Ballistic 4.3 - What the new owners think!

Optioned with Mercury 60hp 4 stroke

Who would think that a 4.3 meter inflatable could handle and perform like our Ballistic does. For her maiden voyage we towed her up to Port Stephens to explore the inland waterways, little did we know we’d end up cruising offshore to find a pod of dolphins, bait balls of fish and seals swimming and sun baking on Cabbage Tree Island. Overcast, raining and windy conditions weren’t going to stop us getting out on the water. Given we were the only boat at the ramp with no empty trailers in sight, we had second thoughts about heading out. That lasted about 3 seconds until our excitement overtook us and the four of us were cruising down river into Nelson Bay. After exploring around for a few hours the weather took a turn for the worst so we decided to call it a day. With a massive run out tide, half a meter following chop and 25 knots of south west wind, we were averaging 22 knots and just skipping over the waves like they were nothing. I have had her out in Sydney Harbour a few times now and am constantly blown away by how she handles. It just slices through the waves and doesn’t ‘bang’ making for a very comfortable ride. I keep having to remind myself that it is only 4.3 meters long! To say the least, I am very impressed with our boat and look forward to many more outings to come. Jervis Bay is next!

Tom van Vliet

Managing Director

Boating Partnership