The 500 series is the smallest monohull in the Sherwood Marine range and the natural starting point if you want a trailerable 5 metre aluminium boat you can build in a single garage. Three layouts share the one hull: the 500CC centre console, the 500SC side console and the 500T tiller steer. All three kits are the same price - $15,290 excluding GST, so the decision is about the layout you want, not what you spend.

The 500CC gives you complete walk-around access, the 500SC keeps the port side of the cockpit clear and shelters the helm behind a screen. The 500T gives you a huge clear deck and the quick manoeuvrability of a tiller-steer outboard. The 500T also gets extended transom pods to counter-balance the common bugbear of tiller steers; bow pointing at the sky unless you’re carrying a decent load forward.

The hull is 4.99 m long with a 5.24 m overall length and a 2.25 m beam, built from 5 mm bottom plate and 4 mm sides. It carries a 19 degree effective deadrise at the centre of gravity; a genuine deep vee for a boat this size for an excellent ride quality, combined with a flooding keel for stability at rest. Rated capacity is five people and 120 litres of fuel, with a sealed deck and bilge sump drainage. Maximum outboard is 130 hp with 90 to 115 hp recommended.

Compared with the 530 series, the 500 gives up 310 mm of hull length, 20 litres of fuel and the option of a cuddy cabin. If you tow with a mid-size vehicle, store in a suburban garage and fish bays, and estuaries, the 500 is a great allrounder.