McLay 550

The McLay 550 offers a number of features (particularly for the fisherman) the most significant being the large cockpit, enabling a crew of four anglers to fish comfortably.

The boat has an excellent rough-water ride as well as good stability at rest, courtesy of a gull-wing-style hull.

At the stern there are several options, including either a half or full swim-step, and there is space for an auxiliary motor bracket. McLay have added transducer-mounting brackets to reduce the number of times the integrity of the hull is compromised during the electronics fit-up.

As mentioned, the ride is excellent, helped no doubt by the little extra weight offered by a 5mm bottom and 4mm plate floor, the latter also adding rigidity to the hull.

From the helm, all-round visibility is good from standing and seated positions. A tinted acrylic screen was fitted, with additional protection offered by a canopy, the centre section of which zipped out for fair weather helming.

The positioning of the grab rails has been well thought out. Another important feature was the ease of anchoring. The McLay has a ‘man sized’ forward hatch to give comfortable access to the generous capacity anchor well.

There is plenty of fuel capacity in the 120-litre underfloor tank. This, coupled with the acknowledged economy of the four-stroke Honda 90, gives the boat plenty of trolling range for those who like to get out wide in pursuit of larger game. (However, with a horsepower capacity of up to 150hp, there are plenty of get up and go options for those contemplating towing skiers or water toys with a bigger capacity outboard.)

Included in the electronics package is a VHF and Lowrance X75 sounder, coupled with a Lowrance LMS 100 Map chartplotter/GPS, ideally matched to the size of the craft.

Trailering is an important factor. The McLay rides on a purpose-built Toko trailer that is braked, enabling it to be towed (and stopped!) safely by a mid-powered family saloon.

The McLay 550 is a very practical fishing craft that’s built to take the knocks.

	This article is reproduced with permission of New Zealand Fishing News Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited