STREAKER 5250 SPORTS REVIEW

STREAKER 5250 SPORTS REVIEW

TEST: STREAKER 5250 SPORTS

Leon and Paul Savage's Streaker Boats has always been a local favourite in Victoria. The models have been popular for over 40 years and the proof of the pudding is in their longevity. Eager devotees quickly gobble up secondhand packages no matter their age, and to top it all off, dealing with the Streaker extended family is like sitting down to a home cooked meal - you know you're going to get a wholesome presentation with great flavour in friendly and familiar surroundings.

MORE IS BETTER

Today's boat buyers are rarely interested in minimal horsepower. They want to go fast, and do it in style, and fast is the nature of the impressive 5250 runabout when fitted with one of the best performers on the market, the Yamaha 130hp Saltwater series V4. With this powerplant the Streaker will reach very close to the old 50mph (80.4kmh) mark, so yes, it will blow your skirt up.

Modern boat buyers are also no longer content with minimal ergonomics or comfort. In that regard the 5250 Sport combines an efficient, seaworthy hull with a sporty flair, a sociable interior and the flexibility to please everyone in a boating family. It'll be equally at home waterskiing or wakeboarding in the sweetwater, mooching around a coastal estuary, cruising to a cosmopolitan destination, or taking part in quite serious fishing and diving in limited saltwater environments.

The hull is the tried and proven Streaker 5m (evolved from V17, 5.02 and 5.20) - with several updates. The sheerline and length has changed over the years following the evolution of improved deck moulds and the inclusion of a fully moulded bowsprit and dropping gunwale line. Streaker has also moulded a full walkthrough windscreen and deck design into many models, recognising their convenience for boarding and anchoring in dayboats.

Unlike many competing boats in this class, this one doesn't rattle or bang. It also has quite good storage for safety equipment and essentials in pockets located either side of the entry. The anchorwell ensures that wet and muddy rope and ground tackle don't have to come into contact with the rest of the boat, and it has even been purposely designed to take an optional Mini Stress Free winch.

Driving the Streaker 5250 is a pleasure. There's nothing like the feeling of confident horsepower and the Yammie 130 is one of my personal favourites. Yes, it's an older carburettor design, but I love it! Its power is, in my opinion, simply unmatched and while it still gets a bit smoky on start-up, that minor shortfall is quickly forgotten when you warm up and get moving. Quite honestly, I also believe it to be as quiet as many four-strokes, and it leaves much of our later technology floundering in its wake. Yep, I like performance, and I don't mind paying the extra bit in fuel costs to get it. I also like the considerable savings in purchase price and weight when compared with the four-stroke alternatives.

We rocketed out of the hole and on to the plane easily and with very little bow lift at 14.4kts (26.7kmh) at 2900rpm, and continued rapid acceleration through to a top speed at wide open throttle of 41.7kts (77.2kmh) at 5800rpm.

FEELS GOOD

The hull is balanced nicely with the layout and horsepower, giving a predictable ride with good turning characteristics. It got just a little frisky when nearing a speedy 43.1kts (80kmh), but that's certainly understandable with the light load in the test boat. If it were my boat, I'd spend the extra money on hydraulic steering; however, the standard non-feedback cable still works quite well, as it has for decades.

The Streaker design team have done really well in getting plenty of gear into the small dash. Walkthrough designs are great but they limit the available dashboard space. The black gelcoat on the dashboard takes some time to get used to but I found it quite attractive, especially when surrounded by the standard twin-Yamaha gauges, a sports-steering wheel, a Lowrance Mark-5x sounder, a five-gang switch panel and Clarion sound system. The helm has flush-mounted engine controls (set back just a little too far for me) and plenty of room for big tall blokes with the fully-adjustable swivel pedestal seats. You can really lock yourself in for performance.

The passenger dash has a lockable glovebox as well as a stainless steel Jesus bar and two refreshment holders. The entire cockpit is surrounded by padded coamings. Both the driver and passenger sides have full-length sidepockets neatly trimmed with front runner, and the whole package is fully carpeted.

Underfloor we have a ski locker and a 75lt fuel tank that should supply plenty of fuel for a full day on the water. Be prepared to fill the tank quite often, though, because this little baby entices you to open the throttles. After all, isn't that what it's all about?

On the plane...

Great fun

Made locally

Exhilarating performance

Walkthrough bow

Good anchoring setup

Full-length removable rear lounge

Functional layout

Dragging the chain...

Non-feedback steering

Slight whiff of fume from
carburetted two-stroke

PERFORMANCE

With a 19in stainless prop, two passengers, and a full fuel tank.

14.4kts (26.7kmh) @ 2900rpm (trimmed down and planing)

17.0kts (31.5kmh) @ 3000rpm (17° hull planes easily)

22.5kts (41.7kmh) @ 3500rpm (likes a few more revs to perform)

25.4kts (37.8kmh) @ 3800rpm (moderate-vee loves to jump)

27.0kts (50.0kmh) @ 4000rpm (hull and engine perform well)

29.0kts (53.7kmh) @ 4200rpm (sweet spot - hull starts to bite well)

30.5kts (56.5kmh) @ 4500rpm (loving it!)

34.5kts (63.9kmh) @ 5000rpm (getting interesting and great fun)

38.7kts (71.7kmh) @ 5500rpm (fast and just a little flighty)

41.7kts (77.2kmh) @ 5800rpm (WOT loves the air under the hull)

Specifications: Streaker 5250 Sports

HOW MUCH?

Price as tested: $44,975 BMT package ($46,850 with four-stroke motor)

GENERAL

Type: Monohull moderate-vee

Material: GRP

Length (overall): 5.25m

Beam: 2.13m

Deadrise: 17°

Weight (standard BMT): Approx. 1100kg

Approx. towing weight: 1250kg

CAPACITIES

Fuel: 75lt

Rec. max. HP: 130 (two-stroke)

Rec. max. HP: 100 (four-stroke)

ENGINE

Make/model: Yamaha 130B

Type: Four-cylinder, naturally aspirated, two-stroke

Rated HP: 130

Displacement: 1730cc

Weight: 165kg

Gearbox ratio: 2.00:1

Propeller: 19in stainless steel

SUPPLIED & MANUFACTURED BY

Leon & Paul Savage's Streaker Boats

461 Mountain Highway

Bayswater, Vic, 3153

Tel: (03) 9729 8288

Web: www.streakerboats.com.au

Originally published in TrailerBoat 267.

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