Stabicraft 2050 Frontier Profish

Stabicraft’s 2050 Frontier is one of three models in the company’s new 2050 range. Aimed squarely at sportfishers, the Frontier is available in Adventure, Sportfish and Profish versions. Over six metres long, this large centre-console model is offered with a range of factory layouts and a mind-boggling array of configuration options.

The boat we got to play in on a breezy autumn morning was a range-topping Profish model painted in striking Stabicraft red with an array of options that Stabicraft expects will be representative.

For instance, our boat had the larger, double-width console, positioned amidships, and a two-person bench-style seat with useful storage underneath, rather than twin suspension seats, which are optional. The Frontier can also be ordered with the console set further aft, opening up mid-deck space, or with a narrower console with a single plinth-mounted or suspension helm seat.

Bigger, better

Stepping aboard the Stabicraft 2050 Frontier is something of
a journey of discovery. Everywhere you look you’ll find innovative design features, imaginative storage options, and clever layout solutions, all of which contribute to an exceptional sportfishing boat that is also suitable for more general recreational boating duties.

The new Frontier builds on the success and popularity of the old model, which was discontinued in 2022, but is larger and much improved. It shares many philosophical and stylistic cues with Stabicraft’s Frontier 1550 and 1450 models, both of which have been runaway success stories.

Built on the same wide-bodied hull as the Stabicraft 2050 Supercab and Treker, compared to the old model, the new Frontier is wider, with more beam externally and internally, and much more usable space forward thanks to redesigned coamings. The overall styling has been updated, including more contemporary-looking consoles and a new ‘blade’ style bow rail with optional lightbar. The new Frontier also gets the latest generation GameChaser transom, familiar from other Stabicraft models, offering superior handling and safety in reverse. Other improvements include a jump in maximum rated horsepower (from 175hp to 200hp) and greater fuel capacity – 200 litres in an underfloor tank.

The test boat was carried on a dual-axle DMW multi-roller trailer with override brakes and LED lights. All up, the rig weighs in at around 1,500kg on the road with half a tank of fuel. I towed it the short distance to the boat ramp at Stillwater behind a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Launching and retrieving was straightforward, even with a single-speed manual winch. For ease of garaging, the screen folds down.

Clear the decks

Boarding the 2050 Frontier via the two-step boarding ladder, there’s a low step-through transom opening on both sides giving access to the modest boarding platform aft, which can be configured with a cage. In this instance the transom featured the Superfish transom box comprising a live bait tank with a cutting board/rigging table above (trap-door access to live well), four rod holders and two cup/sinker holders across the back. A ski-pole hoop is an option and a pair of standard fold down steps/seats in the corners make stepping over the transom easier.

Below the bait tank is the battery locker for house and start batteries etc., nicely protected and off the floor. The battery isolation switches are conveniently located on the starboard side aft, handy to the boarding ladder.

The double-width console is complemented by an upholstered two-person seat box with a reversible backrest that also locks in the vertical, halfway position for support when standing up to drive. There’s an optional 105-litre fish box underneath, dry storage in a shallow locker under the seat and more under the footrest, which hinges up, extending a metal box that cantilevers outwards. Very clever and off the floor too.

The three-tier console has ample room for big-screen MFDs – in this case a 19-inch Garmin unit, a full suite of toggle switches, Garmin VHF, Suzuki instruments (engine data is also displayed on the MFD), VHF and stereo head unit, a couple of USB outlets, a lipped tray perfect for cell phones, cup holders, throttle control, and useful handrails on either side. Like everything else on this boat that isn’t welded on – railings, hatch covers, side panels, seat boxes and more – it’s finished in an attractive, hard-wearing Stabicraft exclusive powder coat paint in ‘spica pearl’ colour.

The deck space this model provides is exceptional. There’s plenty to work with behind the seat box and enough internal beam to easily move past the double-width console. The deck, coamings, stern and casting platforms – even the anchor locker hatch cover in the bow – are covered in dark-grey EVA for comfort, good looks and superior grip.

So too are the extra-long side pockets, furnished with rubber-sealed covers in the Profish to keep them dry and protected. These side lockers are long enough to store several fishing rods up to 2.5m long (8ft). The Profish also gets six stainless steel through-coaming rod holders for trolling, plus rod holders in the bow for storage and tackle rigging. The washdown outlet and hose are inside the starboard-side locker.

Stabicraft’s sealed ‘life ring’ Arrow pontoons feature closed-cell foam baffling, which contributes to quiet running. Between the pontoons and the vessel’s underfloor chambers, there’s almost 1721 litres of sealed chamber volume, providing a huge amount of reserve buoyancy.

Stepping up

The optional casting deck in the front is a salient feature of the 2050 Frontier Profish. It’s vast, with room to easily accommodate three or even four anglers all casting at once. Such a large platform sets this boat apart from most other offerings on the New Zealand market, although there is a growing number of boats with bow platforms being built for both domestic consumption and export. The original Frontier range was created many years ago to meet the needs of lure fishers in tropical parts of northern Australia and these latest Frontier models should find favour there too, as well as in North America and at home in New Zealand.

Under the bow platform is a massive storage area (600 litres) – room enough to swallow all kinds of bulky items. The lid is supported by gas struts, as is the anchor locker hatch cover, and amply reinforced to prevent any chance of distorting under the weight of anglers. It is secured with a substantial latch and can be locked for security.

The boat is furnished with a separate anchor locker containing a drum winch spooled with warp and chain and a Sarca anchor secured on the fairlead. Good-sized lockers to either side of the platform at floor level are meant for tackle storage. Gutters and drains protect them from water ingress.

Standard across the range is provision for an electric bow motor, with a factory mounting plate, battery tray under the foredeck and, in our case, a pre-wired loom ready to hook up to the electric. Similar pre-wiring is available for electric reel and downrigger power outlets.

Power & performance

The subject of this review was powered by a Suzuki DF200A Stealth outboard, a super-
quiet engine right at the top of the recommended power range for this hull. Unsurprisingly, performance was excellent, with strong acceleration and plenty of torque, which allows the boat to maintain speed when the sea cuts up a bit.

We had a building northeast wind on the morning of our review, so there was some swell and a rising chop to contend with, which got bigger later as the wind built. Our run out to Tiritiri Matangi was largely into and partially across the wind and sea. This was accomplished comfortably enough at around 22 knots, at which speed we stayed mostly dry and in contact with the water – any faster and we started to grab a bit of air.

As applies to any centre-console, you can expect to cop a bit of spray in windy conditions, especially with the wind on the quarter or the beam, but compared to many such boats, the Frontier is remarkably dry. The wider console does a good job of sheltering the boat’s occupants, too, though obviously not as well as an enclosed cabin – if that’s what you’re after, the 2050 Treker or Supercab models would suit you better.

We found some shelter in the lee of Tiri where we shot video and stills for this story, also taking the opportunity to stretch the 2050’s legs, touching 38 knots before we ran out of flat water. There seemed to be power and speed in reserve, too.

Like other Stabicraft models I’ve experienced, including my own 1450 Frontier, the 2050 corners flat, feeling very much like it’s on rails. You can generate considerable g-force if you turn sharply enough.

With 200hp driving a large-diameter stainless steel propeller, the boat pops onto the plane as soon as you touch the throttle lever, which is electronic, so quite sensitive. Steering is hydraulic, by Ultraflex, providing a nice balance of lightness and feel. Slow speed handling and control is very good, including in reverse (Gamechaser transom), and I’ve already mentioned how quiet the Suzuki is, especially at idle, but also tootling along at five knots, which was necessary in the estuary at Stillwater.

Where this model really excels is fishability. The bow platform is epic, and with the legendary stability of a Stabicraft, there should be no issues putting two or three anglers on the bow at once, having them fish all along one side, or from the rear platform if you opt for the cage. Moving around the deck is easy; the decks and coamings are clean and uncluttered, except for the solid cleats aft and amidships, and there’s built-in tackle storage galore, including for rods – and it’s factory prepped for an electric bow motor, downrigger(s), and electric reels.

Head of the family

The Stabicraft 2050 Frontier is the largest model in the Frontier family, taking all of the great features of its smaller siblings and amplifying them, while adding a raft of new features that reflect its more recent development. For lure fishing enthusiasts, it’s hard to think of a more suitable vessel – one that offers all the advantages of its larger size, including the ability and range to make long runs to remote locations and easily tackle offshore conditions.

While this model is bound to make waves across the ditch and in other export markets, I expect it will find plenty of keen takers amongst Kiwi anglers as well.