ALLISON 195 ANGLER REVIEW
TIME-HONOURED ANGLER
There are a couple of Australian-built hulls that have survived over the years with little change to shape and internal design. One of them is Allison's 195 Angler which has been around for 16 years and continues to sell well in the marketplace.
This boat is the old 19-and-a-half-foot in length and the topside is a cuddy cabin style with open access back into the cockpit. If fishing in the subtropics, this style is well suited and remains quite airy.
The hull features reverse chines that are about 120mm wide at the stern giving good stability when dead in the water. It also has a tapered planing plank running forward to about one-third of the way along the keel line which assists in improved holeshot.
The topside shell slopes away to the edge of the gunwales around the cabin, subsequently anchor well access is through a hatch in the cuddy cabin roof. When one has their torso through the aperture of this hatch the anchor well is close and handy.
The anchor well is large and will hold plenty of ground tackle which may be fed over a bowsprit that is fixed onto the bow with four stainless steel bolts.
CABIN COMFORTS
The layout of the cabin is uncluttered and has a short V-berth that can handle an infill with stowage under the cushions. It is accessed via a rebate which opens about two-thirds of the helm bulkhead, hence the airy conditions for warmer climates. The usual surrounding pocket in the cabin is wider than average.
Cabin entry is made easy with the footwell between the berths extending well back into the cockpit between the two main seats so that one is down to the correct height when about to enter or leave the cabin.
The aft end of the berths feature a high footrest with an alloy non-skid plate for skipper and passenger to use while seated. A neat moulded fibreglass hinged cover shelters the looms and the back of the electronics from spray should it find its way into this area.
The windscreen on the Angler is all Perspex with the front pane a single sheet while the overall strength of the screen is enhanced with a solid grabrail that is fixed to it and to the shoulder at the aft end of the cabin mould.
A bimini is attached to the screen and the targa with rodholder rack. The stainless steel work is good quality and on this model, the targa is able to be folded back onto the cockpit gunwales for stowage under a low port or for economical towing on the road - a bolt each side when removed, will facilitate this.
The helm station is angular and with Yamaha's instrumentation being square in shape it fits nicely here. A compass is mounted on the back of the instrument brow, and a deep and wide tray makes up the rest of the top of this bulkhead where big-screen, gimbal-mounted electronics can be installed right across this expanse.
COMMODIOUS COCKPIT
Speaking of expanse, it is that of the cockpit that really impressed us. We are talking here of a flat transom-mounted engine that necessitates an engine well protruding into the cockpit space, but the cockpit is still huge even when taking that into account. This style is in contrast to an engine pod which frees up cockpit space.
The cockpit also has high gunwales which make for a good lean when angling and in the aft corners, seat bases may be removed for the best fishing position on the boat - wedged between the inside of the coamings and the side of the engine well.
Sidepockets run down each side of the cockpit and they drop to a lower level at the aft end and widen out to house a battery in a box each side.
The fuel filler is located in the engine well and its pipe drops through the cockpit deck, and it and the breather lines are suspended through a killtank at the aft end of the sealed-in underfloor fuel tank. All of the lines are double clamped and while we tend to shy away from obstacles in killtanks due to antics of freshly caught fish thrashing about, these lines are robust enough to take a knocking around and then some.
A hole in the deck, up against the transom, allows water to drain inside of the hull where a bilge pump is fitted.
The battery isolator switch is fitted to the cockpit side of the engine well and for the sake of neatness has been installed upside down to alleviate the need to run wires down and then bend them up to go into the bottom of the switch. To some extent this will allow water to invade the inside of the switch so if it was to remain in this position, a daub of silicone around these wires would effectively keep the internals of the switch dry.
Over the transom, swim-out platforms are installed each side of the 150hp four-stroke outboard.
We found the SeaStar hydraulic ram assembly touched the gelcoat when the engine was tilted at an angle to utilise the support strut that swings on the transom bracket. This is due to the overbuild in the thickness of the transom itself and while a change of design here would alleviate this problem, one could keep the inherent strength that it offers and extend the length of the bulls horn that is mounted in the tube on the engine bracket. This would hang the ram assembly farther forward over the rebate of the engine well.
PERFORMANCE
This boat is rated to 200hp and there is no way you need that level of power on this hull. The 150hp was ample and gave it good holeshot and acceleration to a top speed of 78kmh at 6000rpm.
The test day was quite flat with only small chop on Moreton Bay, but the Angler provided a soft ride over its own wake of 0.75m. Hard turns are not an issue at high speed and the boat leans nicely into the corners. A 10kmh breeze over the forequarters failed to lift any spray onto the windscreen and spray was minimal in the aft corners of the cockpit. All round, it provided a dry and comfortable ride.
No bells and whistles on this boat - just a good, honest fishing rig with more cockpit room than average for a boat of this size.
WHAT WE LIKED
Big cockpit space
Good base model to build a fine fishing rig
NOT SO MUCH
Hydraulic steering assembly needs revamping with longer bulls horn
Battery isolator switch will need waterproofing if it remains in installed position
Specifications: Allison Angler 195
HOW MUCH?
Price as tested: $58,780
Options fitted: Swim-out platforms, bowrails, electrical fitout, bimini and frame, and hydraulic steering
Priced from: $53,800
GENERAL
Material: Fibreglass with foam filled stringers
Type: Cuddy cabin runabout
Length overall: 6m
Beam: 2.48m
Weight: 950kg (dry)
CAPACITIES
Rec. max. HP: 200
Rec. min. HP: 130
Rec. max. transom weight: 270kg
Total weight: 1200kg (people-luggage-engine)
Fuel: 200lt
ENGINE
Make/model: Yamaha F150
Type: Four-cylinder four-stroke
Rated HP: 150 at 5000 to 6000rpm
Displacement: 2670cc
Weight: 212kg
Gearbox ratio: 28:14 (2.0:1)
Propeller: 17-inch
SUPPLIED BY
Kratzmann Marine,
270 Eastern Service Road,
Burpengary, Qld, 4505
Phone: (07) 3888 1727
Email: marinesales@kratzmann.com.au
Website: www.kratzmann.com.au
Originally published in TrailerBoat #234
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