Polycraft Challenger 4.1

The concept of "plastic" boats raises a few eyebrows among onlookers at the various boat shows around Australia. In fact, many of us here in this country can be a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to embracing new technology.

Synthetic sheet boats such as the PortaBote have had a reasonable run in the very small boat market, fulfilling the needs of a small, defined niche. The canoe and kayak industry adopted this sort of technology a few years ago, catering for a wide variety of outdoors people who needed a craft that could hack the rough and tumble.

Polycraft Industries of Bundaberg in Queensland has also built a niche in the market with its polyethylene boat range, which will probably expand into the medium to large trailerboat market in the not-too-distant future.

To say these boats are plastic is not strictly true. They are in fact made of Rotathene, which is rotationally moulded polyethylene - a tough, UV-resistant petroleum-based material.

With no internal frame or stringers, the hull consists of an inner liner and outer hull that is formed in one piece. This leaves a seamless module with no welds, providing incredible strength and durability. The inner void gives further flotation to the hull material, which is buoyant in its own right. This void can be filled with flotation foam as an option - which no doubt would bolster strength and buoyancy even further.

THICK SKINNED
The thickness of this skin is 10mm, which equates to that found on fibreglass boats much larger in size, but with a quoted durability factor of five times that of fibreglass, the manufacturer claims.

The colour of the hull is throughout the material - unlike fibreglass, which has its colour only gelcoat deep. Scratches in the Rotathene are therefore less noticeable, making this style of boat one of the most flexible around, since it will handle rough treatment on the trailer, mooring or when pulled up on the beach or rocks without showing much cosmetic damage.

The 4.1 Challenger is a side console boat with a beam of 1.83m. With a substantial casting deck forward, there is a half deck at the transom. On the test boat, these and the inner cockpit deck were carpeted, and a sill ran between the two on the same level on the port side - which was an ideal place to lay rigged fishing rods. This was an add-on by the owner of the boat.

FOOTSURE & FRIENDLY
The lower deck was flat, not having the deep rebates as seen in the 4.5 model we tested in TB issue 170, making for a smooth, sure-footed passage around the boat. The forward casting deck had two flush-mounted hatches. The portside hatch gives access to a livebait well, which is plumbed and serviced by a pump mounted on the transom. The starboard compartment is sealed off for storage of gear, which might get wet should a deluge find its way past the hatch.

The rear half-deck has three hatches, the central being self-contained and the outer two giving access to the bilge. These may be turned into elevated storage compartments with the use of purpose-built fish boxes, which will keep chattels out of the bilge water.

The console provided a large enough platform for a medium-sized sounder or GPS, which could be tucked in behind a tinted windscreen. The face of the console sported a mechanical helm, a small switch panel and tachometer for the 40hp Mercury EFI four-stroke engine.

Seating for two was provided on swivel base chairs mounted on boxes of the same material as the hull. One of these held the engine battery and the other held the battery for the Minn Kota electric outboard that was mounted on the bow next to the open anchor well.

CARRYING ON
Running around the bar at the front of Mooloolaba, this nippy boat wound out to just on 50kmh, according to our handheld GPS - and when trimmed in, it was manoeuvrable with ease at all speeds.

Bouncing over boat wash produced no spray at the helm, and the ride was noticeably gentle and quiet with very little wave slap. With 40hp being its maximum, it would easily handle two large adults and associated tackle and supplies for a day on the water - but with three, the engine may be left a little wanting.

I must stress that we did not test the boat with three up, but this is a possibility that could be addressed by a re-prop. At the end of the day, the boat is capable of handling three anglers and provides a very stable and dry platform upon which to move around.

The gunwales do not protrude into the cockpit space, and therefore don't provide the upper leg support that commonly allows you to balance when you're fishing on one side of the boat - this takes a little getting used to.

The lack of sidepockets makes the inner liner look a little bare.

Through-gunwale fittings such as rodholders could also do with a rethink, as access into the inner void for attaching nuts to bolts is not a possibility without a major cut and shut exercise. With a myriad of accessories that fit to handrails - such as quick-release rodholders, downriggers and the like - this is not really an issue.

An extended lip on the gunwale protruding well out from the hull acts as a spray chine, and bolts from the top of the gunwale may be inserted through here to hold hand rails and other accessories should the need arise.

As far as practicability goes, in adventuresome situations, you will be hard-pressed to find a boat to surpass a Polycraft. They are smart enough to the eye to be appreciated by those liking a classy look, and those prone to being rough with their gear will have met their match with these boats.