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Stabi Craft - When Stability Matters
Gary Howard
IN MODERN times progress is very fast, and we continually see changes in boat design and construction. Models which had remained the same for a decade or more now change almost yearly in some form or another.
It was only early last year that I first jumped in a Stabi Craft boat and now, 12 months later, improvements see a new generation of Stabi Craft that offer advancements in hull design and interior layout.
BUILT FOR ROUGH CONDITIONS
What may appear to be a comparative newcomer into the field is not the case, with New Zealand based company Stabi Craft getting off the ground in the mid 1980s. The first few paragraphs from their brochure gives a background of their humble beginnings.
‘At the southern most corner of New Zealand lies Foveaux Strait, a notoriously stormy stretch of water that separates Stewart Island from the Southern mainland. The men who fish there naturally treat these waters with great respect.
In 1986 two local Foveaux Strait fishermen approached the fledgling Stabi Craft Marine with a brief to design and build a small, rugged, unsinkable pontoon style boat. The key criteria was, it would have to allow them to fish these waters in almost any condition and always bring them and their catch safely back to their mother boat.’
That was no easy feat in a time when the majority of aluminium boats were little more than a few sheets of pressed or plate alloy welded together, but the company achieved what they were after. Stabi Craft is now a big name in New Zealand, and their boats now have international recognition as they spread their wings around the rest of the globe.
New Technology
Computer technology has facilitated many of today’s modern designs. The first Stabi Craft tested in Fishing Monthly featured cylindrical, tube-like pontoons. 12 months on, Stabi Craft have developed tubes that are no longer bulky cylinders that are cut and rolled, but a fully sealed extruded channel section.
The extrusion gives precision and continuity to the tubes, with the extruded shape having superb strength while retaining the desired properties of the hull and increasing the amount of room inside the boat.
The 18 degree hull is formed with 4mm alloy sheets. These rise to meet the tubes along the side of the boat which are the major component in the boat’s ride and stability.
Stability
The stability of these boats, both on the move and at rest, is undeniable. As soon the weight moves to one side of the boat, the transfer of weight is quickly taken up as the buoyant tubes rest on the water, supporting the increase in weight to one side. The dip is barely noticeable before this effect takes over.
While on the run I ran diagonally down the face of a few waves trying to dip or bury the nose. This is common in many boats, but in this case as soon as the boat leaned to one side as it ran down the face of a wave, those tubes came into play. They take up the transfer of weight and lift the front of the boat. Even when you run straight into a wave, the nose does not bury - it just lifts up. What I did notice was that when you hit a wave hard and fast you can hear the water as it hits under those tubes and you can hear it as it is forced back down away from the tubes. They are like a big reversed chine - very little water makes it up past here.
An added benefit of this is that the down turned water adds more lift and has a cushioning effect. Aluminium boats will always bang, but most of the time it sounds worse than it really is because the aluminium has little dampening effect on the sound as it echoes down the hull. What does vary in aluminium hulls is the harshness of that banging as that boat lands in the next wave or trough. It is here that you notice that the ride of the Stabi Craft is quite soft. Aside from being easier on the crew, it also means that you can go a little faster than you normally would in rough conditions - within reason!
These same tubes enable the boat to hold a good level plane at low revs. With a 90hp four-stroke Honda outboard we could quite comfortably plane at 2700 rpm - ‘plodding’ along with the motor not struggling to keep us there.
Cruising along around 4000rpm was most desirable. Noticeable was the pick up in speed from here. You think that you don’t have a lot more to go at these revs. The motor revved out to 6000rpm taking us to just over 40mph - more than enough speed for a boat this size, and it is rare that you travel faster than 30mph. Hence the boat/motor combination here offers good economy with more than enough power and speed.
Additional Features
Under the sturdy checker plate floor lies 100L of fuel, so there is more than enough scope for a big day out on the water. The fully sealed floor and self-draining deck allows any excess water to quickly drain out. A small open bilge area at the transom catches smaller amounts of water that can be quickly pumped out.
Internally, the biggest change from the boat’s predecessor is the increase in cockpit area - no longer do the round tubes occupy cockpit area and restrict storage. The new extruded tubes are ‘flat’ on the inside, with good full length side pockets that run all the way from the helm to the transom. So much can be placed in side pockets that you could almost regard them as vital inclusions.
The helm seats are basic but very sturdy, and a rear aluminium helm seat extends out from the sides of the boat which allows items to be slid underneath. The main helm seats are sturdy moulded plastic which, while nice and strong, I found a little hard - but nothing a cushion wouldn’t fix. You have to remember when you look at the seats and the rest of the boat is that this is a work boat, so you won’t see anything fancy. Practical inclusion is all you get on the base models.
The dash is big and flat with more than enough room to have a good display of electronics, and spread out a map and a sandwich while you read it.
The cab area is more for dry storage, as the boat becomes quite narrow as you approach the bow. A couple of tubs with a bit of gear is what you would most likely put up here. In bad weather you could get in here out of the rain, but in this particular model the cab area is not designed for sleeping.
The canopy over the helm area offers good all-round vision, with a good view through the open section between the wraparound windscreen and the canopy. The rear section of the canopy attaches to the Targa with overhead rod holders.
While the wraparound windscreen looks good and certainly gives you all round vision, the bends in the corners are not optically correct so there is a bit of distortion in your view. As long as you are conscious of it there shouldn’t be any problems.
Like most boats, there are a number of options that are available and the boat can be purchased painted or unpainted.
Because they have been designed as work boats, you can be sure of solid construction and durability. If stability is vital, perhaps for diving or commercial work when heavy loads are lifted over the sides and adverse weather conditions may be encountered, the Stabi Craft is a boat that is well worth investigating.
For more information contact Leisure Marine on (07) 3245 5111. |
