Now this is how you do a boat

This whole thing started more than three years ago when Shane first reached out, just having a chat about a 461 McLay Fortress. Pretty innocent beginnings really. Then a bit of time passed, as it does, and suddenly the conversation shifted to a 531. Not long after that, a 601 entered the picture. Then after another year of thinking, dreaming, scheming, and probably annoying a few mates with “what ifs”, he finally landed on the 661. And honestly, once it clicked, it really clicked.

Using the iconic 661x crossover aluminium hull as the foundation, things started to get serious. A bit of inspiration came from a similar “phat buoy” style build we’d seen from Sapphire Marine & Automotive, and that was the spark. From there it wasn’t about picking options off a list — it became a full-on custom journey. Months were spent designing and refining every detail. Apart from the hull itself, just about everything else was customised. No shortcuts, no compromises.

The goal was simple (but ambitious): build the ultimate centre console that could handle pretty much anything you throw at it up north. Offshore missions? Tick. Barra fishing? Absolutely. Long days, rough water, shallow stuff, open water — it all had to work.

So the layout was pushed hard. A rear centre console to maximise usable space up front. An absolutely enormous casting deck that opens from the top and the front, with enough room to swallow a 100L fishing esky without breaking a sweat. Side pockets everywhere you’d want them. Multiple seating positions depending on how the day’s fishing unfolds. A foldable T-top to keep things practical. An off-road trailer so getting to the good spots isn’t limited by the road. And honestly, that’s still only scratching the surface — the list just kept growing as the ideas flowed.

Massive credit has to go to the team at McLay Boats for bringing something like this to life. Builds like this don’t happen without serious skill and patience. Same goes for all the other businesses involved — Goldstar Boats with the custom off-road trailer, Hitech for pairing this aluminium boat with a Mercury 250 Verado, DC Deck Co for the custom marine flooring, and Leisure Marine Services who tackled the extensive wiring fit-out. Everyone absolutely nailed their part.

And finally — huge congratulations to Shane. Three years after that first enquiry, the dream boat is finally a reality (worth the wait… even if it took a little longer than planned). We honestly couldn’t be happier to see this thing finished and in his hands.

Now comes the best part — the adventures. Fishing, waterskiing and many other recreation events And something tells us this beauty is going to see plenty of them.