Stabicraft 2600 Supercab

Clever design, an emphasis on safety, and an innovative interior layout are stand-out features of the Stabicraft 2600 Supercab. This enclosed cabin hard-top cruiser also has the handling and performance you would expect from a craft of this size and calibre, along with plenty of features and equipment for offshore fishing – including a 420-litre fuel tank, 2.8m long cockpit and huge live-bait and kill tanks.

A maxi-sized trailerboat if ever there was one.

It is not a pretty boat by any measure, but it has a commanding presence, a purposeful look about it that you have to admire. This is one serious fishing machine.

The 2600 Supercab is the second-biggest model in the standard Stabicraft boat range. These superbly built Kiwi boats are hugely popular across the Tasman and have a strong following here in Australia.

Stabicraft boats have always been renowned for their offshore boating prowess, their build quality, safety and seaworthiness.

They have not been known for their good looks, though the latest boats are much easier on the eye. The new 'Arrow' pontoons (first introduced on the 1850 Supercab) are slimmer, less bulky, provide more interior space -- and perform better on the water than the older-style hulls.

The trailer supplied is a deluxe Dunbier tandem-axle aluminium model with a full break-away electric hydraulic braking set-up -- as required on trailerboats with a gross trailer mass exceeding 2000kg.

The 2600 Supercab is bristling with standard features and inclusions. Among them is a massive, 425-litre underfloor kill tank with twin gas opening struts and waste-pump, full length cockpit side pockets, elevated rear battery shelf with overhead bait station and live-bait tank, six rod holders, hard-top rocket launcher, flip-up transom corner seats, positive buoyancy flotation tubes, driver’s side windscreen wiper, Stressfree anchor winch, bilge pump, glass front windscreen with sliding side windows, cabin berth cushions, cabin lining and more.

With this standard boat package you can be on the water in this mega-fishing machine for $147,988. This price includes the big Yamaha 250hp four-stroke, Dunbier trailer, boat and trailer registrations and open-water safety gear for six adults.

Options for the big Stabicraft abound. The test rig was equipped with a high-end electronics package comprising a Uniden VHF radio, Raymarine auto-pilot, Lowrance HDS-12 touch screen GPS/fish finder, and Fusion stereo system.

Other options included the rear bi-fold glass doors to enclose and lock the saloon area, V-berth infill cushions, saloon tackle storage box, Lenco trim tabs, boarding ladder, port-side windscreen wiper, LED cabin and cockpit lighting, saloon and cockpit floor tube-style matting, and a wash-down pump kit.

The package price lifts significantly to $176,156 with all of the above gear added - though most of the increase is in the electronics pack which could be trimmed down a bit.

For example, there is close to $10k in just the Raymarine auto-pilot and the Lowrance HDS--12 Fish Finder/GPS.

One option family boaters will want to consider is the toilet package -- which includes an electric toilet, holding tank, dash infill and privacy curtain.

First up we should note that there is no bulkhead between the forward cabin and the saloon area -- which is a bit unusual in a boat of this size. That said, we kind of like the layout as it makes the whole area seem bigger, more spacious. Like an open-plan living and dining area in a house, the interior of the Stabicraft is light and open with good ventilation and move-about space.

This open-plan design might not work so well if you need the optional toilet package (even with the privacy curtain) but it is otherwise quite practical.

The forward or lower cabin area is big too. There’s 1.36m of headroom from the sole to the ceiling and 940mm over the berths. Berth length is 1.9m with a maximum individual berth width of 610mm. Insert the two optional infill cushions and you have one mammoth-sized double berth.

The berths were covered in hard wearing vinyl, but we were disappointed to see the timber backing was not sealed -- which may leave the undersides of the berth cushions subject to mould growth.

An attractive grey carpet lined the cabin ceiling and surrounds, including the array of useful side storage pockets.

There is access to the included Stressfree brand anchor winch in the cabin forepeak, along with three handy-sized storage lockers under the berth cushions, and a large underfloor locker between the berths.

The wiring behind the steering column is readily accessible but covered and protected with a removable alloy plate/panel.

The helm and dash layout is simple but effective. There is provision for the big flush-fitted Lowrance HDS-12 fish finder/GPS in the front fascia, while a second level above can cater for smaller instruments and electronics.

Radios, lighting and speakers are built into a panel under the hard-top, which is neatly carpet-lined.

The helm position in the Stabicraft is excellent, and the bolster-style pedestal helm chairs are among the best we have come across. They are sturdy in design, and they swivel and slide fore and aft using a clever latch mechanism that takes a few moments to figure out -- but is appreciated once mastered.

Other helm/saloon features include footrests for skipper and companion, non-slip tube-matt floor covering, and the large (optional) tackle storage box on the port side which contains two Nally style open storage trays. It is topped with a vinyl cushion so it can double as a seat.

The action centre in any offshore fishing rig is the rear cockpit and the Stabicraft has a beauty -- big, wide, flat and uncluttered. From the cabin/saloon bulkhead and bi-fold entry doorway the cockpit is 2.8m long back to the transom and 2.03m wide between the pontoon tubes.

As with most Stabicraft and other pontoon boats, the cockpit would be improved with the fitting of padded bolsters along the inner cockpit sides at coaming level -- but it isn’t a major issue. You can stand and lean against the side and rear coamings quite comfortably. There are no toe or foot-holds due to the pontoons, but it still feels quiet secure.

Full-length side storage pockets flank the cockpit and the huge, 425-litre underfloor kill tank is big enough for just about any legal size fish or quantity of catch.

The centre transom bait station is a ripper too. A massive live bait/fish well is situated above an elevated battery/oil tank locker. Across the top of the bait station is a bait-board and built-in drink and rod holders.

Further aft the big 250hp Yamaha is mounted on Stabicraft’s latest 'Game Chaser' transom which is buoyant enough to carry a pair of big four-stroke outboards, and angled so you can back-down on a run-away game fish without flooding the cockpit.

Disappointingly, the cockpit is not self-draining, but there is a water catchment area under the bait station, complete with bilge pump.

Completing the rear cockpit layout are two excellent flip-up quarter seats, six rod holders, hefty stern bollards (which are not recessed so may snag a fishing line), and a starboard (optional) boarding ladder.

The test rig came with a single, 250hp Yamaha four-stroke with the aforementioned 30” drive leg. In calm conditions with two adults on board (and not a lot of gear) we recorded a top speed of 33knots which is not lighting fast, but quick enough for most applications.

Consider more power if you want to load up the boat with gear, tackle and crew – keeping in mind that the big Stabicraft is rated to carry nine adults onboard.

Underway, the Stabicraft feels strong and very solid with none of the rattles, thumps and squeaks we encounter regularly with big alloy boats.

It was also stable at rest and underway, although we would recommend purchasing the optional Lenco trim tabs to help correct 'wind list' when running three-quarter upwind or beam to the sea.

The 2600 Supercab is a big, sturdy cruiser, instilling a feeling of safety and security in the skipper and crew and inspiring confidence in the boat’s ability to handle some pretty rough seas. This feel-good, go-anywhere factor is reinforced by the enclosed, weather-proof cabin and helm which allows you to stay dry and warm in inclement weather.

The interior layout is innovative, the ride and handling commensurate with a craft of this size and calibre, and it is superbly appointed for long-range fishing with features such as the 420-litre fuel tank, near 3.0m long cockpit and huge live-bait and kill tanks.

Priced from: $147,988 with 250hp Yamaha four-stroke and Dunbier tandem axle braked trailer, boat and trailer registrations.
Length: 7.92m
Maximum beam: 2.49m
Internal beam: 2.04m
Dry hull weight: Approx. 1825kg
Towing weight: Approx. 2925kg
Deadrise: 21.8 degrees
Bottom alloy: 6mm
Side Tube alloy: 4mm
Length on trailer: Approx 9.5m
Height on trailer: Approx 3.15m
Maximum power: 300hp
Engine as tested: Yamaha 250hp four-stroke
Fuel: 420 litres
Maximum Persons: Nine