Stephens Magic GTO

It's a kinda magic

The New South Wales town of Corowa, on the mighty Murray River, is one of the most idyllic settings in Australia for outdoor activities. When you live on the doorstep of Australia’s mightiest waterway, then it’s a logical choice that most of your activities will revolve around utilising the river. Hence fishing and water skiing are two of the most popular pursuits of people living in the region.

With this in mind, some of Australia’s best ski boat manufacturers have a large presence in the region including Maverick Boats whose Stephens badge has regularly turned heads at the Melbourne Boat Show over recent years. Maverick Boats, based in Corowa, is a family business run by the Walton brothers. They were originally a Stephens’ dealer when Alan Beale was building the brand in the mid-90s. Maverick would take on the hulls at stage two of the build process and fit the hulls out to suit their customers. When the opportunity arose for Maverick to take on Stephens as their own project they took the chance, rejuvenated the moulds and brought most other aspects of the building process in house.

TrailerBoat met with Doug and Chris Walton recently at Lake Mulwala to test a brand new Stephens Magic GTO. As the brothers pulled into the carpark at Mulwala Ski Club, you could see they take a lot of pride in their product. The test boat was immaculately presented and the red and white hull cut a striking figure on the back of the Easy Tow trailer with stainless steel guards and mag wheels.

The Murray delivered its best autumn weather for the test day and the GTO Magic proved a nifty and sleek hull as we flirted with the camera boat. But first to the boat itself.

The helm setup on the test boat was conventional yet effective. All gauges, switches and throttle are within arms reach of the driver’s seat. The standard Mercury gauges complement the 330hp Mercuiser powering the Magic GTO. One of the options available is to upgrade to Mercury’s Smart Craft range of gauges, which if you weren’t buying to budget would be something to consider. To the left side of the sports steering wheel is the switch panel featuring switches for lights, radio and bilge pump. Right of the wheel is the VDO stereo control panel and keyless ignition, which people like myself, who are forever losing keys in the most obvious places, will appreciate. Simply use the keypad to get the motor running and on the day of the test this fired up first time, everytime. Now if I can just remember the code!

There’s also a storage pocket to the right of the driver’s seat, ideal for small personal items, and drink holders for both the driver and the passenger/observers seat. Speaking of the seats, I found the bucket style seats on the GTO to be really comfortable. The seats are free of timber, feature anti-rot cotton, and are covered with 99 per cent UV protected vinyl. Doug informed me he prefers an off-white vinyl as they are much easier to clean. A small but practical detail that highlights the thought that goes into Stephen’s flagship model. I should also mention that the drivers seat is adjustable forward and aft.

The cushion on the observer’s seat, when removed, provides access to bow storage, which on the day housed safety gear, as well as the battery. All storage areas are fully carpeted as is the cockpit. There are full-length sidepockets both port and starboard as well as underdeck storage, so there is no shortage of space for all your ski gear. Aft of the rear lounge, there is also a shallow rope locker that is the perfect place to store tiedowns or even shoes once your session of skiing gets underway. A spun aluminium bollard is also found at the transom.

Unfortunately on the test day we weren’t able to demo the boat from a skiing/boarding perspective, however, the Walton boys had set the boat up as if it we were. It featured a Fluidcore wakeboard high pole, and bimimi and canopy complete with wakeboard racks. The test boat cut a swathe across Lake Mulwala thanks mainly to its v-bottom hull and powerplant.

The GTO is powered by a 330hp Mercruiser, also known as the Black Scorpion. The top of the line Mercury engine proved to be a perfect match for the hull. If you are buying to budget there are other engine options available with the base model coming in at around $38,000. A look at the speedo during the water test saw us hit 38mph at 3500rpm while a comfortable speed of 25mph was recorded at 2500rpm.

There’s a good synergy about the Maverick/Stephens story, the location where the GTO is built and the good old Aussie philosophy of “having a go”. But the Walton boys have done more than have a go. They’ve produced a quality local product at a more than affordable price. If your looking for an Australian built ski boat then you might want to give this badge a second look. Get up to the mighty Murray to experience the river and while you’re there take a Stephens Magic GTO for a test run as well.

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