Boat review Stabicraft 2600 Supercab

The Stabicraft 2600

Supercab is the biggest in

the company’s range to

feature the Game Chaser

transom and Arrow

pontoons – and that makes

it a weapon in offshore fishing.

The new hull, pontoon and

transom combo was introduced on

the Stabicraft 1850 Supercab and

now features on the 1650 and 2100

models as well.

The Arrow pontoons give the

new boat a sleeker look with finer

entry, deeper vee and narrower

shoulders that sweep back to the

Game Chaser transom. This allows

the 2600 to back down as fast as you

dare, with the transom piercing the

water rather than pushing through

it – normally a manoeuvre with the

potential to ship plenty of water

when a skipper goes hard astern

chasing a hooked gamefish.

The new 2600 Supercab is

undoubtedly the softest-riding

Stabicraft boats are becoming sleeker, shaking off their aesthetic challenges and presenting a more kindly shape to the seas as well as to the eye. Meet the latest evolution.

Straight arrow

Craig Lewis, Stabicraft dealer, took the new 2600 out in 40 knots

76 Boating New Zealand August 2013

Stabicraft boats are becoming sleeker, shaking off their aesthetic challenges and presenting a more kindly shape to the seas as well as to the eye. Meet the latest evolution.

Straight arrowWords by John Eichelsheim Photos by Will Calver

and quietest Stabicraft I’ve had the

pleasure to drive. Indeed, it’s better

than the old 2570, which was quite

similar in size and general layout.

FinE hullThe new hull design gives a fresh new

look on the trailer and really shines

once the boat’s in the water.

For a Stabicraft, this is a deep-vee

hull, measuring 21.5° at the transom,

but it’s what has happened up front

that makes the most difference to

the ride. By reducing the size of the

chine flats, especially at the boat’s

shoulders, and tapering the pontoons

– as well as altering Stabi’s typically

full entry – Stabicraft has achieved an

impressively soft, dry and quiet ride.

We didn’t have a lot of sea to

contend with, though it built with

the nor’easter as the morning

wore on. However Craig Lewis of

Gulfland Marine, Whangaparaoa

who supplied and commissioned the

boat, has tried it in 40 knots of wind.

Lewis commented on its excellent

directional stability and the way it

holds its line in the rough, assisted by

the longer waterline length created by

the Gamechaser transom.

The trade-off from the Arrow

pontoons is less stability at rest

than we are used to with this brand,

especially lightly loaded, which leaves

the pontoons completely clear of

the water, but it’s still good. The boat

leans over only so far and then stops.

The Game Chaser design

provides superior backing-up

ability, manoeuvrability and safety.

It’s easy to steer the Game Chaser

boats in reverse, making it a cinch to

manoeuvre in a tight spot.

We had around a metre of slop in

Tiri Channel on the way home, but the

2600 Supercab handled it smoothly

and quietly. The boat tracks beautifully,

including running downhill, and can

be pushed along into a quartering sea

without banging or jarring, not normally

a Stabicraft’s best angle of attack.

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Performance with the

250hp Mercury Verado was

characteristically crisp, though

we didn’t explore its full potential

because of the motor’s extreme

newness. Travelling at 20 knots the

boat feels positively languid, but

even at 30 knots it is unflappable

and sure-footed. This boat should

be able to manage long passages in

lumpy conditions without beating

up its passengers.

WEll SpEC’dThe new model has an extensive list

of standard features but the owner,

for whom this is Stabicraft number

two, has ticked several boxes on the

manufacturer’s options list.

He will keep the boat at his

beachside property in the Bay of

Islands on a tandem-axle Voyager

steel trailer robust enough for beach

launching. Weighing close to three

tonnes all up, it’s equipped with an

LEFT: Craig Lewis and John Eichelsheim enjoy the Stabicraft's spacious cockpit. ABOVE: Optional fishing accessories include tuna tubes.

PERFORMANCE Furuno NavNet **Mercury SmartCraft VesselView

RPM Speed (knots) Fuel (lph)**1000 0.9 4.41500 2.2 6.02000 4.4 11.02500 8.0 16.03000 14.0 25.03500 19.4 32.04000 22.6 41.04500 27.0 54.05000 29.0 75.05500 31.5 99.26000 35.0 110.2

78 Boating New Zealand August 2013

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electrically activated Sensabrake

system for road use.

This model introduces a few

changes to equipment: aluminium

rodholders – previously plastic, cast

aluminium cleats and beefy 50mm

diameter matte-black painted bow

rails. Stabicraft has incorporated

subtle evolutionary changes

and features like the bait station

rodholders and the generous use of

non-slip neoprene on the side decks,

foredeck, coamings, rear corner seats

and cabin between the v-berths.

The general standard of finish

is good, but Stabicraft hasn’t gone

overboard with this boat, making

sure it’s practical and serviceable as

a fishing/diving day boat. Facilities

include an under-bunk plumbed

electric toilet forward of the helm

console with an environmentally-

friendly 28-litre holding tank.

On review day the v-berths were

still covered in plastic wrap. Lewis

says they’re likely to stay that way: the

owner’s previous boat, which Lewis

also supplied, was traded after three

years' hard use with the squabs still

encased in protective plastic film. The

owner does little overnighting and

the forward cabin is more likely to be

used to store gear than for sleeping.

There is generous storage with

shelves, cubby holes and bins for odds

and ends. There’s a large locker under

The Arrow pontoons present a sleeker silhouette, and the Game Chaser transom presents a sharper tail end for backing up on a fish, than on earlier Stabicraft models

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the floor between the v-berths and

a massive 450-litre underfloor wet

locker with waste pump in the cockpit.

largE hardtopThe wheelhouse is a generous size

with ample headroom, but Stabicraft

has made no attempt to squeeze in

a galley or extra seating. The same

boat is available with an extended

Supercab suitable for overnighting

that offers these features.

Inside, seating while underway is

restricted to a pair of optional Soft

Rider gas-strut pedestal seats, both

with fold-up bolsters for lumbar

support when standing up. Footrests

and grab rails are well positioned,

whether standing up to drive or

sitting down. Standing passengers

are also provided with grab rails

overhead and along the dashboard.

The boat’s owner has opted for the

enclosed hardtop with dual sliding

doors: solid-looking black powder-

coated aluminium and glass affairs.

A two-tier helm console is plain,

black powder-coated aluminium – no

fancy vinyl, timber or carbon – but

it offers plenty of real estate for

large screen displays. A 14-inch

Furuno NavNet touch-screen

display still left plenty of room for

the Mercury SmartCraft VesselView

display, Furuno NavPilot and an

array of switches and controls.

Communications and stereo

equipment is housed overhead and

tempered glass windscreens feature

a washer and wiper for each pane.

The forward cabin and the

wheelhouse are lined in grey Verticell

fabric, which complements the

boat’s black and white paint scheme

and chequerplate alloy cockpit and

hardtop floors. The forward hatch

provides access to the ground tackle,

a substantial Delta plough anchor

attached to 10m of chain and 100m

of warp stored on a StressFree drum

winch under the foredeck, though

it’s easy enough to sidle around the

hardtop to the foredeck if you prefer.

Outside roof rails provide secure

handholds and something to strap

an inflatable dinghy onto; the roof

is engineered to support the weight

of a person and can accept a tuna

tower if desired.

FiShing CoCkpitA big, wide-open cockpit with

high sides and full-length side-

pockets means the 2600 is a proper

sportfisher. The addition of the

Game Chaser transom with its extra

displacement aft to support larger

engines, tapered profile for excellent

performance in reverse – when

backing up on a gamefish, say – and

longer waterline length makes a big

difference to the boat’s fishability.

The transom unit contains a sealed

compartment for the dual battery

system, 240V inverter, switches and

VDC voltage regulator, all located

underneath the 80-litre livebait

tank. Dual black PVC Starboard lids

provide generous work surfaces or

cutting and filleting boards, with any

mess draining outboard. Knife slots

are standard, as are a pair of bait

board rodholders. A washdown on

the starboard side keeps everything

clean, while deep gutters around

the underfloor locker drain aft to the

sump containing bilge, bait tank,

washdown and tuna tube pumps. The

associated plumbing is tucked out of

sight but still easily accessible.

Optional extras include a three-

step boarding ladder on the starboard

side, external handrails around

the cockpit gunwales and powered

electric reel sockets. The owner has

also fitted LED underwater lights,

game poles and Hi-Tech Plastics

tuna tubes. Six through-gunwale

aluminium rodholders are standard,

as is the rocket launcher, though as

always, I feel it could be raked closer

to vertical to avoid clashing rods

when fishing in the cockpit.

A 420-litre underfloor fuel tank and

the ability to accommodate single

or twin outboards indicate serious

offshore intent. Recommended

horsepower range is 225hp to 300hp.

SummaryStabicraft Boats has got it right with

the new 2600 Supercab. It feels

well balanced, rides well and the

compromises to its stability at rest are

minor. The styling is sharp, too, given

the limitations imposed by pontoon

construction, while build quality, as

ever, is good.

Five 2600 Supercab models have

already sold in Australia and three,

including this one, in New Zealand.

Stabicraft plans to introduce the new

hull technology to still more models

in the Stabicraft range, starting with

the 2800.

This year shows renewed interest

in Supercab models and Stabicraft

plans to introduce the new hull

technology to more models in the

Stabicraft range, starting with the

2800. It is on track to build 470-plus

boats this year.

➤ loa 7.92m (26ft)

➤ beam 2.49m (internal 2.04m)

➤ draft 0.55m engine(s) up

➤ weight 2925kg on trailer

➤ construction aluminium, 6mm hull, 4mm tubes

➤ engine Mercury Verado 250hp supercharged four-stroke outboard

➤ deadrise 21.5° at transom

➤ fuel 420 litres

➤ holding tank 28 litres

➤ cruising speed 22 knots

➤ max speed 36 knots

➤ price as tested $210,000

➤ packages from $140,000

➤ manufacturer Stabicraft Boats Ltd, www.stabicraft.com 0800 4 STABI

➤ boat supplied by Gulfland Marine www.gulflandmarine.co.nz.

Stabicraft2600 Supercab

80 Boating New Zealand August 2013