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The Bluefin 4.1 Metre Centre Console
WITH so many mergers and takeovers among the big boat manufacturers in this country at the moment, as well as the implementation of the GST, it is reassuring to see a ‘little Aussie battler’ building a top little boat and doing a damn’d good job of it, at that.
Bluefin Boats have been around for two years and are made on the Gold Coast by Allan & Margaret MacDonald and Darryl & Samatha McMahon. It’s a small family business, so each member of the team is well and truly dedicated. The hard part about being a relatively new kid on the block is that most of the major boatyards already have major brands tied up with no room to add another range. This makes it extremely hard to get good exposure of your product.
A few weeks back, Theo Theodoron contacted QFM to tell us about Bluefin Boats. Theo owns and operates Mr T's Tinnies and Boat Sales at Victoria Point. The bayside boatyard has boat hire and a bait and tackle outlet. The hire boats, of course, include one of the Bluefin Boats. With one of the Bluefin Boats as a hire boat, Theo has had the chance to see how the boats hold up over time and cop the sometimes harsh treatment that can be dished out to hire boats.
Theo has been more than happy with the performance of his Bluefin boats and has even had the odd boat hire customer come back and purchase a new Bluefin rig for themselves.
PERFECT FOR MORETON BAY
The rig we tested was the 4.1 metre centre console. This boat is perfect for keen fishermen to work the creeks for crabs or zip around the sheltered parts of Moreton Bay chasing a few bream and flathead or maybe even a few small reefies.
For a 4 metre boat, the Bluefin is quite spacious with a good beam, plenty of free-board and ample room to move around the deck; both in front, behind and alongside the centre console.
When we jumped into the boat what immediately attracted my attention was the good-sized centre console. Rigs of this size, especially in a centre console, generally never have enough storage room, but the bigger centre console in the Bluefin provides just that.
The added advantage of this is the wider windscreen attached to the console. This offers more protection from both the cooler winds in winter and wind-blown spray, which is usually hard to avoid.
In the console itself, a reasonable amount of dry gear can be stored and tackle boxes kept out of the way. The sounder/GPS and compass are mounted across the top of the dash, with basic instrumentation next to the steering wheel.
MERCURY’S 40HP – THE PERFECT PARTNER
Mercury's three cylinder 40hp two stroke outboard was right on the mark as a good all round match for the boat. Not too much horsepower or weight for the boat and enough grunt to get us up and on the way.
The two of us on the boat weighed up to nearly 200kg – sorry Theo This load provided good opportunity to evaluate the stability and handling of the boat. You see, in a small boat if there is too much weight on one side the boat lists, or leans to the one side. This not only makes it a little harder to drive but also throws up more spray as one side buries in. In Bluefin, however, the weight difference on either side was not at all evident. I was really quite surprised as I has expected it to lean one way.
Motoring along, we encountered a typically small bay chop and the boat bumped along with each wave hit. The significant point here is that the landing was much softer than the harsh knee-jarring shock often encountered in similar craft.
With some boats it is hard to pin-point just what makes the difference in the ride. I believe the quality of the ride is a combination of hull design, length, beam, deadrise, weight distribution, placement of the console and even the size of the motor fitted. Change a few of these and you can often totally change the ride and performance of a boat. In the case of the Bluefin everything seems to be spot on.
Performance wise, the 40hp Merc had no trouble whatsoever in setting a moderate pace around the 4,000rpm mark and continued to hold planing speeds down to 2,300rpm with no bow high attitude. Push the throttle down and you’ll have more than enough top end speed to keep you happy.
If you are content to casually fish sheltered waters, not venturing any great distance, a 30hp would do the job. The 40hp does, however, make a beaut little package.
AMPLE SPACE
Small side pockets are positioned either side of the console and the deck runs flat and clear all the way from the bow to the transom. This is what makes it so good for fishing as there is no shortage of space for a pile of crab pots and ample room for a couple of fellas to throw a cast net about in search of a feed of prawns.
A couple of minor additions would really fit this boat up nicely. Namely, an ice-box behind the centre console, to double as a seat and perhaps a smaller esky in front of the centre console. This still retains the ability to walk right around the boat and you are going to need an esky anyway to hold your catch and a feed, so why not make it a size that can also be used as a seat.
These are, of course, personal choices in the fit-up and each to his own. The Bluefin though is certainly one of the best little performers in its class. Priced around the $10,000 mark it also represents good value for money.
For more information or a test run contact Theo at Mr T's Boat Sales & Hire on Ph. (07) 3207 8882. |
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