Stabicraft 1550 Frontier

The Stabicraft 1550 Frontier is a compact bowrider built in welded and pressed marine-grade aluminium by Stabicraft of New Zealand, a builder trading since 1987. On our measurements it works out at roughly 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) of hull with a beam near 6 ft 9 in (2.06 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. Sealed-chamber alloy pontoon hulls that make an unusually stable family bowrider.

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 8 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 1550 Frontier behaves the way a well-sorted compact 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 70-105 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 Stabicraft owners regularly add a pylon or a folding tower for wakeboarding. A modest 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 1550 Frontier. 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 New Zealand. Stabicraft invented the sealed aluminium pontoon hull, and it remains the brand's defining feature: welded buoyancy chambers run down each side of the boat, providing enormous reserve stability, positive flotation and a rubbing surface that shrugs off docks, rocks and other boats. For families that translates directly into confidence — the boat barely moves when everyone stands on one side, boarding from the water is easy, and the chambers make the hull effectively unsinkable. The Frontier and Supercab ranges include bowrider-style and sports layouts alongside the fishing-focused models, all built from heavy marine plate with fully welded construction and rated for serious offshore use in New Zealand and Australian conditions. Fit-out is practical and hard-wearing, with hose-out floors, removable cushions and generous storage. The distinctive boxy styling divides opinion, and the pontoon design adds beam and weight, but the safety and stability case is compelling. Resale across New Zealand and Australia is among the strongest of any alloy brand.

Options worth having on the 1550 Frontier 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 1550 Frontier is US$34,000 - US$45,000 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. Stabicraft has been refining that formula since 1987, and the 1550 Frontier is a straightforward, well-judged expression of it.