New to the West Australian aluminium plate boat market comes the Mad Dog range of vessels from Victoria, as BARRY WISEMAN reports.

The 510 Dundee Pro Centre Console is one of the larger boats in the pack from Mad Dog Boats manufactured on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Owner/builder David Trenerry delivers an impressive range of plate aluminium boats, from the 346 Digga punt to the doghouse leader, the 519 Matilda, a family bowrider for that lazy afternoon picnic at Rotto or chasing spaniards in the blue water.

True-blue Aussie names have been appointed to the range, including the Digga vee-nosed punt, the Dundee, Boomer, Brute and Eureka, the traditional runabout in the pack.

The smaller boats are constructed from 2mm plate, with the larger vessels boasting 3mm bottoms and side plates.

They come in bare aluminium with poly Nyalic clear coating for protection from salt water, or buyers can choose from their colour scheme, plus there is also the vinyl wrap option if you want to display a particular theme.

Searano Marine in Perth’s northern suburb of Malaga is the sole WA agent for Mad Dog Boats after manager Johny Lupu discovered the product during an eastern states business trip.

Impressed by the quality of build and the fact you can get more metal for your customised dollar than in a standard production boat, Searano Marine lodged an order for a range of models, which started to arrive in October.

Stepping aboard you can’t help but notice the first-class workmanship that goes into the Mad Dog.

There’s no hiding the welding and the heavy-duty angle and extrusion aluminium mouldings bring immediate peace of mind as to the strength and quality that has gone into this 510 Dundee Pro.

Most noticeable too was the stability when I stepped aboard while rafted up in the ocean off the Hillarys Boat Harbour.

Using another vessel as the camera boat, conditions were ideal and calm enough for the guys to hold both vessels steady while I completed my transfer.

The 2m beam on the Dundee Pro worked a treat, especially when a third party came on aboard.

No acute listing, confirming my earlier observations during the boat-to-boat photographic runs.

In the builder’s wisdom, allocating that 2m width ensured there was no problem with stability at rest.

In addition, the design also comes with a pronounced footprint forward from the console to the bow.

Taking photos on any boat, there’s a lot of hanging around.

Swinging off the superstructure; hanging over the side; getting down low in awkward positions.

Bit like fishing really, when you’ve got a beauty on the hook giving a bit of stick.

You need freedom to move around and often quite quickly.

The Mad Dog 510 CC came up trumps.

With the camera boat travelling alongside while sitting just off the starboard bow, the acute spray rail and full-length strakes could be seen fulfilling their role.

The rail sweeps back the full length of the hull, throwing away whatever is in its path.

Searano Marine had set up this vessel with a single-pedestal deluxe folding back seat behind the helm.

Overhead was the optional Dolphin Black Pro T-top, providing excellent shade on the 34C day we tested it.

The black canvas threw a greater amount of shade over the rear deck than up front.

That’s because the Dundee 510 CC comes with a large casting deck at the bow.

Nothing to interfere with your rod action there.

On the port bow there’s the standard bracket for an electric motor to hold you on that waypoint or for sneaking along a riverbank chasing bream.

In front of the console, a large live bait tank was set into the first step up to the foredeck.

A partition caters for separating your bait if need be, while allowing aerated water to flow freely.

The raised casting deck continues to the bow and comprises three large storage compartments, all lined with carpet to protect your tackle.

The front locker doubles as an anchor well.

Heading astern, the transom has two large marlin boards manufactured from chequer-plate aluminium, giving strength and security underfoot.

Non-skid EVA foam is fixed to the side and rear decks and is an excellent safety measure.

I can see some future buyers adding that same non-skid material to the rear platforms too, especially for swimmers getting back on board after a dip.

Although not included on the review boat, I would also fit a beefy customised ladder for getting back on board.

That’s the beauty of plate aluminium boat manufacturers; they can make and add whatever you want, especially heavy-duty ladders with broad rungs that are easy under foot after an hour or so snorkelling your local waters.

There’s no transom door, but the transom deck is wide enough to allow you to sit and swing your legs into the cockpit.

Again, this builder has provided decent width side decks.

A lot of production boats don’t have enough aluminium along the sides to mount a couple of cleats, and sometimes there are none at all.

This Mad Dog product has good side decks, enough room to sit on and dangle a line.

Of course, more alloy along the sides translates to more strength to combat any flexing from water pressure.

The side pockets, while not covering the full length of the interior on the 510, extend the distance from the console to the rear and in this case are strong enough to stand on while getting off the boat alongside the jetty.

Very handy as there’s nothing worse, especially if you’re getting on in years, than not being able to step up when alighting a vessel.

There’s ample walk around past the console, using the hefty T-top bar work to hang on to.

The console itself comes with substantial grab rails and a clear windscreen, which in this case protected the bracket-mounted Garmin 10-inch sounder/GPS combo unit.

On the dash was the matching Garmin GMI20 engine management digital gauge featuring several functional readouts.

Its large black and white display is easy to see so in an instant you can check your trim and motor performance.

During the test the unit’s screen was split into quarters, giving RPM, motor trim, speed in knots and fuel remaining in the below-deck tank.

 The readout is in digital numbers, rather than showing a needle to indicate how much is left in the tank.

The dash also had a flush-mounted VHF marine radio and Fusion stereo with speakers each side of the console walls.

The switch panel was on the right-hand side, with the throttle controls bolted nearby and at easy height.

Searano Marine is a Honda dealership, and the Dundee 510 was teamed up with a 100hp VTEC, which Johny and I agreed is the perfect match.

The whole rig is well balanced, and its agility is very impressive.

As mentioned earlier, we had three people on board for our speed runs and while conditions were ideal, we topped 35 knots.

Applying the throttle from a hole shot, the 510 remained level as the spray rail and strakes worked their magic.

The parted water was thrown well away with not a hint of moisture across the screen or us.

We chased across the wake of an oncoming runabout, again no moisture.

The only time I did get a fine spray over my camera was when we turned to head home into an easterly wind that flicked up a momentary fine mist just enough to cool us down.

A perfect cruising speed on the day was 23 knots and our hard figure-eight turns were effortless at 18 knots.

The performance was impressive, plus the surety of the Dundee’s hold on the water was most comforting.

The Dundee 510 comes with a standard 62-litre underfloor fuel tank, but this one had been upgraded to hold 83 litres.

The Honda BF100hp did not miss a beat and it was refreshing to be able to speak normally above the roar of the motor at high speed.

It offered impressive performance and is economic to run.

The dealer had been on the water before I arrived at Hillarys and we spent 90 minutes trialling it, only to be told by Johny that we had used only 3.5 litres – can’t complain about that.

The Mad Dog 510 has a transom rating to a maximum of 115hp but from the performance this day, I can’t see why you would want to spend more dollars.

The boat has basic flotation, and the hull-only weight comes in at 480kg, while it is licenced to carry five people.

With marine carpet throughout, there’s heaps of underdeck storage, plus a large cooler or tackle box can fit under the dash in the console.

There’s a built-in shelf off the floor along the transom.

At first it looks like the shelf is meant to take the battery, but that is stowed below deck just in front of the motor well.

Lifting the lid gives you easy access for maintenance checks and when lifting those heavy pieces of equipment out.

The transom lockers often found in many boats are always hard to work with when it comes time to replace the batteries or add extra cables for optional extras such as craypot winches or portable fridge plugs.

This battery is easy to get to.

While the review vessel had a single pedestal seat at the helm, additional seats can be added, either on the casting deck or down the back.

The Mad Dog 510 Dundee Pro is tough and gets up on the go in a flash.

It hangs onto the surface like grim death and certainly rocketed along on our test day, as mentioned earlier.

The hydraulic steering hooked up to the Honda had us in tight 360-degree circles at speed no trouble at all.

Back at the ramp it was a simple matter of driving on the purpose built Dunbier C-channel galvanised trailer.

Centre consoles are renowned for getting the crew wet, but we were completely dry this day.

In fact, a bit of a spray would have cooled us down.

The 510 Dundee Pro is a little ripper. If the rest of the Mad Dog pack are like this that’s something to bark about.

NUTS & BOLTS

• MODEL: Mad Dog 510 Dundee Pro
• LENGTH: 5.1m
• BEAM: 2m
• WEIGHT: 480kg (hull only)
• BOTTOM: 3mm
• TOPSIDES: 3mm
• POWER: Honda BF100hp VTEC as tested (115hp max)
• FLOTATION: Basic
• MANUFACTURER: Mad Dog Boats; Cobram, Victoria.
• AGENT: Searano Marine; 795 Marshall Road, Malaga; Ph: (08)
  9248 2242; www.searano.com.au
• PRICING: As tested $68,790. From $57,990

PROS & CONS

PROS

• Tough build. No hiding slopping workmanship.
• Rapidly on the plane with acute spray rail doing an excellent job.
• Full-length strakes keep the vessel tracking true.
• 2m beam delivers excellent stability.
• Plenty of storage under the casting deck, including live bait tank.
• T-top provided good shade.
• Mounting bracket on the bow for electric motor.
• The Honda BF100hp motor made the perfect match.

CONS

• The casting deck configuration of the Dundee 510 suits those tossing a lure and is well suited for calm ocean conditions and perfect for river fishing. Great for estuary crabbing too, with all that space up front for nets. I am not as agile as I used to be so not sure about standing up front in a choppy sea. I’m keen to trial the Mad Dog 489 Eureka when it arrives in the West, as it’s the traditional runabout configuration with forward controls, lean-through screen, and spacious cockpit.