Boat review Stabicraft 2600 Supercab
The Stabicraft 2600
Supercab is the biggest in
the company’s range to
feature the Game Chaser
transom and Arrow
pontoons – and that makes
it a weapon in offshore fishing.
The new hull, pontoon and
transom combo was introduced on
the Stabicraft 1850 Supercab and
now features on the 1650 and 2100
models as well.
The Arrow pontoons give the
new boat a sleeker look with finer
entry, deeper vee and narrower
shoulders that sweep back to the
Game Chaser transom. This allows
the 2600 to back down as fast as you
dare, with the transom piercing the
water rather than pushing through
it – normally a manoeuvre with the
potential to ship plenty of water
when a skipper goes hard astern
chasing a hooked gamefish.
The new 2600 Supercab is
undoubtedly the softest-riding
Stabicraft boats are becoming sleeker, shaking off their aesthetic challenges and presenting a more kindly shape to the seas as well as to the eye. Meet the latest evolution.
Straight arrow
Craig Lewis, Stabicraft dealer, took the new 2600 out in 40 knots
76 Boating New Zealand August 2013
Stabicraft boats are becoming sleeker, shaking off their aesthetic challenges and presenting a more kindly shape to the seas as well as to the eye. Meet the latest evolution.
Straight arrowWords by John Eichelsheim Photos by Will Calver
and quietest Stabicraft I’ve had the
pleasure to drive. Indeed, it’s better
than the old 2570, which was quite
similar in size and general layout.
FinE hullThe new hull design gives a fresh new
look on the trailer and really shines
once the boat’s in the water.
For a Stabicraft, this is a deep-vee
hull, measuring 21.5° at the transom,
but it’s what has happened up front
that makes the most difference to
the ride. By reducing the size of the
chine flats, especially at the boat’s
shoulders, and tapering the pontoons
– as well as altering Stabi’s typically
full entry – Stabicraft has achieved an
impressively soft, dry and quiet ride.
We didn’t have a lot of sea to
contend with, though it built with
the nor’easter as the morning
wore on. However Craig Lewis of
Gulfland Marine, Whangaparaoa
who supplied and commissioned the
boat, has tried it in 40 knots of wind.
Lewis commented on its excellent
directional stability and the way it
holds its line in the rough, assisted by
the longer waterline length created by
the Gamechaser transom.
The trade-off from the Arrow
pontoons is less stability at rest
than we are used to with this brand,
especially lightly loaded, which leaves
the pontoons completely clear of
the water, but it’s still good. The boat
leans over only so far and then stops.
The Game Chaser design
provides superior backing-up
ability, manoeuvrability and safety.
It’s easy to steer the Game Chaser
boats in reverse, making it a cinch to
manoeuvre in a tight spot.
We had around a metre of slop in
Tiri Channel on the way home, but the
2600 Supercab handled it smoothly
and quietly. The boat tracks beautifully,
including running downhill, and can
be pushed along into a quartering sea
without banging or jarring, not normally
a Stabicraft’s best angle of attack.
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Performance with the
250hp Mercury Verado was
characteristically crisp, though
we didn’t explore its full potential
because of the motor’s extreme
newness. Travelling at 20 knots the
boat feels positively languid, but
even at 30 knots it is unflappable
and sure-footed. This boat should
be able to manage long passages in
lumpy conditions without beating
up its passengers.
WEll SpEC’dThe new model has an extensive list
of standard features but the owner,
for whom this is Stabicraft number
two, has ticked several boxes on the
manufacturer’s options list.
He will keep the boat at his
beachside property in the Bay of
Islands on a tandem-axle Voyager
steel trailer robust enough for beach
launching. Weighing close to three
tonnes all up, it’s equipped with an
LEFT: Craig Lewis and John Eichelsheim enjoy the Stabicraft's spacious cockpit. ABOVE: Optional fishing accessories include tuna tubes.
PERFORMANCE Furuno NavNet **Mercury SmartCraft VesselView
RPM Speed (knots) Fuel (lph)**1000 0.9 4.41500 2.2 6.02000 4.4 11.02500 8.0 16.03000 14.0 25.03500 19.4 32.04000 22.6 41.04500 27.0 54.05000 29.0 75.05500 31.5 99.26000 35.0 110.2
78 Boating New Zealand August 2013
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electrically activated Sensabrake
system for road use.
This model introduces a few
changes to equipment: aluminium
rodholders – previously plastic, cast
aluminium cleats and beefy 50mm
diameter matte-black painted bow
rails. Stabicraft has incorporated
subtle evolutionary changes
and features like the bait station
rodholders and the generous use of
non-slip neoprene on the side decks,
foredeck, coamings, rear corner seats
and cabin between the v-berths.
The general standard of finish
is good, but Stabicraft hasn’t gone
overboard with this boat, making
sure it’s practical and serviceable as
a fishing/diving day boat. Facilities
include an under-bunk plumbed
electric toilet forward of the helm
console with an environmentally-
friendly 28-litre holding tank.
On review day the v-berths were
still covered in plastic wrap. Lewis
says they’re likely to stay that way: the
owner’s previous boat, which Lewis
also supplied, was traded after three
years' hard use with the squabs still
encased in protective plastic film. The
owner does little overnighting and
the forward cabin is more likely to be
used to store gear than for sleeping.
There is generous storage with
shelves, cubby holes and bins for odds
and ends. There’s a large locker under
The Arrow pontoons present a sleeker silhouette, and the Game Chaser transom presents a sharper tail end for backing up on a fish, than on earlier Stabicraft models
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0813224
the floor between the v-berths and
a massive 450-litre underfloor wet
locker with waste pump in the cockpit.
largE hardtopThe wheelhouse is a generous size
with ample headroom, but Stabicraft
has made no attempt to squeeze in
a galley or extra seating. The same
boat is available with an extended
Supercab suitable for overnighting
that offers these features.
Inside, seating while underway is
restricted to a pair of optional Soft
Rider gas-strut pedestal seats, both
with fold-up bolsters for lumbar
support when standing up. Footrests
and grab rails are well positioned,
whether standing up to drive or
sitting down. Standing passengers
are also provided with grab rails
overhead and along the dashboard.
The boat’s owner has opted for the
enclosed hardtop with dual sliding
doors: solid-looking black powder-
coated aluminium and glass affairs.
A two-tier helm console is plain,
black powder-coated aluminium – no
fancy vinyl, timber or carbon – but
it offers plenty of real estate for
large screen displays. A 14-inch
Furuno NavNet touch-screen
display still left plenty of room for
the Mercury SmartCraft VesselView
display, Furuno NavPilot and an
array of switches and controls.
Communications and stereo
equipment is housed overhead and
tempered glass windscreens feature
a washer and wiper for each pane.
The forward cabin and the
wheelhouse are lined in grey Verticell
fabric, which complements the
boat’s black and white paint scheme
and chequerplate alloy cockpit and
hardtop floors. The forward hatch
provides access to the ground tackle,
a substantial Delta plough anchor
attached to 10m of chain and 100m
of warp stored on a StressFree drum
winch under the foredeck, though
it’s easy enough to sidle around the
hardtop to the foredeck if you prefer.
Outside roof rails provide secure
handholds and something to strap
an inflatable dinghy onto; the roof
is engineered to support the weight
of a person and can accept a tuna
tower if desired.
FiShing CoCkpitA big, wide-open cockpit with
high sides and full-length side-
pockets means the 2600 is a proper
sportfisher. The addition of the
Game Chaser transom with its extra
displacement aft to support larger
engines, tapered profile for excellent
performance in reverse – when
backing up on a gamefish, say – and
longer waterline length makes a big
difference to the boat’s fishability.
The transom unit contains a sealed
compartment for the dual battery
system, 240V inverter, switches and
VDC voltage regulator, all located
underneath the 80-litre livebait
tank. Dual black PVC Starboard lids
provide generous work surfaces or
cutting and filleting boards, with any
mess draining outboard. Knife slots
are standard, as are a pair of bait
board rodholders. A washdown on
the starboard side keeps everything
clean, while deep gutters around
the underfloor locker drain aft to the
sump containing bilge, bait tank,
washdown and tuna tube pumps. The
associated plumbing is tucked out of
sight but still easily accessible.
Optional extras include a three-
step boarding ladder on the starboard
side, external handrails around
the cockpit gunwales and powered
electric reel sockets. The owner has
also fitted LED underwater lights,
game poles and Hi-Tech Plastics
tuna tubes. Six through-gunwale
aluminium rodholders are standard,
as is the rocket launcher, though as
always, I feel it could be raked closer
to vertical to avoid clashing rods
when fishing in the cockpit.
A 420-litre underfloor fuel tank and
the ability to accommodate single
or twin outboards indicate serious
offshore intent. Recommended
horsepower range is 225hp to 300hp.
SummaryStabicraft Boats has got it right with
the new 2600 Supercab. It feels
well balanced, rides well and the
compromises to its stability at rest are
minor. The styling is sharp, too, given
the limitations imposed by pontoon
construction, while build quality, as
ever, is good.
Five 2600 Supercab models have
already sold in Australia and three,
including this one, in New Zealand.
Stabicraft plans to introduce the new
hull technology to still more models
in the Stabicraft range, starting with
the 2800.
This year shows renewed interest
in Supercab models and Stabicraft
plans to introduce the new hull
technology to more models in the
Stabicraft range, starting with the
2800. It is on track to build 470-plus
boats this year.
➤ loa 7.92m (26ft)
➤ beam 2.49m (internal 2.04m)
➤ draft 0.55m engine(s) up
➤ weight 2925kg on trailer
➤ construction aluminium, 6mm hull, 4mm tubes
➤ engine Mercury Verado 250hp supercharged four-stroke outboard
➤ deadrise 21.5° at transom
➤ fuel 420 litres
➤ holding tank 28 litres
➤ cruising speed 22 knots
➤ max speed 36 knots
➤ price as tested $210,000
➤ packages from $140,000
➤ manufacturer Stabicraft Boats Ltd, www.stabicraft.com 0800 4 STABI
➤ boat supplied by Gulfland Marine www.gulflandmarine.co.nz.
Stabicraft2600 Supercab
80 Boating New Zealand August 2013