Allison Fisherman 5 Questions

[Pointyfish]

I'm looking at purchasing a small fibreglass boat that will be cheap to run and something I can handle easily by myself. So far the best designed boat in this class I've come across is the Allison Fisherman 5 but I've had no experience with Allison's or know anyone who has.
I would like to know if they handle well in choppy seas, if their very stable or not and what the best power options would be.
Most of the packages I've seen are with a 70hp outboard but I would thought this a lit underpowered. Is it worth upgrading to a 90hp.
Also I would like to know in the is adequate room on the dash for quality electrics ( sounders + chartplotters ).
What size are the bait tanks? could you keep yakka's in them?
Any help or advice will be appreciated.

Cheers

Shaun

[youngfisho]

mmmm if your in the market for a boat, ask for a test drive. take it out when its choppy and youll have a fair idea of how it handles. Have seen plenty of fisherman 5's with 75 hondas and 70 2 strokes. depends on whether you want it for fishing or for fishing and skiing. then upgrade to a 90. where do you intend to fish? inshore\offshore\estuary there are bigger 5m boats out there.


andrew

[88fishframe]

Best thing for you to do is some research on the computer to find people that test boats for a living!! A google search works a treat - here are a couple of links that are worth a look, the first one is my favourite.

fishingmonthly.com.au [click on archives, then on boat test]

modernboating.com.au [click on one of the latest tests then on the new page click on 'select manufactuer' at top of page]

Have fun !!

[Kiktz]

Mate,
we put a electric anchor on ours as the old man uses it mostly up the nerang.

I pull it in and out comfortable by myself, I use ramps with pontoons and that
makes it heaps better. I can get it in or out as quick as other that have two or three guys there. Sure the first couple of times it is a bit hairy as you get nervous but now do it easy. As for the Allison brand Great boats.

We have a 195 vision I would suggest trim tabs as the benefit far out ways the negatives.

[Smithy]

Here's a picture of one I fish out of pretty regularly. This picture was taken last weekend at 1770. It is actually badged as a Bermuda but same thing.

It handles very well. Being a cuddy where you sit right forward in the boat, in short sharp seas it will wear a wave over the front. Refer to Seafarer post from a few weeks ago about that. Most fibreglass boats will do it in the wrong seas for that size boat. They are stable enough as a fibrdglass boat of that size would be expected to be. Best power option would be a 90 Etec. Not sure of the weight of a big four stroke out on that pod would go. That boat runs a 75 Merc which are detuned 90s. It needs all of the 75 at times but gets up to around 32 knots lightly loaded and trimmed out. The one in question only has a 50 litre tank under the floor along with a kill pit. Go for something around 100 litres in size as a minimum. The 75 really chews. It runs a Garmin 126 and Lowrance X65. They fit on the dash just OK. You wouldn't fit like a JRC FF50 on the dash or anything. Maybe get away with a combo X19 or something. You could fit a big sounder on the passenger side. Bait bins need upgrading. The owner of the one in the picture was able to fit one of thos square Bermuda ones. It is only just enough. See the Seafarer post re my opinions on live bait tanks and how important they are. We did however go 3 from 4 on Billfish last year one weekend out of this boat when the rest of the fleet got 1s and 2s. No need for tabs on a boat this small. Just move the esky around and stuff will see it trimmed back up.

[FishFinger1977]

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