4WD on land and sea
When a Stryda amphibious craft emerges from the sea, its four-wheel drive capability ensures it can handle a variety of terrain to go exploring. Rebecca Hayter goes for a spin in the flagship of the fleet: the amphibious Stryda 900C with the Anura S25-4N amphibious system.
I met Gordon Lee and Geoff Thomson of Stryda Marine on a stormy day at Browns Bay on Auckland’s East Coast Bays. The Stryda 900C was a sleek, imposing presence on the beach, standing staunch on its three legs: one each side at the stern and one at the bow. Lee obligingly took the boat into a squatting pose so I could easily step aboard.
The Anura amphibious system powered the wheels to take us down the boat ramp. At floating depth, Lee lowered the Yamaha 300 outboard and brought the wheels snug up against the hull, courtesy of a joystick and switches to the right of the helm, to complete the Stryda’s transition from land mode to water mode.Â
This is why amphibious boats are good for marriages because they avoid much of the drama that is not good for marriages – like backing the trailer down a busy boat ramp and leaving one partner to stand thigh-deep in the waves to tame a bucking boat while the other partner deals with the trailer. One Stryda customer says that when he had a trailer boat, his wife seldom went boating because of trailer stress; now, she loves boating because it’s easy.
Another customer happily drives her Stryda the 3.5km from her house through a quiet rural area to the boat ramp.
Founded in New Zealand in 2016, Stryda drew its name from the strider insect, famous for its ability to glide effortlessly across water on its legs. This inspired the company’s vision for an amphibious craft capable of seamlessly transitioning between land and water. Today, Stryda remains exclusively focused on developing amphibious craft. The Stryda range includes the 500 and 600 models; the Stryda 900 is the biggest in the range, launched in 2021.
The heart of the Stryda’s land-based operations is a sound-insulated unit which resides in the centre of the transom. It’s a tidy, compact installation of the 40hp Briggs and Stratton, referred to as the inboard engine; hydraulic pump, oil tank, hydraulic hoses and two cooling fans. The Briggs and Stratton powers the hydraulics that raise and lower the legs and their wheels, drive the wheels and control their braking system. The Briggs and Stratton has a cooling fan to ensure the engine can run all day without overheating. This entire installation is easily accessible for servicing and there is even a bait station on top.
To ensure the Stryda 900C would look good and perform like a champion in blue water conditions, Lee hired naval architect and former America’s Cup designer (GBR 2003) Christian Stimson. The Anura amphibious system accounts for 500kg including the two wheels at the bow, but their weight is countered by the big wheels at the stern and the power unit to bring the centre of gravity aft. That allowed Stimson to draw a fine bow with slightly rounded sections in the forefoot to soften the impact.Â
‘Boats only slam when they leave the water and come down again,’ Stimson says, ‘so if you can keep the bow cleaving through the waves, rather than rising high and slamming down again, you can achieve a soft ride.’Â
The Stryda is designed to comply with CE (Conformité Européenne), including the CE safety standards in swamping and draining. The cockpit sole is 75mm above the static waterline at full load so that if the boat takes a wave over the side, it quickly drains out through scuppers. Duck bills keep the water out when backing up.Â
About that four-wheel drive capability on land. Most amphibious craft have a wheel either side at the stern and a single wheel at the bow, but the Strydas have a pair of wheels at the bow. ‘The extra bow wheel gives 25 per cent more torque,’ says Thomson. ‘At the same time, it requires 25 per cent less hydraulic pressure for steering and more capacity to manoeuvre easily in soft sand, pebbles or challenging terrain such as shallow estuaries and not-too-stony riverbeds. It spreads the load over a greater area so you’re less likely to sink into the sand.’
That means the Stryda can explore its destination instead of just anchoring off a beach. On Queensland’s Moreton Island, Stryda customers easily negotiate sandbanks and shallows while non-amphibious boats are limited to high tide access only.
To ensure safety on sloping ground, the Stryda’s wheels are permanently braked unless power is applied. If the engine stops or a hose fails, the brakes automatically engage. They can be manually released if necessary, including for towing.
When I took my turn at the helm, winds of around 20 knots were kicking up a decent sea, but it was cosy inside the hardtop. The single-piece, 6mm windscreen in toughened glass is excellent – aesthetically and in providing all-round visibility. The wipers handled the rain. The fly-by-wire steering is super smooth and responsive, and the Relaxn helm and passenger seats are nicely upholstered, comfortable and fully adjustable, fore and aft and swivelling. All of which make the Stryda a pleasure to drive.
The double-chine hull with spray strakes threw the spray clear in the choppy conditions and the bow wheels are stowed high so they don’t ‘catch’ the waves, even when leaning into a hard turn or taking on a head sea.Â
And if we found really gnarly conditions, we still had the Carolina flare at the bow. The concept is borrowed from the deep sea game fishers in the Carolinas: a graceful, exaggerated flare. ‘If you do stuff it in, the Carolina flare throws spray aside rather than taking a wave across the deck,’ says Stimson. It confirms the Stryda 900C’s reputation as a dry, blue water boat.Â
Performance-wise, the Yamaha 300hp produces plenty of boogie. It feels like a big boat and handled superbly at speed in the choppy harbour. The Stryda 900C features trim tabs for trimming the boat for the conditions, along with Zipwake, an optional system which can be operated manually or automatically according to settings for roll and pitch.Â
 ‘You feel confident that it’s going to get you home, no matter what,’ says Thomson. The Stryda cruises at 25 knots at around 4100rpm, with a top speed of 36 – 39 knots.
As a top-of-the-market candidate at around $400,000, the Stryda 900C has a high level of finish and is built for adventure. It has a handsome suite of electronics, dominated by a large Garmin multi-function screen. Along with navigation, the screen displays the view from the bow camera, equipped with night vision capabilities, allowing the skipper to see obstacles ahead of the craft even in low-light conditions. Â
The helm console switches include Lumitec Deck lighting, cockpit lights that colour and dim, courtesy light, nav lights, deck wash, bilge pump, and a remote for the Lonestar GX2 winch which handles the Waka anchor. There are 12V USB and USBC charging facilities.Â
There’s a massive berth in the forepeak; the centre squabs lift up to reveal the plumbed-in electric toilet beneath a foredeck hatch from Cool Marine. A Fusion stereo with all the tricks supplies the sounds.
Although not intended as a hard-out fishing boat, the Stryda has an extremely wide cockpit with full length rod storage either side under the coamings, a rocket launcher, livebait tank, three fishing rod holders and drinks holders in the padded coaming either side. The cockpit has good toe room and thigh-height support either side.
A 90-litre Iceytek chillybin slides out on rollers from under the passenger seat, with a split lid so it can be opened when it’s only halfway out. There are two drawers, also on sliders, beneath the helmseat.Â
Ergonomically, this boat works well. There are robust handles wherever required and all maintenance areas are easy to access. Since amphibious boats rarely enter a petrol station, the filler for the 300-litre fuel tank is accessible by standing on the ground at the stern.Â
The spacious cockpit reflects the absence of accoutrements such as a galley area and cockpit furniture. ‘Minimising weight is crucial to the boat’s performance on land,’ Thomson says. ‘The lighter your boat is, the better it will perform and the more fun the owners are going to have. If the boat is too heavy, it might struggle to move through soft sand. We are always thinking about giving the boat the best chance to perform well in a wide range of terrain.’
At anchor, the wheels can be lowered to become seats for swimmers and divers.
The boat pops up with the extra buoyancy which is a pretty cool trick.
Stryda owners are mostly retired; they want to go boating without the need for crew to launch and retrieve the boat. As we head back to shore, Lee lowers the wheels and the helm steering transitions automatically from the Yamaha to the front wheels. The PLC has aligned the boat’s front wheels with the Yamaha outboard, so there are no surprises in direction as we make our way up the boat ramp.
Stryda Marine has boats in Perth and Brisbane and has recently partnered with Amphibious AU in Queensland to sell and provide customer support for Stryda boats. It’s an ideal destination for boats that go walkabout.
SPECIFICATIONS
Make & Model Stryda Marine – Stryda 900
Price as tested $400,000
Construction Aluminium
LOA 9.3m
Beam 2.68m
Deadrise 19.5 degree
Height on legs 3.3m
Weight on legs 2740kg
Test Power Yamaha F300 300hp four-stroke
HP Range 250-350hp
Fuel Capacity 300L
PERFORMANCE DATA
   RPM            KNOTS             L/h  Â
1000Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5.7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5.2
1500Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9.5Â
 2000               8               11.8Â
2500Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8.6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 20Â Â
3000Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10.2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 25Â Â
3500Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12.5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 32Â Â
4000Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 41Â Â
4500Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50Â Â
5000Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 34Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 68Â Â
5500Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 37Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 80Â Â
