Boat Review: Stabicraft 1450 Frontier Profish
It might be the smallest model in the NZ Stabicraft pontoon boat range, but the 1450 Frontier punches well above its weight.
Stabicraft is the leading manufacturer of plate-alloy pontoon boats in Australasia, this Kiwi boat builder having pioneered and refined this distinctive type of craft over several decades.
Stabicraft boats are popular with recreational and commercial boaters — both here in Australia and across the Tasman in New Zealand.
To cater for a burgeoning demand, there is a broad range of Stabicraft production models now available, stretching from the entry 1450 Frontier tiller-steer open boat, through to the flagship 2750 Ultra Centrecab.
The subject of this review is the aforementioned 1450 Frontier but rigged with a side console helm station and forward controls — and with the deluxe Profish configuration.
Build and construction
The Stabicraft 1450 Frontier Profish has an overall length of 4.42m, a maximum beam of 1.89m and a dry hull weight of around 290kg.
This bare hull weight rises to around 720kg when the boat is paired with a Yamaha 50hp four-stroke outboard engine and a Redco trailer.
The Stabicraft has a moderate, 15-degree deadrise vee-monohull bottom, beneath air-tight, chambered pontoon tubes which encircle the hull like a collar.
The pontoon tubes contain sufficient buoyancy for this craft to meet Australia’s positive flotation standard; the Frontier will stay afloat in an upright position when swamped.
The pontoon tubes also help to plane the Stabicraft quickly and to provide exceptional stability at rest.
The Frontier’s pontoon tubes are welded using 3mm plate aluminium, while the hull bottom and transom has been recently upgraded to 4mm alloy.
Features and options
The Profish version of the 1450 Frontier is the deluxe model. It comes with some extra gear that is not included on the standard Frontier Sportfish model.
The extra kit includes a tinted windshield and paint to the side console, a removable 70L Split Lid Icey Tek port side cooler box, an upgrade to stainless-steel rod holders, a port side boarding step and upgraded hull paint.
There’s also a stack more options available for the Profish model, several of which were added to our test boat package.
Those options included a hull paint upgrade, Ultralon U-Dek foam rubber flooring, a transom live bait tank, upgraded helm and passenger Fish Pro seats and a bow mount trolling motor plate and battery tray.
After-market accessories included a Minn Kota RT55ST SV iPilot trolling motor with deep-cycle battery, a Lowrance Elite FS9 fish finder/GPS and a VHF radio.
Interior layout
The 1450 Frontier has a high-freeboard interior layout with a full-height 610mm transom so the boat can be used to fish in inshore and nearshore waters — despite its diminutive overall size.
The inner cockpit area is deep, too, with the topside coamings elevated around 690mm above the 1.26m wide alloy cockpit floor.
The overall cockpit is 2.7m long, giving two or three anglers sufficient space to move about quite freely.
At the bow there’s also a 760mm long elevated casting deck, beneath which is a small storage area and a welded battery tray to accept the electric trolling motor battery.
A welded step beneath the front deck doubles as a low-set seat — and contains four vertical rod holders.
Interestingly, the casting deck space stretches aft down each side of the boat to provide very handy side-seats, complete with reinforcing welded grab rails.
The Frontier does not have a proper anchor well — but there is space for the anchor and rode beneath the battery tray under the casting deck.
Flanking the cockpit, stretching aft from amidships, there are 270mm ultra-wide side coamings, above equally wide side storage pockets.
On the starboard side here is the cleverly designed side console helm station — which is suspended above the floor, securely welded to the side deck.
There are no supporting struts beneath the console to allow for plenty of helm foot/leg space and for more walkabout room in general.
The console is modest in size, but there’s flat dash space for the bracket-mounted multifunctional display, and fascia panel space for engine gauges, switching and the sports steering wheel.
The throttle box is side-mounted appropriately against the side deck — within easy reach.
The upgraded Fish Pro helm and passenger chairs are comfortable, fixed securely over welded aluminium brackets and attached to the side decks.
The port side seat is optional, as many anglers prefer to go without and be able to freely access the aft cockpit down the port side of the boat.
Other noteworthy features include a removable bait board, welded cleats, cup holders and rear boarding platforms.
Power and performance
The 1450 Frontier is rated for a single longshaft (20”) outboard engine to a maximum of 50hp.
Stabicraft recommend a 30–40hp motor for the 1450 series models, but to maximise the excellent ride and handling of this boat, I’d go with the maximum power engine.
Paired with the Yamaha 50hp outboard, our test boat pulled a top speed of 28.6 knots (53 km/h) at 5900 rpm.
A sub 30 knot top speed is ample for a 4.5m boat, but more importantly, the test rig felt agile and spritely on the water. It accelerated from idle and up through the rpm range with plenty of vigour and engine/throttle response.
Handling and ride
At speed and through the turns the 1450 Frontier handles well too. The Stabicraft is no ski boat, but you can certainly take tight turns with ease and safety.
At rest, the 1450 Frontier is exceptionally safe and stable; it’s much stiffer, more solid than a regular vee monohull — and tougher and more durable to boot.
Underway the boat accelerates keenly with minimal bow lift, and when confronted with a heavy chop the finely angled bow shape parts the waves easily to smooth out the ride.
The ride will firm up once you start jumping between the waves — given this is a small boat — but keep the hull planted in the water and the ride is quite comfortable.
The hull is also drier than you might expect because the pontoon tubes act like chines to suppress spray and to push water away from the hull.
The wrap
The Stabicraft 1450 Frontier Profish is a terrific little boat; it’s a step up from pretty much anything else on the open boat market in the 4.3–4.6m size range.
With its tough, durable, stable plate alloy pontoon boat hull, the 1450 Frontier is equally at home fishing smooth water lakes and dams as taming choppy bays and nearshore waters.
Sea trials
| RPM | SPEED (KT) | FUEL BURN (L/H) | RANGE (NM) |
| 1000 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 41.6 |
| 1500 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 42.3 |
| 2000 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 26.3 |
| 2500 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 29.7 |
| 3000 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 24.1 |
| 3500 | 13.5 | 7.0 | 45.8 |
| 4000 | 17.3 | 8.8 | 46.7 |
| 4500 | 21.2 | 10.1 | 49.8 |
| 5000 | 24.7 | 13.5 | 43.4 |
| 5500 | 27.0 | 17.8 | 36.0 |
| 5900 | 28.6 | 19.6 | 34.6 |
*Sea trial data supplied by the author. Fuel range figures calculated leaving 5% in reserve.
Specifications
| Boat type | Plate-alloy side console pontoon monohull |
| Length | 4.42m |
| Beam | 1.89m |
| Deadrise | 15 degrees |
| Internal beam | 1.35m |
| Pontoon tube thickness | 3mm |
| Bottom and transom alloy | 4mm |
| Hull weight | 290kg |
| Weight on trailer | Approx. 720kg (dry) |
| Maximum power | 50hp |
| Power as tested | Yamaha 50hp four-stroke outboard |
| Fuel | 25L portable |
| Maximum persons | 4 |
Supplied by Northside Marine.
Priced from
$47,695 (Including Yamaha 50hp + Redco trailer)
Options included
- White-coloured Yamaha 50hp four-stroke
- Upgraded Fish Pro helm/passenger seats
- Paint upgrade — belting up & ext pontoons w/coaming & ext fendering
- Ultralon U-Dek foam rubber flooring and coamings
- Transom live bait tank
- Trolling motor mount with battery tray
- Minn Kota RT55ST ADV iPilot 54” 12V trolling motor
- Trolling motor quick-release mount
- Amptech 105A deep-cycle battery
- Lowrance Elite FS9 fish finder/GPS
- Lowrance VHF radio
- Sand anchor and inshore safety gear kit
- QLD boat and trailer registrations
Price as tested
$63,243 (Including Yamaha 50hp + Redco trailer)
THE NEXT STEP
If you need help choosing your first boat or are considering upgrading your existing one, check out the Stabicraft models available on Trade a Boat today.
The sellers will be happy to help and answer any inquiries you may have about the products advertised for sale.
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