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It's generally accepted tinnies are the world champs of economy boating because of their low price and relative light weight for ease of handling and towing. However, the reality of the matter these days is that tinnies don't have this small boat market all to themselves.
Some fibreglass models are making inroads into this price-sensitive market. This is especially so where dealers are willing to put the effort into explaining and selling the benefits of an economical 'glass rig.
Fibreglass boats do have their advantages. For instance, they offer a softer/quieter ride and this is a big plus if you are operating in choppy coastal waters. Also there are other benefits in the boat being a bit heavier and therefore more stable in water.
There's also a good argument that while 'glass gel surfaces may be easier to scratch, or chip they are actually better at absorbing the hard hits. Also fibreglass boats are easier to repair. Afterall most of us will have the handyman skills to patch/repair a 'glass, but unlikely to have the trade skills to weld alloy.
Certainly there's a good argument for leaning towards a 'glass boat if hull weight isn't a huge concern, and ride softness is a priority.
These thoughts where upmost in my mind when I recently sampled the Sportsman Craft brand which hails from the Sunshine Coast. This brand specialise in low cost 'glass packages over a range of sizes from 3.8m open boats through to a 6.5m offshore model called the Oceanrunner.
We looked at several models through Sydney dealer, Hornsby Boats, but concentrated on the Vacationer 5m model because it seemed to offer the best all round value. This boat is the top seller of the brand.
Based originally on a 4.6m hull this runabout was updated by the addition of an extended pod at the stern. This new stern features moulded in landing platforms either side of the motor well.
The styling of this boat isn't unattractive and with a very keen price it should be a big seller in the budget boat stakes.
All up boat/motor/trailer package price is $17,500 which looks pretty good alongside similar-sized tinnies. For example, a popular model alloy runabout tinnie would be around an extra $2,000 for a similar fitted out package.
Of course, you have to accept there's no free-lunch in boat prices. By this I mean you just about always get what you pay for in terms of design, construction, standard of finish and fittings. In this case you are getting a boat which is like a Daewoo car package. That is it does the job, looks reasonably smart on the water yet doesn't come with all the latest bells and whistles of the more up-price boats.
Build quality is actually quite reasonable in this boat and it's backed by a one year structural warranty from the builder. Where its really "doing a Daewoo" is in being very well priced for a 'glass boat and actually one of the most affordable boats on the market.
The test of this boat was conducted on Sydney's Hawkesbury River system with a good mix of choppy water and still, sheltered conditions. The test was carried out using a demo Mercury 75hp, rather than a 70hp Johnson which is normally in the package.
Design:
This hull is quite reminiscent of the styles of hull which was popular back in the 70s and 80s. The bottom features a fine deep vee entry graduating quickly to a moderately deep deadrise, the angle at the transom is 19 degrees. This shape should help to soften the ride in choppy water. Remember the average tinnie is only about 14 degrees deadrise.
The topsides provide enough depth for operating in semi-open waters whilst the clinker pattern topsides help to also deflect spray.
The styling has been modernised with the addition of a rear pod extension which provides quite spacious landing platforms. It's not a bad set up with an attractive, fast-back styling which enhances the look of the boat. The platforms also make easy access from the beach.
Overall the Vacationer meets its design intention of being an all-round fish, ski and family cruising boat. The standard boat offers a reasonable sized cockpit with access to the foredeck via either a lean-through hatch in the windscreen, or ducking under the dash through a large foredeck hatch which is immediately behind the anchor locker.
The design also features a belly tank to take a built-in (optional) stainless steel fuel tank of 90 litres. This tank has a filler cap positioned in the outboard well where it can be easily accessed at the garage.
Construction is the usual mix of chop strand glass and woven roving layers, however the builders do all the layups by hand to ensure a good quality of laminate. As the specs table shows the builders aren't skimping on the materials going into the boat so the Vacationer is actually quite a solid hull for its size at 490kg hull weight. From a trailing point of view the
Vacationer should tow comfortably behind most mid-sized cars like the VK Commodore. We estimated our test boat came to a road trail weight of around 880kg which places it comfortably within the legal range of a VK Commodore (1225kg in NSW).
Performance:
The conditions on the day were not unlike what you often get when fishing on the east coast in summer. That was plenty of wind blown chop and the occasional set of big waves set up by passing trawlers, ferries and other large craft.
With two adults aboard we felt reasonable comfortable in the rougher
water. However at times we had to back off the throttle as the chop really started to get peaky. Obviously this boat doesn't have the ride capacity of a true five metre plus sized boat, yet it's still not bad for a small boat and an improvement on most tinnies.
The Vacationer has no trouble keeping itself on track in strong cross winds and at rest, or trolling it would be less affected by wind than an equivalent length tinnie. Overall though I didn't think the ride was that much softer than a tinnie and the real advantage came from the more comfortable seats and quieter sounding ride.
The low windscreen was also something of drawback as it tends to get in the helmsman's line of vision, and not give you such good spray protection.
The canopy only compounded the problem by restricting my field of view so we rolled back the middle section of the canopy to give ourselves a clearer view for'ard.
The at-rest stability was also quite good for a boat of this size and allowed both of us to stand against the gunwale as if we were fishing.
Overall this design felt more at home in the semi-sheltered waters of the river rather than true open water. Again confirming it's real forte is inshore family cruising and estuary fishing.
The good tracking ability of the hull would also make it a good ski boat. However in this regard buyers would probably be going for a bigger motor in the 90-115hp sized range to get more top end speed.
Inferior Layout:
The sportsboat heritage of this design is seen in the clean foredeck styling and low screen. There's no bowrails since a crewman can reach the anchor well and bow fairlead easily from within the forehatch. Alternatively you can order the boat with a true walk-through passage so you can walk up to the anchor well.
Moving back into the cockpit there's a five panel, black anodised screen with centre opening middle panel. The idea is that most times you could control the anchor line from within the cockpit itself.
The dash area is fairly small, but you get two dished stowage areas ahead of both the passenger and helm. These are pretty useless for stowing small items and I'd suggest a glovebox would be better.
The helm station is pretty basic, but you do get space to mount a small LCD sounder ahead of the skipper. The throttle box was externally mounted, but I believe it's possible with the OMC motors to have the option of a fully recessed throttle box which would look a lot nicer and give you more elbow room.
Back in the cockpit you find a carpeted floor with a recessed footwell between the pedestal seats. The carpet floors and raised side pockets with padded fronts add a comfortable touch to the interior. There's also two fold-down quarter seats aft. This is the standard set up which should suit most fishing enthusiast, however there's an optional rear lounge which apparently is very popular with buyers of this boat.
The lounge is designed so you can lift it in, or out of the boat and leave it at home when you go serious fishing.
Back aft there's a full height rear deck with the battery stowed on the floor under the well. The rear pod arrangement gives full depth buoyancy to support the motor at rest as well as those handy boarding steps.
The standard package does not include rod holders, or any fishing accessories for that matter. However you do get a cross bollard at the bow, stern cleats, two ski hooks as well as the side pockets and carpeted floor.
The dealer package in this case included several rod holders and snapper trolling rack across the stern. The old style narrow coamings make it virtually impossible to mount rod holders at the side so they go across the back of the boat.
Note that you'll need to look at adding some form of cutting table, if not a complete drop-in fishing console with kill box, live bait tank and cutting board.
Power:
The standard boat appears to be well matched to a motor in the 70 -75hp range and I'd be reluctant to go much bigger than this for fishing and family cruising. The test motor seemed to suffer from poor tuning and less than satisfactory steering. The motor wasn't new, but it should have been sorted out before we tested the boat.
The buoyancy aft might also make this boat suitable for four stroke motors, but you'd have to check the engine weights first before you ventured down this track. For instance, the Honda 75hp would be about 24kg heavier on the transom than a two stroke 75hp motor. Maybe it could take this extra weight, and then again maybe it might not. Either way you'd want to be sure before you bought the package.
In terms of handling/performance the boat feels quite comfortable with the standard mechanical steering and at this price I wouldn't think buyers will want anything fancier.
With 90 litres in the floor tank I suspect there's more than enough fuel for a day's boating
with a 75hp motor and unless you're going offshore you wouldn't need a back up tank.
Verdict:
On the face of it this is a very low cost package which is sure to win quite a few buyers because it delivers the basics at an attractive price. However, on close inspection the boat doesn't have the design features we take for granted in more expensive rigs. Stuff like built-in glove boxes, live bait tanks, cutting boards and raised battery compartments. This is very much the Daewoo approach where you miss out on a few things you'd thought you'd be getting but didn't. Items like a passenger side mirror, or remote fuel cap latch.
That's not to say there's anything wrong with the rig, just that you should realise exactly what you are getting for your money as compared to other rigs.
Overall this is a good package for the money, but maybe not as brilliant as you might first think. For instance you'll probably spend upwards of a $1000 extra to get those other fishing accessories as off-the-shelf items.
To its credit the Vacationer does seem to be reasonably solid boat and while the warranty isn't that long (1 year) the boat should provide good service over a fair length of time.
The package price included the optional in-floor fuel tank, but you'd have to add another $450 if you wanted the optional rear lounge.
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SPORTSMAN CRAFT VACATIOER 5 |
| Configuration / Style |
Runabout |
| Construction |
Fibreglass |
| Length |
5.0m |
| Beam |
2.1m |
| Depth |
N.A |
| Hull Weight |
490kg |
| Max engine hp |
115hp |
| Sheet size |
N.A |
| Fuel Tank |
90L |
| Deadrise |
19 deg |
| Tested Power |
75hp |
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