THE accompanying images show Fisho’s new project boats – a Bar Crusher 670 HT and a CrossXCrountry 4.3 – under construction. Hopefully we’ll get our hands on the finished hulls sometime in the next month or so …
Waiting for a new boat to be built is always exciting. As you will probably understand, seeing these images of the basic hulls has got us foaming at the mouth in anticipation …
Our much-loved former project vessels – a Bar Crusher 670C powered by a 150 E-TEC and a 4.65m Sea Jay Discover Sports with a Yammie 70 on the transom – have both now gone to new homes. Both were great boats from which we caught many outstanding fish and did a lot of hours filming and photographing for the magazine and website.
Without wanting to give anything away, we can reveal that the new boats will be used as part of an exciting online project we’re working on … Stay tuned for more developments on that …
The 670HT features the same fantastic offshore hull as our previous cuddy cab Crusher. However, the enclosed hard top cabin, pictured here just out of the fabrication section of Bar Crusher’s Melbourne factory, will provide welcome shelter from sun, spray and wind.
Fisho editor Jim Harnwell is obviously getting pretty soft in his old age …
The boat will be powered by a Mercury 175 Verado, a supercharged four-stroke which should provide awesome performance and efficiency. We’ll be running a 12-inch Raymarine a-Series MFD teamed with a CP450C CHIRP broadband sounder plus a CP100 downvision sonar. The new Crusher will ride on a custom alloy trailer made by Easy Tow and should prove to be an outstanding offshore sport and game fishing machine.
The little 4.3m CrossXCountry will be matched with a 60hp Mercury four-stroke tiller steer outboard, Raymarine a68 and a78 sounders, MotorGuide 55lb electric motor and a Hobie Power-Pole Micro shallow water anchor system all sitting on a custom alloy trailer.
The CrossXCountry 4.3 features an innovative and extremnely light and tough hull.
Made by Enlightened Boating in Caboolture, Queensland, the CrossXCountry features hull contruction via an innovative infused foam system. This sees high density Diab foam vacuum infused with CCP resin between two fibreglass outer layers, resulting in an ultra strong yet extremely light boat. The custom interior layout, which consists of front casting deck with under floor storage, rod locker, livebait tank and rear casting deck, all featuring nifty SeaDek non-slip padding, is designed for active light tackle sportfishing.
Research by the Fisho team indicates this little ripper should be a soft riding, stable and very dry sportfishing machine. Teamed up with the 60 Merc, it should go like a rocket as well. We can’t wait to get out in it!
Stay tuned for images and details as the build on both boats progresses. Meantime, find out more at barcrusher.com.au, crossxcountryboats.com.au, raymarine.com.au, mercurymarine.com.au, hobiecat.com.au/fishing, sctextiles.com.au (SeaDek distributors), diabgroup.com, www.ccpcomposites.com.au and easytow.com.au.
