Sailfish 5500 Shelf Runner

I won't forget the Sailfish 5500 Shelf Runner in a hurry; it left an indelible impression on the rear panel of my Landcruiser. I'd opened the tailgate to get a better view of the many obstacles in my path at the boatyard and, while reversing, the boat's bowrail kissed the car and left its autograph.

I recount this fact merely by way of reinforcing the strength of Sailfish catamarans. Built in Ballina on the north coast of NSW, these well-finished plate-alloy cats are designed specifically for high-impact boating.

But while about half Sailfish's annual production goes to commercial operators, the other half is snapped up by serious leisure boaties. So with a dented ego and a view to heading offshore, I made tracks for the ramp in Port Hacking. And though taking photos of this boat necessitated stripping down to my togs and wading out into chest-deep water, the run offshore was where the real fun began. Conditions were perfect, with a strong run-out tide and 20kt onshore wind producing a bar-like scenario with white horses.

THE LONG & THE SHORT
Denoted as a 5.5, this boat actually measures 6.4m from bow to transom. In fact, you could probably fit two 5.5 monohulls inside the Sailfish, such is its volume. Standing tall on the trailer, the hull has an overall length of 6.4m, a beam of 2.44m, and freeboard of 680mm in the rear and 720mm in the bow.

One might also notice that there are no wave-piercing sponsons. Darren Foster from Sailfish, who worked at another catamaran company for 10 years and ran the first boat with wave-piercers, isn't a great fan of them.

"The reason they were introduced was to provide extra buoyancy, because the boats had raked bows for looks. But with the Sailfish we decided to put that buoyancy back, which is why our boats don't look too raked up front," he explains.

Foster says the main strengths of the Sailfish are performance and stability. Compared with other cats in survey, you might find them able to take two extra people. Compared with a monohull you get twice the boat. On the 5.5, the cockpit measures a whopping 2.64m by 2.23m!

More boat for your money is at least partly the reason for the popularity of the Sailfish 5.5. Since it was first designed in 1994, there are now around 50 in Australia. At the time of writing, there were 18 Sailfish boats of varying size on order.

The Ballina factory employs nine people to turn out around 30 boats a year. Among its customers are the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, Coast Guard, Rural Fire Service and Waterways. There is also a strong following among professional fishos, sportsfishermen and divers on the NSW north coast.

In fact, anywhere there is a fishing port with a river bar bordering the sea you are likely to find a Sailfish. The other comforting thing about the brand is that it's built by keen fishos and the Sailfish crew contest tournaments whenever they can.

LIGHT BUT STRONG
Due to its plate-aluminium construction - 3mm for the topsides and 4mm on the bottom - the Sailfish 5.5 enjoys a weight advantage. The hull is about 25% lighter than an equivalent fibreglass cat, performing well with smaller outboards than many.

However, don't be mistaken for thinking this weight advantage in some way compromises strength. On the contrary, the 5.5's keel extrusion is 25mm solid alloy so you can beach the boat with confidence, the chine extrusion is 6mm, while 4mm T-bar extrusion is used on the inner and outer side of the bow.

Internally, the hull is built around a full box-section frame built to USL codes. Underfloor, the boat is fitted with positive foam flotation. Whether for this reason or not, the hull seems quieter than some cats I've fished on in the past.

Sailfish says the construction method it uses minimises distortion in the sheets. This is partly why the 5.5 exudes clean lines and smooth welds. But for one small area on the testboat, where the cockpit floor buckled underfoot, the boat was well finished.

Certainly the 5.5 leaves no-one guessing as to its purpose. The boat is high-sided and powerful, but also balanced, stylish and workmanlike. With two-pack applied liberally to all alloy surfaces, the boat generates plenty of admiration on the road and ramp.

On the water it acts like a trusty sportsfisher. Everything from a plumbed livebait tank, cutting board and rodholders to Reelax seats, berley bucket and cockpit carpet are included as standard. And the hull floats nicely at rest.

LOADED GUN
The bow of the 5.5 has a high, walk-through bowrail, self-draining anchor locker and hatch leading down to the cuddy. In calm water, I found it quite easy to reach the foredeck and anchoring gear by stepping over the dash and ducking under the bimini top.

While the cabin is huge compared with a monohull, it remains in proportion on this boat. Padded bunk cushions make it possible for two people to sleep across the boat, though it's more a storage area or dozing space for those dull days at sea.

The helm on the 5.5 is a model for other cat builders to follow. The adjustable seats are mounted on seat boxes, with the passenger's side holding a 40lt livebait tank. (The livebait tanks will be moved to the transom on future models).

The only complaint was that I found myself looking for a grabrail along the top edge of the screen. Behind the tinted screen is a large area of flat, carpeted dash space, with a raised tier for engine gauges, plenty of room for electronics, a wide grabrail, a radio box on the port side, and a sports steering wheel.

A lot of thought has gone into the position of the throttle, as it falls to hand nicely whether seated or standing. I also quite liked the bimini top framework with rocket launcher and aerial mounting points, plus the way the clears were set up for shelter in winter or flow-through and better vision when trolling.

Full-length sidepockets, padded coamings and built-in siderails grace the big, self-draining cockpit where an insulated fishbox can be mounted centrally. There is also a cutting board, a useful spread of built-in rodholders, and a small berley pot with masher.

But of all the neat features, the walk-through platform between the outboards is best. Backed by rails, it allows you to fight and land fish well clear of the outboards, lay down a perfect cube trail, or slip over for a dive. Sharkies might also fancy it as a tracing platform.

TREMENDOUS TRAILER
Almost as impressive is the trailer under the Sailfish. Put off by the high price of production trailers, the boys at Sailfish decided to design their own, better cradle. Built from aluminium, the drive-on, no-fuss trailer is more than 200kg lighter than 'average'. This way the towing weight of the 5.5 is 1450kg. A Falcon or Commodore can handle it, though the boat's height of 3.1m including rocket launcher will create plenty of windage on the highway.

The custom trailer is self-aligning and a snap to use. It also makes accessing the 5.5 a lot easier from dry land, with an aft ramp that lets you step into the cockpit without pulling a groin muscle.

It helps the bottom line, not to mention running costs, to know that the 5.5 can be powered by as little as twin 60hp outboards and that, with twin 70hp Johnson two-strokes, it will pull 63kmh at top speed.

For those who favour four-strokes, Sailfish recommends 70hp Evinrudes. Apparently, these produce around 60kmh with a lot less fuel burned.

You can also fit 90hp outboards, though you won't get a great benefit in top-end speed.

With 200lt of fuel underfloor you'll get a full day's trolling - especially if you alternate between motors - or a day's running at cruising speeds. The most efficient rev range of 3500-4000rpm uses around 25lt/hr on both motors for a speed of 35-40kmh.

Fast cruise at 4500rpm returns 49kmh, which is the speed that we left the calms of Port Hacking. Hydraulic steering takes the torque out of driving the big boat, though I would like to see a combination trim button to work both motors at once.

With a bit of air under the tunnels, the boat launched itself from the first crest to the next tightly packed set. While my crew looked horrified, seasoned offshore fishos will welcome the fact that the hull is nicely balanced so it lands on its aft sections.

The hull doesn't pound, there isn't reverberation from water being trapped in the tunnel, and the spray fans out alongside more than being sucked back aboard. At low cruising speeds with a bit more in-trim, the boat will be wet. But let it settle at its natural attitude and, despite some air, you will find it very reassuring.

You could say the Sailfish 5.5 is the kind of boat that sorts the men from the boys. You could also say it offers a lot of boat for $62,350.

But for the petrol, ice and ammo, the aptly-named Shelf Runner comes ready to fish - come hell or high water...