Just sold my Surtees 5.5 workmate (top boat it was) and will be heading to the boat show in Auckland at the end of the month. Looking to replace it with a stabicraft 595HT that will be extensively specked out. Have heard only good reports about the stabi range, but if anyone has other opinions I would be more than interested to hear of them. 

Cheers Cookie  

Cookie,

Have you looked at other pontoon boats. We have a Senator 585/620, which has a lot more cockpit room than a Stabi 595. There is very little difference in price between the 2 makes. I surppose it comes down to personal preference. A friend of mine owns a 595 Stabi and concedes there is very little between them, except the cockpit space.

Check out this web site.

http://www.senatorboats.co.nz

Cheeres

Naki

Looking at getting lockable doors fitted so it becomes almost a caravan when travelling cross country etc, The 595 stabi looks straighter in the back pillar than the senator. Do you reckon you could fit doors and still have enough room for king queen seats to the senators ???

Cookie,

Not sure about the doors, probably would work with pedstal seats only. I know the hardtop on the Senator is further forward than the Stabi. Are you saying that the hardtop on the Stabi is deeper and the seats are further forward? The bow on the Senator is also higher. Interesting thing you want to do though.

Any reason why you are not considering a Surtee 6.1 Barcrusher? We looked at a Barcrusher long and hard. The only problem was selling our exsisting boat. Surtees are not interested in trades. But now having owned a pontoon boat, I now know we made the right choice in the end.  Pontoons may look ugly, but they are awesome sea boats.

Cheers

Hi Cookie,

Yeah mate go for the Stabi 595, I done a bit for fishing in a 533 stabi, what a awesome boat. It out performed any other boat that Ive been in of that size. New Boat, youre rugby team winning, Lomu out, lifes good cookie.

Stephen

Cookie,

Barrie is right I just love the Stabi. I could rave about the boat for hours. But here is something that I must rave about. I cracked mine after 3 years of hard fishing and loads of bar crossings. Nothing serious but it did need repair.

I took it into Kev and Ians Marine where i brought it from and they contacted Stabi. The boat was repaired free of charge even though its out of warrantee, they added braces and repainted the areas that were modified.

Thats what I call after sales service and standing by your product. Given all that I recomend the boats to everyone

Bushie

I had the pleasure of operating a stabi in a commercial venture some years ago. It was the old shape pontoons and I found the boat to be a bit on the wet side but in hindsight I did take it where others would not have in some dirty seaways so I spose any boat would have had water flying around.

Nothing more to add except I would love to build one about 11-12m long with good accomodation and generous deck areas mmmmmmmm.

great boats and good after sales service too by the sounds. 

Damian

Cheers for all the replies,
Naki thought about the 6.1 Surtees but for some reason right from day one I always wanted a Stabi just couldn�t afford it back then. When I said I want to set it up as a caravan I more mean that when we go away for weekends etc I want to be able to pull up any where at any time and have all the necessities available to be able to put my head down with out having to have pre arranged accommodation, we also want to get down to the Sounds for weekends. Actually wouldn�t mind the next size up, but as we beach launch with consistent surf hitting all the time, you start to need more bodies to launch and retrieve.
Jerm do you have a contact number of some one I could call about the contest boat?
Barrie always on for a beer, name the place and time, you going to the boat show?
Steve lifes good alright mate and your along time dead.

Cookie,

Heard of reports where Stabis have been to the sounds and back. Is this what you are planning? My brother inlaw in Blenheim has a 580HT Stabi (hard to keep track of all the models). He has put a drop down canvas curtain in his wheel house, not a bad idea. The Stabis have a larger cabin than the Senators, might suit you better.

The new 605 Stabi (which used to be the 593) is the same as the 595 except that it is a little wide and a tad shorter.

Bring on the boat shows so we can all droooooooll.

Cheers.