Steadecraft Pro-Fisher 800

The 8m walkaround is based on a well-proven hull with totally re-designed topsides. It’s a long, lean sort of boat which is trailerable, without needing an over-width permit. Although fairly narrow at the chines, cockpit and cabin accommodation are generous.

It’s obvious the boat was built by a company more experienced with launches. Fittings are all top-quality and there are little touches like springer cleats amidships not usually seen on trailer boats. The fully-enclosed hardtop has enhanced and softened the boat’s lines making it less boxy-looking and drawing the eye away from the rather slabby sides. A 21° vee ensures a soft ride, particularly into a head sea.

Eight metres is a lot of boat on a trailer. This one is transported on a tandem axle GT trailer with state-of-the-art electric-hydraulic brakes on all four wheels. The system is activated electrically by the vehicle’s brake light circuit and there is a breakaway safety system which locks the brakes should the trailer come adrift. A manual brake locks the wheels when the trailer is parked and the degree of braking can be adjusted from inside the tow vehicle with a toggle by the steering wheel. According to George Oliver, the whole rig will stop as quickly as the vehicle alone. A long wheelbase diesel Nissan Patrol had no difficulty towing the boat.

In the water the boat drew quite a bit of comment from others launching at the public ramp. It looks smart in white and 'Steadecraft green' — a sort of understated teal colour. The supercharged-turbocharged Volvo KAD32P diesel sits well down in the hull, meaning that the engine box is low. It’s a small step up from the cockpit sole and would make an ideal spot for a game chair. Even without one it’s safe enough to stand on and easy enough to move across.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous on the day we tried the Pro Fisher 800. Tauranga harbour was like glass and there was no prospect of any wind or waves for the remainder of the day. Oh well. The conditions did give us the opportunity to do a few high speed runs to test out the boat’s top speed. At 3800rpm on the Volvo rev-counter, the Seiwa LCD8NT GPS-chart plotter showed a steady speed of 34 knots — which we were able to average over several runs with and against the tide. Tight turns are a breeze with the deep-vee hull combining nicely with the incredible bite of the duo-props to carve turns without cavitation. The boat stays on the plane, no matter how tight the turn. Low speed manoeuvrability is good, and George masterfully positioned the boat for our various photographic drop-offs.

Advance Trident supplied the electronics package on this boat. It consists of the Seiwa LCD chart-plotter and a powerful JRC FF30 video sounder. The VHF is a Shakespeare supplied by Crystal Electronics and the stereo is a Maxxima marine unit, neatly stowed in its own little roof-mounted box. The plotter is roof-mounted — a clever innovation presenting it at eye-level and shading it from the worst of the sun.

The forward cabin is surprisingly roomy and it will comfortably sleep three, four at a pinch. There are v-berths forrard with an in-fill to make a generous double (plenty of storage underneath) and a full width single under the helm station. Although this looks a little cramped initially (the moulding to accommodate the helmsman’s feet intrudes halfway along but it opens out again at the other end) there’s enough space to lie down and turn around without feeling claustrophobic.

The galley is compact but practical consisting of a stove unit with a small basin behind. The boat carries fresh water and the gas bottle is stowed beside the passenger seat outside under the hardtop, well away from the stove.

This particular boat (the first one out of the mould and finished in a bit of a hurry, said George, which might explain some lapses in finish detail like the screen caulking) is specced with family fishing and cruising in mind. It’s got plenty of teak and good-quality fabric upholstery inside. More basic versions with vinyl squabs are planned for purist fisherfolk. The cabin certainly looks warm and inviting with cloth upholstery. The cabin door is lockable and women particularly will appreciate the roomy fully-enclosed head with its Raritan toilet from Sailors Corner.

After a bit of fizzing around in the harbour, I took the boat outside the heads onto the open ocean. Apart from a lazy swell it was flat outside too. We cruised at a very comfortable 20 knots (2600rpm), a speed at which the Volvo should return about 15 litres an hour. Considering the boat has a 300 litre tank, that provides a fair sort of range and is the most likely cruise speed under most conditions. George explained that they were out recently in much less benign conditions (20-25 knots) and still averaged 18-20 knots punching into the seas. Thirty knots was equally comfortable (3300rpm) in our conditions — a speed for covering a lot of distance in a short time.

The response from the 170hp Volvo diesel is quite outstanding. It’s a light four-cylinder engine equipped with a supercharger which works at the lower end of the rev range AND a turbocharger which cuts in once the engine is spinning strongly. Performance is remarkable, particularly acceleration out of the hole. There’s no lag and no appreciable change in thrust as one blower takes over from the other, though the engine tone alters. The only quirk I noticed was a sort of muffled backfire as the supercharger cuts out with the boat coming off the plane.

Trim tabs are fitted, though we hardly needed them in the conditions, but the hull in its original guise was a little susceptible to side winds. The new topsides should make a difference but I feel trim tabs are essential with a fairly narrow, deep vee hull like this one. Although we had no appreciable waves to deal with, it was possible to launch off some of the swells at thirty-plus knots. Re-entries were soft and there was little evidence of slamming. The boat’s single-skin construction means it’s fairly heavy although we had only half a tank of fuel on board and the boat was otherwise empty. Stability at rest was OK, as you would expect with a boat of this size, but I wonder how it behaves beam-on in a chop. I suspect it may roll a bit — not a problem, just a function of the vee and the boat’s waterline beam.

The cockpit is spacious with the engine box being unusually unobtrusive. There are plenty of sensibly placed rod holders — two down each side and four across the stern — and the boat is fitted with a four-rod rocket launcher. The swim step is quite wide and the boarding ladder folds cleverly underneath. Also across the transom are lockers/bins, one of which will become a generous livebait tank. Under the cockpit sole is a huge fish bin/storage bin and there’s more storage under the floor down each side. There are no side shelves but the passenger seat lifts to reveal a cavernous storage area and there are lockers on the helm side as well. The area above the dash is huge, too.

I liked the way the upper surface of the hardtop is moulded to provide a secure grip for standing passengers. There are full length stainless grab rails, one each side of the cabin with more grab rails for seated passengers. All the stainless work is by G.I. Oliver Boats. The helm and passenger stations are comfortable enough though the little back to back seats are somewhat cramped. It is not possible to drive this boat standing up but visibility is excellent through the curved perspex screen and side windows. George intends cutting a hatch in the hardtop.

Although this boat is a true walkaround, with all the advantages this style of boat has for anglers, the side decks are too narrow to comfortably play fish. There’s plenty of room on the bow but an angler can’t shuffle sideways along the side deck because his or her feet won’t fit. A few inches each side (meaning of course a slightly narrower cabin) would allow stand-up fishing from the side deck. At the moment an angler will have to walk a fish from bow to stern or vice versa and play them there.

The gunwales are about the right height and the bow rail, substantial enough to offer support and anchoring, is a piece of cake, as is true with most walkaround boats. A Maxwell winch, fully automatic and operated from inside the cabin, takes all the grunt out of raising the pick and there’s plenty of space in the anchor locker. A hatch on the cabin top provides cabin ventilation at anchor and when it’s calm, though the boat is very dry even in the rough, according to George.

After two hours of running around trying different speeds and trim attitudes, with still no sign of wind or weather, we decided to call it quits. The Steadecraft Pro-Fisher 800 gives the impression of being well-built and capable. It is ideally matched to the Volvo KAD32P though it can be supplied with a six-cylinder Volvo petrol, or a Mercruiser V8 petrol. Both would give excellent performance.

The biggest Steadecraft would seem to slot in nicely to the marque’s existing line-up and is still well below the smallest of Oliver’s launches. It’s a practical fishing and diving craft with a well-proven hull and modern topsides. At eight metres and legal width, it can be towed with a big four-wheel drive but it’s large enough for realistic family cruising and overnight or multi-day trips.

This article is reproduced with permission of NZ Fisherman Magazine John Eichelsheim Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited