Mercury Sea Pro 5.0 Dory:
Value in a tough world
Gary Brown

Mercury Marine has released the Sea Pro range of durable fibreglass vessels suitable for commercial and serious recreational use.
Designed and built in North Queensland, these boats are manufactured to meet the harshest conditions that the Top End can dish out. At the same time, they are still affordable, practical and offer plenty of value for money. Their durability comes from their no-compromise glass lay-up and the use of synthetic core materials – no wood is used in their construction, so the long-term threat of dry rot in transoms and stringers is eliminated.
Mercury Sea Pro boats meet the ever-growing demand for vessels able to withstand the hard and rigorous conditions that comprise the world of commercial and serious recreational anglers. The Mercury Sea Pro range was first introduced to the recreational public at the Melbourne Boat Show earlier this year and from the response everyone received at the stand at the show, and after what I have seen and tested, these boats are going to be around for a very long time.
Tiller a thriller
Just before the Brisbane Boat Show, I was given the opportunity of putting two of these boats through their paces. They were the five-metre open dory, powered by a tiller-controlled 60hp Mariner Big Foot motor, and a six-metre centre console, powered by a 90 HP Mercury motor.
In this article I will cover the five-metre open dory, then follow up with a test of the six-metre centre console in a following issue. When I first saw the five-metre open dory, I wondered how the boat was going to handle with a 60hp tiller-controlled motor. Any reservations I had were put to rest when the power was applied, the boat sprang up onto the plane and I found out how easy it was to steer the boat, in complete control.
All of the boats in this range are constructed using the moulded fibreglass stringer system, which gives the craft plenty of strength in the hull when powering through the sea. If you decide to go with the stainless steel side and stern rails, as shown in the tested vessel, they will give you that extra height when leaning up against the gunwales and allow you plenty of options when positioning your rod holders and also when you have to tie the boat alongside another craft, or at a wharf.
Layout, storage
If you decide against fitting the rails, the gunwales are plenty wide enough to strategically place a couple of rod holders for trolling out wide of the wash, and another couple out the back.
Even though the seat at the rear is moulded fibreglass and has the capacity to hold your battery and a small fuel tank, there is always the possibility of fitting a moulded, vinyl, foam-padded seat to one side and mounting a depth sounder on the other. This will improve the comfort of your posterior when driving or fishing, and will make it very easy to see the sounder screen.
Plenty of room
The open floor area of the five-metre Mercury Sea Pro Open Dory is great for the angler who needs plenty of room when fishing. There is plenty of floor space up front to fit one or maybe two pedestal seats, giving you space on the side of the boat to put some horizontal rod holders. If this doesn’t suit your needs, maybe you could put in another padded bench seat that could have more built-in storage underneath it. Even though the beam is not great, there is still plenty of stability when fighting a fish and moving from rail to rail.
The wide under-gunwale area gives plenty of space to run electrical cables, such as for navigation lights or for a light when night fishing. It is under here you could also fit a waterproof fluoro light that would shine down onto the floor.

SPECIFICATIONS Standard Features. * Self-draining floor * Self-draining anchor well * Forward stowage compartment * Rear thwart seating * Deck hardware, including recessed cleats * Durable flowcoat on the deck, floor and internals Factory Options. * Bow rails * Side and stern rails * Underfloor 120-litre fuel tank * Underfloor 130-litre icebox * Underfloor 80-litre kill or live-bait tank * Live-bait tank * Transom tow eyes * Bow-eye upgrade to 12 mm * Pedestal seats Specifications LOA. 5.0m Beam 1.85m Power rating 25hp to 60hp long shaft Weight 340kg Material FRP and synthetic core materials. ( no wood or ply ) Fibreglass cavity stringer grid Durable flowcoat on deck, floor and internals Boat, motor and trailer package as tested: $17, 390.00.