Bar Crusher 575BR

The Bar Crusher 575BR is a mid-size bowrider built in welded and pressed marine-grade aluminium by Bar Crusher of Australia, a builder trading since 1998. On our measurements it works out at roughly 18 ft 10 in (5.75 m) of hull with a beam near 8 ft 2 in (2.48 m), which places it squarely in the trailerable family bowrider class: one vehicle, one trailer, one afternoon of prep, and the boat is in the water. Plate alloy specialist whose Waveslicer hull and ballast system changed alloy ride quality.

Layout is classic bowrider and that is the whole point of the boat. Twin lounges run forward of the windscreen with a walk-through to the anchor well, the helm and companion seats sit amidships behind a wrap screen, and a full-width lounge spans the transom for sunbathing and socialising. Around 9 people fit aboard comfortably in sheltered water. Cushions lift out, backrests fold and filler pads convert the cockpit from a conversation pit into one long sun bed in a couple of minutes.

Underway the 575BR behaves the way a well-sorted mid-size bowrider should. It comes onto the plane early, holds a low tow speed without wallowing and tracks flat through a hard turn instead of skating out. In short chop you slow down and let the hull do the work, and it stays surprisingly dry for the size.

Power is a 125-190 hp four-stroke outboard package, and that suits both the hull and the way these boats are used. Keeping the machinery outside the hull frees up stern storage, simplifies servicing and removes the bellows and gimbal wear items that punish neglected stern drive boats. It also lifts the swim platform clear of the exhaust.

Watersports are well covered. A tow point is standard on almost every boat in this class, and Bar Crusher owners regularly add a pylon or a folding tower for wakeboarding. A healthy outboard package pulls a slalom skier out of the water cleanly and tows children on an inflatable biscuit all day without protest. Skis, ropes and vests live in the under-floor and under-seat lockers so nothing sits underfoot while the boat is loaded.

Anglers do well out of the 575BR. The bow converts to a casting deck once the cushions are stowed, there is room to swing a rod without hitting the screen, and lockers swallow tackle, nets and a cooler. It is not a dedicated fishing boat, but it catches fish and it still takes the family out the next morning — which is the entire argument for owning a bowrider.

Build and finish sit where you would expect for a premium boat from Australia. Bar Crusher has become one of Australia's most recognised plate aluminium brands on the strength of two engineering ideas. The Waveslicer hull uses a very fine, deep forward entry to cut chop instead of slamming, and the Quickflow water ballast system floods a chamber at rest to settle the boat low and stable, then drains automatically as you accelerate onto the plane. Together they answer the two classic complaints about alloy boats: hard ride and twitchiness at rest. The range includes bowrider and sports layouts as well as the well-known cabin and centre console fishing models, all built from heavy marine plate with fully welded construction and rated for serious offshore work. Fit-out is a step above most alloy builders, with tidy welds, quality upholstery, well-planned storage and boats delivered as complete rig-and-trailer packages. Prices sit at the premium end of the alloy market, and resale in Australia and New Zealand is excellent because demand consistently outstrips used supply.

Options worth having on the 575BR are the practical ones: a bimini for shade, a decent bow and cockpit cover so the upholstery survives being stored outside, an upgraded sounder if you fish, and a stereo package that can be heard over the engine. Aluminium hulls also reward a good trailer with proper skids, because the plating marks more easily than fibreglass on a poorly set-up trailer.

As a used buy, check the same things you would on any bowrider in this size band: transom firmness, stringer and floor soundness, hours and service history on the engine, steering and trim function, and the state of the upholstery seams, which are the first thing to fail on a boat that lives uncovered. Boats from this builder hold their money well, so a tidy example will not be cheap, and that is usually a sign you are buying the right one.

Our price guide for the 575BR is US$53,000 - US$70,000 new, which moves with engine choice, trailer, tower and how recently the boat was refreshed. Judged as a whole, it does what people buy a bowrider for: cruise, tow, swim, fish and entertain in one boat, without asking the family to compromise on any of them. Bar Crusher has been refining that formula since 1998, and the 575BR is a straightforward, well-judged expression of it.