Not everyone needs a floating palace that guzzles fuel. Some of us have needs that are better met by a modest craft. The Fyran 475 Rebel is a great contender…
- Fantastic fuel economy
- Surprising amount of space
- Solid construction
- CPC rated unsinkable
- Quick off the mark and holds the line
With a tow weight of 750kg, the Fyran 475 Rebel is manageable by one person and can be towed by an average car. The small and efficient hull enables a modest power plant to be used, which keeps the cost down. Yet the Fyran is built to CPC standards to be unsinkable, has a cabin and bimimi top, and can easily accommodate a small family or friends.
On paper the specs look only slightly bigger than a dinghy, and the Honda 40hp four-stroke motor seemed to indicate this was a fair-weather boat only suited for use in sheltered waters. However, it soon became clear that this was a “big” small boat. It has high gunwales that provide a sense of security, and the cockpit has plenty of usable space.
The supplied Roadking single-axle galvanised trailer is light but sturdy and the boat rolled off it easily. The Honda 40hp is run off a tote tank, which tucks under the starboard side of transom. A second tote tank can be stored on the port side, and the battery is housed in a battery box on a shelf in between.
The set-up
A sturdy parcel shelf runs under the transom, big enough to accommodate tackle boxes or similar. Another parcel shelf runs up each side of the cockpit. Only one rod holder is fitted to each gunwale, but more could be added. The twin rod holders in the transom were occupied by the Fyran powder-coated bait board with replaceable wooden cutting surface. However this has two rod holders fitted so there was no loss of capacity.
The bimini top offers a reasonable amount of shelter, although the review boat’s had no sides. The entire windscreen section can zip down for improved clarity. We found the bimini top was a few inches too low to stand under comfortably, although the height could be increased to suit the purchaser.
In keeping with the modest price of the boat, it only had a basic but adequate Humminbird 170x monochrome fishfinder. The helm station is fairly sparse with just the basic analogue RPM and trim gauges. A full set of navigation lights and a bilge pump finishes off the electrics.
Performance and handling
Opening the throttle the boat is surprisingly quick, getting on the plane with minimal effort and holding its line nicely. Fyran claims that the hull has been designed with a very low drag and consequently the hull is rated for motors of between 30hp and 50hp. Certainly the 40hp Honda had no problems.
With just one person and no other gear on board the weight distribution was a little sensitive. Having a full fuel tank on the same side as the helm seat made the lean to starboard even more pronounced, especially while underway. Moving the tote tank over to the port side helped somewhat and I was soon skimming along at over 25 knots.
At that speed the Honda was working reasonably hard, at around 5500rpm but still below the wide-open-throttle maximum. Dropping the revs to just below 5000rpm, the speed settled to 20 knots – a comfortable cruising speed for this size boat. With three adults on board we still cruised at around 19 knots on 5000rpm.
We had the opportunity to get the boat airborne over a wake or two. This clearly showed the Fyran lineage, with the deep hull cutting through smaller wakes and giving a soft landing when it did lift up. Being a light hull it tends to lift a bit, but this was generally positive and completely manageable.
The downside of the 15-degree deadrise is that it can be very tender at rest. The three adults had to ensure that we were not all on the same side of the boat. The heel-over is never dangerous thanks to the high gunwales and plenty of reserve buoyancy.
The chines seemed to keep the spray down and well away from the hull, and we did not get so much as a spray onto the windscreen. The hull turns positively under power and is extremely responsive.
The cuddy cabin has no seats fitted and is intended for storage of gear. An aluminium hatch will allow an adult to stand up and manipulate the anchor. This is stored in an open anchor-well.
The helm seats are unpadded pedestal mounted nylon mouldings, although padded squabs and other seat configurations are possible. The helm position was comfortable, with the conventional cable steering and throttle control in a good position.
Unusually for this size boat there is a generous boarding platform that extends the width of the stern in a Portofino style. An extended grab rail assists swimmers in getting back onboard, while fishermen can sit on the outside of the transom and put their feet on the platform. The review boat had a solid transom but a walk-thru option is available.
At the end of the test we had travelled around 24 nautical miles (mostly at 20 knots or more) yet only used around 15 litres of fuel. This makes this an extremely economical boat to run.
See Fyran boats for sale.
Specifications
Length 4.75m
Beam 1.76m
Deadrise 15 degrees
Construction 4mm marine alloy on hull
Engine Honda 40hp EFI four-stroke
Transom height 20 inches
Fuel capacity 25-litre tote tanks, space for two
Trailer Roadking single-axle galvanised
Towing weight 750kg