Sportsman Island Reef 19

The Sportsman Boats Journey

The Sportsman boat journey began in 2011 in the USA with a small team of 11 hardworking and dedicated boat builders. The line-up of models, number of staff and the size of the factory have all grown tremendously since then and the current headquarters is now based in Summerville, South Carolina. The gradual spread of these beautiful boats across the globe has led to some of them now being manufactured in Melbourne, Australia. Currently, the Melbourne operation is focussed on the Island Reef range however in due course more models will be built down under.

Exceptionally Roomy

For a 19 foot boat, the Sportsman Island Reef 19 was exceptionally roomy. There were storage lockers galore and the spacious floor was certainly well utilised with hatches all over the place. A large live bait tank was cleverly concealed within the rear starboard corner. The opposite corner housed a large and drainable kill tank/esky.

Supertight Turns at Speed

The dry weight of the hull is around 660 kilograms and the max engine capacity is as fitted, 150 horsepower. At 5.82 metres in length and a beamy 2.35 metres, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a considerably larger vessel thanks to the clever design and layout.  Super tight turns at speed are perfect and delivered a feeling of great stability. Pushing through wakes left behind by other boats was a breeze and you barely noticed them in the Sportsman Island Reef 19.

Littered with Rod Holders

Littered with rod holders the chunky Island Reef is a fisherman's dream. I counted 14 and of course, more could be added for those that need multiple setups at the ready. There is room galore and a huge casting platform at the bow, once again with storage lockers utilising the opportunity as well as a covered anchor well. The centre console is large and roomy and the reversible backrest on the wide helm seat was a classy touch and would provide superior comfort for anglers needing a seat. Handy stainless steel grab rails are in place there for additional safety.