Stessl Funseeker Bowrider 6.3 with Yamaha F200

by Steve Morgan •
You might think that boat companies just take a fishing boat hull, whack a bowrider deck on the top, and presto an instant bowrider! That’s exactly what Gold Coast boat builder, Stessl Boats have done with this 6.3m Funseeker.

“The 630 is a great hull and yes, it’s exactly the same as the fishing version of the boat,” said Stessl boss, Scott James, when we joined him and the kids for a morning on the water.

In fact, there’s no reason to change the Platerix2 hull. They’ve been built with an extraordinarily strong subfloor frame and have a reputation for taking all of the punishment that you can dish out. It’s just that the Funseeker’s not a hardened workhorse, it’s all dressed up to impress on a Saturday night.

And there’s no questioning the fact that this is a big boat. Apart from the 6.3m, 4mm/4mm hull, it sports a maximum-trailerable 2.5m beam that forces you to put it on a trailer and over the guards. This means that access is really important, both on the water and off it.

Make no mistake, the 630 Funseeker by Stessl is a big boat that goes hard when you drop the hammers with a Yamaha F200 strapped on the back. Just make sure you strap the family in.

And here’s the real estate down the back. The 6.3m hull gives you miles of space for playing, lounging, swagging or fishing.

In the house, this is called the Naughty Corner. In a boat, it’s a foldable rear lounge.

The key to a family friendly boat is to make it easy to get into and out of the boat when you’re at a destination. Mum’s sitting in the walk through and there’s a fold down set of heavy-duty ladder/stairs hinging off the duckboard below her.

With a 2.5m beam, it’s just as important to have easy access while the boat is on the trailer, as it can’t sit between the wheels. The transom door and ladder are standard.

… but the extruded rail that holds a swathe of Railblaza accessories is new to us. It’s a great idea that lets you mount accessories, non-permanently, exactly where you need them at the time.

The Yamaha F200 is the maximum horsepower allowed on this hull. She’s a fun unit to drive with it on, that’s for sure. Add 250L of fuel and you have serious range.

The curved windscreen matches the style of the boat although some drivers will dislike the height. It depends on how you sit as to whether your view is split.

Stessl’s fit-outs are evolving constantly. Passengers are now treated to somewhere to keep your valuables, some drink holders and a grab rail.

Stessl’s new console layout is fitted in the 2020 Funseeker. Oodles of flush-mounting room for all of your favourite electronics.

There’s the real estate up front. Plenty of padded areas to sit on, travel in or entertain around. But the angler in me yearns to pull off the cushions, add a deck infill and drop on an electric motor. These are all options.

There’s also plenty of room to wet a line in this rig. It’s a pretty good option to come home with if the instructions are to come home with a ‘family’ boat. The Platerix 2 hull is identical to the ones in Stessl’s serious fishing rigs.

There’s a couple of wet storage areas under the hull. Since I’ve had kids, I now am aware these are for more than fish.

There’s a couple of wet storage areas under the hull. Since I’ve had kids, I now am aware these are for more than fish.

There’s a built-in anchor well and bowsprit that’s very easy to access with the bowrider configuration.

… but the extruded rail that holds a swathe of Railblaza accessories is new to us. It’s a great idea that lets you mount accessories, non-permanently, exactly where you need them at the time.

A foldable rear lounge, small side pockets and built in rod holders are common in most boats we test…

Stessl include a transom door and industrial strength ladder for exactly this reason. The kids need to be able to climb back in after bomb-diving from the gunwale and mum needs to be able to jump on while the boat is on the trailer.

From inside the rig, there’s plenty of space for all but the largest families. The padded seating up the bow is generous and there’s cavernous storage underneath it. I will mention that there’s an infill board available, which turns the front seating area of the Funseeker into a very effective casting platform.. Maybe don’t show mum the ticked options box for that … yet.

Moving back, there’s a classy, curved windscreen that opens in the middle for easy access up front. Both the driver and passenger have pedestal seating. The kids get the back foldable lounge, or the deck under mum’s feet. Depends on how old they are.

Under the rear deck there’s a couple of wet storage areas that help swallow up the salty mess that eventuates after the kids are sick of swimming. Covering it all is a small-ish bimini top.

There are a couple of really cool features before we get back to the 200 Yamaha. One’s the special extrusion that’s standard on all new Stessls that fits a sliding mount system for Railblaza accessories. From drink and phone mounts to rod holders, it allows you to customise your accessories per-trip and not permanently. 

The billet ski pole is also removable and a bait board fits in its place. This is pretty cool for someone who may be trolling a lake one day, skiing another and then snapper fishing the next.

The other is Stessl’s new console. Standard throughout all of their new ranges, they’re good looking and practical. It’ll hold exactly the electronics you want in a boat like this. And if you want a cool, offset colour in there, just ask.

Turn the key, though, on this rig and that’s where the real fun starts. With a recommended motor of 150, this hull has a maximum rating of 200, and that’s exactly what the test rig had fitted. Revving to 6000rpm, the Funseeker delivered 78km/h at a thirsty 1.0km/L, plenty quick enough to have the kids holding on rather than complaining.

Drop the rpm to 3,500 and you’ll cruise at 39km/h and get 2.2km/L doing so. Combine that with a 250L underfloor fuel tank and you’ll find a suspiciously massive 500km+ of range, which is much further than a family day trip would require. Just think about that!

As tested, the 630 Funseeker was bound for NSW and cost its new owner around $85,000. Packages start from mid $70,000s, however.

Visit www.stessl.com.au to track down your local dealer or for more information. Or scan the QR code hereby to watch this boat in action in the video boat test.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 6.3m
Beam: 2.5m
Depth: 1.7m
Bottom sheet: 4mm
Side sheet: 4mm
Hull weight: 880kg
Max hp: 200hp
Max transom wt: 240kg
Capacity: 7 persons

PERFORMANCE:
RPM Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L)
600 4 3.6
1000 7 2.5
2000 14 2.0
3000 30 2.2
3500 39 2.2
4000 46 1.8
4500 53 1.4
5000 61 1.4
6000 78 1.0