I
s there a better way of testing a
dedicated offshore fishing vessel
than fishing on one for two days?
That was our mission in Port
Stephens for the annual Billfish
Shootout, and our weapon of choice
was the Caribbean 49 Haulin, fitted
out by tournament sponsor Sylvania
Marina for Dean Hoye.
The 49 is the largest model in an
extensive range of boats manufactured
by family-run boat-building business
International Marine in Melbourne.
They say they’d build larger boats if
they could get them to the water from
their landlocked factory in suburban
Melbourne but even so, more than
55,500 craft have had this iconic
brand name stamped on the transom,
making it one of the country’s major
boatbuilding enterprises.
This particular 49 is a true high-seas
battlewagon, with every conceivable
electronic feature and a beautifulaluminium eyrie towering above.
LikeallCaribbeansforthepast50
years,the49isastoughastheycome,
with lashings of hand-laid fibreglass
inadesignechoingoriginalBertram
lines. Beefy bows allow for maximum
accommodationforwardwherea
master is joined by two smaller cabins
and twin bathrooms.
Room for a full crew to sleep
on board is important as the boat
ventures to distant tournaments.
Including saloon and flybridge lounges
there are beds for eight without
anyone having to share the doubles in
the master and the port-side cabin.
Liveaboard features include a
galley with refrigeration to support
longvoyagesaswellastochillplenty
oftake-homecatch.Inadditionto
a combination fridge-freezer in the
galleythere’sanicemakerinthe
saloon as well as a large eutectic
freezeragainstthecockpitbulkhead.
During our two days the cook/
deckhand was kept busy serving
snacksandlunchfromthegalley
set low to port at the front of thesaloon. A rear galley may be a better
entertaining choice but for fishing-
oriented sailors the forward galley
makes sense. On game boats the crew
generally spend the waiting hours
spread out on the cockpit lounges and
floor, and barging past the cook might
be tricky when the fishing action
starts.
A sliding door gives access to the
15.4sqm cockpit with a 130lb Reelax
game chair. Sylvania Marina added a
teak floor and set up the livebait tanks
but a two-section marlin door, bait
preparation table, deck wash, cockpit
shower and side lockers are standard.
In keeping with the boat’s main task
there’s no swim platform to get in
the way of landing the gaff or hinder
aggressive backing down on fish.
Moulded steps lead to side decks
with well-placed grab handles and
side rails for access to the bow. To
keep weight off the bow, Dean optedfora26kginflatabletender,reasoning
thata400kgdavitwouldbeweightin
thewrongplace.Thecrewcanlaunch
thelittlebrigbyhandandthe5hp
Mercuryisenoughtogetthemashore.
Teak insets in the flybridge
laddermakeaccesssaferandmore
comfortableinbarefeet,andalounge
areaaheadofthehelmisapopular
socialising space that’s roomier
without the usual teak table.
Thespaceisfullyenclosedwitha
fixedglasswindscreenandslidingside
windows, while the back has roll-up
clears for an unobstructed view of the
deck and the spread of lures.
Asmallconsoletoporthasafridge
andsinkwhileafold-downlockable
accesshatchkeepselectronicssecure.
The helm seats have been upgraded
to a matching pair of Scopinich chairs
that look the part and proved very
supportive in the navigator’s position
across miles of ocean.
Aquicklookatthedashboard
leavestheimpressionDeanenjoys
hiselectronics–ifRaymarineoffers
a ‘Full Monty’ package, this is it. HeTOP The best view in the house.
LEFT Heading out wide, the tower tells
onlookers what the boat is all about.
FAR LEFT With battleships like this,
only the best gear is allowed on board.
This particular 49 is a true high-seas
battlewagon with every conceivable
electronic feature and a beautiful
aluminium eyrie towering above
tradeboats.com.au 53Caribbean 49HT