Webster Twinfisher 5.2 Runabout

If necessity is the mother of invention, then the latest Webster Twinfisher answers the call of the wild.

Originally spawned for fishing on inland impoundments, this single-engine catamaran has caught on with country folk, coastal anglers and now the offshore-fishing brigade.

Sold from Tassie to the Top End, Webster Twinfishers enjoy diverse and interesting lives. They are used as workboats, rescue boats for sailing clubs, hey, there's even a patented on-water cappuccino boat built on a Webster in Sydney.

But the trailerable cat is, of course, most popular with the fishing fraternity. The twin hulls deliver stability, a smooth ride, single-engine cost savings and loads of space.

Gradually growing in size, the latest Webster was devised to satisfy the needs of offshore anglers who want even more of these things.

If the success of the smaller Twinfishers is anything to go by, the new 5.2 is bound to go places.

Available in runabout and centre-console configurations, the big little boat is capable of carrying four anglers up a fast tidal river, across a windy bay and out to sea. On a good day, the Shelf and hungry gamefish might even be in range.

Like most Twinfishers straight off the factory floor, the 5.2 Runabout is pretty much a bare bones boat. But while it might seem rudimentary, the idea with these twin hulls is to do the fit-out yourself. With a lot of floor space to play with, you can be as creative as a kid with crayons and a sheet of butcher's paper.

The best Webster Twinfisher I've set foot on was, not surprisingly, owned and operated by this magazine's NSW advertising man. With his snout in the trough, Tony Poole provided a terrific example of what can be done with a Twinfisher and a boatload of goodies.

Our man has since parted company with his 4.6m Twinfisher centre-console. Like a lot of trailerboat anglers bitten by the bluewater bug, he believes bigger is better. He now has a new 5.2 Twinfisher on order, destined for a top-to-bottom fishing fit-out. The runabout version of that hull, as seen here, has no less potential.

ALLOY ELAN
Made in Orange in central NSW, the 5.2 Twinfisher has a 3.5mm pressed alloy bottom, 2mm clinker sides, and an underfloor frame for rigidity, as well as a braced transom to take a four-stroke outboard - the preferred power option.

The hull is powder-coated, including the subfloor areas, which might help prevent corrosion in the event of a brass swivel slipping between the marine-ply floor. The windscreen is a simple aluminium-framed number. Unlike a lot of trailerboats, it seems to be set at the right height for looking through when seated.

A sit-down drive, as there is little leg room in front of the helmseats, the 5.2 Runabout comes with a fold-down rocket launcher (six outfit capacity with mounting point for the anchor light). A bimini and clears provide all-weather protection. On the day of the test, with stiff southerly winds, a rising swell and showers, the protection was a godsend.

Access to the open anchorwell (with overboard drain tube but no hose clips) is gained by unbuttoning the leading edge of the canopy and opening the centre section of the windscreen.

The panel didn't fall back on a rubber stopper, though it wouldn't take much to fix that.

A checkerplate foredeck provides a good foothold should you choose to board over the bow. There are a small sprit and roller and split bowrail. The boat has a lot of freeboard up front and is unaffected by the weight of an adult leaning out to set the anchor. The bollard is within comfortable reach of the dash cut-out.

SPACE RACE
I found a useful amount of dry storage under the foredeck for lifejackets, spare anchor ropes, safety gear and suchlike. The floor section just ahead of the skipper's and passenger's seats has lift-up lids to additional small storage holds.

The helm is best described as back-to-basic. A marine radio and stereo are mounted on the inside edge of the dash cut-out. The white aluminium dash had trim, hour, speedo, and tacho gauges and two simple push-pull switches for the lone bilge pump and navigation lights.

A 12V accessory plug gives you somewhere to attach the mobile phone, while the passenger has a plain plastic glovebox and a nice big grabrail. But for a corner brace on the windscreen, there is no grabrail for the skipper.

Footspace at the helm is in short supply because the flat floor steps-up near the seats. Also, the bimini top was set quite low for this 1.8m tall skipper. The twin pedestal seats are mounted on hinged bases and riveted to top-loading seat boxes. You could add a hatch to the aft end of these boxes and perhaps put a tray inside for better access to tackle and hardware.

COCKPIT CAPERS
The 5.2's cockpit is 2.15m wide, with twin sidepockets and storage in a centrally-mounted alloy box, with three rodholders and a padded top (attached with mild-steel staples), which doubles as an impromptu seat.

Underway, the targa provides a good handhold for a third or fourth passenger travelling on their feet roughly amidships. You get siderails, in this case fitted with rodholders, a deck filler for the transom-mounted 85lt fuel tank, a deep enginewell, aft cleats and aft boarding platforms.

A battery on a shelf to starboard is balanced by a livebait tank on the portside of the transom, which needs to be plumbed and pumped. Essentially, the 5.2 Runabout lends itself to a lot of things. As it was, this boat was set-up to fish, cruise and chase sailing skiffs.

OFFSHORE ADVENTURE
With a 115hp Mercury four-stroke and aft-mounted fuel tank, the Webster 5.2 sits a little bum-down in the water. However, it jumps to planing speeds. The twin hull turns like most cats, that is, it leans outwards, but not alarmingly.

The ride, said the dealer, is the strength of the 5.2m Twin Fisher. So I took the boat into the mouth of Broken Bay and a 1.5m swell curling precariously on Barrenjoey bombora.

Into the headsea and quartering it, at I guess 16kt or so, the boat rode smoothly with just one discernible shudder. With the clear curtains up and the hollow foredeck, the boat is a tad noisy. But it was dry and, despite the sound of water playing on the tunnel, it felt like a smooth operator.

High sides give a sense of security, and with three adults on one side, beam-on to the waves, the 5.2 Twinfisher didn't list a lot. For this reason alone, it lends itself to offshore duties such as diving and fishing.

I didn't make precise notes of how fast we travelled. Suffice to say, the 115hp injected four-stroke outboard got the hull skipping along when you applied a touch of out-trim and it held plane at comfortable cruise speeds of 16-20kt.

To my mind, the boat needed hydraulic steering, more storage, a cutting board, plumbing for the bait tank, electronics, well, the list goes on. But a big part of the Twinfisher's appeal is fitting it out yourself.

The 5.2m would make a great project for a mister fix-it or half-way handy handyman. Let's see what our man, the father of invention, Tony Poole can do. Stay tuned for his 5.2m centre-console.