Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB 2023 Review

You don’t need a large motor yacht to have a great weekend out on the water. The growing number of trailerable cruisers on the market is catering to a growing group of owners who want something that will stretch a holiday from a weekend to a week with little to no compromise.

A brand that has catered to this market is Stejcraft with its Islander/Monaco family of fibreglass boats.

Features such as longer bunks, a lockable cabin door, comfortable seating and smart storage make this cruiser range stand out from the crowd.

The cruiser range starts with the 580 Islander and steps up to the Monaco 610. At the top of the range is the Stejcraft Monaco 640, a 6.5-metre boat featuring a larger cabin and a smaller cockpit, and the subject of our test.

It’s a boat designed primarily for family boating, socialising, tow sports and cruising, but underneath, it is still more than entirely capable of heading offshore for a day of fishing.

Our test boat, though, is set up for surfing, including the remote control for the anchor winch.

Stejcraft dealers such as Aussie Boat Sales can get you on a base Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB priced at $97,000 when fitted with a 150hp Yamaha outboard engine. 

That price is for a base boat and includes a dual-axle Dunbier trailer; a Lowrance HDS7 chartplotter; boat cover; deluxe bucket helm chairs; a pair of lounge seat boxes; transom door; boarding platforms with ladder; chemical toilet; four-speaker Clarion audio system with Bluetooth; cabin ceiling lining; bunk infill cushions; four stainless steel rod holders; seven cupholders; LED lighting, navigation lights; automatic bilge pump; pull-up cleats; boat and trailer registrations; navigation lights; inshore safety gear pack; Mercury smart gauges; and more.

Our test boat adds a bit more gear including a 200hp Mercury Verado outboard engine; swim decks that extend to either side of the outboard engine well; a Lowrance HDS12 chartplotter and fishfinder with transducer; an extended bimini with clears; and paint over the galvanised trailer, lifting the price as tested to around $115,000.

The running surface beneath the Stejcraft Monaco is shared among a number of the brand’s models and adapted for each boat that uses it.

No wood is used to build Stejcraft’s range of boats, and instead, the stringers are formed using a composite material that will never rot. The hull is made with 11 layers of fibreglass from the outer gel coat to the inner sections that provide stiffness, vibration damping, less weight and more strength, while Thermolite is used for the transom.

Underneath, the design features lifting strakes on each side of the keel that help to stiffen the boat laterally and increase the buoyancy and running surface while up on the plane.

Stejcraft is so confident with its build that it offers a five-year warranty on the hull and deck materials. You can also make the boat your own, with a number of customisable options such as the hull colour

The Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB hull features a fine entry with a sharp 27-degree deep-vee deadrise forward for cutting through the water, and a 21-degree deadrise at the transom framed to either side by wide chines that provide lift and cornering grip.

What’s appealing about the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB is that despite its size, a sub-2500kg weight on the trailer means it will still tow behind a trade ute or medium-size SUV even when fully loaded with a weekend’s worth of food, drinks, water and fuel.

Our test boat is striking in its textured grey-on-black livery, one of a large number of factory colour schemes you order for your boat. 

The profile of the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB is distinctive, featuring a bowsprit for the plough anchor, split rails forward with a rubber pad atop the chain locker hatch in the forepeak, a rising cuddy coach house running back to the high-set windscreen, and a Portofino-style transom with integrated swim boards that wrap around the outboard engine pod. Stainless steel cleats that recess to sit flush with the deck add to the clean lines.

The starboard side of the boat features a transom door that swings forward and down to create a step so that you don’t need to step on the seat to board. There’s also a telescopic ladder and a freshwater transom shower.

Step inside the cockpit, and the transom features SOPAC doors with access to the bilge, fuel filter and batteries. Tucked into each corner of our test boat is a lidded storage bin that doubles as a seat. The beauty of this is that you can slide the boxes forward to create more room in the cockpit or remove them altogether – handy for loading stores at home before heading out.

The seat boxes are modular, meaning you can arrange them in a corner for an L-shaped lounge space, use them as dinette seating for the table, face them aft for spectating water sports, or even leave them at home.

Good side pocket storage is provided on either side of the cockpit, as is an integrated step built into the coaming that you can use to step up onto a jetty. Chromed handrails also run down each side of the cockpit.

The port side of the transom features a storage bin that’s handy for stowing fenders and lines.

Adding versatility to the cockpit is a removable table that drops into a mount on the floor, and four recessed rod holders – the only noticeable nod to the idea that fishing is also part of the appeal of being on the water.

Similar to the swim boards, anywhere a foot falls in the cockpit is surfaced in H20 EVA foam made in-house at Stejcraft. All the coamings are also padded, with double diamond-stitch highlights adding a premium touch.

An interesting touch is hidden LED feature lighting throughout the cockpit. At night, it creates a unique atmosphere to suit the mood.

Forward of the dual console is a cuddy cabin accessed via a lockable weather-sealed door made up of a lift-up section above, and a triple fold section below.

It provides good access to the cuddy space.

Forget everything you know about cuddy cabins, though, as this space is surprisingly versatile. For starters, it’s on the same deck level as the rest of the boat, so you’re not stepping up or down to access it.

Headroom is good due to the shape of the cuddy roof above, and the roof is fully lined, falling to deep side pockets to either side.

The vee berth features inserts to make it a single bed, with more than 2.0 metres of length to stretch out on. A recess below one of the benches hides a chemical toilet, ample storage is built in below the berths, and overhead a large tinted hatch with friction hinges opens to let in natural airflow and provide access to the bow – the cuddy extends to the full beam so there’s next to no walkaround access.

The height of the cabin forward of the helm means you need to sit up high on this boat.

That’s made easy by the custom Relaxn captain’s chairs fitted to either side of the split console. The chairs feature comfy cushioning, can rotate and slide forward and aft, and have a lift-up bolster and armrest, meaning you can get comfortable standing or sitting.

The skipper’s starboard seat is mounted on a frame that allows you to slide one of the transom seat boxes beneath it, or slot in an ice box and features a small footrest fitted to the console. To port, the first mate’s chair is mounted on a pedestal box. The chair flips forward to reveal a stainless steel sink with a faucet, while underneath behind a SOPAC door is all the room you need to stash safety gear.

Small-item storage is often overlooked on boats, but not on the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB. High to the side of the helm is a small recess that’s ideal for a smartphone and the remote control for the electric anchor winch, while below are three padded shelves for everything else you need at hand that can fit in a pocket.

Notably, everywhere the eye falls while sitting behind the helm is blacked out so it does not reflect sunlight. 

The binnacle for the analogue engine instruments is on the right-hand side of the dash, covered in a double-stitched soft-touch binnacle. Beside it, our test boat is wearing a 12.0-inch Lowran ce HDS12 chartplotter and fishfinder that almost fills the entire space set aside for it. This part of the dash unscrews so that if you ever update the plotter to a different size, fitting it won’t have you rebuilding the console.

Below it is a GME VHF marine radio.

Electronics such as lights and bilge pumps are controlled via a bank of toggles located below the screen.

The skipper’s link to the engine is via a three-spoke Gussi Italia sports steering wheel, giving a premium lift to the space.

On the first mate’s side of the console, a large glovebox is recessed into the bulkhead. It’s also drained, so it can double as an icebox if needed. An Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze icebox is included as standard. 

Overhead is a large Fluidcore bimini fitted with clears that semi-encloses the helm to offer great weather protection. The bimini extends well aft to also provide shade to the cockpit and can be fitted with board racks for those who want to add tow sports to the agenda.

Each weekend during the boating season, the Gold Coast Broadwater is swamped with recreational boats as people take advantage of the location and the climate. It makes for the perfect test bed for the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB.

You sit tall behind the helm with good forward vision over the sloping nose of the cabin. Roll on the throttle and the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB rises nicely onto the plane at relatively low revs. Once there, there's little difference in fuel use as the speed rises.

The helm is extremely comfortable to sit at, with the shift and throttle controls for the Mercury engine falling easily to hand and aided by comfortable cushioning in between the lever and the wall of the cuddy. The footrest, although a bit small, is at a good height.

The rubber-coated steering wheel also sits at a nice height and adjusts for tilt to make it more comfortable while sitting or standing behind it.

The dynamics of this hull are dialled in from the get-go. Roll on the throttle and pitch the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB into a tight turn and the hull corners like it is on rails, handling more like a performance boat than a cruiser.

The same goes for punching through dirty water, with the deep vee carried forward cutting through wake and chop comfortably at any speed.

At higher revs there is no rattling or creaking from the hull, with the entire boat feeling taut and confident.

Performance

Maximum range on 95% of 200L fuel tank: 186nm@3500rpm

Two up, and with half a tank of fuel on board, the performance from the 200hp Mercury Verado outboard engine was well-matched to the Stejcraft, with a top speed on test of just shy of 40 knots. Fit the 225hp engine and you can potentially lift that to a top speed pushing 50 knots, but who really needs that much speed in a cruiser.

On the plane, the boat is highly responsive to engine trim. As tested, there's no obvious need for trim tabs.

Our best cruising speed was around 25 knots, giving a theoretical run time of around eight hours – more than enough for a full weekend on the water.

As a cruiser, the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB is an excellent platform for getting the family out of the house and onto the water.

It's a boat that really shines in terms of how it performs on the water, meaning it will suit first-time or inexperienced boaters as much as it will buff the ego of seasoned boaters looking for a sports cruiser in a trailerable package.

The upside is that the Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB represents a lot of boat for the money, making it something of a bargain in a world where prices have continued to spiral up.

Specifications
Model: Stejcraft Monaco 640 OB
Length: 6.47m
Beam: 2.45m
Draft: 0.45m (engines up)
Weight: 1050kg (hull only)/1750kg (on trailer, est)
Length/height on trailer: 7.45m (est)/2.6m (est)
Engine: 225hp (max)
Engine as tested: 200hp Mercury Verado
Fuel: 200L
Water: 40L
Passengers: 8

Priced from: $97,000 including dual-axle Dunbier trailer; a Lowrance HDS7 chartplotter; boat cover; deluxe bucket helm chairs; a pair of lounge seat boxes; transom door; boarding platforms with ladder; chemical toilet; four-speaker Clarion audio system with Bluetooth; cabin ceiling lining; bunk infill cushions; four stainless steel rod holders; seven cupholders; LED lighting, navigation lights; automatic bilge pump; pull-up cleats; boat and trailer registrations; navigation lights; inshore safety gear pack; Mercury smart gauges

Price as tested: $115,000 including 200hp Mercury Verado outboard engine; swim decks that extend to either side of the outboard engine well; a Lowrance HDS12 chartplotter and fishfinder with transducer; an extended bimini with clears; and paint over the galvanised trailer

Supplied by: Stejcraft Australia