Stessco Skipper 520

The Stessco Skipper 520 is a compact bowrider built in welded and pressed marine-grade aluminium by Stessco of Australia, a builder trading since 1970s. On our measurements it works out at roughly 17 ft 1 in (5.20 m) of hull with a beam near 7 ft 5 in (2.25 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. No-nonsense Australian alloy bowriders built for hard family use.

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.

On the water the Skipper 520 is easy to like because nothing about it is demanding. Trim it out, settle into a mid-throttle cruise and it holds course with a finger on the wheel. Turns are progressive rather than sharp, wake crossings are soft, and the boat is forgiving of an inexperienced driver — an underrated quality in a family bowrider.

Power is a 95-145 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 Stessco 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 Skipper 520. 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 entry level boat from Australia. Stessco builds pressed aluminium boats in Queensland with a clear priority: practical, affordable, tough. The Skipper and Sunseeker bowrider variants are simple boats — padded forward seating that lifts out, a walk-through screen, swivel helm seats, a rear bench and plenty of open floor — with little decoration and plenty of real capability. Because they are light, they tow behind almost anything, launch and retrieve single-handed and can be dragged up a beach without much anxiety. Hull plate is respectable for the price band and the boats are fully welded with foam or chamber flotation. The trade-off is the one common to all light alloy hulls: in a stiff chop they work harder and make more noise than a heavier plate boat or fibreglass equivalent, so they are best matched to lakes, rivers, dams and sheltered estuaries. Stessco's value proposition is strong, parts are simple and cheap, and used examples change hands readily across Australia.

Options worth having on the Skipper 520 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. At this end of the market condition matters far more than model year — a well-kept older boat beats a neglected newer one every time.

Our price guide for the Skipper 520 is US$31,000 - US$41,000 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. Stessco has been refining that formula since 1970s, and the Skipper 520 is a straightforward, well-judged expression of it.