OCEANWORX is a new boat brand hailing from Southern Sydney.
The brains behind the brand is Samson Rodway, the son of Derek Rodway. Derek owns Good Times Marine and is no stranger to alloy boat production and the needs of fishos and boats when it comes to boat choice and design.
For Samson, who grew up in a boat-obsessed household, it was the obvious choice to go this direction.
Oceanworx kicked off its brand with the release of its first boat, the Airier 4.8.
First impressions
I met Samson, Derek and Derek’s daughter, Zoe, at Good Times Marine for a first glimpse of the new boat.
First impressions last and this first impression was a positive one. It’s a neat looking boat! This one was painted green with a matte finish. The spacious interior was deckled out with U-DEK flooring and it featured a simple, yet tough looking side console. More details on the fit-out later…
The Airier 4.8 is constructed just around the corner from Good Times Marine in Southern Sydney and is built from high tensile marine grade aluminium.
We launched at a nearby boat ramp and shot straight down across Botany Bay to find some bumpy water around the heads.
It didn’t take long to work out where the name comes from; it’s a light boat and jumps on the plane quickly.
It took a few minutes to work out the best trim. It was quite responsive to trim and with some time at the helm, it felt intuitive and easy to drive.
The hull features a unique shape. It’s been designed to offer very little water resistance on the plane, even at moderate speeds. The hard chine meets a concave hull design. As a result, you get maximum performance and incredibly efficient fuel economy. Give it some throttle and it lifts with little effort. Once planing, most of the boat’s lightweight hull is clear of the water. It’s a clever design.
We tested the boat with two onboard and I gave it a further run solo. Stability was good with two onboard and the “airy” bow didn’t seem to affect stability too much. It did feel a bit back heavy when operating solo at idle. Once on the plane, however, it performed nicely!
It’s obvious Oceanworx isn’t afraid to push the envelope in boat design and create something unique and effective in this boat size category.
What’s onboard
Starting at the transom, there’s rear area suitable for standing and casting. One side features a live well, while the other has storage for a battery and additional gear. There’s also a access hatch in the middle of the rear platform.
Moving forward and there’s ample space for fishing and moving around the boat. The flooring from transom to bow is covered with dark U-DEK decking. It’s grippy and fits the style of this boat.
There are two comfortable pedestal seats onboard and these can be moved to other positions on the boat.
The console is low with no windscreen. While you may appreciate a windscreen in bad weather, this configuration offers unparalleled visuality while driving and looks great. There’s also a couple of well positioned drink holders, and more importantly, there’s ample space for electronics on the dash. The test boat featured a 12-inch Simrad NSX unit and an electronic gauge positioned nearby.
There’s access to the console through a hatch in front in front for wiring or repairs.
Moving forward again and there’s more fishing space and a spacious casting deck. Under this deck there are two hatches, one can be optioned as a large tournament style live well. And forward if that, another hatch with loads of space for safety gear and fishing tackle.
The gunwales are also covered in grippy decking and there are some speakers fitted and connected to the Roswell audio system back on the console.
The bow features an anchor well, low grab rails and bollards.
Oceanworx has installed side pockets alongside the casting platform for bits and pieces of fishing gear and importantly, there’s also space under the gunwale for your feet, a must in rougher water while fishing on the casting platform.
The test boat had a 55lb Motorguide trolling motor. This 12 volt electric trolling motor is a great fit for this size boat and has no problem holding it in strong current or wind. They’re a responsive and quiet trolling motor and an absolute must for a boat of this style.
Versatility
Having the electric motor and being a moderate size, it’s a good versatile fishing boat. The hull design would allow it to reach the shallowest waters up river or over a sand flat, while wouldn’t be out of place fishing the headlands or reefs a few miles offshore.
While the boat test day was calm, we did find a sizeable swell and enough rough water to really test the capability of the boat offshore.
It is a light boat and bounces a round somewhat, but after a few minutes and some adjusting of trim, it’s a very capable boat in the rougher water. Samson was throwing it around, getting airborne and, most importantly, has complete confidence in its capability.
Everyone wants that magic boat that does everything. While that boat doesn’t exist, a solid boat between 4.8 and 5.5m, with a smart design, comes pretty close and this boat ticks all of those boxes.
Power
The Airier 4.8 was fitted with a 90hp Mercury four-stroke. Merc’s 90 is a lightweight and fuel efficient modern four stroke outboard. These mid range Mercury outboards have a great reputation. I owned one for several years and it didn’t miss a beat. With a weight of 165kg, it has great power to weight ratio and is noticeably responsive, smooth and quiet.
At 3700 RPM the Airier reached 22 knots and 2.4 NM/L in fuel economy. At 4617 RPM we recorded just under 30 knots and 1.2 NM/L, while at 5283 RPM the Airier achieved 36 knots and 1.1 NM/L.
This engine certainly has plenty more to give and with some fine tuning, the Airier should reach 5800 RPM and well in excess of 40 knots.
More to come
The Airier 4.8 is the first of a full line up fro Oceanworx. The same model is available in a 5.3 metre version, a great choice for those wanting to tip the balance of their fishing towards offshore and larger waterways.
Overall the Airier 4.8 is a fun, cleverly designed, and smart looking boat. For those looking for a serious fishing boat with true versatility, it’s well worth checking out Oceanworx at oceanworx.au.
