FatCat 4500 Review

Nick Jones reviews the FatCat 4500 boat...

The backstory

Blair McLay, head honcho of FatCat, has plenty of boat design pedigree. He helped Emirates Team New Zealand with the AC72 design for the 2013 Americas Cup and spent almost a decade with Pure Design and Engineering, working with some of the world’s greatest naval architects to engineer and produce plans for all sorts of cutting-edge carbon fibre and composite racing and motor yachts.

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To the uninitiated, it might come as a surprise that he now specialises in the production of polyethylene vessels. However, plastic lends itself perfectly to fishing boat applications – being durable, easy to maintain, buoyant, soft riding, and quiet on the water. FatCat have taken advantage of these benefits, by combining the poly material with a catamaran hull design that affords excellent space and stability.

Hence, it’s perhaps no surprise that flyfishing guide Matt von Sturmer, operating from Waiheke Island under the ‘Salt Fly Fish’ moniker, decided to go with a FatCat 4500 centre console.

Matt generally takes clients around Waiheke’s shallow coastal environs and nearby islands, such as Motuihe and Motutapu, targeting snapper, kingfish, and kahawai exclusively on the fly.

“A smooth, dry ride, plenty of casting space for two anglers, and a shallow draft were key considerations. If you’re casting into water deeper than a metre, you’re often fishing too deep!” says Matt.

Construction

The FatCat 4500 is a single-engine catamaran built locally from rotationally moulded polyethylene, with a modest typical tow weight of around 700kg. The 2.05m beam is almost half the total length of the vessel – a nod to the genesis of the brand name perhaps! The floor is self-draining with scuppers, and the hull is self-buoyant and features approximately 400L of additional buoyancy foam.

The functional design offers a decent, safe gunwale height, and there are swim steps aft for easy boarding. Eight colour options are available as standard, and FatCat makes their own trailers on rollers or skids (the hull must be supported correctly to maintain the three-year structural warranty).

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A key design feature of the 4500 is the central stability pod. It runs longitudinally under the deck and widens towards the transom, offering both smoother water flow over the propellor to avoid cavitation (an issue for some single-engine cats) and additional strength to the entire hull. There’s also a spray deflector along the forward chines to help keep things dry, and replaceable wear plates protect the hull when launching, retrieving, or ‘bump guiding’ in the shallows as I’m sure Matt will do from time to time!

Layout and fishability

A variety of layout options are available for the 4500, including tiller, single console, double console, twin console, and forward cabin configurations, along with a bunch of optional accessories such as a livie tank, anchor winch, t-top, bimini, towing post, and baitboard. FatCat have a handy online price estimator where you can play around with different configurations and options.

The base configuration is super simple but ready for action, with tote tank and tiedowns, six grab handles, anchor/storage hatches, Ultalon decking, rod holders, and an anchor pack.

Matt’s 4500 is a double-console design and features some specialised modifications necessary to meet survey requirements, such as bench seats at the rear of the cockpit. Amazingly, Matt’s boat has been approved for up to five passengers (plus skipper) – not too shabby for a 4.6m boat!

The review boat is set up perfectly for casting and fishing. It has a huge, raised casting deck, with three large storage lockers underneath and a neatly hidden chilly bin. Matt’s work relies heavily on stealthily prospecting the shallows, which is why there’s a Haswing electric trolling motor mounted on the bow complete with a very tidy plug and wiring job. The double console affords plenty of room for flush-mounted gadgetry and storage for valuables, and the windscreen affords great wind protection when underway for both skipper and passenger on dual reversible, upholstered seats.

Performance

Our review vessel was powered at the top end of the horsepower range with a Yamaha F70. It cruised along very comfortably between 24-26 knots and topped out at over 30 knots. While it can be powered by as little as 40hp, I imagine that would feel a little undergunned for some punters, especially with a few people (or huge fish) onboard.

As advertised, the central stability pod dismissed any worry of cavitation, while the hull cut through the slight inner Hauraki Gulf we encountered with ease. Handling was composed and in typical cat fashion, it remained flat through the turns. Although an open boat, the centre console 4500 deflected any spray nicely, ensuring we stayed dry and content on our early September test day.

In terms of fishing performance, the internal volume and stability at rest were exceptional for a small boat, and Matt showed off his salt fly prowess by catching a kahawai on his second cast. 

Specifications

Model: FatCat 4500

Hull design: Blair McLay

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Builder: FatCat Boats

Construction: Rotomoulded polyethylene

LOA: 4.6m

Beam: 2.05m

Draft (motor up): 25cm

Typical tow weight: 700kg

Length on trailer: 5.7m

Width on trailer: 2.3m

Fuel capacity: 2 x 24L tote tanks


October 2023 - Nick Jones
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
Copyright: NZ Fishing Media Ltd.
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

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