Sailfish Canyon Master Review | Australias Greatest Fishing Boats
The Sailfish Canyon Master powered catamaran was a welcome addition to this year’s Australia's Great Boats - plate-alloy fishing boats division. The judges all came in from the trials with eyes wide open and jaws on the ground.
SAILFISH CANYON MASTER REVIEW
The Sailfish Canyon Master’s seagoing ability is off the scale. The company motto is: “Unlimited boundaries.” It’s spot on!
The twin 135hp Honda four-strokes pumped the big cat along with silent exhilaration. The deck room is simply enormous with 2.5 x 2.2m of fishing space, big sidedecks and workable transom layout – an area of difficulty for many competitors.
You could park an elephant on one side and it’s so stable the hull will barely move. Catch a marlin and you can easily drag it aboard through the walkway between the engines, and divers will love the access with the swing-down ladder.
Some will say two engines are better than one and two certainly give great peace of mind, particularly when you lose sight of land. The Sailfish’s ability to plane on one engine is terrific, especially when we logged 25.4kts with one engine clear of the water.
You certainly have to get used to twin-hull handling but once mastered, the big 7.3m Sailfish can be thrown around beautifully.
This is a great boat for a daytrip with the family, or perhaps the local footy team and these strong alloy cats are built for the rough stuff. You can run it up the beach, even the rocks, this tough hull can take it.
The Sailfish has terrific long-range capability as it planes at ridiculously low revs, burning very little fuel. The finish is something to behold and this is quality at a realistic price.
SAILFISH CANYON MASTER RATING
Fishing suitability | 9.4 |
Innovation | 8.8 |
Design and layout | 8.7 |
Quality of finish | 8.7 |
Handling and ride | 8.6 |
Stability at rest | 10 |
Ergonomics | 8.5 |
Standard equipment | 8.4 |
Value for money | 8.3 |
X-Factor | 9.6 |
TOTAL SCORE | 89 |
UNDERSTANDING THE RATING SYSTEM
| Meet the judging panel | The rating criteria explained |
THE JUDGES’ NOTEPAD
Angelo Sangiorgio: “We couldn’t believe this thing planed at 47km/h on one engine — that’s insane! It has stability, manoeuvrability and a mind-blowingly soft ride. It looks sensational; we loved the blue side panels and the overall attention to detail. Great vision, loads of hand-holds, an easily read dashboard, a terrific non-skid finish on the decks — it’s the full package.”
John Ford: “Lots of volume, great in the ocean. One of my first boats was a cat so yep, I like ’em — and this one’s from a reputable long-term manufacturer. The coloured sides look stunning and the 135 Hondas are sensational. It’s great to have the peace of mind that two engines bring. This one will throw a cat amongst the pigeons!”
Kevin Smith: “It’s BIG! It’s similar to what I’d used for years back in South Africa. There are good ones and bad but this is top of the class. It’s fairly light to tow for its size at around 2500kg and there’s plenty of deck room for a big gang of fishos. Two hulls are better than one and two engines are even better again! There’s so much space you could run a disco on board — take all your mates and you can still swing a cat, dog or anything else that takes your fancy. Great facilities, great long-range capability — and very efficient. Gutsy engines with Honda’s immediate BLAST technology — it’s Top Cat!”
Matt Jones: “I’m so impressed with this boat. It was my first time in a cat and I’m blown away with the ride. It just rides over and caresses the tops of the waves with that cushion of air. When you look at the speed you can’t believe how fast you are actually going. The layout is sensational — as a diver it’s perfect, particularly with the door out back. You feel totally in command, with great visibility and a great finish. The polished aluminium bow rail looks like it’s been crafted from stainless steel. This company has over 20 years of experience and it shows. The Hondas were super responsive and having two of ’em is very reassuring. This sailfish certainly makes me purr!”
John Willis chats with Gavan Daly (Sailfish): “The standard has become so much higher in the alloy market so we just keep improving our products. Nothing beats the stability of a cat. Even with the big cabin area you still have deck space of about 2.2x2.2m so you can easily fish four or more anglers comfortably. The finish is sensational — the paint shop is really lifting the bar. She’s solid, and don’t forget the 25mm square solid extrusion down the keel on each side. There are plenty of options including our enclosed cabins and overnighter fit-outs.”
SAILFISH CANYON MASTER SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 7.3m
BEAM: 2.45m
WEIGHT: 2500kg (dry)
MAX. HORSEPOWER: 270 (Twin 135’s)
BASE PRICE: $131,990
PRICE AS TESTED: $135,000 (BMT)