575 outsider. The walkaround is not really fishable unless you have a size 4 shoe. Up front its fairly unstable too. i prefer the walkaround set up just for ease of access to the bow. i cant comment on deck space as ive never stood on the explorer.   

Explorer gives more room at the back and is better for fishing, mate has one, nice boat, but both are nice boats.

if i had my time again i'd go the explorer, i have a 625 outsider and i do like the large cabin and the ability to walk around albeit carefully and i can fish off the front of mine chucking lures etc. next boat is a 685 explorer as i reckon i'd have a similar cabin size and the extra room.

either way you can't go too wrong mate, they are bloody great boats and if it has a 150 on the back you're in business

yep go the Explorer, I have a outsider 685 and I believe that the EXP cabin is a similar volume but wider and pushed forward. Having said the the Outsider suits us now as kids can safely go forward and sit in a well up front.

Each is a compromise.

We ended up going for the Outsider. Not quite as much deck space as the Explorer, but for us we needed a cabin that you can actually sleep in, which 2 people can do in the Outsider. You cant in the Explorer.

Also, the driving position in the Outsider, being slighly further rearward, provides a much softer ride. I received this comment from others who have riden in both. On the larger 625 and 685 it may not be such an issue but on the 575 apparently it is quite a difference.

Acces to the front is much easier on the Outsider.

All boats are a compromise... unless you are JohnF and get a Boston Whaler (a tad jealous). At the end of the day we chose the best compromise for us.

Cheers

Brad

very good points there guys, explorer for fishing with the boys, outsider for the family and kids. i have kids so the walkaround is gold for them and they love sitting up the front while we fish, squid or crab

I've got a 625 Explorer.  You can clamber around the sides to access the nose but you have to hang on to the targa to avoid going in.  It's got a decent sized hatch at the front of the cabin for accessing the anchor though. 

The Exporer driving position is well forward as Bradz has said, though I haven't been in an Outsider to compare. 

I got a centre infill made for my cabin which makes quite a large area for sleeping.  I can sleep in there quite comfortably (6ft) though it would probably be a bit "intimate" to have a second person in there. 

Heaps of fishing room in the Explorer though as I said, I haven't tried the Outsider.

Steve

I had the choice and ended up with the evo instead. It has the walkaround and a bigger fishing deck area than both cruise crafts. You do pay for the size of the deck with the length of the bunks.

Cheers for the info guys. As much as I want to head down the explorer pathway, i think we are leaning towards the outsider. Given, the likelyhood of overnights at Rotto etc the extra cabin and small walkaround will be useful with front and back anchoring....Hoping I can deal with the reduced deck space.

Cheers,

Adam

Cheers for the info guys. As much as I want to head down the explorer pathway, i think we are leaning towards the outsider. Given, the likelyhood of overnights at Rotto etc the extra cabin and small walkaround will be useful with front and back anchoring....Hoping I can deal with the reduced deck space.

Cheers,

Adam

 Today I took out my 575 outsider in very unfavourable conditions. 15-20 Easterly of Ocean Reef. I normally wouldn't go out in these conditions but it was 2nd day on pots and wanted to get to them. I'm relatively inexperienced so this was good learning.

Anyway, I use a 10.5 Galaxy Tab S on the dash with Navionics app as an extra tool on top of my 2 x 7" simrad screens and today with plastic clears up front the Galaxy had to go due to water ingress. I stashed it in the cabin on the seat at the rear of the starboard side just on the other side of the driving position. I did this quickly due to watching the seas while the lads pulled the pots but didn't think much of it.

Anyway the point of the post is a warning to Cruisecraft owners of arouind the 2008 vintage. I hadn't realised but the cabin is not a dry area by design or should I say design fault.

The anchor well at the front of the boat is connected to the cabin by 2 openings at the top and front of the cabin on each side. The anchor winch wiring conduit actually passes through this hole on the Starboard side. In rough seas the anchor well is easily taking lots of water and this water flows straight through these holes and floods the cabin, both seats and side pockets.

It will be easily fixed with some ply pieces cut to shape and fixed into place with some extra foam to seal. Why on earth Cruisecraft have not sealed this at the factory I'll never know...

Anyway that's a problem with the 575 Outsider identified. Luckily the tablet was in a case and survived this but only just because it was wet...

The other gripes I have are:

• The bilge arangement which has the forward part of the fuel compartment exposed and segmented from the main bilge area so when hosing the deck off towards the bilge the debrees flow over the edge of the deck into the rear part of the fuel compartment rather than into the bilge. This is fixable but not that easily because I still want access to see what's in the fuel tank compartment (fuel tank leaks)
• The deck carpet is glued to the deck which makes it impossible to remove. (I'd prefer to remove it and use a nonstick hard surface for general fishing, this however will require a lot of work which is not happening any time soon)
• The screws used to hold the fuel tank deck covers and seat frames Etc are self tapers and the holes wear out leaving the screws loose and no longer able to be tightened. It is not possible to put in larger self tappers due to the frame countersinking. (I presume this is fairly standard across the industry but this is short life and captive thread arangements would be hugely superior, especially for seat frames)
• The trailer that came with the boat from the factory and is still with it is reasonable, however it was fitted with cable overide brakes with steel rotors. This system is virtually useless and as far as I can tell even when brand new is pretty much hopeless. The calapers are seized and the rotors are rusted out. (I suppose even this supposed high end brand is optioned to a price, so no a major complaint with the boat but just an observation)

On the plus side, although my view is from little experience on other boats, my feeling is that this boat with a 150 on it is quite a good sea boat which seems to ride well and I have never felt unsafe in it no matter the conditions. The Merc 150 has an Enertia 17P which is too large, probably better with a 16P which I'm yet to try. The stainless steal work is also of extremely high quality, as is the wiring.

Fuel range 160l and economy with the four stoke is quite good at an average of about 23.5 l/hr

Top speed is about 36 Kn at 52 l/hr

Best cruise on flat water is 22 Kn at 20.5 L/hr

The cabin/deck ratio is perfect for me as it needed to be family oriented with Rotto trips and kids knapping in the cabin, I think the explorer would possibly be a better option if fishing is the bigger priority. I do like the softer ride from the more aft driving position of the explorer.

I love the boat and am overall very happy with my purchase but I'd prefer to give a real review warts and all. I hope this helps somebody, I'm off to make some ply plugs....