power boat
 Story Jim Harnwell Powerboat Feb / Mar 2004 |
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POWER BOAT
AUSTRALIA'S PREMIER POWERBOAT MAGAZINE
February / March 04
POWER REVIEW
By Jim Harnwell
BAR CRUSHER 560C
Bar Crusher has carved out a nice little niche in the Australian boating industry during the past few years, and this new addition to the line-up builds on the brand's proven pedigree while adding a few nifty touches.
The Aussie-made Bar Crushers are much more price competitive than the previous boats, and that's good news for anyone interested in a plate boat that rides well, offers loads of nifty features and is built like a brick dunny.
I was particularly interested to inspect the build quality of the new locally built boat. The previous models have been universally praised for their excellent weld work and general high standard of craftmanship. I'm happy to say the Aussie-built boats are similarly well made.
I recently took a 560C fitted with a 115 hp Yamaha 2-stroke for a run on Sydney Harbour. The 18-degree deadrise, trademark smooth 4 mm plate hull and Quickflow water ballast system provided a performance level that just can't be equalled by the standard tinnie design. The sharp hulls cut cleanly through wind chop and swell with none of the banging associated with the traditional aluminium boats.
The 560 is longer and beamier than its predecessor model, and I soon noticed the increased beam (2.25 compared to 2.10 metres) and substantially roomier cuddy cab. The test boat was set up with comfortable swivel seats atop pedestals (storage underneath), an enormous front hatch opening to the anchor well and bow sprit, a folding Targa rocket launcher, rear bait station, six in-deck aluminium rod holders, a Hummingbird Matrix 25 sounder/GPS and 27 meg marine radio. All that was missing were the excellent folding hard top gas strut roof and clears that help give Bar Crusher's their sporty appearance and which provide almost total protection from wind and spray.
All Bar Crusher models feature the proven Waveslicer hull design, Rigideck fully sealed chequerplate floor and sub-frame and the Quickflow water ballast system to stabilise the boat at rest. The 560C adds a step-through transom and a 150 litre underfloor fuel tank (the old 550 has only 80 litres).
There have also been improvements to the transom design to allow dual batteries, an oil tank and 60-litre live bait tank. A decent folding ladder is positioned below the transom door atop a wide chequerplate marlin board. On the starboard side is a through-mounted berley pot, and there's plenty of storage room available aboard the 560.
I was surprised at how well the Yammie 115 2-stroke performed with the 560. Although designed specifically for 4-strokes, the hull seemed responsive and well suited to the carby 2-stroke with cruising around 40 kph and a top end of 61 kph at 5,400 rpm. The engine was surprisingly smooth and quiet 2-stroke design has advanced considerably in the past few years and would be a good option if you wanted to save a few grand on the price of a 4-stroke or DFI 2-stroke.
