by Steve Morgan •
Aquamaster are South East Queensland’s quiet achiever when it comes to aluminium boats. Established nearly 30 years ago, they’ve been quietly going about their business hand-making dependable hulls south of Brisbane.
Anyone remembering the start of ABT’s BASS Pro series may remember that the inaugural BASS Angler of the Year (Brett Thomson, 1999, 2000) fished from a custom built Aquamaster punt. It showed that at the time, these guys were willing to listen and that’s what’s kept them in business for so long.
The boat we tested here, however, is about as far from a bass punt as you can get. The 5.3m half cab is one of four half cabins in the range that vary from 5-6m in length in the Aquamaster range.
With a roomy cabin and plenty of cockpit space, it’s right in the middle of the zone of craft that are great for taking the family cruising, yet still have the ability to do an overnighter on the bay with a mate or two.
Rod Elliott is Queensland’s only Aquamaster dealer, and he happily took us for a ride on Moreton Bay in the 5.3m version.
“Aquamasters feature a fully welded hull, which means that they are basically trouble and warranty free from a dealer point of view,” said Rod when explaining the ethos of the brand.
“You’ll also notice the upswept bow, which is a feature that Aquamaster boats have had for years. You’ll see more and more competitive brands agreeing that this is both good looking and practical.”
Arriving on a single-axle trailer, the rig will tow behind most family vehicles. You’ll rarely see an Aussie rig more than 1.5 tonnes supplied on a single axle trailer.
Fitted with Australian Marine Centre’s own test outboard (a 140hp Suzuki), we set off on a day on Moreton Bay that was way too calm for rough water boat testing.
As such, we can report that it rides very nicely on calm water, if a little sensitive to internal weight changes. With all crew on one side underway, the hull would lean while at cruising speeds.
Performance wise, the Suzuki delivered exactly what we expected – a very economical ride with a real sweet spot at 3,500rpm where several repeats in the test showed a spike in economy to 3.1km/L. At those revs it was cruising at 31km/h. Wide open, expect 66km/h at 6,500rpm at a significantly more thirsty rate. That speed yielded only 1.3km/L.
With 100L of underfloor fuel, best economy gives this rig a theoretical range of over 250km.
As far as levels of fit-out go, this is a reasonably basic package at a price to match. Noteworthy are the seat bases with inbuilt storage, the cavernous areas under the bunks and the optional transom door, which make it easier for boarding both on and off the trailer.
The rear lounge is folding and fills two thirds of the transom, leaving a space for boarding through the transom door.
Priced from mid to high $40,000s, you can check out this Aquamaster at Australian Marine Centre at Slacks Creek in Brisbane. Their website is www.amcboats.com.au or www.aquamaster.com.au for the boat site. Alternatively, you can Like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AustralianMarineCentre.
PERFORMANC
RPM.. Speed (km/h)…….. Economy (km/L)
700…………………… 4………………………… 4.0
1000…………………. 7………………………… 4.2
2000………………… 11………………………… 2.8
3000………………… 23………………………… 2.8
3500………………… 31………………………… 3.1
4000………………… 38………………………… 2.8
4500………………… 46………………………… 2.7
5000………………… 51………………………… 2.3
6000………………… 61………………………… 1.6
6500……………… 66…………………….. 1.3
SPECIFICATIONS
Length……………………………………… 5.3m
Beam………………………………………… 2.3m
Hull weight……………………………… 580kg
Depth……………………………………….. 1.1m
Fuel………………………………………….. 110L
Min HP……………………………………… 70
Max HP…………………………………….. 140
Bottom sheet……………………………. 3mm
Side sheet…………………………………. 3mm
Capacity……………………………….. 6 persons
