Trailerboat heaven at Melbourne Boat Show

The Melbourne 2018 International Boat Show has kicked off – and what should be a strongly attended event, didn’t disappoint when boatsales.com.au visited on day one (Thursday).

True to form, Melbourne again showcases Australia’s best trailer boats, gathering together locally built brands rigged by Victorian dealers, as well as a sprinkling of international offerings.

Boat registrations continue to grow and this year’s event will no doubt present both first time buyers and experienced owners, significant choice whether their pursuits fishing, water-sport tow craft or weekend cruisers. And this year’s Melbourne show has no shortage of iconic Aussie “tinnies” as well as other recreational lifestyle watercraft such as pontoon boats, inflatables, kayaks and PWCs.

After a few quiet years, the volume of boats strewn across the vast floor space of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre is up, leaving both buyers and transom kickers with plenty of choice to evaluate and compare what’s available.

There are significant marine and fishing products on offer, as well as powerplants from all the leading brands including Mercury, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, Evinrude and Volvo.

Boat hardware, electronics, trailers, winches, fit-up fabrication specialists; fishing tackle and marine flooring are all presented by well-known industry retailers. Food stalls, kids activities and live demonstration displays which cover cooking, products and fishing tutorials (check the stage times) allow the crowds to take time out. Indeed, the circuit can take a couple of hours to navigate, so the grab the yearbook as you enter and use the exhibitors map to maximise your time.

For more details: www.melbourneinternationalboatshow.com.au

Dan’s list of must-sees

A quick walkthrough with our trailerboat lens prompted a second-look at some notable debuts and displays.

Southern Formula is presenting its new offshore fishing weapons the Formula 24 and 21 which will attract plenty of attention. Nearby the new release Haines Hunter 700R casts an imposing footprint.

Via Streaker Marine, Cruise Craft boldly launched its new centre console F 360 M (6.35M) against the typical warmer climate trend. This is a stylish US-style canyon runner which has been derived from a pedigree of proven hulls already existing at Cruise Craft.

Stablemate brand Streaker, also launched its SR650 HT as a midsize hardtop offering nestled in between the Cruise Craft size ranges. This boat cleverly leverages other internal configurations from Cruise Craft models to provide refined functionality to the working transom and deck area.

Melbourne Marine is showcasing its Northbank range of hardtop offerings, both the 760HT and 650HTs.

Of note, not surprisingly Melbourne’s cooler climate waterways really demand them, is the growth in enclosed hardtop and wheelhouse boats. Other examples of boats affording serious weather protection were provided by Bar Crusher, Stabicraft, Surtees and Extreme. And while you’re at it, check out the Seacruiser 9000 outside the exhibition on the promenade and the Leisure Cats at the Geelong Marine World stand.

Brands presenting full-wheelhouse rigs include Arvor with its impressive 905 Sportfish with 500hp Mercury Verados complete with joystick piloting. This boat signals the European brand’s serious entry into the gamefish arena.

Additionally Beneteaus’ 6-9m Antares and Barracuda ranges are on display at Melbourne. Jeanneau via its Merry Fisher 795 and 895 models come with some notable creature comforts. There is a lot to inspect and compare across all these models.

Australian aluminium brand stalwarts Quintrex, Savage and Stacer are strongly stocked on their respective leading dealer’s pens. There are plenty available at the show representing offshore, bay andestuary fishing capability, with dual-console crossovers and centre consoles decked out with trolling motors, casting decks and clever storage.

Technology wise, Quintrex’s Apex hull and Stacer’s new Revolution range of hulls present new design profiles aimed at enhanced ride characteristics. But they also raise the bar of the aesthetic appeal of the Aussie “tinnie”.

Stabicraft has released a new 1550 side console. We reckon the boat as presented at Melbourne deserves a good look by the bay angler wanting unhindered freedom around the deck with sea going performance.

Wakeboarders and water skiers again are well served by the offerings from Malibu and MasterCraft. Two new Chaparral bow riders are having their Down Under debut at this show also. The 21 H20 Surf produces a surf wave up to a metre high, the maker claims, while the 247 SSX is aimed at premium buyers.

If you want to indulge your kids at the show, Starter Craft has a junior boat on hand for youngsters. It’s aimed at children 4-12 years and topping out at around 8km/h, it’s perfect for the budding boatie youngster.

Bulls Bay (USA) is also present at the show for the first time and its 1700 centre console is available to inspect and is a quality product.

The Robalo R202 and R227 are well set up machines as well. A USA brand with 50-plus years in production, Robalo presents excellent options for fishing-cum-fun boat buyers looking for refinement.

The Parker 690 Day Cruiser presented by MY Marine is a new face at the boat show with a sporty feel but “weekender” comfort appointments.

Victorian based trailer builders, Easytow, Savage, Mackay and Dunbier trailers are all available to inspect at the show this year. If you’re putting a package together, please consider this critical aspect of your rig. Too often trailers are overlooked.

No Monday!

Open until Sunday night (there are no Monday sessions), the 2018 Melbourne Boat Show is a great opportunity to get updated on all offerings on the water and fine tune the process your new boat choice.