2017 Review: Sharpcraft Scout 4.7
HIGHS
- 10-year warranty
- Tight, squeak-free hull
- Bespoke build
LOWS
- Availability
- Deadrise is a bit shallow
- No transom step-through
REVIEW: SHARPCRAFT SCOUT 4.7, from $35,900
THE BUILDER
Nick Sharp, shipwright and avid fisho, has been working behind the scenes in the South Australian boating industry for years. His impressive résumé features established brands and technical insurance work. Taking what he’s learned, he released the all-new Scout 4.7, a tough little fibreglass fishing boat designed to hit around $35,000 for a starting package of boat, motor and trailer.
The most striking thing about the Scout – and any possible future models, Nick tells me – is that he’s so confident they’ll handle the rough he gives them a 10-year hull warranty. Epic.
What are we to do when we hear that? Head down to Adelaide in atrocious conditions to test that claim, of course. Hitting the water at 10am, with the winds still blowing a steady 30 knots, we met 2m swells outside the marina heads. The problem with weather like that is it’s super-hard to get good video footage. JP, our cameraman for the day, was bobbing around like a cork even on our 9m chase boat. But for me it was perfect – I had more troughs to jump and crests to break as we motored out for 30 minutes against and 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? The sides are tall – much taller than you’d expect on a 4.7m – 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 is wider than the ideal 3:1. So a big 4.7, then.
Creeping under the transom and sides, the hull has strong defined reverse chines, about 60-75mm in depth, while the deadrise is modest at 15 degrees. Twin boarding platforms flank the outboard, though the transom is set at the same high height as the sides, making entry a little tough; this could be an issue for older and smaller people.
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’re optional whichever way you want. The owner of our test boat put in seats with flippable backrests – a great idea for sitting at anchor watching a flurry of snapper rods. Our boat also had an optional bimini set way too low for my outlandish height but that’s my problem; you can set it where you want. 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. A walk-through is standard and handy when setting off, while the cuddy interior has been laid out for storage with partitions to hold lure bags, safety gear, towels and whatnot easily.
IN THE ROUGH
I knew before heading out that the big chines and moderately shallow deadrise would likely mean a flat and hard ride with the possible saviour being a well set-up engine that could lift and tuck the bow quickly through trimming. I won’t tell you the Scout 4.7 rode like a 9m twin-rigged deep-V but it wasn’t as bad as expected. The hull worked well with the quick-trimming Merc so I could get the bow up and in when needed plus with masses of torque down low from the 2.1-litre engine, popping from crest to crest was easy and fun.
But what surprised me most was what I came to test – the strength and feel of the hull. It was solid and squeak-free. At no time did it feel like it was flexing or twisting and even when I accidently missed my landing spot and dropped us into a two-metre hole, the hard landing only fussed the passengers on board, not the hull itself.
The conditions were so bad we couldn’t get good fuel figures, even sneaking inside the marina mouth and breaking the speed restrictions. We did manage to get a few runs in and the Mercury Tigershark 75hp four-stroke showed 2km per litre was possible at best cruise.
WHY SO TOUGH?
Back on the hard and out of the wind, Nick took me through what goes into making such a tough little boat. He uses a mould of his own for a pair of bearers with six integrated stringers. The lattice is joined to the hull mould with chop matt and hand-laid multi and bi-axial matting. The mould has provision for a 90-litre fuel tank and once in, joins with the floor to make one hell of a tough floor structure. The same approach is taken above decks in the cuddy, with the dividers working as supports for the cuddy and sides. All in all, it’s built like a tank and better than some bigger boats I’ve seen built.
FISHO OR FAMILY?
Why not both? A pair of fold-down rear seats gives the Scout 4.7 the flexibility to take extra passengers and with the optional bait station it would work as a stink-baiter or lure fisho just fine. The high sides will keep the young uns safely inside the boat while estuary fishers will welcome the shallow draft. Options will define the overall usefulness – an anchor winch for bay fishing, which I think is the boat’s greatest appeal, while a bimini will keep the harsh summer sun at bay. I would definitely add the optional 90L fuel tank as that should give you more than a weekend between fills. Tick on a half-decent sounder and expect to pay a bit over $40,000.
VALUE & AVAILABILITY
The SharpCraft Scout 4.7 sits in one of the most fiercely competitive segments, the 5m fibreglass market. Offerings from Haines Hunter, Whittley, Cruise Craft and Signature all come to mind, and all offer broadly similar value if admittedly a touch more expensive – the Whittley Clearwater 1650 comes closest on price and spec.
What is significantly different, though, is that they all come from established companies with decades of experience and dealer networks. SharpCraft, by contrast, currently sells direct and by cutting out the dealer and his margin, savings can be realised.
THE WRAP
The SharpCraft Scout 4.7 is well built, over built really, but it’s also good value for money. The ride might not be best-in-class but I do not expect owners to need to push the hull as far as we did but how good is it knowing if you need it, the SharpCraft Scout 4.7 will get you home.
SPECIFICATIONS SharpCraft Scout 4.7
PRICE AS TESTED A$42,900
OPTIONS FITTED Bimini, bait station, sounder, VHF, rear seats, fuel tank
PRICED FROM A$35,990
GENERAL
MATERIAL GRP
LENGTH 4.7m (LOA)
BEAM 2.1m
WEIGHT 500kg (hull only)
DEADRISE 15°
CAPACITIES
PEOPLE 5
REC HP 70
REC MAX HP 90
FUEL 90L (optional)
ENGINE
MAKE/MODEL Mercury 75hp four-stroke
TYPE Eight-valve, single overhead cam, four-stroke petrol
DISPLACEMENT 2.1L
GEAR RATIO 2.38.1
PROP Stainless steel, 13.5x15in
WEIGHT 165kg
MANUFACTURED BY
SHARPCRAFT
23 Oaklands Rd
Somerton Park, SA 5044
PHONE +61 (0)411 383 014