NOVEMBER 2008
The latest edition of Modern Boating magazine is out now! To get your copy delivered to your door, simply click on the link be
The latest edition of Modern Boating magazine is out now! To get your copy delivered to your door, simply click on the link be
Modern Boating and Big Hat Productions head out for a glorious day on the water to give the Seawind 1160...
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Webster Twinfisher 4.9
Andrew Richardson gets twice the thrill while testing a new design for an Aussie classic.
By now, the Webster Twinfisher has probably earned the title of an Aussie classic. The company was founded by Ron Webster and after extensive bathtub testing, Ron's twin hull single engine aluminium cats have been in production for almost 20 years.
Ron, who started out as a specialist whitegoods welder, has passed the baton on to Daniel and Kelly Schofield who have been working at the business since 2004.
My trek from Sydney to Melbourne for the day seemed like a lot of effort to get on board the unassuming runabout, but then again, Port Phillip offered a different perspective to a Sydneysider and it was great to meet up with one of Webster's keenest dealers—Tim Edney of Inverloch Marine. Tim's so enthusiastic he even takes the Twinfishers on travelling demo tours. For example, he covered Lakes Entrance to Eden during April this year.
Tim was also enthusiastic about the recent changes to the Webster 4.9's design—it should keep the model competitive for years to come. The main changes are to the stern section's design and fuel tanks. The old model had 65L of fuel stowed aft, the new total is 100L—50L located each side in the midsections of the vessel—and the new stern section has an integral bait tank plus a transom door. The larger more buoyant stern allows the updated Webster to take a larger engine and utilise the heavier four-strokes.
read on below advertisement
There are two standout existing features with the Webster Twinfisher design. Firstly, the sponsons are sealed from the cabin so if one or both sponsons are holed, the vessel remains afloat. The second clear advantage is that the twin hulled aluminium boat is designed around a single engine—reducing outlay and running costs considerably compared to the many twin engine cat designs. This single engine twin hull design is the essence of Twinfisher's original success.
It is hard to ignore the many arguments for twin engines on cats (and monos), especially if working offshore and requiring the security of two engines. However, this argument doesn't apply so much when you get down to a 5m coastal runabout. And that's where this boat's formula spells success.
HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE
Underway, the vessel's design behaved like a hybrid as it enjoyed the benefits of twin hulls for straight line and at rest stability but she could also be flicked around tight turns on one sponson, giving the vessel a turning circle not much more than its own waterline.
Port Phillip was very calm during the test so we had to hunt around for wakes and slush to check out her performance in mixed conditions. By the end of the test I would say the Webster had very honest handling—let's face it, she is an aluminium boat under 5m so she will bash about a bit—but when conditions get tough this craft will get you home—a bit wet but in very good shape.
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By now, the Webster Twinfisher has probably earned the title of an Aussie classic. The company was founded by Ron Webster and after extensive bathtub testing, Ron's twin hull single engine aluminium cats have been in production for almost 20 years.
Ron, who started out as a specialist whitegoods welder, has passed the baton on to Daniel and Kelly Schofield who have been working at the business since 2004.
My trek from Sydney to Melbourne for the day seemed like a lot of effort to get on board the unassuming runabout, but then again, Port Phillip offered a different perspective to a Sydneysider and it was great to meet up with one of Webster's keenest dealers—Tim Edney of Inverloch Marine. Tim's so enthusiastic he even takes the Twinfishers on travelling demo tours. For example, he covered Lakes Entrance to Eden during April this year.
Tim was also enthusiastic about the recent changes to the Webster 4.9's design—it should keep the model competitive for years to come. The main changes are to the stern section's design and fuel tanks. The old model had 65L of fuel stowed aft, the new total is 100L—50L located each side in the midsections of the vessel—and the new stern section has an integral bait tank plus a transom door. The larger more buoyant stern allows the updated Webster to take a larger engine and utilise the heavier four-strokes.
read on below advertisement
There are two standout existing features with the Webster Twinfisher design. Firstly, the sponsons are sealed from the cabin so if one or both sponsons are holed, the vessel remains afloat. The second clear advantage is that the twin hulled aluminium boat is designed around a single engine—reducing outlay and running costs considerably compared to the many twin engine cat designs. This single engine twin hull design is the essence of Twinfisher's original success.
It is hard to ignore the many arguments for twin engines on cats (and monos), especially if working offshore and requiring the security of two engines. However, this argument doesn't apply so much when you get down to a 5m coastal runabout. And that's where this boat's formula spells success.
HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE
Underway, the vessel's design behaved like a hybrid as it enjoyed the benefits of twin hulls for straight line and at rest stability but she could also be flicked around tight turns on one sponson, giving the vessel a turning circle not much more than its own waterline.
Port Phillip was very calm during the test so we had to hunt around for wakes and slush to check out her performance in mixed conditions. By the end of the test I would say the Webster had very honest handling—let's face it, she is an aluminium boat under 5m so she will bash about a bit—but when conditions get tough this craft will get you home—a bit wet but in very good shape.
next page »
« go back
