Port Phillip Bay can be a nasty piece of water. Passing through the Rip at Queenscliff and into Bass Strait takes a boater to some of the most menacing water conditions on our planet.

For men such as Mike Philip, Fisheries Officer for Fisheries Victoria, a business within The Department Of Primary Industries, these waterways are his daily workplace.

Naturally, when operating in an environment which can transform so quickly from placid to lethal, only the very best of commercial marine equipment is acceptable. That’s why the big Kevlacat patrol boat was recently repowered with a pair of Yamaha F250 outboard engines.

In spite of having only 800 hours up on the original four stroke (non Yamaha) 225hp outboards supplied with the boat seven years ago, the decision was made to re-power with Yamaha.

“The Yamahas were chosen because of their lightweight construction and dimensions to suit our vessel, based upon the reliability and strong history we have experienced with the Yamaha brand,” said Mike Philip.

Fisheries Victoria decided to go with a pair of F250Ds from Yamaha’s brand new range of offshore V6 outboards. The F225F, F250D and F300B feature the very latest technology available in the outboard industry. These engines not only have the biggest capacity in their class at 4.2 litres, they are also the lightest. This amazing achievement has been made possible by a unique plasma fusion process used on the cylinder walls - a feature that is more commonly found in high performance sports cars.

The engines also feature the very latest in electronics with full digital electronic controls and Yamaha’s new high definition colour display.

Fully loaded with fuel, water and the crew, the Fisheries boat weighs in at 5 tonnes. In spite of the bulk of the rig, the Yamaha’s have no trouble punching the big rig up onto the plane and then throttling back for an easy cruise speed.

At wide open throttle the Yamaha F250’s rev to 5900 rpm for a top speed of 46 knots, or 85 km/h. The optimum cruise speed is achieved at 4000 rpm for a speed of 30 knots or 56 km/h.

Fuel consumption at this speed is 35 litres per engine per hour, or a saving of about 12% on the previous outboards removed. The move from the Yamaha F250s from the original non-Yamaha 225hp four strokes has delivered an extra 50hp but 12% saving in fuel consumption.

“Geelong Boating did all the work on the Yamaha F250 repower,” said Mike Philip. “We couldn’t be happier. The boat was off the water for only four days and the work performed has been done without flaw.”

Now that the Fisheries boat is back on the water, operating from the Queenscliff base, Mike Philip and his crew are able to continue their fine but varied work.

The basic function of the Fisheries patrol is one of compliance. Within Port Phillip Bay and along a big stretch of coast from Cape Schanck to the east and Lorne to the west of Bass Strait, the Fisheries boat ensures that the various laws and regulations as they apply to recreational and commercial fishing are observed.

While the big Kevlacat has the sea legs to travel long distances and handle most sea conditions, it’s the Yamaha powered inflatable that really gets the biggest workout.

“We do a lot of work in the intertidal zones. This involves our Yamaha/Zodiac being launched from the mothership and then getting in amongst the fishing fleets.”

The Yamaha powered Fisheries boat is also available to be called in to support the Victorian Water Police with search and rescue work.

Yamaha outboards are available through an Australia-wide network of authorised Yamaha outboard dealers. All Yamaha 4-stroke outboards are supported with a full 4-year manufacturer’s warranty and all 2-stroke outboards are backed by a 3 year warranty – standard conditions apply.