2009 Review: Trophy 1952 Walkaround

Trophy’s American trailerable sportsfishers promise more than a marketing trip for those who venture aboard. I was champing at the bit to see how Trophy dealt with the design parameters of (a) making a walkaround for serious fishing out of a mere 19ft hull; (b) accommodating a compact diesel inboard motor in the boat; and (c) providing a self-draining deck.

MEETING THE CHALLENGES 

The hull is hand-laid GRP with a fibreglass stringer system, level foam flotation and waterproof resin, which makes it smooth, dry and very reassuring when charging into the fray.
The deep freeboard up front, flared sides, and high windscreen make this a dry boat. Trim in to avoid landing on the flat rear end.
The 2.44m beam ensures a stable walkaround, while the moulded cockpit step, high one-piece bowrail, toerails and upright windscreen provide security. Up front, there is enough deck space for retrieving the anchor or pitching a lure, lots of freeboard and no chance of putting water on deck, but few fittings to snare lines. There isn’t much storage space so order a T-top with rocket launcher for rod storage.

FISHING FEATURES
There is no bowsprit but the anchor locker can carry a good length of rope and there is a moulded recess for swinging a sand anchor. The stanchions for the bowrail will be handy mounting points for aftermarket tubes for carrying the reef pick.
Recessed deck cleats have enough room to tie off thin rope and the boat has underwater bronze seacocks for the optional raw-water washdown. There are aft and forward bilge pumps, two gunwale rodholders, twin aft removable plastic baitbins, and optional plumbed livebait tank.
Even with optional padded coamings, the lack of internal freeboard makes this a tough boat for fishing and your families. The deep hull up front quickly tapers to a shallow cockpit that could easily spit crew out the back. Though the non-skid is excellent, I wouldn’t leave children on the aft-facing seats, as there is nothing to stop them falling out the transom. The fix would be to fit a strong stainless aft rail with padded coamings, a gate, more rodholders and a removable cutting board.
Should you hook a big fish on stand-up tackle, you’ll struggle clearing the Alpha One sterndrive leg.
A moulded enginebox lid forms the central part of the low transom edge. Engine access is excellent, and it’s good to see an external fuel shutoff in the cockpit, but a dipstick and easy access to the fuel tank would be handy.

BIG-HEARTED
A spacious lock-up cabin has seated headroom for two people on a nicely upholstered V-shaped area with supplied infill, a portable loo, 12V cabin light, a hatch to dash wiring, and easy-to-clean plastic moulded floor liner.
The dash boasts switch panel, Cummins Mercury engine gauges, compass and big stainless-steel wheel, plus flush-mounted aftermarket electronics such as a marine radio, sounder and GPS chartplotter.
The high windscreen offers terrific protection and great views of the road ahead when seated. There was no wiper, but Rainex coating will keep the water beading away.
I enjoyed driving this boat from the reversible helm seats. When standing, I noted plenty of legroom and, while there isn’t a grabrail around the windscreen, it is mounted strongly. There is a handy dry storage nook and drinkholder at the helm, and
seat box under the twin helm seats with optional padded seat tops. Insist that crew hold on to the plastic grabrails so they don’t tumble out the transom when you plant the throttle.

DIESEL DELIVERS 
While the boat comes in outboard and petrol or diesel inboard variants, the latter on this boat provided terrific performance, great handling, top fuel economy and a big range from the 208lt sub-floor fuel tank.
There was some diesel clattering at low revs, but I like that sound and so do the fish that chase trolled lures and baits. Moving from trolling to cruising speeds was smooth with trim in. With trim out, the boat has a tendency to porpoise.
The efficient boat/motor combo planes at 8.5kt (16.2kmh) at 2200rpm. At 2500rpm it gives a low-speed, heavy-weather cruise of 13kt (25kmh). And at 3000rpm, the boat cruises at 19.3kt (37kmh). I recorded a fast cruise of 27kt (51kmh) and a top-end speed of 31kt (59kmh).
These speeds are similar to a 42ft gamefishing boat, so you’ll keep up with the big boys, while using a comparative whiff of fuel.

HIGHS
* High bow sheds waves
* Good walkaround space
* Big cabin with seating and loo
* High, protective windscreen
* Non-skid on deck
* Diesel long range economy

LOWS
* Low internal cockpit freeboard
* Not much family seating
* Kids could too easily fall out
* Little by way of rod and tackle storage
* Can’t dip fuel tank
* Black soot builds along transom
* Sterndrive leg hard to fish around

Specifications: Trophy 1952 Walkaround

HOW MUCH?
Price as tested: $59,990 w/ 120hp Cummins-MerCruiser 1.7lt diesel engine with Alpha One drive
Options fitted: Base boat in Australia includes factory optional seating package, padded coamings, safety gear, dual-axle trailer, registrations in drive-away package
Priced from: As above

GENERAL 
Material: GRP w/ foam stringers and flotation
Type: Moderate-vee planing hull
Length Overall: 5.82m
Beam: 2.44m
Deadrise: 17°
Weight: 1641kg w/ 125hp Mercury outboard

CAPACITIES
Berths: Camp on deck
Fuel: 208lt
Water: n/a

ENGINE 
Make/Model: Cummins-MerCruiser
Type: Inboard diesel four-stroke motor
Rated hp: 120hp @ 4000–4500rpm.
Displacement: 1.70lt
Weight: About 225kg
Gearboxes (Make/ratio): Alpha One Sterndrive
Props: 21in alloy

SUPPLIED BY
Avante Marine, Silverwater, tel (02) 9737 0727.
Bayliner Australia, Berowra Waters, NSW, tel (02) 9456 3200, www.bayliner.com.au

Originally published in TrailerBoat #194