Bluefin Wildcat info

[Mike Delisser]

Guys I'm keen to hear from any Wildcat owners what the think of their boats performance.
Also what's the top speed with 50 or 60hp??? Build quality??? Any cracks???? ect.
Cheers
Mike

[Poodroo]

I don't have a Wildcat but I do own a Blue Fin Discovery. Essentially the same hulls only different layout. You won't be disappointed in the quality of workmanship. I can vouch for that. Mine is only a 4.0 but with a 40 Merc on the back. It gets up and goes very well.

Cheers,

Poodroo

[Poseidon]

I have had a Wildact coming up to 2 years, it was one of the first few that were sold.

I wanted something that primarily was stable to throw lures and could handle the lumpy stuff, either on the salt or the fresh and offer a smooth ride. The decision came down to either a Tabs Territory or Wildcat with the latter chosen on the service and interest shown by the dealer.

Mine has a 60HP 4 stroke EFI Merc and it is a great match, as would any model 60HP would be. I wouldn't be going any smaller in a 4 stroke than the 60 as it remains a heavy boat when full of fuel etc.

The build quality is great, I am paranoid about welds out of site, so within the first week had the floor out and the flotation out of the way and the below floor welds were neat and joins made clean.

The only things that could be better on mine is the width of the rear casting platform and the shaft length on the electric motor. On the current model the rear deck is much wider then mine which would address this issue, so I am looking at widening mine myself however it is not an urgent matter as the present width is workable. The bow is quite high out of the water even when you are on the casting deck so go for the longest electric shaft you can which may see you needing a 24volt model as most of the 12volt models are on the borderline for length. It is not a problem when there is no swell however can be a pain when so, I normally fill the live well which gets a bit more weight forward to assist with prop depth.

The boat package really needs to be on at least a 750kg trailer regardless of what the dealer says. If you do the maths and allow a bit for eskies or camping gear you are close to the 750kg or well over the 650kg that the 'package' sometimes includes. I paid a few hundred dollars extra for the heavier trailer which also gives you a longer drawbar, more clearance between the boat and tow vehicle and easier to reverse.

There is plenty of Deck space and storage room under-floor. I wished that they paid a bit more attention to the hinges on hatches though as they are surface to the deck and can be a little annoying at times. Give it a few more years and I will have replaced the deck anyway and will rebate the hinges then.

With the 60HP I can get 57 km/h with 2 people, this with a standard prop.

Some people have raised concerns about the location of the seats and being able to rotate them whilst sitting. Yes, they appear to be mounted close to the side of the boat however you can rotate them in one direction whilst sitting however no issue to me as we only sit-down when motoring between locations.

In summary I am very impressed with the model and when compared to some of the others on the market they compare very favorably in price allowing some better electronics etc.

If you need any further info let me know, attached photo of mine.

Regards Cameron.

[Mike Delisser]

Thanks for the info Cameron, much appreciated. I checked them out at the Tinny & Tackle Show and was impressed. Wish I could find a 2nd hand one but they don't come up that often.
Cheers
Mike