Stabicraft 1650 Fisher

One of the most versatile models in the Stabicraft boat range, the 1650 Fisher is small enough to squeeze into a lock-up garage – yet capable of fishing coastal offshore waters. With its high cabin, deep cockpit and solid construction the Fisher feels safe and secure on the water.

OVERVIEW
- Stabicraft for river, reef, bay and offshore fishing
The New Zealand Stabicraft range of heavy-duty aluminium pontoon boats are finding favour with Aussies seeking tough, durable, safe and practical boats for fishing coastal and offshore waters.

In the Stabicraft range you’ll find a dozen or more models, most featuring the latest 'Arrow' shaped pontoon tubes and the more buoyant 'Game Chaser' transom which is designed to be more manoeuvrable in reverse for backing up on a fish.

Buyers can choose from small, commercial-style open bay and harbour boats through to 7.0m plus enclosed cabin offshore tuna chasers. In between there are plenty of models to suit everyone from river to reef fishermen.

Our Stabicraft for this test report is one of the smaller, but no less capable craft, the 1650 Fisher cuddy cab. Like its larger brethren, the 1650 Fisher is a solidly built, safe, seaworthy boat, one that we would happily take offshore, despite its diminutive size.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- A no frills model with plenty of standard features
The 1650 is one of four models in the current Stabicraft Fisher range. The others include the 1410, 1530 and larger 1850 series boat. All have an open cuddy cabin design, as opposed to the larger Stabicraft Supercabs which have a standard hard-top with the option to enclose the cabin.

The 1650 Fisher is designed as a bay and coastal fishing boat and is arguably the most versatile model in the Fisher range. It is small and light enough to tow behind a four-cylinder car, and to squeeze into a lock-up garage – yet it handles and rides like a bigger boat.

We would be comfortable taking the 1650 Fisher a dozen miles or so offshore as it is very safe and seaworthy. The hull has no real vices and the pontoon tubes that surround the vee hull provide excellent stability.

The pontoons also provide sufficient flotation for the 1650 to achieve a Level Flotation standard – which means that it will remain afloat in a level position when fully laden and filled with water. In light of this, the 1650 Fisher is one of the safest boats of its size on the market today.

The 1650 Fisher is also pretty well equipped for what Stabicraft describe as a 'no frills' model. Standard features include a walk-through windscreen with scratch-resistant glass, welded checker-plate alloy floor and cabin recess, wide side decks, battery and oil tank shelf, centre transom cutting board workstation, auto bilge pump, mechanical steering, four rod holders and four drink holders, flip-up rear quarter seats, pedestal mounted, swivelling helm seats, LED navigation lights and a 100-litre underfloor fuel tank.

With the above standard kit (but no hull paint), combined with an ultra-smooth Yamaha 70hp four-stroke motor and Dunbier single-axle braked trailer, Brisbane’s Northside marine has the 1650 Fisher package priced from $37,829. This represents great value as it is not much more than you would pay for a regular pressed alloy runabout or cuddy cabin.

We were disappointed that the optional 66-litre live-bait tank was not included in the standard inventory – as provision for it is already included in the standard boat. Indeed, when we first looked into the cockpit we assumed that there was a live well under the rear cutting board – but in standard form there is just the cutting board with battery locker underneath.

Nevertheless, you do get a fair amount of gear and equipment in what is intended as a basic model boat – from which you can add options to suit your preferred fishing and boating application.

The test boat package had a number of options which lifted the drive-away price to $44,662. They included the excellent T-bar rear boarding ladder, the So-Pac hatch which enclosed the battery locker, helm seat upholstery, Lowrance Elite 5 DSI GPS/fish finder, paint and graphics package, bimini top, sand anchor kit, and safety gear for five people in partially smooth waters.

The major cost addition to the standard boat is the paint and graphics pack – which adds $3,774 to the basic boat.

There are a number of additional options available that were not fitted to the test rig. They included hydraulic steering, front and side clears, cabin cushions, deluxe seating, an anchor winch, various rod racks and rocket launchers, saltwater deck wash, and more. Check the Stabicraft website for the full options list.

INTERIOR LAYOUT
- Efficient cockpit layout with high freeboard and clever seating
The first thing to notice after stepping onboard the Stabicraft 1650 Fisher is the very high cockpit freeboard. With an average of around 725mm from the floor to the gunwale, the 1650 Fisher is much deeper in the cockpit than most other boats in this size range.

Some may find the freeboard too high, with the argument that the extra height may make it harder to wield short butt, short-stroker style fishing rods from the cockpit sides. Even so, we believe the high sides are an advantage as it makes you feel safe and secure – and this is very important in a craft of just 5.0m in length.

The cockpit itself is spacious enough for two or three anglers. It has an overall length of 2.4m by 1.54m wide and with 1.7m of space behind the helm seats.

Other key features include the clever flip-up alloy seats situated in the transom corners (cushions optional), full-length side storage pockets, and the big cutting board work station in the centre of the transom.

As noted earlier, this rear station houses the battery in a locker underneath and can be rigged with the optional live-bait tank overhead.

Drink and rod holders are spaced evenly around the rear cockpit, while an auto bilge pump is located in a sump-like well under the transom.

Stern cleats are positioned externally on the sides of the coamings to keep the coaming tops clear – though frankly we believe they are just as likely to snag a fishing line in their current position.

Moving forward, you can see the 1650 Fisher is graced with swivelling poly-plastic seats mounted on pedestals. The seats look pretty basic, but both slide fore and aft, and they are perfectly positioned for the skipper and forward passenger.

The cabin is wide open to the cockpit with a half bulkhead to starboard and a low footrest/structural bulkhead running across the floor to keep the cabin area dry.

The cabin is effectively a storage area with a flat, checker-plate floor measuring roughly 1.17m long by 1.23m wide. You can add seat squabs to the sides or chuck in an optional cushion for the floor – but we suspect most buyers will leave it for storage.

On the subject of storage, there is a wide and very useful shelf on the port side of the cabin which extends back out past the co-pilot seat. A half length version is opposite.

Accessing the foredeck is not an easy job in the 1650 Fisher as you need to open the centre windscreen pane and climb up and over the bow – or tread carefully around the side decks. Mind you, the anchor well, bow roller and cleat set-up has been configured so you can leave the anchor in the bow roller and lower it whilst standing at the windscreen.

The inclusion of the walk-through dash and windscreen has limited the amount of space for fitting electronics – but there is room for the essentials. A radio or two will fit over on the port side, while engine gauges and a GPS/fish-finder can be flushed fitted into the fascia.

Actually, there is space enough for a mid sized GPS chart plotter and a separate fish-finder – or one large GPS/fish-finder combination unit.

ON THE WATER
- Big performance from a little boat
We have tested a number of the latest-generation, Arrow pontoon equipped Stabicraft during the past few months and all have been impressive at sea. The 1650 Fisher is no exception – and in fact has become a firm favourite.

The 1650 Fisher is a fantastic little boat; it handles, rides and performs beautifully, much better than you would expect from a 5.0m alloy boat.

The Fisher is a breeze to handle in just about any sea condition and the high cabin structure, deep-bodied cockpit and great stability make you feel safe even when the going gets rough.

It is not bullet-proof of course as it is still a small boat with small boat limitations, but we would happily fish this rig a dozen miles offshore.

With regard to power, the Yamaha 70hp four-stroke on the test boat was wonderfully smooth, efficient and capable, but we would probably opt for a slightly bigger engine as we could achieve a top speed of 31 knots.

To be fair, we felt that the test motor was a little under-propped (it revved to 6400rpm) so you would probably gain a knot or three with a slightly bigger pitch propeller. That said, if you regularly fish with three adults, and/or lots of gear and equipment then a bit more power in reserve would be useful. Something in the order of an 80 or 90hp outboard would be ideal – and the boat could handle the extra weight of the larger motor with ease.

VERDICT
- A pocket-sized sport fisher with big aspirations
With its stubby, nuggety appearance, the Stabicraft 1650 Fisher is not the prettiest 5.0m boat on the market, but it is one of the safest, most seaworthy and most versatile.

The 1650 Fisher is an excellent all-rounder, capable of fishing bays and harbours, lakes and rivers, coastal and offshore waters. It’s a boat with a lot of character and plenty to offer boat buyers and fishermen.

LIKES
>> Great handling
>> Sturdy construction
>> Excellent stability
>> Deep cockpit
>> Flip-up quarter seats
>> Level Flotation standard

NOT SO MUCH
>> Live-bait tank not standard
>> Difficult to access foredeck
>> Limited dash space

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.8/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.6/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.8/5.0
On the water Performance: 4.7/5.0
Value for money: 4.6/5.0
X-factor: 4.7/5.0

PERFORMANCE
4.0kts (7km/h) @ 1500rpm
5.1kts (9km/h) @ 2000rpm
6.0kts (11km/h) @ 2500rpm
9.2kts (17km/h) @ 3000rpm
14.1kts (26km/h) @ 3500rpm
16.9kts (31km/h) @ 4000rpm
20.2kts (37km/h) @ 4500rpm
22.4kts (41km/h) @ 5000rpm
25.3kts (47km/h) @ 5500rpm
28.2kts (52km/h) @ 6000rpm
30.7kts (57km/h) @ 6400rpm (WOT)

Specifications:
Price: $44,662 including 70hp Yamaha four-stroke outboard (20” longshaft), Dunbier single axle braked trailer, bimini, Lowrance Elite 5 DSI GPS/Fish Finder, XR style hull paint package with graphics and pin-stripe, helm seat upholstery, rear boarding ladder, So-Pac storage hatch in transom, sand anchor kit, partially smooth waters safety gear pack (five persons) and boat and trailer registrations.

Priced from: $37,829 with 70hp Yamaha four-stroke and Dunbier single axle braked trailer, boat and trailer registrations.
Length: 5.0m
Maximum beam: 2.15m
Internal beam: 1.65m
Dry hull weight: Approx. 460kg
Towing weight: Approx. 1,100kg
Deadrise: 17.5 degrees
Bottom alloy: 4mm
Side Tube alloy: 3mm
Length on trailer: Approx 6.2m
Height on trailer: Approx 2.15m
Maximum power: 100hp
Engine as tested: Yamaha 70hp four-stroke
Fuel: 100 litres
Maximum Persons: Five

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