Stabicraft 1850 Frontier

The only problem has been that pontoon-style craft have traditionally been less than attractive – and this has put off some potential buyers.

To address the aesthetics issue, Stabicraft has been steadily re-shaping the pontoons over the years and the latest hull shape is softer and far more stream-lined. The hull bottoms remain largely unchanged, but the latest Stabicraft have the re-designed “Arrow” pontoons which have a narrower profile, and less pronounced shoulders. The pontoons look better and work just as well as the rounded, old-style pontoons with regard to safety and seaworthiness.

Among the latest Stabicraft to feature the Arrow pontoons is the 1850 series -- available as a Supercab cuddy cabin, Fisher runabout and a centre console called the Frontier.

The 1850 series boats also have Stabicraft’s new Game Fisher transom instead of the previous half-pod design. The hull bottom sheets now extend all the way aft to provide more stern lift, make it easier to back-down on a fish, and to provide greater support for weighty outboard engines.

For deck space and sheer fishability, the pick of the new 1850 models would have to be the Frontier Centre Console. We tested this tough, no-frills fishing boat on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay recently and it handled the choppy conditions admirably.

The standard boat also has a range of fishing features and accessories -- such as the mid-transom bait station which incorporates a 66-litre live-bait tank with cutting board lid and two rod holders. Beneath it is a battery compartment and the whole lot is suspended up above the floor, giving you plenty of foot-room underneath.

Other standard features include coaming rod holders, drink  holders and cleats, under-floor bilge pump, tread-plate alloy floor, and the cleverly designed flip-up transom corner seats.

Options fitted to the test boat included paint to the topsides, rear boarding ladder, So-Pac hatch for the battery compartment, console front seat and cushion, safety gear, anchor kit, Lowrance VHF radio and Elite-7 HDI fish fisher/GPS.

The options lift the price of the Frontier up to $48,903 -- but it is worth keeping in mind that $2000 of this is in the Lowrance electronics alone.

The second thing to notice is the massive width of the side coamings. They are much broader than in previous Stabicraft in this size range. The coamings or gunwales are comfortable to perch on when fishing and the boat is more than stable enough to cope with a couple of people sitting over on one side.

The extra wide coamings also allow for equally broad side storage pockets. The 1850 has four of them, two open pockets or lockers in the stern and two in the bow. They effectively run the full length of the boat.

There is additional storage under the helm console and underneath the optional seat ahead of the console.

At the helm an Icey-Tec cooler combines as the helm seat, and an ice box, but can also be used for general storage.

The battery on the 1850 is stowed in a locker under the centre transom live-bait tank. The locker is quite spacious and can be used as extra storage space.

To either side of the centre bait station are flip-up aluminium seats. When folded up, the seats retract fully into the transom wall, clear of the cockpit which allows you to fish right into the transom corners. The seats fold down just as easily, and the port side seat doubles as a step to reach the rear boarding platform and optional boarding ladder.

The Frontier does not have a self-draining cockpit, but there is bilge pump fitted to expel any water that comes aboard.

In the last Stabicraft I tested, I noted that it was not comfortable to stand up against the internal sides of the boat because the hull pontoons intruded into your foot space. That is not the case with the Frontier because the coamings are much wider and higher so you feel much more secure standing up against them. You can further improve the feel and comfort of fishing up against the sides by fitting the optional padded coaming bolsters.

The helm console is situated just aft of amidships leaving plenty of deck fishing space forward. The console is moderate in size, simple in design but can cater for all the electronics and engine gauges you might need.

The test boat was equipped with a Lowrance Elite-7 fish finder/GPS and Lowrance VHF radio fitted flush into the fascia, beneath the row of Yamaha engine gauges.

The steering wheel and throttle were well placed for the skipper and the overhead rail is a useful hand-hold. The acrylic windscreen provides some weather protection, but you will still cop a bit of spray in rough weather.

The ultra-wide side coamings encircle the interior of the Frontier. They are just as broad up in the bow area as down in the transom corner. Two storage lockers are built into the top of these coamings right forward, alongside the open anchor well which is separated from the forward cockpit by an alloy seat thwart. The latter is structural feature, but works well as an extra seat.

I was initially surprised that Stabicraft had not filled in, or covered the anchor well locker to create a small casting deck, but have since discovered you can order the boat with a larger, extended casting deck, along with a mounting plate for an electric trolling motor.

The anchor well will cater for a standard anchor and rode, but it needs to be carpeted as the anchor will clatter about against the bare alloy. Most boaters will overcome this issue by keeping the anchor mounted semi-permanently in the bow roller.

The throttle on the test rig was a bit touchy, but once mastered the boat was easy and comfortable to drive -- although I would have preferred hydraulic steering to the non-feedback mechanical steering fitted. I would shell out the extra money for hydraulic steering as it makes a long sea journey that much easier.

The Yamaha 115hp four-stroke was well propped, punching the test rig onto the plane very quickly and accelerating the boat to a top speed of 35 knots.

Conditions for our test were good for a boat test but not for fishing. An ebb tide against a stiff incoming breeze at our entrance to Brisbane’s Moreton Bay made things a little rough. Metre-high waves were the order of the day and the Stabicraft handled the conditions very well. The ride was as soft as you could hope for in the conditions and the boat was stable and manoeuvrable.

With two of us standing behind the helm, and no weight at all up forward (the anchor was in the safety gear pack in the stern) the test rig felt a little flighty coming off the tops of the waves, but it was manageable enough and would not be an issue in normal sea conditions.

After punching into the sea for several minutes we turned about and ran across, and then before the sea to confirm the seaworthiness of the hull in the mixed up conditions. The hull threw a bit of spray about when we changed direction, but the boat was stable and surefooted.

In a following sea, the hull tracked straight and refused to broach, despite my best efforts. Considering the rough conditions it was an impressive performance.

The Frontier does not have a lot of weather protection, but for sheer fishability it is a stand-out performer. It also scores highly with regard to safety (thanks to the positive buoyancy created by the pontoon tubes) build quality, handling, and performance.

Priced from: $45,824 with 115hp Yamaha four-stroke and Dunbier single axle braked trailer
Length: 5.6m
Maximum beam: 2.4m
Internal beam: 1.65m
Hull weight: Approx. 550kg
Towing weight: Approx. 1,200kg
Deadrise: 17.5 degrees
Bottom alloy: 4mm
Side Tube alloy: 3mm
Maximum power: 115hp
Engine as tested: Yamaha 115hp four-stroke
Fuel: 120 litres
Maximum Persons: Six