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By
DAVID LOCKWOOD
5 November 2007
Scout boats from South Carolina elicit a love-at-first-sight
response. Currently available from 4.24-8.48 metres (14-28ft), the boats
have purposeful lines, practical layouts and a wonderful eye-catching
finish that points to their serious saltwater fishing intent.
The integrity of these boats - or at least those I have drooled over
to date - can be traced back to the fact that they are made by an
independent company which, unlike some dollar-driven multinationals,
isn't out to make its profits at the expense of quality.
So it was with the 205 Sportfish with optional flag-blue hull. The
6.1-metre (19-foot 11-inch) centre console with Suzuki 112 kW (150hp)
four-stroke outboard is an eye-catching boat with a wonderful finish,
heavy-duty deck gear and feeling of solidity at sea.
Typical for Scout there are plenty of smart fishing/family features,
storage and amenities built-in and tucked away so as to keep the
interior clean and uncluttered. Although a modest craft on paper, the
boat feels big with a self-draining cockpit and, though we didn't test
the claim, it's apparently unsinkable.
As with the best trailerable fishing boats, the 205 Sportfisher has a
monocoque or one-piece hull achieved by first laying up (by hand) the
running surface, then chemically bonding the deck in place, before
spraying liquid foam inside. The resulting hull is backed by a 10-year
transferable warranty.
There is not a splinter of timber in the boat, the fuel system is an
integral part of the craft so there's no risk of the 246-litre tank
moving when powering to sea, and the wiring is tin-coated with
heat-shrunk connections.
The hull is a convex design with variable deadrise and a sharp 21
degrees at the transom. Incidentally, the transom is designed in such a
way that it's linked to the stringers to spread the engine load.
But it's not until you set foot aboard that you find the points of
difference and the nifty design details. The so-called Wave Gate transom
with removable stern seat is unique. There's a fold-down washboard that,
when locked in position, creates an aft casting platform. But don't
worry about putting water aboard, the 205 Sportfisher is especially
buoyant.
Access around the motor is excellent for clearing your rod tip and
fighting a stubborn fish and, with the wave-gate down, you can easily
drag a big fish or diver aboard. And when not fishing, the fold-down
washboard can be returned to its original position and the heavy-duty
rear lounge dropped in for extra seating for two or three crew.
I noted four heavy-duty rod holders, a huge plumbed live-bait tank in
the port corner with pump and pickup, and a big storage compartment in
the opposite corner. Drink holders, grab rails and cleats are all
stainless steel.
The bow is traced by flush-mounted snag-free deck fittings, headed by
a dedicated anchor well and with a nice big underfloor insulated fish
box with, of course, overboard drain. With the lid closed over the
fishbox you create a casting platform.
With a padded upholstered cushion, the 88-litre or 144-can portable
Igloo cooler mounted ahead of the centre console can be used as an
impromptu seat. It's a great place for carrying lunch and drinks and
soaking up the rays after your Sunday swim.
Storage is a real highlight, with 15 spots to stow rods, gaffs, tag
poles, landing net and so on. And the aluminium frame supporting the
T-top is a lovely bit of work.
When driving, you get to use the leaning post. Plenty of grab rails
are within reach for skipper, co-pilot and crew. Additional dry storage
and plenty of mounting space for electronics can be found at the helm,
along with a sturdy stainless-steel steering wheel.
Put it all together and you have a sport fisher with a great sense of
purpose. The local dealer bundled the boat with a decent Dunbier
Rollamatic Tandem trailer, too. A nice rig and, at sea, the Suzuki 150
four-stroke outboard provided smooth running.
At optimum cruise revs of 4000rpm, we were heading east at 38.9 to
40.1 km/h (21-22 knots), but I needed to trim the bow right down to
prevent porpoising. Some fine tuning of the outboard mounting height and
the propeller selection was needed, but clearly this a boat that's bound
to serve well offshore. Top speed was 72.3 km/h on flat water (39
knots), which is fast enough.
FOOTNOTE: Scout has just developed the 145 Hybrid, a trailerable
fishing boat powered by dual Lenco 36-volt electric drives that can
apparently run all day off batteries, with a 20hp (15kW) Yamaha outboard
as standby. The electric drives are controlled with a joystick at the
helm, negating the need for a wheel. Such has been the reception for the
hybrid fishing boat that Scout now has a 4.84-metre model (16-footer) in
the pipeline. More on them later.
lockwood@intercoast.com.au
AT-A-GLANCE
SCOUT 205 SPORTFISHER
Price as tested: $84,302 with Suzuki DF150 four-stroke outboard, Dunbier
Supa-Rolla tandem trailer and optional engine upgrade, flag-blue hull,
T-top with radio box, swim platform, trailer upgrade, safety gear, regos
and more.
Length Overall: 6.10 metres excluding optional swim platform
Beam: 2.50 metres
Deadrise: 21 degrees at transom
Draft: 0.30 metres
Weight: Around 898 kg (base boat, hull only dry)
Fuel Capacity: 246 litres
Water Capacity: raw-water deckwash only.
Persons: 8
Recommended HP: 150hp
Maximum HP: 225hp
Outboard: Suzuki DF150 four-stroke outboard motor with multipoint
sequential fuel injection
Prop: 19-inch x 14-inch stainless steel
Imported by: Sportsfishing Boats Australia, 105 Batt Street, Penrith,
NSW, 2750. Telephone: (02) 4732 5249, see www.sfba.com.au
for dealers.
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Marque Publishing Company
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