M
ore than just a
shipwright, Nick
Sharp is also an avid
fisho and he has been
working behind the
scenes in the South Australian boating
industry for years.
His impressive resume features
both established brands and technical
insurance work. More recently, in a
culmination of all he’s learned, Nick
has released the all-new SharpCraft
Scout 4.7.
This is a tough little fibreglass fishing
boat designed to sell at around $35,000
for a starting package.
The most striking thing about the
Scout – and any future models, Nick
adds – is that he’s so confident in the
build, that they come with a 10-year
hull warranty. Epic.
Now what’s a boat reviewer to do
when they hear a boast such as that?
W hy, head across to Adelaide to test
that claim in atrocious conditions, of
course...
Hitting the water at 10am, the wind
was blowing a steady 30 knots as we
met 2m swells outside the marina
heads.
The only problem with this sort ofweather, is those same great boat-
testing conditions make it tough to get
usable video footage – our cameraman
was bobbing around like a cork, even
on the 9m chase boat.
But for this reviewer, it was perfect. I
had ample troughs to jump and crests
to break through as we motored out for
30 minutes upwind, then back again
with the brisk sou’easter, chasing our
shots.LOOKS & LAYOUT
The Scout is a neat little package. It
looks compact from afar but up close, it
seems to grow.
How is this so? The hull sides are
tall – much taller than you’d expect on
a 4.7m vessel – which hides some of its
length.
But that length, when measured
by ABYC standards as most
manufacturers do, is a lot closer to 5m
LOA.
The external beam is 2.1m, so the
length-to-width ratio trends wider
than the ideal 3:1. It’s very much a ‘big’
4.7m, then.
Peering under the transom and sides,
the hull has strongly defined reverse
chines, about 60-75mm in depth, whilethe deadrise is modest at 15 ̊.
Twin boarding platforms flank the
outboard, though the transom is set at
the same height as the sides, making
entry potentially difficult for elderly
owners or little boaties.
Inside, the external bulk makes for
a deep and wide cockpit with big side
pockets and enough dancefloor to
accommodate four fishos, though I
suspect two-up fishing will be more
popular.
Seating is comfortable and since
Nick builds to order, they can be
optioned any way you want.
The owner of our test boat put in
seats with flip-up backrests – a great
idea for sitting at anchor watching a
flurry of snapper rods.
Our vessel also had an optional
bimini set way too low for my
outlandish height, but that’s my own
problem – you can set yours wherever
you want it.
The windscreen is toughened glass
in an alloy frame with handholds and
supports designed in.
The dash is compact but will take
a 9-10in screen, more than enough
for the entry-level price segment it
competes in.tradeboats.com.au 105Sharpcraft Scout 4.7