Stabi 2100 v bar crusher 670 HT

[Rocky]

Hi Guys, I have narrowed my choice of boat down to the following and you read different things everywhere. 

I would really like to hear from any one who has been in both boats, or one of either for your honest opinion. I will obvious test both of these on water before buying, however, in a test you get one go in what ever the conditions are on the day. I would like to hear from those who have been in multiple conditions. 

Obviously a big decision so would love all opinions. 

Finally, I guess, if there are any members who own with of these and have a spare spot one day, I would love to go for a run with you. 

[recurve]

My old man has a 7m Stabi Craft with a cabin and I have a 5.5 Surtees. Not the same boats but he had a Stabicraft around the same size as my 5.5 before he got the big boat. 

In short from my experience. 

Stabi is a rougher ride. I always think about the Bang Bang Bang and thinking about your knee caps. But you can point and shoot it at anything and it just Bangs into it and out of it, much better as captain and you really have to mind the knees as one of the crew. Surtees is much smoother riding and also very predictable and very re-assuring in the rough when underway. 

The big difference is when you are at rest. Stabi Crafts are incredible and you feel really good in them even while things are going to crap around you. Surtees are not as settled into the water if you know what i mean. But they are still a great platform. 

I remember in NZ when we set the long line then went out wide. It went to crap completely and the long line was gone when we came back. Dad was not kissing it good bye and we searched for it. I was like....ahh yeah lets go Dad. Anyway we found it ages away and we proceeded to haul it in and it was full of Snapper and Salmon. 25 Hooks and the Bouy etc was real mission in the rough. I remember actually forgetting about the situation until I looked around and was stunned that we were working in that and not getting completely smashed around. I don't think I could have done that a Surtees They are also really good when deep sea fishing and sitting in the rough. However I would much rather of headed back to Port in a Surtees 

If you could ride like a Surtees and sit like a Stabi you would have the perfect boat. That's my experience. 

If it was me and it was for the South Coast I would choose the Stabi but if I wanted to save some money I would choose the Surtees. Both would make me smile ear to ear though. 

Internally they are both serious bloke boats. 

Be a bit of a price difference between them i would imagine. Surtees are a lot less to buy?

[JonD]

I've often considered a stabi but have more recently been very impressed with Profile boats ( very similar but deeper v). As soon as the kids move out my plan is to sell up and downsize the home and buy a profile 635, this video is of the slightly more higher spec limited addition. My goal is for a longer range boat with the capability to overnight.

 

Edited November 1, 2017 by JonD

[GoingFishing]

I have been on a bar crusher and whilst they are an overall great boat i found them to be very unstable at rest.

have u looked into Yellowfin boats?

[Rocky]

Yep, have looked into yellowfin and Surtees but have really narrowed my search down to these final two. Both are brilliant boats by all accounts, but I think I am leading towards the stabi as it just seems to have that stability at rest, bulletproof sort of reputation. I think I will need that over the sharp looks of the bar crusher. 

I am not sure how many of you have seen the recent edition of 'the captain' but they tested similar boats and it appeared that the ride on these stabs's is now second to none as well. 

Continued input would be really appreciated as it is obviously a big decision

[JonD]

I've been in a few barcrushers 50km offshore in sloppy conditions and though I thought the ride was better than most aluminium boats I've been in I would go a stabi over one any day. In saying that I would buy the profile over the stabi ( of buying new), you only have to look at how many secondhand stabi's are on boatsales in relation to secondhand profiles. I believe all the profile boats that were recently brought over from NZ sold instantly ( at least that was was I was told from Hunts marine south coast. There does look to be some very good value stabi boats on the market, the saving might sway me more towards them.

[JonD]

Just to add I'm an inflatable boat owner after owning Haines, Formula, signatures, cruise craft as well as others and have to say having tubes with a deep v makes for extremely comfortable safe boating. I've gone from only managing 50hrs per year from Narooma bar to 300hrs per year in the rib.

A big day offshore would always have that dark cloud of wondering how the bar might be on the return, now we look forward to rough bar conditions. We've rescued people from conditions the local charters could only sit back and watch from. 

Sleeping onboard a boat with a simple leaking bung seal could see you waking up in the middle of the night in a very unstable and unsafe boat. With my boat I don't put the bungs in incase it rains so the water can run out. There's good and bad in most boats, safety for my family is a big one, even an overturned boat with any kind of ribing is going to float high out of the water in comparison with most other outfits.

[Rocky]

safety is certainly very high on my list s as well which is why the Stabi has caught my eye. I will be taking my boys and sometimes my daughter and I want to be very sure. In saying that, a lot of the precautions there are done prior to heading out so you can avoid most sticky situations I presume. 

Yes, want to be 50 km out though and a boat that can handle that and the run home. 

[recurve]

9 hours ago, JonD said:

I've been in a few barcrushers 50km offshore in sloppy conditions and though I thought the ride was better than most aluminium boats I've been in I would go a stabi over one any day. In saying that I would buy the profile over the stabi ( of buying new), you only have to look at how many secondhand stabi's are on boatsales in relation to secondhand profiles. I believe all the profile boats that were recently brought over from NZ sold instantly ( at least that was was I was told from Hunts marine south coast. There does look to be some very good value stabi boats on the market, the saving might sway me more towards them.

Stabi's have been around a lot longer than Profile Boats and there are a lot more out there so more are on offer as used. Not often you find an upset Stabi owner. 

[recurve]

Also Bar Crushers are no longer the same boats as Surtees. Barcrushers were originally a carbon copy but Surtees have kept innovating and changing the boats. My 2012 Model has a completely re-designed and strengthened transom and fuel tank design which is completely different to the Bar Crusher. 

They may look the same but they are not. Surtees are the innovators. Replicators are never leaders. 

[JonD]

There's a 2016 615 barcrusher on graysonline with no reserve and only 3 days of auction left, comes with what looks like a new Suzuki.