The addition of plate alloy construction gives this new family cuddy fishing some real ‘heavy-metal’ strength. Ally Craft made a name for itself in the 1990s for attractive, well-priced tinnies and it continues that tradition with the release of a new ‘plate alloy’ series of trailer boats. The Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy is one of these new plate models that Ally Craft offers alongside its normal, press-sheet alloy models. And results of Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy are impressive with the hull being stiffer and stronger if not better riding because it’s heavier in the water.
Design:
Resplendent in gleaming white, the 5.1m Ally Craft 510 looked a treat on its trailer with matching white E-TEC 115hp. You only have to tap the hull sides to realize this is a reassuringly solid craft absolutely ready to cruise the clan or take your mates fishing. There’s a price premium of about $3,000 over equivalent ‘pressed’ sheet tinnies. However, in my opinion the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy worth the extra dosh. Not only does the boat feel a stronger one, but it also has a reassuring steady feel in the water.
The most noticeable aspect of the Ally Craft 510 is its ‘heavy metal’ hull. This is the fastback transom incorporating smart landing steps and walk-through stern gate. The boat also comes with a fold-down ladder so access aboard is dead easy and very people-friendly. For that matter, it’s pretty good for fishing too since you no longer have to clamber over gunwales. Which we generally dot like when we are on the wrong side of fifty!
Certainly Ally Craft has made a smart move with this new model - improving on strength and styling. So the Ally Craft Odyssey sits well with modern tastes and the current fashion. Whilst some newcomers might baulk at the extra dollars involved, serious boaties will love this rig. In fact, they’ll be glad to shell out the extra dollars to get this package with its better ride and quieter as well as smoother E-TEC motor. As with cars you have to pay for the technology, likewise t is the same case if we you want to move ahead to better boating experience.
Performance:
Jason and the Argonauts would have been pretty happy using the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy for their adventures. The boat packs a lot of volume into its 5.1m length because of its generous freeboard and beam. At the same time it remains short enough to be tow-friendly and is easy to park in smaller places like new housing estates. The alloy hull features the usual moderate, variable Vee you see in most tinnies. You get a reasonably shaped entry at the bows of Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy under the chines. But a much softer Vee at the transom is also there to ensure it’s stable at rest. The wide beam means you have enough room for two anglers to fish side-by-side without getting in each other’s hair. The cockpit is quite roomy and features depth so you can fish against the coming sides in safety.
The bottom features a clinker pattern to help soften the ride whilst extra wide chine lips forward do a good job of deflecting the spray. Stepping aboard via the fold down ladder of Ally Craft 510 brings you into a roomy interior and small but comfortable cuddy cabin. The latter provides three-quarter berths that are actually big enough to sleep in once the bunk infill is fitted. The 4mm bottom and 3mm topside plates, reinforced by internal framing and a fully welded deck and cabin, assure strength of the Ally Craft Odyssey.
There is also foam buoyancy in the bottom and the boat meets Basic Flotation under the ABP standard. The hull factory warranty for recreational use is two years, but the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy is going to last a lifetime or more with reasonable care. The finish on the test boat was quite impressive and sensibly leaves the bottom unpainted, but protected by an external keelson.
At a hull weight of about 626kg the Ally Craft Odyssey is only slightly lighter than a fiber-glass boat of similar length. Meanwhile, all up trail weight comes in at a reasonably tow-friendly 1200kg with all fuel and safety gear aboard. This places the boat within the tow range of mid-range cars like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Holden Vectra.
It was one of the better days you can get in Sydney over winter as we raced up Pittwater. The first thing we noticed about the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy was its stability and sure-footed feel underway. Weight in this case really is your friend and it makes for a boat that really rides a touch better than your normal tinnie. Having said that there’s only so much you can expect out of a moderate Vee hull, so you must adjust speed to suit conditions.
This particular day the water was fairly calm and with only a slight wind chop we could drive flat out most of the time. In these conditions the ride of Ally Craft 510 was exceptionally comfortable and it would have been brilliant for a picnic cruise or snapper session offshore. I love boating on weekdays because it’s so peaceful and this would be a great boat to make the most of those times. Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy is the choice whether it’s to drop into a lovely waterfront café or drop a line.
Under way the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy responded nicely to the helm and tracked true and straight to the course. The boat also slalomed easily through turns and with no cavitation unless you over timed. I like the helm position with curved windscreen providing good all-round vision. There’s plenty of room to steer while standing or seated and my only gripe was the steering was a bit heavy. For that reason it would be worth paying a few hundred extra for a hydraulic steering system. It’s the one missing ingredient in an otherwise really great rig.
At-rest stability was quite good and suggests the Ally Craft 510 will be a pretty safe boat offshore. Not for fishing the Shelf minds you, but well-suited to short trips to close coastal reefs or the headlands when conditions are reasonable. Naturally it will be at home fishing bays, harbors and any estuary system.
Power:
The Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy is rated to a maximum of 115hp and judging from our test with an Evinrude E TEC 115hp clean-tech that’s probably the right amount of power. You’d probably get away with a 90hp, which is the next size motor down. But the 115hp definitely gives you the better all round performance and better acceleration. The following speed figures back up that assessment:
- 3500rpm 20 knots
- 4500rpm 27 knots
- 5500rpm 35 knots
Apart from the pretty good top end speed the E-TEC was delivering it was interesting to see how much faster it was running the boat at low-end revs. Frankly, you don’t get the same get-up-and-go out of four-strokes at the 3500rpm level. So that’s certainly a good reason to consider clean-tech two-strokes like the E-TEC. What’s more they’re pretty good on fuel too and run pretty smoothly though not quite as quiet as four-strokes. I might mention the Ally Craft Odyssey will have no problem carrying the added weight of a four-stroke if you do go down that path. Indeed, the reverse transom has the added buoyancy to support a four-stroke.
Actually, the clean tech two-strokes are not that light, but certainly lighter than four-strokes. Having said that some of the new four-strokes like the latest Hondas are much better on weight and therefore, better motor choices. Still on the subject of power the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy comes standard with a 110-litres of fuel so you have enough for a day, or even weekend trip. While we didn’t run any fuel consumption I’d expect the boat to be pretty thrifty given it’s not a deep Vee hull and its running a clean tech motor.
Up front the Ally Craft 510 offers a great set-up for anchoring with welded bowsprit incorporating an anchor roller and split-bow rail. A clever walk-through hatch means you can literally walk from the helm to bow and operate the anchor in safety. This is a brilliant design feature and really makes this a very easy boat to operate on your own, or with a young family. I also like the high cabin roofline that ensures you’ve got sufficient sitting headroom below. In addition to that there is also a great spot to get out of the weather or enjoy lunch with a glass of wine!
The interior of Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy is not super luxurious but clean and attractively finished which is easy to clean out. The inclusion of side windows and an open back ensure there’s plenty of natural light below. Indeed, the cabin would be a great place for young kids to play and stay if the boat wasn’t moving too fast and the water wasn’t too bumpy. On the back aft of Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy you find comfortable padded, pedestal seats behind the dash and curved three-piece Perspex windscreen. Modern touches here include a molded plastic instrument panel for the helmsman that includes the motor gauges and a spot for a small LCD sounder or chart plotter.
The pedestal seats can be twisted to form fishing seats and the helm seat has a slide adjustment so you can move it to suit your driving style. I also like the footrest bars on the back of the cabin bunks and a ‘panic’ grab bar on the passenger side of the dash. Moving back into the cockpit of the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy, you will find plenty of open space and a folding rear lounge (two seater) with padded armchair-like backrest. Dropping the seat base provides a really comfortable leg pad so you can fish against the stern deck in real comfort.
A nice touch here is also a hinged panel to cover up the oil and battery shelf. This feature really helps to clean up the back end of the boat and makes it look a lot tidier than your average tinnie. The Ally Craft 510 gives you a pretty good starting point for serious fishing. It comes standard with large-size rod holders in each stern quarter and folding lounge. To this you can add factory options like a raised cutting board, in-floor live bait tank and a stainless steel hinged bow roller. Other fishing accessories can be added on the Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy if provided by the dealer including LCD sounder, chart plotter, VHF radio, EPIRB, fire extinguisher and overhead, or under coaming rod racks.
Summary:
Ally Craft has come up with yet another appealing package for trailer boat enthusiasts. The Ally Craft 510 Odyssey Cuddy is a good choice foe someone who is looking to get into some coastal and estuary fishing without forgetting the family. Most particularly the boat provides good all weather protection so you can use it for fishing in colder weather or at night. The added strength of plate construction does deliver a better than usual level of ride and ensures you have a boat, which will be around for quite a long time. In the long run it will be well worth the extra dollars.
2 comments
I'm thinking about buying an Ally Craft 510 Odyssey, i live on the coast and most of my time would be spent fishing outside, would this boat be suitable.
ReplyI'm thinking about buying an Ally Craft 510 Odyssey, i live on the coast and most of my time would be spent fishing outside, would this boat be suitable.
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