STACER’S NEW RANGE OF PLATE BOATS

By Alex Julius For the angler shopping for a seriously-robust offshore plate trailerboat, you’d be smart to check out Stacer’s new Ocean Ranger models before making your decision. New boat designs just keep on coming from Stacer. The latest is an impressive range of 9 plate boats, configured as side console, centre console, cabin and hard top designs. The range includes the 489, 509 and 539 Nomad Ranger and the 589, 619, 679 and 739 Ocean Ranger with the 679 and 739 also available as Hard Top models. Earlier this year, I was part of a media contingent that was able to sample the Ocean Rangers, in particular, during trials along Gold Coast’s Seaway, and offshore for a run along the coast and, hopefully, a fish in the boat. I must say that no one ever catches anything decent on these trips, but you sure do get to put the boats through their paces, especially when there’s a bit of sea running, as was the case during our sojourn. With the exception of the smaller Nomads plate boats, the larger new plate boats are built with 5mm plate bottom sheets, 4mm topsides and an internal sub frame, milk crate structure of longitudinal and latitudinal ribs to reinforce strength and help shape the renowned EVO Advance Hull. For their size, the Nomads are plenty strong enough with a 4mm plate bottom. For the sea run, I jumped aboard the big girl in the fleet: the Stacer 739 Ocean Ranger. As expected from a boat this size, and especially with the EVO Advance Hull common to all boats in the range, it punched through swell and slop for a dry ride, seemingly excelling in the offshore conditions, and providing a soft and easy ride for passengers. The smallest boat to be taken on the offshore run was the 589 Ocean Ranger. I’m sure it’s occupants were doing it tougher than we were with our metre and a half more boat, but it nonetheless seemed to revel in the conditions and looked pretty damn good bounding across the waves. I didn’t get a chance to try it offshore as we basically stuck with the boats we began with, but those who did reckoned it went well. Stacer National Account Manager, Drew Jackson, said: “The range offers great value for money with heaps of features included with the standard model, like the live bait tank with a transparent front, welded rod holders, cutting board, kill tank and a sounder. “It’s the first time we’ve released a true Hard Top model for Stacer and it’s very impressive being  enclosed with a full glass wind screen and windows which are fully sealed and waterproof.” All Ocean Rangers come with a self-draining tread plate with a non-return scupper system and large fuel tanks to keep you on the water longer. There are also plenty of storage options, including storage bins in the cabin bunks, large side pockets and storage boxes in the seats. Optional extras include: bimini and envelope, vinyl wrap for a personalised look, deck wash and stereo. Each Ocean Ranger is available as a Stacer Ready 2 Go package including Stacer boat, trailer, Evinrude E-TEC engine and 3-year limited warranty for peace of mind. For more information on the new Ocean Rangers or the entire Stacer Range, head to:http://www.stacer.com.au