Stabicraft 1550 Frontier side console

Just when Grant Dixon thought it was impossible to come up with any more fresh features for a small trailer boat, he was introduced to Matt Watson’s new Stabicraft 1550 Frontier side-console Triple Shot…

Having reviewed all six of the ITM Hook Me Up and ITM The Fishing Show project Stabicraft boats over the years, I should not have been surprised by what has been incorporated into such a small and compact package.

Features you’d expect on a 30-footer, rather than a vessel half its size, make the 1550 Frontier a standout, and is testament to Matt’s experience as a crewman, angler and film producer.

Indeed, it is a pocketbattleship in every sense of the term; you name the quarry and it is geared up to ‘get ‘em on’.

There is little or no wasted space, few luxuries – other than the helm seat, the footrest ‘suspension’ and Marine Deck underfoot – and dozens of features, big and small, to make fishing more enjoyable.

At the sharp end is a new Maxwell drum winch, attached to a Sarca anchor and 20 metres of heavy chain. Once the ground tackle is down and in place, Matt doesn’t want it to move.

Railed

The forward rails are quite different. Conventional rails extend out around the bow; on Triple Shot they face slightly inwards, enabling the angler to use them as support when playing a fish from the raised casting platform.

The gunwales are thigh height, and when combined with good toe-room below and the rails above, there is plenty to steady yourself against. An upholstered seat is set into the foredeck – ideal for taking a break from casting or simply relaxing.

The casting platform has MarineDeck added, a feature throughout the boat. This corkbased product is durable and offers good grip, even when wet.

Stealth mode

Electric motors on smaller craft are a great feature, offering anglers many advantages when used to their fullest extent (as we were soon to be reminded yet again).

For our test run, Matt took us to some productive foul in the Bay of Island’s ‘middle ground’, and once we had found the baitfish, we used the remotecontrolled Minn Kota Riptide 55’s ‘Spot-Lock’ mode to hold us in position. While there was little wind, a bit of tide was running, yet the Minn Kota kept us effortlessly and accurately over the baitfish.

Once we decided that was where we wanted to fish, the anchor and berley were deployed – too easy! Had we wanted to, we could have done it all using Spot-Lock, and there’s a foot-control option for hands-free operation, too. (The Minn Kota also comes into its own when stalking kingfish with a fly-rod over the flats or snapper on soft-baits in the shallows, as it’s virtually soundless.)

Beneath the forward platform are two dry storage areas, each with its own small scupper to clear away water. Under one side is all the safety equipment – life rings, flares, lifejackets etc – while the other side is for general storage; my bulky camera bag fitted easily.

All lit up

Our pre-dawn start served to demonstrate the effectiveness of the extensive Hella lighting system. There are six LED lights set under the gunwales, offering a choice of red or white illumination at the flick of a switch. The baitboard is lit in similar fashion, with soft floodlighting provided by a pole-mounted Sea Hawk unit. Using Railblaza mounts, the latter can be positioned elsewhere around the boat as required.

The navigation lights are part of the Railblaza mounting system, so can be removed when not in use.

A Hella plug-in spotlight rounds out the onboard lighting. This can be either hand-held or placed in a mount that Matt has adapted using a Railblaza starport.

Ocean LED underwater lights at the stern are multi-functional. They can be set to several different colours or used strobestyle to produce disco-like effects!

There are six Railblaza star-port mounts around the boat, used for cellphones, cameras, lights, drink and utility holders (the latter exclusive to Stabicraft). Consequently, instead of having items such as floodlights permanently fixed, they can be moved around the boat as required and stowed when not in use, keeping the working areas uncluttered.

“The utility box is particularly useful. It’s located on the side of the bait-station; I use it to store all those necessary items such as pliers, cutters, knives and lures. At the end of the day, when I’ve finished washing up, I tip fresh soapy water into the box to clean the items of salt.”

Rod holders for Africa

There is no shortage of rod holders. Four vertical holders are positioned in the port and starboard forward gunwales outside the rail.

Another four are set into the rear edge of the casting platform; Matt says it’s a good place to rig rods up, as they are lower. This gives the bigger game reels a lower centre of gravity, makes them more manageable, and provides an ideal place to hold them in rougher conditions.

Four more holders are set across the back of the bait- station, with a further five holders either set astern or at 90 degrees on either gunwale, primarily for gamefishing. The forward two have been beefedup to take a set of stiff Reel Rods telescopic outriggers, the halyards running back to readily accessed retractable cleats.

The side-helming console, like the rest of the layout, is practical with good use of space. The move away from a centre-console layout to a side console creates more space, says Matt, also providing easier access forward. The boat has been designed so the live-bait tank and the upholstered Icey Tek ‘passenger seat’ act as a counter-balance.

“The bin is a mobile trim tab that can be shifted (along with the seated passenger) to get the best performance out of the hull,” explains Matt.

At the helm

At the heart of the helm station is a Furuno TZ Touch sounder-plotter, running through a two-kilowatt transducer. This is mounted on a transom slide with three settings, enabling Matt to get the best out of it, especially when moving slowly and on low frequency, sounding the depths.

The analogue engine gauges, VHF and Fusion Marine audio head unit are all close at hand, along with the Maxwell drumwinch controller.

The Bluetooth-capable Fusion sound system runs through four 6.5” 230-watt speakers via a small digital amp, pumping out heaps of sounds.

The fold-down windscreen is another worthwhile feature: when not on the water, the ‘screen folds over on hinges at the base, further protecting the already waterproof electronics.

There is quite a power requirement, thanks to the electric motor, a spread of electronics, a complete lighting system and the drum winch – not to mention the bilge, tuna-tube and live-bait pumps. Consequently, Triple Shot’s electrics are powered by three Exide Stowaway batteries – two ‘house’ batteries and one dedicated start battery.

The Evinrude E-TEC 75hp has a ‘best in class’ alternator, which tops up the start battery first and then the house batteries through a VSR.

“Even with everything going, we should never run out of power.”

A place for everything

As alluded to previously, there is a place for everything and everything in its place.

Hi-Tech Plastics has created two custom bins, one of which slots in under the transom on the floor and another in the helm station, the latter incorporating a ‘suspension’ footrest made from a flexible space-age material.

More removable bins fit into a waterproof locker in the transom.

“Depending what I’m doing, I can set up the bins at home and put them in the boat, changing them with each mission.”

Similarly, a storage system involving standard Shimano tackle boxes is located under the helm seat. These can be set up at home and changed out according to the specific fishing pursuit.

Long, wide shelving under the gunwales makes for more great storage for everything, from tag poles to gaffs.

Finding somewhere to store the landing net is an issue most boat anglers face. Matt uses a fold-away landing net that fits easily under the gunwales for travelling and when not in use.

In general

Matt says he was always going to put ‘function over form’ when putting the boat together, but says the result is a great-looking boat fit for purpose.

“We raised the decks slightly to create a free-draining cockpit, and everything has been done to minimise the opportunity to catch a line. Instead of a dive ladder, we have rungs added to the Game Chaser transom. Our cleats are all retractable and the Railblaza ports make many aspects removable, such as the floodlights and nav lights, so the internal clutter is minimised.”

The Hoskings trailer is another example where a practical approach has been taken to launching and retrieving, especially where there is no ramp. An extended folding drawbar reduces the need to put the Toyota tow wagon into the tide. Wider wheel rims make traversing the sand easier.

Recent Stabicraft developments include the Arrow wide gunwales, offering a comfortable place to sit and fish from. Then there’s the Game Chaser transom, which creates hull lift when reversing, while the foam-filled buoyant hull sections help add a little weight to the ride and dampen the noise. These are the result of Stabicraft Marine’s ongoing R&D programme, based on customer feedback.

Last, but not least, is the Evinrude 75hp E-TEC two-stroke outboard. This lean-burning, miserly motor produces plenty of power to get Triple Shot quickly on the plane, holding it there at relatively low speeds. These low-speed, quick-toplane aspects are aided by a Permatrim fitted by Matt.

“The 75-litre underfloor tank should hold enough fuel for a full day out wide, minimising the need to carry extra in a tote tank.”

Matt says, given the right conditions, there is nothing the Stabicraft 1550 Frontier can’t do that a larger launch can.

“From swords to blue marlin, bluenose to snapper and kingfish, we are looking forward to putting Triple Shot through its paces in the near future.”