MAKING WAVES
Port Stephens' annual inter-club game-fishing tournament kicks off this weekend. More than 150 boats and 600 anglers will head to sea in pursuit of seriously big fish. The target species are marlin and sharks, as well as incidental captures of mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and more.
The bite during last weekend's lead-up shootout event was steady. There were small black marlin along the inshore grounds, with good numbers of bigger blues out wide.
A 2005-06 study by Ernst & Young estimated anglers spent $80.8 million a year, or $291 a day each, on recreational fishing in Port Stephens.
The Nelson Bay Foreshore Festival is also under way. The festival features free music and entertainment, wine and food, local artists and family entertainment near d'Albora Marinas.
See festivalsnsw.com.
Family favourite
Well-known Queensland boating family the Leigh-Smiths are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Alaska boats in Australia with the release of the new 49 Aft Cabin Yacht Fisher.
The first new aft-cabin cruiser in decades is pitched as the ultimate family cruiser. There's a full-beam aft stateroom with king-sized bed and en suite, and two cabins up front with a separate second bathroom.
"We looked at the market and considered our own family boating use and discovered that the aft-cabin cruiser hasn't really been about on the new-boat market since the 1990s," Dean Leigh-Smith says. "It's a great family design."
The 49 Aft Cabin Yacht Fisher is being offered for $999,000 with the first pair of Cummins QSB 6.7 480-horsepower engines in Australia, plus a cockpit for fishing. See lscruisersales.com.au.
New flagship
Lobster boat-builder Back Cove has released plans for a new flagship 41. The Kevin Burns-designed boat is powered by a single Cummins QSC 8.3 600-horsepower electronic common-rail diesel engine for cruise speeds of 20 knots.
There are also new levels of low-speed manoeuvrability thanks to an optional proportional docking system.
Back Cove importer Jed Elderkin expects the new Maine-built flagship to be a big hit locally. The twin double cabins and bathrooms, galley and big cockpit, along with the single-engine sensibility, will resonate with Sydney boaters, he says.
The first new Back Cove 37 Downeast day boat will arrive in Sydney in December.
Back Cove is celebrating its seventh year in Australia.
See emarine.com.au.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Port Stephens' annual inter‑club game‑fishing tournament kicks off with more than 150 boats and around 600 anglers heading to sea. It's a major local event that focuses on big-game fishing over a busy weekend.
Anglers are targeting marlin and sharks as the primary species, with incidental captures reported of mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and other species. Lead‑up events saw small black marlin inshore and larger blue marlin further offshore.
A 2005–06 Ernst & Young study cited in the article estimated anglers spend about $80.8 million a year on recreational fishing in Port Stephens, which the study also expressed as roughly $291 a day each for anglers.
The Nelson Bay Foreshore Festival runs alongside the fishing events and features free music and entertainment, wine and food stalls, local artists and family entertainment near d'Albora Marinas. The article references festivalsnsw.com for details.
The Alaska 49 Aft Cabin Yacht Fisher, released by the Leigh‑Smith family to mark 10 years of Alaska boats in Australia, is promoted as the first new aft‑cabin cruiser in decades and an 'ultimate family cruiser.' It includes a full‑beam aft stateroom with a king bed and en suite, two forward cabins with a second bathroom, a fishing cockpit, and is offered for $999,000.
Back Cove's new flagship 41, designed by Kevin Burns, is powered by a single Cummins QSC 8.3 600‑horsepower electronic common‑rail diesel engine with cruise speeds around 20 knots. It offers improved low‑speed manoeuvrability with an optional proportional docking system, twin double cabins and bathrooms, a galley and a large cockpit—features the importer says will appeal to Sydney boaters.
The article mentions two Cummins engine models: the pair of Cummins QSB 6.7 480‑horsepower engines specified for the Alaska 49 (noted as the first pair of that model in Australia) and the single Cummins QSC 8.3 600‑horsepower engine specified for the new Back Cove 41.
Observable signals in the article include active product launches (Alaska 49 and Back Cove 41), importer optimism for local demand, and continued tourism and recreational‑fishing activity (the large tournament and Nelson Bay festival). The Ernst & Young spending estimate also highlights meaningful local spending tied to recreational fishing—facts investors can note when tracking marine, leisure and regional tourism activity in the area.
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