Stabicraft 1600 Fisher Carbon: Review

With its 1600 Fisher cuddy, Stabicraft claimed a first in trailerboat design by combining a resin-infused carbon-fibre composite cabin with an aluminum pontoon hull. The construction technique speeds up production while providing customers with a robust hull and stylish, futuristic looking cabin, helm and dash. Our test boat was paired with the new lightweight Yamaha 90hp four-stroke outboard.

OVERVIEW
- Carbon-fibre cabin construction technique adds strength, style and efficiency
New Zealand’s Stabicraft has been experimenting with different composite materials and construction techniques in recent times in an effort to improve production efficiency, save weight, and offer customers something unique, interesting and different.

The first production Stabicraft to be made using the new techniques and materials was the sweet little 1600 Fisher cuddy. Introduced in 2015, the 1600 Fisher blends Stabicraft’s latest, stream-lined aluminium Arrow pontoon-tube hull with a contemporary looking cabin made from a resin-infused composite with carbon fibre used as the core strengthening material.

Replacing the traditional welded-alloy cabin with a carbon-composite cabin extracted from a mould has enabled Stabicraft to design a deck structure, helm and dash layout with more complex curves and angles for more style and function. The carbon composite cabin should also be lighter and quicker to produce.

In addition to the composite -abin construction technique, the 1600 Fisher is equipped with a number of recent Stabicraft design innovations including the Game Chaser transom which allows skippers to back down at speed in pursuit of a runaway sportfish, and the Arrow pontoon hull, which has a much slimmer shape forward, finer entry and re-profiled chines for a softer, more comfortable ride.

In recent years, we have tested several of the new Arrow pontoon-equipped Stabicraft boats and they have all impressed. In light of this we expected big things from the little 1600 Fisher cuddy cabin — and we were not disappointed.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Entry packages from $42k with a Yamaha 70hp four-stroke
Brisbane’s Northside Marine has Stabicraft 1600 Fisher Carbon packages priced from around $42k sans electronics. This entry rig comes with a 70hp Yamaha longshaft (20in) four-stroke outboard, a Dunbier single-axle steel trailer with mechanical over-ride disc brakes along with 12 months boat and trailer registrations.

The price does not include paint, but the boat does have Stabicraft’s wide, wing-style side coamings, helm seats on storage boxes, curved, single front pane windscreen, neat looking carbon-fibre dash and instrument panel, step-on and folding rear transom corner seats, elevated side pockets and battery platforms, four drink holders, four cup holders, easy care checker-plate alloy floor, bilge pump, and mechanical steering.

Remarkably for a 4.8m boat, the Fisher 1600 also comes standard with a Maxwell RC6 capstan electric anchor winch with Sarca anchor, rope and chain. The electric winch is included because there is limited access to the bow from the cockpit — and having the electric winch allows you to raise and lower the pick from the helm at the push of a button.

Our test boat was upgraded with the all new Yamaha F90 in-line four cylinder, 90hp four-stroke outboard and it proved a brisk performer with the extra power, topping out at 34.6 knots.

The test rig was also optioned with a spare wheel and carrier for the Dunbier trailer, a Garmin echoMAP 95sv fish finder/GPS display, full paint to the hull and deck, upgrade to Fish Pro seats, noise suppressing foam injected into the pontoons, rear T-bar boarding ladder, non-slip deck tread to the coamings, overhead bimini with folding rocket launcher rod rack, 60L underfloor fuel tank, and an inshore safety gear pack.

The extras lift the package price to $58,979, but we reckon that’s still reasonable value for a very safe, seaworthy, fully rigged coastal fishing trailerboat.

INTERNAL LAYOUT
- A spacious, deep cockpit with short cuddy cab and forward storage area
The Stabicraft 1600 Fisher is a compact little boat measuring just 4.85m long x 2.02m wide. It has quite a short, but tall cab/deck structure with a storage area beneath the helm and windscreen.

The cabin is not tall or long enough to fit seats or berths but will be ideal as a storage area for safety gear bags, tackle boxes, etc. It also has a couple of useful side storage shelves, along with an internal anchor well in the forepeak.

There is no hatch to the foredeck, which explains why the boat comes standard with the Maxwell electric anchor winch, operated from the helm — and the Sarca anchor permanently mounted on the bowsprit.

At the helm there are two bucket helm chairs for the skipper and forward passenger, mounted on storage compartments/boxes that are welded to the side panels. The test rig was optioned with the deluxe Fish Pro seats and these were comfortable and well positioned before the steering wheel and side-mounted Yamaha throttle box.

The curved-acrylic windscreen is ideally positioned for the skipper, providing sufficient wind protection and a clear view of the surroundings.

On the carbon-fibre finished fascia there is just enough space for the sports steering wheel, engine instruments and switch panels. Offset to port, in the centre of the carbon dash is a special panel for the fitting of a flush-mounted electronics display. Our test boat was rigged with a big Garmin echoMAP 95sv chirp equipped fish finder/GPS.

Overhead the test boat was optioned with a bimini-top mounted against a folding rear targa arch which incorporates a rocket launcher rod rack to stow your rods and help keep the decks clear for fishing.

On the subject of fishing, anglers will be impressed with the shape and size of the rear cockpit. Despite its diminutive size, there is ample space for two or three anglers with a rear checker-plate deck that measures 2.25m from the transom to the cabin bulkhead/footrest by 1.37m wide. Aft of the helm seats there is around 1.55m of space.

The cockpit is also deep, with a minimum of 715mm of freeboard. This allows anglers to stand nicely supported up against the side coamings.

There are no toe/foot rails due to the pontoons encircling the boat at floor level, but they are not really needed for security due to the extreme width (280mm) and height of the coamings off the floor.

It is a little more difficult/uncomfortable to stand and fish up against the transom coaming, however. While the corner jump seats fold up nicely and sit flush with the transom wall, there is a bracket for the optional live bait tank and bait board which protrudes out from the transom into the cockpit space and gets in the way.

Fortunately, if you know you are not going to want either the factory bait tank or bait board, then you can order the boat without the bracket.

General rear cockpit features of note include the aforementioned cup and rod holders, folding corner jump seats, stern cleats and full-length side-storage pockets situated just under the gunnels.

ON THE WATER
- Smooth, quiet, manoeuvrable hull with punch from new Yamaha F90
The 1600 Fisher is a perky little boat, highly manoeuvrable at speed, and good fun to drive. The helm is light and easy, the throttle nicely positioned, and the hull well balanced and grippy through tight slalom turns.

With the Arrow buoyancy pontoons encircling the hull, the little Stabicraft is also wonderfully stable at rest and underway, and it planes easily with little or no planing hump.

The mild 15-degree transom vee shape contrasts with quite a fine entry to provide a smooth ride into the chop with minimal hull slap and noise — thanks to the optional noise dampening pontoon foam flotation.

The test rig proved a brisk performer, too. The top speed of 34 knots is nothing to write home about, but the power and performance of the new Yamaha F90 through the mid RPM range was exceptional. This superb, lightweight, in-line four-cylinder, four-stroke motor has the punch and grunt of a two-stroke, which we found very impressive indeed.

Whilst the performance of the new motor was something of a revelation, we expected the Yamaha F90 to be silky smooth, quiet and economical— and of course it was. Cruising at 3000 rpm the 1600 Fisher runs at 15.4 knots and burns just 8.2l/ph of fuel. This gives the boat a maximum range on 95 per cent of the optional 60lt underfloor fuel tank of 107 nautical miles.

Most of the new Stabicraft 1600 Fisher boats we have seen advertised for sale on Boatsales have been packaged with a smaller 70hp Yamaha four-stroke. While the little Stabicraft will perform well enough with the smaller engine, it really shines with the new Yamaha F90 on the transom.

VERDICT
- A safe, seaworthy little boat with bigger boat performance
The Stabicraft 1600 Fisher Carbon is a very capable and versatile little boat — big enough to fish coastal and choppy bay waters, small and light enough to be towed comfortably behind a four-cylinder family car.

The 1600 Fisher is also well designed and built, wonderfully safe and seaworthy — and, dare I say, not a bad looker. It might not win any boating beauty contests, but I find the slimmer, leaner lines of the latest Arrow pontoon hull to be quite pleasing, much more attractive than its predecessors.

LIKES
>> Safe, seaworthy Arrow pontoon tube hull
>> Bigger boat handling and ride
>> Terrific performance from new Yamaha F90
>> Compact size – easy to tow and store
>> Good sized rear cockpit
>> Plenty of cockpit freeboard
>> Ultra wide side coamings

NOT SO MUCH
>> No standard live bait tank or bait board
>> Stern cleats could snag fishing lines

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.70/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.5/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.8/5.0
On the water Performance: 4.8/5.0
Value for money: 4.7/5.0
X-factor: 4.7/5.0

PERFORMANCE - SPEED
3.7kts (6.9km/h) @ 1000rpm
5.2kts (9.6km/h) @ 1500rpm
6.3kts (11.7km/h) @ 2000rpm
8.1kts (15.1km/h) @ 2500rpm
15.4kts (28.5km/h) @ 3000rpm
18.8kts (34.8km/h) @ 3500rpm
23.3kts (43.1km/h) @ 4000rpm
25.9kts (47.9km/h) @ 4500rpm
28.9kts (53.6km/h) @ 5000rpm
32.0kts (59.3km/h) @ 5500rpm
34.6kts (64.2km/h) @ 5700rpm (WOT)

PERFORMANCE - ECONOMY
1.7 l/ph @ 1000rpm
3.2 l/ph @ 1500rpm
4.5 l/ph @ 2000rpm
6.5 l/ph @ 2500rpm
8.2 l/ph @ 3000rpm
10.5 l/ph @ 3500rpm
13.0 l/ph @ 4000rpm
16.6 l/ph @ 4500rpm
21.5 l/ph @ 5000rpm
35.0 l/ph @ 5500rpm
37.1 l/ph @ 5700rpm (WOT)

MAXIMUM RANGE ON 95% OF 60L FUEL TANK: 107.0nm @ 3,000rpm

Specifications: Stabicraft 1600 Fisher Carbon
Price: $58,979 including Yamaha 90hp four-stroke outboard with Yamaha Command Link digital display, mechanical steering, Dunbier single-axle galvanised-steel trailer braked trailer with spare wheel and carrier, Garmin echoMAP 95sv fish finder/GPS display, full paint to the hull and deck, upgrade to Fish Pro seats, noise suppressing foam injected into the pontoons, rear T-bar boarding ladder, bimini with rocket launcher rod rack, Deck Tred, 60l underfloor fuel tank, Sarca anchor, rope and chain, boat and trailer registrations, and an inshore safety gear pack.

Priced from: $41,328 with a Yamaha 70hp four-stroke outboard with mechanical steering, Dunbier single axle braked trailer, boat and trailer registrations.

Length: 4.85m
Maximum beam: 2.02m
Internal beam: 1.46m
Dry hull weight: Approx. 480kg
Towing weight: Approx. 1000kg
Deadrise: 15 degrees
Bottom alloy: 4mm
Side Tube alloy: 3mm
Length on trailer: Approx 6.0m
Height on trailer: Approx 1.95m
Maximum power: 90hp
Maximum engine weight: 185kg
Engine as tested: Yamaha 90hp four-stroke
Fuel: 60 litres (optional)
Maximum Persons: Five

Supplied by:
Northside Marine
2294 Sandgate Road
Boondall QLD 4034
Telephone: (07) 3265 8000
Email: billh@nsmarine.com.au
Website: Northside Marine.