REVIEW: Bar Crusher 615C
I purchased my Bar Crusher 610C (now 615C) in 2005 and have put about 200 hours on the 140 Suzuki four-stroke in that time. Every time I go out I still come home surprised at how easily it handles conditions when they get adverse. I almost look forward to some rough weather to make it a little more exciting.
I fish the NE of Tasmania where quite strong see breezes are a regular occurrence meaning that runs home into 20 knots or so are the norm. Recently I was caught on the shelf 25 nautical miles SE of Eddystone Point when the 25 to 30 knots of Nor West which I had tried to leave behind caught up to us. This resulted in a two-hour run home mostly hard on the nose in a very short and steep sea with many of the waves having no backs. I still managed to maintain a speed of 10-15 knots into these conditions even though we were regularly airborne. My mate spent the trip still seated and very few landings caused us discomfort. We never felt threatened by the conditions even though they were far from pleasant. It is this confidence that has seen me fishing 20 nautical miles offshore on a regular basis and catching many more fish than in the past.
At no time running in following seas have I had any feeling the boat is going to broach or run off line. I have driven it hard into the backs of waves and it seems quite buoyant and doesn’t tend to bury the nose. It still amazes me how you can quarter a head sea and still maintain good boat attitude and it requires little steering input to keep the path you are heading in.
The layout of the boat is very fish friendly and easy to clean. I have limited water to clean my boat so find not having carpets and too many nooks and crannies to wash very convenient. We spend quite a bit of time deep water bottom bashing. The stability of the hull at rest is excellent (especially considering the deadrise) and we do not have be careful moving around the boat.
I have had quite a number of people experienced with a range of boats fish with me and they are all impressed at the ride, fishability and layout of my boat.
The boat drives a little differently to other boats that I have used. Lots of trim out and in many cases increased speed will lead to a smoother ride. This results in speeds of approx. 20 knots being made in roughish conditions. This gets me home before conditions worsen and at an economical cruise speed. I actually drive my boat like a 'renter' and to its credit it has handled it with no damage. The bottom sheets have not stretched or rippled indicating to me that the subfloor design is strong and should give many years of good service.
The back-up service and help from the manufacturer is excellent. It seems no trouble to get the boss to answer any questions about my boat. I would recommend anyone looking at a boat to go for a run in one in some average conditions with a driver who knows what to do and you will soon find out this boat is capable of doing things that very few other aluminum boats are.
Cheers,
Jason N
Tasmania
