of a premium, though there's always the area ahead of the passenger.

LAST MINUTE DETAILS
The canopy on this particular rig is about as basic as you want to get with a couple of lightweight alloy poles and straps to hold it in place. This simple style of canopy supplies plenty of protection from the sun, but it allows the breeze to blow through from the sides and the area above the windscreen.

Wind and rain would certainly blow in through the sides and you would probably need to look at additional sections to the canopy or a different set-up.

With no carpet on the floors, the flow coat fibreglass finish of the deck is very easy to maintain. It's as simple as giving it a quick hose and cleaning off any dirty spots with an old broom and a bit of detergent.

At 5.45m, the Mustang 1650 Tournament falls into the versatile all-round size bracket and is easily trailed behind the family six-cylinder car. Though a little pricey, this back to basics rig certainly deserves consideration...