This is the most hotly contested category in the Modern Boating awards. Why? Because we all know most Aussies love a tinnie, be it the green VB variety or the humble fishing tinnie. Tinnies are distinctly Australian and designed solely for tough, Aussie conditions. They are rough and tough and that’s how we envisage them - there’s no way a tinnie can compete in the ‘finish’ stakes with fibreglass boats. But this year’s winner proves that’s all about to change. The Fisher 670 Maxi Series is set to tackle the ‘glass boys head-on
Warren Steptoe tested the Fisher 670 Maxi for the March 2006 edition, and called Bribie Island-based Fisher Boats “one of the most innovative builders of aluminium boats in this country”. That’s high praise indeed, but he also had plenty more good things to say about these impressive vessels
He said every Fisher boat was custom built for its new owner and this one could have been built for him. And not just because he’s a mad-keen fisho who regularly carries up to 14 rods on a fishing trip (this boat has storage racks to hold that many)
The attention to detail used in her design and construction are first rate. Take the transom workstation — it’s a work of art and features separate insulated-bait wells, a Teflon cutting board and four rod holders
There’s even a light for night fishing
Few aluminium boat builders achieve a standard of workmanship evident here
Some bog their hulls here and there and a flashy paint job can make anything fabricated from aluminium look good. But when the welds are all left ‘au natural’, the way Fishers Boats are, they have to be near on perfect or they can look terrible
Below the waterline is something else that makes Fisher Boats stand out in the plate aluminium crowd. This hull runs a steep 23-degree deadrise at the transom and a finer bow entry than can ordinarily be achieved in aluminium
Normally, a steep deadrise causes a boat to topple from one chine to the other at rest, but these boats are more stable on the water than many peers
This is achieved with a water-ballast system, comprising two large tubes set low in the hull. They’re open at the back, so they quickly flood as the boat comes to rest and drain immediately as it moves forward. It’s not a new idea, but it works well in this application
With twin 140hp Suzuki four-strokes out the back she leaps onto the plane with a minimum of fuss, hitting 37 knots at 600rpm
The test boat was set-up as a full-blown sport-fishing machine, which in some people’s eyes will make it an even more attractive winner of the Modern Boating Aluminium Boat of the Year award