Top 10 fishing boats of the 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show

The reason behind the lower numbers was a good one; boat sales are booming, and if you can't get enough boats to give to customers there's no way you can have enough boats to fill a stand at Sanctuary Cove.

However, there was much for keen anglers to admire. The trailerable fishing craft that did turn up ranged from side and centre console open boats through to enclosed cabin powered catamarans.

Here is the boatsales.com.au pick of the top 10 fishing trailer boats on display at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.

The stand-out in the Bar Crusher range of boats on the Australian Marine Centre stand was the beautifully outfitted Bar Crusher 615 XSR centre console.

Victorian based Bar Crusher has a large range of distinctively styled plate-alloy boats, most designed for fishing.

The Bar Crusher 615 XSR is a fine example. It has fishing features ranging from an elevated forward casting deck with leaning post and non-slip rubber flooring through to extra-wide side coamings, a deep rear cockpit, bait board, live well, kill tanks, rod locker, trolling motor plate, and more.

The 615 XSR rear centre console is designed for Top End barra fishing, but will be equally at home fishing coastal offshore waters.

The 615's water-ballasted, deep-vee hull provides a soft, comfortable, efficient ride and excellent performance from extra-longshaft outboards in the 135hp to 150hp range.

A full review of the 615BR bow rider version of this boat can be found here.

With most of the gear and accessories displayed, the Bar Crusher 615 XSR is priced from around $75,000 with a Suzuki DF140 outboard engine and dual-axle Easytow trailer.

That's excellent value for a fully kitted fishing rig.

Anyone who spends the weekend fishing, but took one off to visit SCIBS, would have been drawn to the awesome new release from Australia's renowned fibreglass trailer boat maker Haines Signature.

Brisbane-based Haines Signature used Australian Marine Centre's stand to unveil the all-new 640SF, a performance orientated centre console sportfishing boat with loads of open deck space and fishing features.

Equipped with Haines Signature's award-winning variable deadrise, concave hull bottom shape, the new 640SF should be a wonderfully smooth riding boat.

The Haines Signature 640SF is yet to be officially launched to the media (that's coming next week), but from the photos, it is clear the new model is designed as a multipurpose fishing boat suitable for both inshore and offshore fishing.

Inside, the 640SF has an elevated casting deck at the bow with SeaDek rubber flooring and multiple storage compartments, along with a trolling motor mount and sizeable anchor well and bowsprit.

A matching, albeit smaller casting deck is situated aft behind the dual-width centre console and bracket-mounted bench seat.

Pricing for the new Haines Signature 640SF has yet to be disclosed. Check back with us in a week or so for further information and our launch review.

The European-made and styled Jeanneau Merry Fisher Marlin 695 turned heads at Sanctuary Cove for its blend of fishing chops and family function.

The wheelhouse cabin/hardtop configuration is clearly designed for Europe's cooler temperatures, but I believe this layout works equally well Down Under.

The Merry Fisher Marlin 695 (Series 2) was one of several Marlin models displayed by Brisbane dealer Northside Marine.

Similar to its siblings, the 695 has a walkaround hardtop cabin combined with an enclosed helm station and a forward vee-berth cabin with optional head compartment.

Notably, the wheelhouse cabin is offset slightly to port to enlarge the starboard-side walkway trench so the crew can move freely from the bow to the stern.

The modular seating in the spacious aft cockpit can stow away to make space for fishing.

There is ample freeboard aft, along with a starboard-side transom door with twin boarding platforms.

Anglers will appreciate the plumbed live well, subfloor fish box/storage, bait board, raw water washdown and built-in rod holders.

Paired with a Yamaha 150hp four-stroke outboard engine, package pricing for this fine craft starts from around $119,000.

All-new from the Gold Coast's Makocraft is a series of fibreglass boats to complement its popular alloy boat range.

Models launched at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove show included car topper and trailerable 4.0-metre open tiller-steer boats, as well as the new Makocraft 530 X-Offshore.

Fresh out of the factory, the Makocraft 530 X-Offshore is a terrific new centre console model for bay and coastal offshore fishing.

Look for a full review on the 530 X-Offshore in coming weeks, but for now, we can tell you that this all-fibreglass (no wood, no rot) has a very fine, wave-cutting entry shape at the bow, stretching aft to a modest deadrise (for stability) in the 17-19 degree range.

Inside, the 530 X-Offshore has a broad console helm station and dual-width bench seat, along with elevated bow and stern casting platforms.

Wide, flush side decks allow for the installation of multiple rod holders, downrigger brackets, radio antennae and more.

Riding on a Dunbier dual-axle braked trailer and paired with the new-release Tohatsu 115hp four-stroke outboard engine (which we can't wait to test), the Makocraft 530 X-Offshore is priced from $76,000.

Leading powered catamaran maker PowerCat has revamped its fibreglass boat range in recent years.

Following the launch of an all-new 2400 centre console model back in 2019 (see review here), owners Grant and Melissa Oliver set about updating several of their larger models, including the impressive PowerCat 7700 Sports Sedan displayed at the Sanctuary Cove show.

The latest 7700 series trailerable model has a redesigned hardtop and a new deck and interior with an optional side galley.

Other key features of this wonderfully soft-riding catamaran include a double berth cabin with a lockable port side entry door, an enclosed helm station with a one-piece windscreen and opening side windows, a dual-panel dash/fascia for engine instrumentation and electronics, and an uncluttered rear cockpit.

The PowerCat 7700 Sports Sedan exhibited at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show was powered by twin Mercury 150hp four-stroke outboard engines. With a custom Transtyle dual-axle braked trailer, package prices start from $238,000.

The first of our US brands to make our 10 top trailer boats collection is Florida-based Pursuit Boats.

Established in 1977 and now owned by Malibu Boats, Pursuit is a prominent manufacturer of outboard engine-powered fibreglass sports boats.

Locally, Pursuit's boats are distributed by Cobalt Boats Australia. In addition to a broad range of Cobalt sports runabouts and bowriders, the Cobalt Boats display included a single Pursuit fishing model, the Pursuit C238 centre console.

The smallest model in the Pursuit range, the C238 is a smart-looking fishing and family boat with a high-performance deep-vee hull and a centre console helm station complete with a front-access head compartment and overhead hardtop.

The C238 has all the fishing features you'd expect from this kind of boat, including dual helm chairs with removable Yeti cooler, a plumbed live well, multiple rod racks and rod holders, a deep aft cockpit with coaming bolster padding, fresh and raw water deck wash, and more.

Rigged with a Yamaha 250hp four-stroke outboard engine, the Pursuit C238 is priced between $169,000 and $200,000 depending on options and equipment.

A regular exhibitor at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, Sydney's Webbe Marine returned this year with a quartet of Sailfish catamarans.

Each was beautifully presented and wonderfully outfitted for sport and game fishing.

My pick of these drool-worthy craft is the Sailfish S8, a craft that is readily trailerable (due to its 2.5-metre maximum beam), yet large and seaworthy enough to fish wide offshore.

The Sailfish S8 is a properly stunning boat, outfitted with everything you need for hard-core fishing, including hardtop cabin shelter, a massive dash/fascia for installing big-screen multifunction displays, a vast rear cockpit with high freeboard and wide side decks, live well, kill tanks, rocket launcher, bait board, SeaDek flooring, icebox, a slide-out barbecue, and more.

On the water, the Sailfish S8 is renowned for its ride comfort and rock-solid stability. For a big, albeit trailerable catamaran, the S8 is also easily powered, achieving a top speed of more than 40 knots with a pair of 150hp extra-longshaft four-stroke outboard engines.

Seachange Boating, a company associated with the Haines Group, displayed its deluxe model SCBX 16 centre console at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.

These boats are designed and offered in modular form, whereby customers can step into a base, tiller-steer model for very little money. Alternatively, they can step up in increments to the flagship model displayed at the show.

Base models can be optioned with bow and stern thwart seats, casting deck, different seating options, transom steps, flooring kits, trolling motor plates, and more.

The boat show model was rigged with a centre console helm station, but a side console version is also on offer.

The display boat was also fitted with SeaDek foam rubber flooring, the optional super-wide side decks for flush-fitting rod holders, a forward anchor hatch and a massive icebox/helm seat.

For bay and harbour boating and fishing, the Seachange SCBX 16 is a terrific platform. The fibreglass hull is proven to be soft, stable and safe, and the boat will perform nicely with outboard engines in the 40hp to 70hp size range.

The US-based Sea Fox boat range is represented locally by Gold Coast-based JSW Powersports.

Sea Fox specialises in outboard engine-powered fibreglass centre consoles, with models stretching from 5.5 metres through to the latest range-topper, the Sea Fox 368 Commander.

Smaller, yet no less impressive, the Sea Fox 228 Commander pictured here is a fine craft for coastal family boating and fishing.

A full review of the Sea Fox 228 Commander can be found here.

Nicely finished, the Sea Fox 228 Commander has ample seating and storage areas, along with plenty of fishing accessories.

Anglers will appreciate the dual-width centre console with port side offset steering wheel and controls, as well as the alloy-framed overhead bimini, alloy framed helm seat with icebox, the large rear live well with viewing window, rod storage racks, and padded coaming bolsters.

Packaged with a Yamaha 200hp four-stroke outboard engine and a dual-axle alloy trailer, the Sea Fox 228 Commander is priced from $128,000. 

Distributed by Brisbane's Australian Marine Centre, Tidewater fibreglass boats are made in the US in South Carolina.

Established in 2006, Tidewater has a 20-plus model range of fibreglass console open boats. The smallest is the boat pictured here, the Tidewater 180CC Adventure.

The largest Tidewater boat is the 320CC Adventure, an offshore fishing boat to rival models from makers including Boston Whaler, Pursuit, Sea Fox, and Grady-White.

Only select Tidewater models are available locally.

Australian Marine Centre featured two Tidewater boats at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show; the 198CC and the 180CC Adventure. Both are suited to bay and coastal fishing.

The cheaper of the two, priced from $79,000 with a Mercury 115hp four-stroke outboard engine and a trailer, the 180CC is a cool looking boat thanks to its sleek vee hull and raised deck sheer line.

Key features inside include a broad centre console helm station with port side steering wheel and controls, large instrument panel/fascia, front casting deck/lounge with ample storage lockers, and moulded aft transom quarter seats with optional padded cushions.