Seafarer Victory 6.0

In fact, even after owning a few boats, purchasers are often confused with the variety of types, makes and models that are available.

In this day and age, there are, of course, very few bad boats. Each maker has models that have particular stand-out features that make them what they are today.

However, there are a couple of important points to keep in the back of your mind when choosing a shortlist. Top of my query list is always, how long has the manufacturer been in business?.. and what is the track record of its past and present models?

Based on Queensland's Gold Coast, Seafarer has been building boats since 1957.

As a brand, it has been responsible for some of Australia's better trailerboats. Classics such as the Viking are still firm favourites of bluewater anglers in places like the NSW northern and central coasts where bar crossings are the norm.

In fact, take a trip to a north coast bar on an average weekend and you can be sure you will see a Seafarer or two on their way to the shelf.

One of Seafarers most successful boats in recent years has been the 5.9m Victory.

Every now and then good boat builders come up with a truly superb vessel. The latest version of the Victory - the full 6.0m - is just that!

To wear this mantle a boat has to excel in a number of areas - the most obvious of which is hull design and performance.

As an offshore boat, Victory buyers should be able to expect a soft, dry ride - so long distances can be traversed quickly - and, of course, excellent rough water handling.

The latest Victory's 21° deadrise, flush pod and modified strakes produce a ride not often experienced in a six-metre trailerboat.

After sampling the Victory on a number of, err... bumpy, occasions I have only praise for the stability and performance of the hull. Even when you hit those 'surprise' extra deep troughs between waves, the boat eschews that familiar hard jar as it smacks into the next wave.

Indeed, with a bit of commonsense you can quite easily have the Victory going where and when you want in almost any conditions. It is comforting to know the boat's not going to do anything silly as you're running down the face of a wave or crossing the local bar.

As far as the dryness, the only time you need to put on a spray jacket is when it is raining! At the helm, light spray is about all that you are likely to get across your sunglasses - even in the 'average' conditions we struck.

Seafarer recommends outboards from 150-225 hp and factory fits OMC engines.

Our test vessel was fitted with one of Johnson's new 150hp FICHT-equipped fuel-injected V-six. The powerplant proved somewhat smoother than the standard two-stroke V-six and although not as quiet as, say Honda's big four-strokes, the noise level is lower than conventional two-strokes.

While we did not do fuel consumption tests, the manufacturer claims substantial fuel savings across the rev range.

I noted how smooth the acceleration was from rest all the way to the Victory's top speed of close to 80kmh. Suffice it to say, the 150 is a muscular mill.

In fact, the speed achieved and the Victory's quick step onto the plane would perhaps indicate that you could get away less horsepower if you were concerned about the dollar side of things, or equally did expect to carry big loads.

The Victory's layout is practical and workable for both fishing and comfort.

A good size aft cockpit offers plenty of workable deck space, making it more than suitable for stand-up style gamefishing. The gunwales feature padded coamings and foot space under the sides pockets so you lock yourself right in.

Looking aft, the coamings feature two recessed sections of stainless rail on either side. Plenty to grab hold of, though I'd perhaps draw the line at using them to tie off a flying gaff or tailrope!

The rear lounge (pretty standard fare on most boats of this size) has an innovative feature. The fold-down lower section is split - one half can be up and the other down, or both up or down.

Folded away fishing room is maximised and there remains plenty of space under and aft of the seat to keep buckets, bait tubs and the like. A false floor means there's no trouble to slip them out when you need them.

In each corner of the transom there are storage hatches, one plumbed for use as a livebait tank.

The thought that has gone into the design of the Victory is evidenced by the cockpit side pockets. Again a 'standard' in most trailerboats, the Victory's have a sturdy strip of alloy fitted to the top edge to act as a step. Due to the reasonably high sides of the boat, I found myself using these regularly to step over the sides of the boat.

The comfortable swivel seats at the helm are made in house. Both seats are mounted on boxes which offer useable storage space.

On the passenger side, the seat box is extended aft to provide a bench seat. This hinges to reveal more storage. Minor modifications, could transform this compartment to a fish box or livebait tank.

The Victory's dash is standard Seafarer. That is it's well laid out with switches running either side of a flat section ready for flush mounted electronics. Engine instruments and compass are all mounted higher on the console in your natural line of sight. Good stuff!

On the passenger side, there is a long low glovebox and a good solid grabrail recessed into the dash.

In the trade we call this a Jesus-bar. Very appropriate on some outings with a few skippers that I know.

Seafarer's attention to design and detail makes the Victory as appealing to the angler as it does the rest of the family.

The cabin, for example, is not huge but it comes standard with an infill for the V-berths, is fully carpeted (walls and floor) and features useful padded side pockets.

Because there is no bulkhead to speak of, ventilation is good and the sleeping area has a clean open feel to it, though I dare say a few wet and muddy feet going through here to access the anchor well could change this.

One of the things that I like about Seafarer is that it fits 'extras' as standard items without overdoing it. One look at the stylish execution of the Victory illustrates exactly what I mean.

One other factory option worth considering, however, is to have the boat delivered on one of Seafarer's own trailers.

Made to the boat builder's specification by Tinka, the heavy-duty trailer features checkerplate mudguards, bearing buddies, etc. The cost is a few hundred dollars more but with the trailer comes an extended (five years in lieu of the normal 12 months) hull warranty.

Smart buying, in my book.