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David Lockwood24 Apr 2008
REVIEW

Sunrunner 3100 Sport Fisher

Australian boatbuilder Sunrunner Cruisers has taken the fish-and-family concept to a new level with the 3100 Sport Fisher, writes David Lockwood

Fish and fun under the sun

You may well wonder what Australian boatbuilders do best? Build Aussie boats, of course. Take the Sunrunner 3100 Sport Fisher, the nautical equivalent of a ripper backyard, designed for outdoor fun and entertaining the crew. Barbie? Check. A seat in the sun or shade? Check. And while you might struggle to play cricket in its sizeable cockpit, the boat has been conceived for the next best thing - what else - fishing.

You don't have to be a shrink to understand the lateral thinking behind this crowd-pleasing cruiser. A typical day aboard might go something like this: throw in the bait, ammo and ice, head offshore, across the bay or upriver to fish with your mates or the small fry, pick up the rest of the family with the provisions from a wharf at midday, head off to a calm anchorage, do lunch, swim and sleep, even overnight, if so inclined.

Cleverly or, perhaps, obviously, Sunrunner caters for the Aussie way of boating. But despite its model designation, this isn't so much a Sport Fisher as a sportsfisher. Rather than being a hardcore fishing boat that you might take to a tournament, it's a cruiser with sporty performance aboard which you can fish at leisure and have fun. And just maybe land something for the frying pan. So very Australian.

SUNRISES ON SUNRUNNER
While the sun has set on a number of Australian boating businesses during what are tough times, especially with the Aussie dollar hitting US 95¢, Sunrunner has managed to keep its head above water. The boat driven here was a stock model from its Sydney retail outlet at Pittwater. Selling direct has been a good move for a number of local boatbuilders.

Boat syndication and bona-fide boatshare businesses have also underpinned Sunrunner's success, with some eight boats in fleets including Leisure Boating Club and Pacific Boating on Sydney Harbour and Pittwater alone.

While Sunrunner's shaft-driven sportscruisers are favoured for their low maintenance with these operators, the 3100 Sport Fisher with sterndrive has been well received by the public for its layout. I'm told; the fish-and-family concept will now be introduced to the company's 28, 33 and 37-footers.

All told, the Queensland boatbuilder trots out 100 to 150 boats annually in the highly competitive sportscruiser market. Sunrunner now has a new factory at Yatala with the capacity to increase production almost twofold. The company has exported boats to NZ and China, and doubtless hopes to build on this.

But it's the local market that is Sunrunner's biggest believer and, considering the Aussie flavour of the 3100 Sport Fisher, it's bound to continue that way. Like all good local boats, the engineering is time proven, with simple systems that are designed to keep on keeping on, and GRP hull construction that meets demanding European, American and local standards. The boat comes with a five-year structural warranty.

A push-button hydraulic lift raises the cockpit floor to reveal terrific access around the upgraded but lonely looking 350hp Volvo Penta D6 engine (now putting out 370hp) on the demonstrator. The forward fuel tank is stainless steel, with an easily accessed fuel filter, there was a small 60lt holding tank nearby, hot-water service, and labelled seacocks.

I notice the boat's batteries are mounted off the engineroom floor, there is a good amount of sound insulation, and room leftover to store an outboard and deflated ducky when you're not towing or carrying it on the transom. With Shorepower, battery charger and an inverter as standard, you can run the boat's microwave oven, its 240V/heat exhanger hot-water service, as well as a few AC outlets for, say, recharging your phone while swinging on the anchor.

AUSSIE BACKYARD

To this end - or that of the fish - the cockpit has an aft fishing station comprising two fishwells, one plumbed as a livebait tank, plus a central cutting board for filleting the catch. The board was a simple polypropylene or plastic number, but I reckon there's a better way of doing things...

From the same people that make stainless steel barbies you can buy interchangeable cutting boards with rodholders. This way you could put the barbie on the transom when fishing in calm water, say a river or flat bay, and stand on the swim platform before the cutting board and the rodholders.

The beauty about this is that the rodholders would let you fish four outfits with their baits cast in different directions. As it was, the boat had just two rodholders and, due to a long stainless steel rail tracing the cockpit that continued to the swim ladder, there wasn't provision to fit more rodholders. But it's an easy fix and serious anglers will doubtless delete the rear rail.

There were two small hatches in the cockpit sides, but no customary side storage pockets. One hatch contained the battery-management panel, the other was for stowing just small items. Given the huge engineroom, there's probably scope at factory level to fit an underfloor storage compartment with overboard drain.

With lift-out cockpit carpet you can up the lux factor of what earlier in the day, might have been the bloke's fishing boat. There's also scope to add a fold-down rear lounge or deck chairs to boost the seating. The cockpit had just an aft-facing rear lounge for two.

I would also add a Euro-style awning that extends from the hardtop to the transom and ties off mounted poles plonked in the aft rodholders. Ah, shade and seating. Let the lunch begin...

The boat comes with a built-in moulded amenities centre with a sink and big icebox behind the fixed helm bucket seat, up a step on the bridgedeck. Opposite is a curved lounge for two. The overhead hardtop has clears for all-weather protection, but its underside was just flowcoated, plus it wobbled on its stainless steel posts. I also noticed water dripping down from a seat to the aft cabin window, potentially running inside in a downpour.

But full marks to Sunrunner for making access to the bow nice and easy. The boat had moulded cockpit steps, wide walkaround sidedecks and a windlass was provided, along with 60m of chain, which lets you anchor in 20m of water using the basic three-to-one ratio of rode. Thus, if deep-water anchoring for snapper is your thing, you will need to get a tub of rope, a separate anchor and one of those anchor-retrieval buoys. But that's no big deal.

WEEKENDER AWAY
I was pleasantly surprised below decks. The cabin of the 3100 Sport Fisher blends comforts with practicality, with plenty of family factor and room to sleep four. Again, the finish is surprising, with easy-clean moulded head and head liners, latte-coloured vinyl upholstery, clip-in carpet, opening ports for ventilation, a mirror, trick lighting and good fitment of most things.

The bow with surround seating can take four and the dinette converts to a second double berth. The permanent transverse double bed is back aft or in the midships cabin. In between is a head to starboard with 180cm of headroom, electric loo, water gauge, opening hatch, and handheld hot/cold shower. Not sure where the gauge for the holding tank is, though.

The galley to port in the main saloon had a sink with hot/cold water, single-burner 240V or alcohol stove, small microwave, a decent amount of solid Corian benchtop space and storage. The JVC sound system plays both above and below decks, while the 12/240V fridge is under the companionway steps. A real weekender for sure.

THE PRICE OF FISH
What the 3100 lacked in hardcore fishing features - it's more of a recreational fishing boat - it more than made up for with excellent performance. This was due in part to the upgraded single Volvo Penta 350hp D6 electronic diesel engine with Aquamatic sterndrive and Duoprop instead of the base twin 4.3lt petrol MerCruiser inboards with Alpha I legs.

With the upgraded diesel donk and options such as bowthruster, Navman GPS plotter and depthsounder, the boat costs $289,000 compared with the base model for $209,000. But, really, petrol inboards aren't the best thing if you intend to do sea miles and, when you learn that the demo boat cruises at 27kts for 40lt/h, you will be swayed.

Another thing appealed to this writer. While the Australian-made Sunrunners appear little changed in more than five years - the 3400 won the Australian Marine Industry's Federation Boat of the Year in 2002 - the finish is still first class. And this, despite the fact that so many boats have been pulled out of the moulds. Thumbs up to the employees.

I couldn't help but notice the hull and deck on the 3100 Sport Fisher were nice and fair, the upholstery was a cut above, and during our water tests, I heard very few rattles, bumps or thumps. This bodes well for a boat, according to its designation anyway, that may head offshore, across a big bay or out around the heads for half its life.

In fact, you can actually drive the 3100 Sport Fisher harder than some made-for-fishing-only boats. The helm seat is low, without a flip-up bolster, but you get good views and the soft ride will help with your comfort. The 350hp Volvo Penta D6 and 3100 hull are just an excellent match.

Behind the wraparound windscreen, I found a timber sports wheel and mock-walnut dash with Volvo Penta engine gauges, fuel gauge, bowthruster control, windlass button, Navman Trackfish 6507 GPS and sounder, and VHF radio. There was a pair of those trick retractable QL trim tabs and, get this, an EVC auto-trim system. How does it work? Brilliantly...

I decided for auto-trim and found the single sterndrive leg started out at -5 or full in-trim until about 2500rpm when it was on zero. In other words, it gives you the best possible holeshot and acceleration before raising the sterndrive leg for the most drag-free ride, and most efficient cruise and top-end speed.

The boat was eager, as revealed by level plane of 10kts at 1900rpm. Low cruise was clocked at 16kts (still on -5 leg trim) at 2250rpm, but then the leg automatically trimmed out to zero trim at 2500rpm for a low-speed cruise of 19.5kts. The sweet spot was 2750rpm and 24kts, with fast cruise of 26.9kts at 3000rpm (for 40lt/h says Sunrunner), and a top speed of 33.7kts at 3500rpm.

Ironically, a lot of hardcore fishing boats don't do what they are supposed to, that is, manoeuvre in reverse as well as they go forward. But the 3100 Sport Fisher with Duoprop races either way with great conviction. So the bones are here to make a serious offshore fisher, even though that's not this rig's charter.

The way I see it, Sunrunner's 3100 Sport Fisher is a sports utility vessel or SUV. Sure, you can add more gear and fine tune the fishing features, but as tested it should please recreational fishers and their families. Now who would have thought that was possible? Good onya Sunrunner.

HIGHS

  • Australian made for the Australian way of life
  • Sunrunner has stood the test of time in a highly competitive market
  • Time-proven boats popular with boatshare operators
  • Excellent finish and fitout
  • Good attention to detail from the fair mouldings to the upholstery
  • Great standard inclusions
  • Big cockpit and cabin with plenty of room to move
  • Volvo Penta 350hp D6 diesel engine upgrade gave great performance in forward and reverse
  • Volvo Penta's auto-trim system really works

LOWS


  • Lack of cockpit, sidepocket and underfloor storage
  • Side rails prevent you from mounting rodholders in gunwales
  • Flowcoated underside of hardtop is a bit naff
  • Hardtop moved on its supports, one of which needed a new rivet to stay in place
  • Additional cockpit seating options would be good, as would an extended awning and maybe even camper covers
  • Expensive though it is, the time is right for a Sunrunner styling update




































































SUNRUNNER 3100 SPORT FISHER
 
HOW MUCH?
Price as tested: $289,000 w/ Volvo Penta D6 engine, and options
Options fitted: Engine upgrade, bowthruster, Navman electronics package, safety gear, and regos
Priced from: $209,000 w/twin MerCruiser 4.3lt petrol inboard engines
 
GENERAL
Material: GRP hull
Type: Moderate-vee monohull
Length overall: 9.63m
Beam: 3.00m
Draft: Approx 1.05m
Deadrise: 18º
Weight: Approx 3900kg dry w/standard motor
 
CAPACITIES
Berths: 4
Fuel: 400lt
Water: 200lt
Holding tank: 60lt
 
ENGINE
Make/model: Single Volvo Penta D6 diesel engine
Type: Six-cylinder electronic diesel engine with common rail fuel injection
Rated HP: 350 at 3500rpm
Displacement: 5.5lt
Weight: 770kg
Gearbox (Make/ratio): Aquamatic sterndrive; 1.63:1
Props: Duoprop
 
SUPPLIED BY:
Sunrunner Cruisers,
Suite 3B,
1714 Pittwater Road,
Bayview, NSW, 2104
Phone: (02) 9979 9399; 1300 Boating
Web: www.sunrunnercruisers.com

 


 


 

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Written byDavid Lockwood
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