Surtees 5.5m workmate

Surtees’ successful 5.5m Workmate has been around for a few years, but its continuing popularity is easy to understand.

It is available in basic trim, which hardly describes this example filled to the gunwales with virtually every extra the factory offers. It’s a well-dressed Workmate indeed.

But even the most basic spec examples include dozens of clever design features. These include: foldaway electronics’ racks; fold-down helm; and passenger and transom seats (the latter also serving as a cover for the battery shelf across the transom). Other standard features include: re-locatable, sidepocket-mounted rod holders; underfloor fish bins; a folding hardtop and ‘screen; 1.6m vee berths forward; a berley muncher; dive ladder; upholstery and more.

Special features include: a storage locker set into the port side coaming; a removable craypot derrick with electric winch; deluxe bait station with trace dispensers and built-in tacklebox; a wash-down hose set into the starboard side coaming; and painted topsides.

This feature-packed boat was equipped with a Suzuki 90hp four-stroke outboard, which gives a top speed of 40mph. Cruising at a more sedate 30mph sees 3000rpm on the speedo, and an 80-litre underfloor tank should provide enough range, especially with this fuel-miserly four-stroke.

Handling is good; 4mm bottom, 3mm topsides provide plenty of strength. A 17-degree deadrise with a fine entry forward ensured a soft ride into the sea – there was too little lift on the bar to really assess its   downhill characteristics, but the boat does like plenty of trim up.

A flooding chamber provides exceptional stability at rest, only marginally effects performance ‘out of the hole’, and can be left filled for extra weight in rough conditions. However, leaving it empty at rest transforms this boat from super-stable into your average, tippy tinny!

Visibility with the hardtop in the ‘up’ position is good, sitting or standing; in foul weather with the top tilted down onto the screen and the plastic side screens fitted, it’s better sitting down.

A huge forward hatch allows excellent access in and out of the boat over the bow and makes working the anchor easy. The winch is mounted on the steeply sloped cabin top to starboard. It looks odd but works well.

The cockpit is floored with chequerplate aluminium and drains into the sump aft; the outboard pod doubles as a livebait tank.

Supplied on a Surtees single-axle trailer, the super-spec review boat retails for around $48,000, but basic packages start at around $28,000 (2005 prices).

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