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18.
New South Wales Fishing Monthly
Supplied Courtesy Fishing Monthly Magazines
530C ZULU TIME
Author: Col Buckley
Section: Boating
At the end of last year I decided to sell my Cruise Craft (which
I bought over 25 years ago!) and invest in a platform that would
complement my style of fishing, mainly working baits offshore, a
bit of estuary fishing and trolling out wide. My wife asked what
type of boat I would get -not a stupid question. She knows I'm in
and out of new boats most weeks doing reviews for fishing mags.
At that stage I didn't have a clue what boat I wanted. My heart
cried out for a big offshore thumper with twin outboards, tennis-court
deck space and all the electrics ever invented spread across the
dash. Logic then reared its ugly head and reminded me that I often
fish on my own, have restricted driveway space for parking and limited
resources. Ok, I thought. Let's look at this project logically.
First was the choice of construction - fibreglass, aluminium or
polyethylene? Then size. Then whether to go mono or twin hull, and
then decide on deck configuration. When I had made those decisions,
I had to think about what donk to hang off the back? Geez, all these
choices, very confusing, and I'm in the boating business! What chance
has poor, ordinary Joe Blow got of getting what he wants? Buying
a boat is probably among the top three investments you will make
in your lifetime (house and car foremost) so you should devote a
fair lump of time to the project.
I decided to go plate aluminium and thought about getting a boat
custom built. This way I would get as close as possible to the ideal
configuration. However, after a couple of quotes, price was the
restricting factor. Maybe next time! So it was back looking at packages.
Having tested fishing boats for a number of years, I have a fair
idea how various hulls perform in the water so it was not long before
my choice came down to a small number of alternatives. I suggest
that when you eventually narrow the options down to a few models,
go out for a water-test in each to get a feel of how they perform.
Take the family or some mates with you, as boats behave differently
under a payload. Take along the fishing gear and check for room.
After a few months of heavy thinking, the final choice came down
to the Melbourne-built Bar Crusher.
Although I would have loved the bigger 560C, I settled on the 530C
as it would fit in the driveway, could be handled solo and would
be cheaper to run long-term. Added extras were minimal. Two strong
cross-bollards on the stern for anchor retrieval, VHF radio (I have
a radio operator's licence) plus NavmanÕs 5500 GPS and Fish 4500
colour sounder with a fuel transducer to monitor usage. All the
above electrics talk to each other through Navbus. I also went with
the latest technology in outboards - Evinrudes new 90hp E-TEC -to
minimise servicing time and for overall economy. At the time of
writing I have had my boat, carrying on the Zulu name from its predecessor,
for five weeks and have put around 10 hours on the clock. So what
are the minuses and plusses of the rig?I'm going in here warts an
all so please note these are just my personal observations.
THE PLUSSES
The deep-vee hull works brilliantly against the persistent chop
we experience here, giving a soft, cushioned ride with no hard slam.
When at rest, the under-hull chamber fills with water, sinking the
boat to the chines for stability. I'll keep you posted. Abeam, following,
on the quarter and nose on,- whatever the seas, the boat has shown
no nasty vices whatsoever and keeps well under control aided by
the non-feedback steering.
Deck space is big with virtually nothing protruding to stub toes
or hang up fishing line. Fishability is nearly 100%. Rod holders
are everywhere on the wide, sit-on coamings, allowing a spread of
baits. Apart from being a bit too tall, the six-stacker rocket launcher
is strong and I sometimes hang on to it with one hand when driving
in rough water. The ergonomically-placed rear cutting board and
rigging station with three extra rod holders and drain pipe going
back into the berley bucket keeps mess to a minimum. Set in the
starboard transom is something that all offshore anglers need Š
a large, fully-plumbed livebait tank that reticulates water when
both moving and anchored. Full-length, wide side pockets are for
rod storage when travelling on the bitumen. The swivelling, fore-and-aft
adjustable passenger and helm seats are very comfortable. Boat access
via a strong, fold-away transom ladder and walk-through transom
is easy. Stringers and ribs, plus a fully welded chequerplate deck,
make for a very strong boat.
The full-length, fold-up transom seat hides the twin batteries
and four-way isolating switch. This is great for those social days
on Pittwater or the Harbour and folds out of the way when the action
starts offshore. Access to the SARCA anchor system through the forward
hatch is easy. Up forward, two strong cross-bollards secure the
ground gear. The open anchor well holds miles of rope and drains
fast into the centre channel. In a yearÕs time, ask me again how
the boat is going. Maybe IÕll have more to add in both departments.
It takes a while to set up a boat the way you want. I have added
rubber floor matting so ice boxes, fish boxes, etc, donÕt skate
on the chequerplate. I have a painter rope from the bow so I can
anchor and retrieve from the cockpit via the buoy method. I have
mounted a fluoro light on the launcher for night sorties and wired
it into the 12-volt outlet on the dash. Where metal touches metal
when launcher and screen are in the down position, I have included
padding. Two fish boxes sit under the transom. One holds anchor
rope and chain and the other my berley bomb, sinkers, hook box and
general fishing paraphernalia. As I said earlier, this boat suits
the way I like to fish.
Remember, there is no perfect boat on the market that will do everything
for everyone. Make sure you get into a boat that closely compliments
your particular style of fishing.
Legal Note: The statements, observations and opinions expressed
in the above excerpts are those of the boat tester and were formed
after inspection and testing of the Bar Crusher boat described in
the test. The opinion is provided by the author of the test and
not the directors of Bar Crusher boats.The information in these
excerpts is offered to assist prospective buyers to do their research.
Bar Crusher Boats confirms that the information above may contain
factual errors and no responsibility is taken for it's accuracy
or completeness. Please refer to the legal notice by clicking on
the words "Legal Notice" at the bottom of each page.
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