Travelling throughout remote Australia, Jase Andrews – the host of Australia’s number one four-wheel-drive and adventure show All 4 Adventure – needs reliable products to keep him moving on his journeys.
That’s why Jase has been using Mercury outboards to ensure he can tackle whatever Australia’s waters throw at him. Jase explains, “We’ve been running Mercury engines for three years and they haven’t missed a beat. Reliability is the main thing for me; I need reliability because without it I’m screwed. I don’t travel with anyone else – there’s no backup.”
Jase has just finished filming the 14th season of his show, with this season based in Cape York and Tasmania. The All 4 Adventure crew used the 60hp EFI four-stroke outboard on the back on of their 4.28 Sea Jay Side Console Avenger Sport.
“It was a late wet season in Cape York so there was plenty of water around. We had really solid flat, glassy conditions so we were able to get out in the Sea Jay and get some really cool footage driving and catching fish up there while also heading to the surrounding islands.When we came back, we headed to a secret destination on the west coast of Cape York, where we fished the river system and it was nuts – there were Barramundi everywhere,” Jase said.
Jase’s fleet of Mercury engines also includes two 20hp four-stroke outboards, twin 150hp EFI four-stroke outboards and twin 250hp Pro XS outboards. Having to constantly transport his 20hp engine from the back of his car to the transom, the lightweight nature of outboard is what impresses Jase the most.
“What I have found is the 20hp motor is a lot more ergonomic, lighter and has better power to weight ratio than what I’m used to with other brands. It’s a massive weight saver; that’s the one thing I’ve noticed when transporting the motor from the back of the canopy to the back of the boat. It’s a short shaft four-stroke and it can push my 3.7 Sea Jay up on the plane with four people in it, while with other brands I had to muck around with propellers to try and get it to plane with three of us,” Jase asserts.
Jase has his twin 200hp Pro XS outboards on the back of his custom 9.5m landing barge where the power the engines gives him is critical, having to navigate fast changing weather conditions in Northern Australia.
“We can sometimes spend multiple days on the barge so it’s important that it’s reliable especially with the unpredictable weather conditions we face during the wet season. I recently travelled from Karumba all the way around to Cairns using the 250hp Pro XS in the middle of the wet season and it was able to get me there with no issues. The 250s just like the smaller motors are also ergonomic but the power is just nuts. I’ve had 250 horsepower motors before, but the Mercury motor just seems to have so much more grunt and it has really good fuel economy and reliability. The barge is a four tonne vessel and even when you add a tonne of fuel and half a tonne of payload the power is just on tap – it does 42 knots flat out whether it’s full or empty,” Jase conveys.
To watch Jase’s new season of All 4 Adventure or catch up on a previous season, check out Unleashed TV. If you want to learn more about the amazing engines Mercury has on offer you can find out more at www.MercuryMarine.com.au
MERCURY AVATOR™ 7.5E ELECTRIC OUTBOARD
Avator is Mercury’s first in a series of electric outboard products to be released in 2023 as they advances on their commitment to be the leader in electrified propulsion.
The Avator 7.5e outboard will be introduced into Australia & New Zealand towards the middle of 2023. Mercury also plans to display concepts for its Avator 20e and 35e outboards, which will be in market later in 2023.
“As the innovation leader in the marine industry, both in internal combustion products and now electric propulsion, we have the resources and knowledge to make boating more accessible to more people, while building on our commitment to sustainability. The Avator program is helping us do this in new and exciting ways,” said Chris Drees, Mercury Marine president.
The Avator 7.5e outboard generates 750W of power at the prop shaft and produces similar speed and acceleration as a Mercury 3.5hp four-stroke outboard. Offered with tiller or remote steering, it’s ideal for powering many small boats, including tenders, inflatables and kayaks.
The Avator 7.5e is an entire propulsion system, fully integrated from the advanced controls, props and digital gauges to an all-new mobile app. Mercury are confident the Avator 7.5e outboard will deliver a superior boating experience for boaters interested in powering small vessels with electric propulsion.
To learn more about Avator and Mercury’s vision for electrification visit www.amcboats.com.au
Published in print April-June 2023
