A Guide to Buying Second Hand Allison Fisherman 5 Boats
Col Allison was a remarkable Australian character. He loved life, family, and boats – especially fishing boats! His early years were devoted to heavy transport engineering, yet like many of us, our first love of boats brings us back to our roots.
Col used his race-bred and recreational marine experience and manufacturing know-how to start Alison Boats in the mid-1980s and took his whole family along for the ride. I was a proud dealer for Allison Boats for a number of years and still have a tender spot for old Col and his family, who provided terrific packages with a genuine attitude and home-grown old-fashioned service. Col was still working well into his late 70s, and I remember the furor when his family made him give up riding his motorbike to work after a spill! Col promised to go snapper fishing with me in Port Phillip Bay one day, but unfortunately time and health beat him with his passing on December 14, 2010 at age 82.
Construction Innovation
While Allison Boats produced a range of ski and cruising boats, fishing was Col Allison’s great love. He was a forerunner in the design of dedicated fishing machines. He was Australia’s first boat builder to introduce a fibreglass stringer (underfloor) system, eliminating rot and producing immensely strong yet relatively lightweight designs.
Aquatic Go-Cart
The Allison Fisherman 5 was my personal favourite. It is a crossover between a runabout and a cuddy with a raised forepeak, full walkthrough to the bow, high dashboard and storage underneath. Fishos just love deck room, and the Allison Fisherman 5 provided a huge work platform with deep, safe sides and a very workable half pod transom.
But, best of all is the ride! The Fisherman 5 bats well above its weight on the water and is a most enjoyable hull to drive with exceptional characteristics. In fact, it’s like driving a go-cart on the water – great fun! She’s exceptionally capable as a fishing, diving, ski, or family fun boat that is light to tow, thrifty on the wallet, and easy on the eye.
General
Material: GRP
Type: Monohull cuddy
Length: 5m
Beam: 2.1m
Weight BMT: approx. 1000kg
Capacities
People: 6 (Victoria)
Fuel: Approx. 60L
Performance
Allison Fisherman 5 fitted with 75HP Evinrude ETEC
|
Speed (km/h) |
RPM |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
|
24 |
2800 |
On the plane |
|
30 |
3000 |
|
|
35 |
3200 |
Comfortable slow cruise |
|
40 |
3500 |
Trimmed out a little |
|
50 |
4000 |
Feels great and hangs into turns really well |
|
60 |
4500 |
|
|
62 |
5000 |
|
|
66 |
5200 |
WOT – feels great! |
Ready to Set Sail?
Find your dream boat online at Only Boats! We have great deals on boats for sale, including used boats and new boats. You can shop other available fishing boats or our wide selection of fibreglass boats for sale. You can also check out our used boat buying guide.
If you're upgrading or planning to sell your boat, why not explore our expert guide on how to improve boat resale value. If you're planning to attend a boat show soon, we've also put together a detailed boat show buying guide that's perfect for first time buyers.
Smooth sailing starts with the right boat. We’re here to help you find it!
Story and images provided by John "Bear" Willis. This article previously appeared at TradeaBoat.com.au, now powered by Only Boats.
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