| Invercargill boat-builders Stabicraft opened their doors in 1987, pioneers in the field of aluminium pontoon boats. |  |
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| Since
then, the stability, load-carrying capacity and safety of the design
has endeared it to fishermen and divers, many of them cornmercial,
around our rugged coasts and a solid export history was also established.
In recent years the pontoon style of boat has become increasingly
popular, with many other manufacturers adopting the the concept throughout
the country. The northern recreational market is a big one, and Stabicraft were introduced to the Auckland region by agents Kev and lan's Marine, who supplied the test boat. Although aesthetics were never the strong point of Stabicraft (it is hard to make tubes look pretty), styling has improved and northern fishermen and divers who value function over form have been quick to adopt them. |
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| Construction
The test boat, a 509XR safe Sport, and its less dressy alter native the 509 Fish'r, were released at the Auckland Boat Show in 2001, superseding the old 490. The 509 is 300mm longer than the old model, and the helm position has been shifted further forward, giving a larger cockpit while still allowing plenty of stowage space up in the bow. |
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The differences between the XR and Fishr versions are the painted
uppers, extra marine carpet trimming, and a 50 litre underfloor tank
added to the XR. The new "generation II" pontoon style is used on the 509 models, a slimmer and higher profile which adds to cockpit space and freeboard. These pontoons have a step built into the underside of the chine, helping turn down water, and allowing removal of the pressed strakes in the bottoms of the 490, making for a softer ride. |
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| The
509 has 3.5mm bottoms and transom, 2.5mm pontoons and topsides and
3.0mm chequerplate decks. This all adds up to a 300kg hull. Construction
sees a one-piece bottom (folded along the keel line and welded at
the bow), and sealed, pressure-tested pontoons in three separate sections.
The deck is seam-welded in place and supported by a full length bridge plate to which it is sealed with Sikaflex. This forms a fourth sealed buoyancy chamber. Stabicraft have supplied buoyancy figures of 1020 litres for the XR and 1075 litres for the Fish'r. Both hulls should still support over 600kg if swamped - pretty impressive for a 17-foot (5.2m) hull. Gunwales are built on top of the pontoons, giving both extra storage and freeboard. The transom is lower. There is no keel bar or protective capping along the keel line, and this is a wear point to watch, although not a safety issue as the pontoons around the sides would support the hull in the water even if the 3.5mm bottom was holed. Overall, the welding looked good, and construction methods are sound, proven by doing the hard yards in some pretty tough conditions over the years. |
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| Power and performance The recommended power plant for the 509XR is a 70hp outboard, and they are rated up to 100hp. The test boat was powered by a Yamaha 70hp two-stroke, turning a 17" prop. This prop was probably a bit fine, as the engine was over- revving by 600rpm. The dash speedo registered 57kph (35mph or 31 knots) top speed. Stepping up the prop to a 19" would probably drop the revs to their correct range, and add a little more top-end speed. |
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| Conditions
for the test were a 15 knot NE wind and seas ranging from flat up
to a tight chop of about three-quarters of a metre. I was very impressed
with the performance of the "wee Stabi" which was a soft
traveller even at speed into a crappy head sea. We ducked a small
amount of spray when the wind was on the quarter, but in general this
was a pretty dry boat, especially considering the relatively low profile
and the fact that a canopy had not yet been fitted to the demonstrator.
The boat has a stable, hull with good bow lift and no vices in any angle of sea encountered. An excellent performer. |
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| Anchoring
The bow can be easily reached around the sides on a platform with a non-skid finish. Another alternative provided is a split windscreen, but even at full stretch I could not reach the fairlead from this position. If you have to get out on the bow anyway, why not get rid of the door altogether and fit a standard 'screen? There were some gaps where the door closed, and it is likely leak in bad conditions, although it did not during the test. The anchoring layout on the test model shown in the photos has been altered and improved on newer production hulls, with short bow-rails coming down hard on each side of the fairlead to help contain the warp, while the bollard is shifted back so that it can be reached more easily. Warp storage capacity is to limited, and there is no hatch to restrain the ground tackle it the shallow well when travelling. A bungie stretched over the anchor could be added. Although adequate for shallow water, some improvements can still be made here. A floating anchor set-up worked from the cockpit with a fixed bow rope would side-step most of the shortcomings. |
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| Layout
The chequerplate deck runs right through to the bow, and equipment stowed forward is restrained by a low wall just in front of the helm position. Side pockets run the full length of the boat, although constricted at the helm position. There is room on the dash for LCD sounder and GPS, and a radio could be mounted under the dash on the passenger side. On the XR, the two dash trays were lined with dark marine carpet, and the console was also black, cutting internal reflection on the green-tinted Perspex 'screen. |
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| The
'screen is low, and seated or standing vision is over the top for
an average height adult, but it does turn most of the wind-rush. The
seats were swivelling; upholstered, rotationally moulded plastic types
set on aluminium brackets, cantilevered out from the sides. There
is some small storage room inside these. They are comfortable enough,
with feet resting on the deck or forward on the restraining wall.
The gunwales are wide and good to sit on when fishing. Under the transom is room for a tote tank or a fish bin. A guard is fitted to protect fuel lines for the underfloor tank, and the battery box is mounted on a platform a bit above floor level. Some capping on the end of this platform to protect toes would be a good scheme, and easily fitted, as would a pair of stern bollards. An isolation switch for the battery is fitted on the XR. The sealed deck drains aft to a sump under the transom, fitted with a 500gph bilge pump. Scuppers have been fitted to other models of Stabicraft, and are probably available on request for this one. The transom wall is low and easy to step over to a boarding platform with non-skid finish. Navigation lights and a plug-in white riding light on a pole are fitted. A lot of effort has gone into creating space in the cockpit of this boat, and it can be fitted out as required. The low transom can be built up on request, although some other alterations may also have to be made to accommodate the cowling of larger outboards when tilted. Personally I think it would be worth the extra expense to do this, especially if it is intended to use this craft for surf launchings or bar crossing. It would be good to have the battery higher and more protected in the transom wall and a bit more height in case of a wave up the stem. |
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| Fishability
The gunwales give reasonable mid-thigh support, but an angler must lean forward to get it, because of the rise at the edge of the deck. The low transom is not good to lean against when fishing; a raised, built-in version would be better, although divers appreciate the ease of entry over the stem of the standard version. Good footing and stability suit this boat for basic, bread- and-butter bottom fishing duties. Four plastic through-gunwale rodholders are fitted, and more could be added, especially if the transom was built up. The large side pockets offer rod stowage space if lined An option offered is a rocket launcher, although the photo I saw of one looks to encroach a fair bit on the cockpit and the space above it, with a lot of rake on the holders. Fitted as standard is a ski pole in the centre transom, which can also mount a bait-board. This is quite high and would interfere with fishing activities in the cockpit. For serious fishermen, it would be better left off, and a lower, removable board used. |
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Diver access
over the stem is good, and a T-bar boarding ladder is offered as
an option. Tank storage racks can be fixed to the transom. Trailering These boats come on a Mudgway trailer, a South Island built cradle A-frame design, hot dip galvanised, with a single axle and zinc-treated leaf spring suspension. Guards are solid, and a step up is also built on. There are four sets of wobble rollers per side, a keel entry roller, and plastic skid plates for the keel. Submersible lights and a wind-up jockey wheel complete the rig. Rig towing weight is approximately 660k.g All-in-all… Bearing in mind the layout alterations mentioned; with excellent stability, a sealed chequer plate deck, open cockpit, a high level of buoyancy, and moderate size weight, the 509XR Sport has the basics of a very useful and dive boat, particularly for coastal areas where surf launchings are a feature. A great little workhorse with a practical layout that delivers a very good ride. |
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