Stabicraft 2100 Supercab: Quickspin

It’s about now that anglers in the southern half of Australia start sharpening their hooks. The annual tuna run anywhere from Portland to Port Hacking attracts an armada of tricked-up trailerboats with eager anglers hot on the tails of those bluefin and yellowfin.

The Kiwi-built Stabicraft 2100 Supercab is just ideal for this kind of cool climate sport and game fishing. You get a decent cockpit designed for fishing with a spacious cabin for weather protection and high safety levels. This is also a substantial boat in the $100K class to range pretty much as far as you dare.

We ran the 2100 Supercab off Sydney while testing the 2050 Supercab sister ship. At first glance at the ramp, the boats seemed identical. But what a difference that extra 20mm of length and 5mm of beam makes to the 2100.

The 2100 has a much bigger cab for greater protection and even potential sleepovers. Whereas the 2050 Supercab we drove ran a 150hp Honda four-stroke outboard, this 2100 had a Honda 200hp model and 200 litres of fuel underfloor as opposed to the 2050's 150 litre capacity.

These things contribute to creating a substantially bigger boat despite what might seem like small gains on paper. We're told Sydney buyers consider that to be the case and the 2100 Supercab is a better seller in the local offshore market than the 2050.

SLICKER HULL
The hull is the latest Stabicraft iteration with arrow pontoons and a game-chaser transom, but it’s running considerably more vee than the 2050, that is, 20 degrees as opposed to 17.5 degrees.

No longer considered unconventional, the Stabicraft have attracted a mainstream following thanks to their more streamlined looks. The narrower arrow pontoons give the boat a sleeker appearance than the old Stabicraft pontoon craft.

The new-gen hull improves performance, too. The Game Chaser transom certainly drives and steers better in reverse as it pushes water away to the sides of the outboard.

The hull itself is made from 5mm marine-grade aluminium on the running surface with 3mm thick tubes. There’s a surrounding ‘life-ring ‘of independent buoyancy chambers and underfloor watertight chambers. All the welds were very neatly executed, too.

ON THE WATER
Spinning a 17in Solas prop, the 2100 Supercab proved eager and efficient. The boat happily planed at 2550rpm and 15-16 knots, which might come in handy for heavy weather cruising in a blow. Low-speed cruise of 3000-3100rpm returned 21-22 knots. Consumption was just 16.4 litres/hour for a 235nm range from 90 per cent of the fuel supply.

The cruising groove revs of 3500rpm returned a fast 28 knots for a 215nm range, while 4000rpm saw us flying along at 31-32 knots. As the boat was lightly laden with just two adults and no gear, this was its comfortable offshore limit on the test day. Top speed was 46-47 knots.

Down sea at 4000rpm, and across the sea, the 2100 Supercab exhibited a very nice motion. It ran fast and flat, but it would benefit from the addition of that tuna-fishing gear. Having said that, the hull is 30 per cent heavier than the 2050 and it does have a noticeably bigger-boat feel about it.

FISHING FEATURES
The 2100 Supercab is certainly designed to appease hardcore anglers. Key features include a big live-bait tank mid-transom, flip-down quarter seats, full-length sidepockets, underfloor kill tank, and an eight-rod launcher off the hardtop.

Grab rails are abundant, while the cabin is enlarged over the 2050 with possible sleeping room for two adults or at least a pile of gear. Recaro-like helm seats and lots of head and shoulder room add to the driving experience, as do opening side windows and a dash able to accommodate 15in screens.

VERDICT
Yet for all this, the towing weight is around 2000kg. So you get a lot of fishing boat without feeling like you’re hauling a ship. As we drove it, the 2100 Supercab would make an ideal offshore platform for four anglers and a pile of gear.

Our good friend Paul Worsteling from iFISH has been running a 2150 Supercab with a pair of Yamaha 100hp outboards and he’s got nothing but praise for the boats.

The 2100 Supercab with upgraded Honda 200hp and some options was selling for about $115,000 at the time of testing. The boat is priced from about $90,365 with 150hp Honda on trailer with electric brakes, driveaway.

At-a-Glance: Stabicraft 2100 Supercab
Price as tested: $115,000 with 200hp Honda on trailer with electric brakes, driveaway.
Base rig price: From Webbe Marine, Sydney, of $90,365 with a Honda 150hp four-stroke outboard on Dunbier dual-axle trailer
Length Overall: 6.40m
Beam: 2.30m
Dry Hull Weight (Approx): 960kg
Tow Weight (Approx): 2000kg
Deadrise: 20 degrees
Tube Thickness: 3mm
Hull Thickness: 5mm
Adult capacity: 7
Recommended HP: 150hp
Maximum HP: 200hp
Maximum Engine Weight: 327kg
Fuel Tank: 200 litres
Length on Trailer: 7.35m
Height on Trailer (Approx): 2.80m
Boat supplied by: Webbe Marine
17 Yalgar Road, Kirrawee, NSW, 2232
Phone: (02) 9521 7944; Fax: (02) 9542 1287
Web: See www.webbemarine.com.au