Spotlight: Savage 545 Blue Water

Stretching 5.53 metres overall, but with a waterline of 5.45 metres – hence its name – the Savage 545 Blue Water is an affordable way to grab an offshore boat without having to spend big money equipping it with a V6-powered four-stroke outboard engine.

Blue Water is Savage’s cabin boat line, featuring forward-set cuddy cabins that make the boats comfy for an overnight stop, but with plenty of clean and open cockpit space for fishing. The model has been around since the late 2000s, with numerous refinements along the way.

The Savage 545 Blue Water is the second-alrgest model in the line-up, with the range-topping 615 Blue Water at the pinnacle.

The boat comes out of the factory pretty richly equipped, with features including a carpeted floor in the cabin; two fild-out drinkholders; a bowroller mounted on a bowsprit; bow and stern rails; port and starboard transom brackets; folding seats for the skipper and first mate; a rear fold-out bench seat with a backrest; side pockets in the cockpit; rolled topdecks so there are no hard edges; a flat transom; and a painted hull.

However, you’re going to want to step up the rod holder game straight away, as only two are supplied by default.

The minimum engine rating for this boat is 90hp, ranging up to the high-performance 130hp maximum. The boat comes equipped with a 95-litre underfloor fuel tank.

As it’s a boat capable of heading offshore in the right conditions, the options list for the Savage 545 Blue Water reflects that this is what some owners intend to do.

The most versatile is a bimini with rocket launcher rod holders, which can also come with a set of clears that fully enclose the helm – handy if you’re in a southern climate where you don’t want a bit of weather to put an end to a good day’s fishing.

If this is going to be a serious fishing rig, you can also add features such as a live bait tank, an alloy bait station and even a burley bucket. If you’re also diving, tick the box for a boarding ladder.

If the boat also needs a family focus, you can equip the Savage 545 Blue Water with a pair of tow hooks so you can enjoy a bit of skiing or just dragging a tube around.

Given the electrical demands on modern boats with a range of new and cutting-edge chartplotters and fishfinders available, you can rig the boat with a dual battery system right out of the factory to ensure you will always have enough cranking power to restart the engine.

Boatsales.com.au has the Savage 545 Blue Water for sale for a range of prices starting from around $45,000 for a 90hp version on a single-axle galvanised alloy trailer, right up to almost $60,000 for a boat featuring a 115hp four-stroke outboard engine and a heap of user-friendly options, including an electric winch.