Getaway 495 Offshore (16 foot)
It was during my course of business that I noticed a boat parked at the back of a factory in long grass on a rusted trailer. On closer inspection I noted there were weeds growing out of the hull and the fiberglass was rotten. What attracted me to have a second look at the boat was the profile and the hull shape, it just appealed to me. Having owned and spent many hours on an old Ski Vee, my mind was always full of ideas on how to maximize the space / deck layout of a mono hull boat in the 15/ 16-foot class. The Ski Vee also not being the most comfortable or dry ride, this was also a consideration I had in trying to resolve by experimenting with different layouts and weight distribution options with the Ski Vee over the years. I got it pretty much optimal though. Its very difficult to accommodate all the required features and maintain good weight distribution on a smallish mono hull boat, there’s always a compromise somewhere. Eventually I gave in to the fact that my old Ski Vee was outdated and that I needed to say goodbye.
So, getting back to this dilapidated boat behind the factory, I approached the owner who referred to the boat as the police boat as he had been told that when he acquired it, at some stage it had been used as a police patrol boat in the Durban harbor. I acquired the boat and took it to the workshop where I cleaned it, stripped it right down to the skin of the hull, I then began filling, sanding, and patching the hull to create a plug from which I could take a mould. I’ve applied all the experimenting and best practices / outcomes in developing and building this boat that I learned with experimenting on my Ski Vee over the years.
I have called this boat the “Getaway 495 offshore”. It’s a perfect boat for 2 or 3 people to fish on offshore for light game fishing, its stable, has a dry and soft ride and includes features such as live bait well, fish hatch, ice box, cutting board, 3 rail blazer rod holders on each side of the top cap / gunnels it also includes grab rails, it has a stainless roll bar, stainless grab rails on each side of the storage hatches, a stainless bow rail. It has a dry sealed compartment for keys, wallets, and cell phones built into the console below the steering wheel. The ergonomics are super with regards to the positioning of the steering and throttle controls. The console can be fitted with a T top.
The boat loads and unloads very easily on a breakneck trailer on the beach or wherever else you wish to launch. It tows very well and doesn’t require a braked trailer, depending on your choice of motor or motors.
The Getaway 495 can be fitted with 2 motors or a single motor. I have personally ventured offshore in my own personal Getaway 495 in some seriously rough seas to test and experiment its handling on rough water. I am pleased to report there were no issues, but one must be reasonable and always use common sense when boating. If your primary objective is light offshore game fishing, then I believe this boat must be given some serious consideration. I have just recently discovered that the original boat I acquired which formed the base of the build was a super dolphin 15 foot 6 in, the modernizing of the hull I have done has resulted in the Getaway 495 being slightly longer with higher sides than the super dolphin which they apparently no longer build.
There are various deck, console, hatch configurations available for this build. Please feel free to contact me or an agent should you wish to discuss options or some special requirement you may have. Should you be serious about acquiring a Getaway 495 I will be very happy to take you for a test ride on my personal boat.
Dimensions
Length = 4,95m
Width = 1,85m
Height of hull = 1,05m
Height from deck to top of gunnel = 0,5m
Weight = approx. 500kg
Recommended Motors = single 60 to 90 hp 2 stroke, single 70 hp 4 stroke, 2 x 40 hp 2 stroke, 2x 50 hp 2 stroke
