5.

Trailer Boat Fisherman Magazine - May / June 2001.
Courtesy Marine Publications.

BAR CRUSHER 610 CUDDY
Story and Photos by: James Hill

The Bar Crusher plate alloy brand has been creating a lot of buyer interest since it hit the market. A key attraction of this new range is the use of water ballast to achieve an exceptionally smooth ride in rough water.

James Hill reviews the newest model: The Bar Crusher 610 Cuddy.

Plate boats generally don't have a great reputation for ride comfort, but the Bar Crusher is up there with good 'glass hulls because it has a deep V bottom. This normally wouldn't be possible in an alloy boat, but the water ballast technology makes it all possible. The Bar Crusher 610 Cuddy is the latest design to be offered by this innovative range that got it's inspiration from across the Tasman. This new model offers the same sea keeping ability of the earlier 610 but with the added attraction of a bigger cockpit for fishing.

The design automatically gains stability every time it's launched because the ballast tank is open at the transom. The tank extends virtually the full length of the bottom so it adds several hundred kilo's of ballast. Because the water is solidly concentrated in the very bottom area of the boat, below the waterline, it has significant effect on the boat's stability. In practice the water ballast makes the 610 Bar Crusher virtually rock solid in the water and a brilliant fishing platform. Without the water ballast the Bar Crusher would be a lot less stable at rest. However the water automatically drains from the bottom at speed so you're not carrying added weight. You might wonder why the boat doesn't need ballast at this point. The reason is because full stability is achieved by strong water pressure on the bottom. Well, that's the theory and in practice the boat can be a bit sensitive to trim when it is just on the plane. However, all boat design is a compromise and any sensitivity in this area certainly doesn't stop this boat being a good offshore performer.

The boat takes on water ballast every time you drop back to a low speed, or stop altogether. The water sinks the boat down on to it's chines, providing great stability. This innovative design has been used by a few designers in the past, but it seems to work particularly well in the Bar Crusher. There is no doubt many boat buyers place a very high priority on light hull weight so it's no surprise this boat is creating a lot of interest.

Effectively you are getting the benefits of a light hull, without the drawbacks of a harder ride.

The added strength of Bar Crusher's plate alloy hull is also an attractive alternative to the conventional sheet ally tinnie. Plate alloy gives you a very strong, robust structure that stands up well over many years of tough offshore use. No wonder professional boat operators tend to go for this type of material. This newest model is specifically developed to meet the needs of the very keen offshore fishing enthusiasts. The short, open back cabin provides more fishing room and the space to deploy a spread of lures. The 610 Cuddy also features a welded in floor with subframe underneath. The checkerplate floor drains via a sump at the rear and you have nice wide flat side decks that are ideal for fishing. These side decks also feature six rod holder positions. Sea Worthy Features There is no doubt the 610 Bar Crusher Cuddy is a boat designed for sea going operation. Built to suit offshore coastal conditions of New Zealand and Victoria it is perhaps not so surprising it is such a good rough water boat.

Built in buoyancy combined with a good sump and builge pump arrangement plus a deep V all add up to make this a good open water boat. The sharp bows and generous free board height also help to make the 6.1 Cuddy handle rough, coastal chop and the sort of seas you can see on a run out wind against tide situation. Some of the special offshore features include the hard top bimini that folds down onto the windscreen to ensure better weather protection in rain or rough weather. This roof hinges off an alloy tube targa and is controlled by gas struts. You also get a modern, fastback stern with recessed landing platforms. The outboard sits on an extended pod and is supported by a 150 litre in floor fuel tank that's under the cockpit. A high rear stern deck incorporates raised battery / oil stowage compartments and a live bait tank. There's also a removable cutting board with extra rod holders. You also get a folding rear seat and a bow and stern rail. The cabin features upholstered seats, side shelves and excellent anchor access via a side opening fore hatch. The front of the bunks are cut away so you can stand within the cabin and handle the anchor. Other standard features include non feedback steering, a rear swim ladder, berley bucket and a kill tank under the cockpit floor.

Quality of finish is one of the big attractions of the Bar Crusher 610 Cuddy, which comes standard with tinned wiring and soldered connections. The boat also features a very high quality polyurethane paint job due to high tech primers being used in the first place. You can buy the boat either painted and get high quality graphics to dress up the topsides.

Four Stroke Power

An interesting aspect of the 610 Bar Crusher Cuddy is the way it performs so well with a mid range engine. The hull is totally free of bottom strakes and is designed to plane very easily with minimum horsepower. Standard power is a 115Hp four stroke Yamaha so you can be sure the boat's going to have a terrific fishing range. Tests by the manufacturer have confirmed this combination will deliver a low 15 to 20 litres per hour consumption at 4000 to 4500 Rpm. This provides cruising speed in the 22 knot range, which is a practical average speed for coastal water operation. Lower horsepower also factors into the overall towing weight of only 1520Kg. That is fully loaded weight and includes a full tank, electronics and safety gear aboard. This weight places the Bar Crusher within trail range of most medium size 4WD's and large family cars.

Options

The Melbourne factory produces a really good finish on these boats. They do an excellent job on the fit outs as witnessed by the quality of the Bar Crusher's seen at Boat Shows. The standard boat comes fairly complete, but there are a number of optional accessories to round out the package to a very complete fishing rig. These include the removable bait/ cutting board, gas strut folding roof, 27 MHz and VHF radio's, Reelax deluxe seats and SARCA anchors fitted to the bow. These items are seen on the boat featured in this writeup.

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.