Occupation: Café owner, barista, ab diver
Location: Merimbula, NSW
Model: 263 Wavebreaker
Name: Anarchy
Engines: 2 x 2018 300HP Yamaha
Favourite fishing: Abalone, marlin
Custom bits: Concealed 200-bar high-pressure air bottles, saltwater-plumbed kill tank
Tow rig: RAM 2500
Erick says: “My favourite boat to drive. I’m no marlin fisherman, but with no hardtop, radars or anchor winches — and 600HP to play with — it turns into a sports car that can hit over 100km/h. Pretty swift for an abalone boat. It’s had tonnes of abs through it and still looks new.”

Occupation: Kiwifruit farmer
Configuration: 263 Hardtop
Engines: 2 x 2016 225HP Mercury Verados
Tow rig: GMC Sierra Denali
Favourite fishing: Marlin from Nelson Bay, tuna from Portland
Custom bits: Garmin displays and autopilot, stainless fit-out by Reel Appeal, toilet, Travel Buddy pie warmer, embroidered seat boxes, Form A Sign wrap, Deck Armour flooring, GPS-tracked alarm, 6kW open-scan radar, AIS
Erick says: “A well-balanced machine that pairs perfectly with 450HP. Graham’s boat features an exceptional stainless fit-out by Reel Appeal and a neat-as-a-pin electronics package.”

Occupation: Directors, JD Automotive Workshop, Hallam
Model: 243 Hardtop
Year of build: 2007
Name: Black Beast
Engines: Twin Mercury Verado 250
Tow rig: Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series
John says: “One of Erick’s first boats. I got him to fabricate a new hardtop from the 263. Performs excellently. With a pair of Verados, she does 50 knots, but we can comfortably troll all day — she burns less fuel than my mate’s TABS with twin Mercury 115s. We’ve done nearly 600 hours, chasing bluefin in Bass Strait and marlin on the east coast. I’ve also fitted new Simrad 16″ and 12″ screens, plus a new Southern Boat trailer.”

Occupation: Owner, Chatterbox Café; barista
Model: 263 Hardtop
Name: Notorious
Engines: 2 x 2018 350HP Suzuki
Favourite fishing: Bait balls on the south coast, tuna on the west coast
Custom bits: Deck Armour flooring, stainless work by McQuarries, Furuno displays wired by Seatek Marine
Tow rig: RAM 2500
Erick says: “It’s big, mean, nasty — and a great thing to drive. The power out of the hole with the duo props is neck-breaking! Unfortunately, if you’ve got an old Haines Hunter, this thing will annihilate you. It uses no more fuel than the other boats, and with the Suzuki Precision Control system, wherever you point the props is where it goes.”

Occupation: Co-creator, The Captain Magazine
Location: South Coast, NSW
Model: Weaponized Super Hornet centre console
Engine: Mercury Pro XS 115HP
Tow rig: Modified LandCruiser 76 Series
Options: Bonito Deluxe console, Dometic Optimus digital steering, automatic      SeaStar jack plate and digital adaptive trim tabs, Raymarine Axiom+ 12 RV, RMK-10 keypad, B175HW and RV-100 transducers, Raymarine autopilot and VHF, BLA Lithium Hybrid batteries, Balex self-loading trailer, Roswell audio, Deck’d Marine Flooring
Trav says: “The ultimate wave-slaying 5m centre console, performs more like a 17 or 18-footer. The lay-up is outstanding — a testament to the crew at Whitepointer. No timber — not even composite board or foam core — just solid glass throughout. Even the transom is 42mm of solid glass. Fitted out with the best marine hardware available.”

Occupation: Charter operator (Salty Dog Charters)
Location: Port Fairy, Victoria
Model: 2011 243 Wavebreaker
Engines: 2 x Mercury SeaPro 200s
Dan says: “They got it right from day one. I love this boat — it’s the one I started my charter business in. I tried to upgrade, but I keep coming back to this one. Chases fish anywhere, splits water like an axe. Light on the waterline, performs beautifully.”
More info:
Salty Dog Charters
Ph: 0407 675 284
www.saltydogcharters.com.au

Occupation: Electrician; charter operator, Old Mate’s Fishing Adventures
Location: Karratha, Western Australia
Model: 263 Hardtop
Year built: 2017
Name: Old Mate (named after mate’s old boy who had the boat built)
Engines: 2016 225HP Yamaha
Tow rig: Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Blair says: “The Whitepointer is a dream come true — the best riding 26ft trailer boat in Australia. There’s no cheese and wine on this boat. I take my mates out and they brace for impact, but the hull punches through like the waves aren’t even there — it’s built like a tank. It’s fitted with twin 12″ Simrad Evo3S units, Simrad S5100 and S3100 sonar modules, plus a high-speed fairing block with a B275HW-L that marks fish in any weather at any speed. She’s got a 630L fuel tank and can hit 53 knots. Aboard Old Mate, we chase billfish and macks, and jig for reds, trout, rankin and all the good stuff, really.” We typically run day trips or organise trips for crews flying up from Perth or interstate for multi-day trips from Karratha — overnight adventures can also be arranged.”

More info:
www.oldmatesfishignadventures.com.au