Alloy Boat Issue 4

THE 100% ALUMINIUM BOAT MAGAZINE

SUMMER/AUTUMN 2015 - ISSUE 4

MCLAY 701 PREMIER HT A TOUCH OF CLASS

also reviewed FISHING & DIVING AT THE MOKES

Big Snapper Islands

Frewza F18 Fisher Quintrex 440 Renegade Surtees 850 Gamefisher Aqualine 545 Fisherman Aqualine 545 Sports Southern XP 716 Enduro 6400 $10.00 inc GST

SALTWATER FLYFISHING BUYERS GUIDE MID RANGE CABIN/HARDTOPS PARTY PONTOON BOATS ELECTRIC OUTBOARDS KITSET BOATS

McLAY

561

CROSSXOVER

Introducing the all-new

McLAY

CROSSXOVER Range of boats McLAY

581

CROSSXOVER

These new models are effectively (a great looking) pontoon boat. Our wide and deep gunnels are filled with closed cell foam, from the stern right to the anchor!!! Now with the extra buoyancy and security of a pontoon boat, while still looking GREAT!!! Loaded with new features not seen on our boats before.

McLAY

601

CROSSXOVER

McLAY Boats - 27 years of supplying Kiwi Boaties with quality Family, Fishing, and Water sports boats... Contact your nearest McLAY dealer to view and experience these exciting new models –

561 – 581 – 601 – 611

611

CROSSXOVER

www.facebook.com/mclayboatsltd 1014-6

Maclay boats FN6302.indd 1

+64 (03) 417 8135 www.mclayboats.co.nz subscribe online at www.mags4gifts.co.nz/boating-nz

FN6302

McLAY

McLAY BOATS ARE AVAILABLE FROM DEALERSHIPS NATIONWIDE: WHANGAREI: Warren Hay Marine, ph 09 430 2666. AUCKLAND: Fish City, Albany, ph 09 476 4282. HAMILTON: Fish City, Frankton, ph 07 846 6675. WHAKATANE: Oceansports Marine Ltd, ph 07 308 4241. NAPIER: Firman’s Marine Centre, ph 06 835 9718. WELLINGTON: Boat City, ph 04 298 5931. HAWERA: Tasman Marine, ph 06 278 7187. NELSON: Totally Boating, ph 03 548 2448. CHRISTCHURCH: Powerboat Centre, ph 03 389 1146. DUNEDIN: McLay Boats Milton, ph 03 417 8135 INVERCARGILL: Marine South Ltd, ph 03 218 2700.

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REGULAR

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Point of View Summer of total contentment - Barry Thompson

Quick Look We take a brief look at some of the newest boats on the market.

News & Notable News, new products, new releases and happenings.

Electronic News The hottest new releases in the electronics market.

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Engine Torque The latest products, engines and equipment from the world of power.

ON THE

cover

Aluminium Boat Guide Looking for an alloy boat, then check out our comprehensive listing of over 65 manufacturers and more than 600 models.

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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Features

Columns 6 8

32

The 2015 McLay 701 Premier Hardtop. Edition #4

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WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

Saltwater Flyfishing John F. Giacon, the recognised ‘father’ of saltwater flyfishing in New Zealand, looks back over the last decade at the significant changes to this very exciting style of fishing.

32

Buyers Guide – Mid Range Cabin/ Hardtops

44

Party Pontoon Boats

We look at some of the more popular cabin and hardtop production boats around 6.5m.

Pontoon or Deck Boats maybe be very much homegrown Americana, but they are quietly finding a cult following in Australia. Barry Thompson looks at this very interesting style of boat.

54

The Progression of Rods

64

Silent Running – Electric Outboards

Paul Walker looks how the simple fishing rod has changed over the past 4000 years.

Wet on the Waimak

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2015 Outboard Update

86

Kitset Boats

100 118

Electric outboard motors are an option for boat propulsion that has developed over the years. Barry Thompson looks at what is available. WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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Barry Thompson goes boating on the cold Waimakariri River

2015 sees a number significant new engines available from the world’s top six outboard manufacturers, from the wildly different ETEC Gen 2 to the ‘new’ Tohatsu V6 range.

Can’t find what you want off the shelf and have the necessary welding skills, then maybe you should consider a kit set boat.

Fishing the Mokes Mathew Hewetson takes us diving and fishing to the legendary Mokohinau Islands, a small group of islands, 21km northwest of Great Barrier Island.

Company Profile Freddy Foote talks to FC Boats, Ross Christensen about New Zealand’s fastest growing ‘new’ production alloy boat builder.

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EXCLUSIVE TO BARGAIN BOAT BITS 19 Stores Nationwide 0508 262824 BOATBITS

WWW.BARGAINBOATBITS.CO.NZ

boat reviews

Auckland Marine Centre 247 Ti Rakau Drive, Pakuranga, Auckland 09 579-7981 Rollos Marine Cnr Euclid & Te Rapa Roads, Hamilton 0800 804 809 Boat City Main North Road, Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast 04 298-5931 Haven Pleasure Boats 57 Parkers Road, Nelson 03 548-5864

Warren Hay Marine 27 Rewa Rewa Road, Whangarei 09 430-2666 Hawke’s Bay Marine 60 Taradale Road, Napier 06 843-5000 Senator Factory 21 Hamilton Place, Onekawa, Napier 06 843-6882 Mr Boats 247 Dyers Road, Christchurch 03 384-2726

13SEN

Mr Boats 74 King Street, Timaru 03 684-4107

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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26

McLay 701 Premier Hardtop

40

Surtees 8.5m Game Fisher

60

Enduro 6400

82

Quintrex 440 Renegade SC

94

Aqualine 495 Fisherman/545 Sports

The McLay 701 Premier Hardtop is the first in the new Premier Series. Text by Barry Thompson.

Freddy Foote reviews Surtees Boats biggest offering.

World’s First Electronic Fast Fall Systems (No Mechanical Clutches) 550W

200mm drum suited for up to 5.5 metre boats

1000W

240mm drum suited for up to 6.5 metre boats

1500W

280mm drum suited for up to 8 metre boats

With a focus on quality, the second model series from Enduro Boats is hard to fault says Barry Thompson.

Freddy Foote checks out one of Quintrex’s most popular fishing runabouts.

2000W

3000W

300mm drum suited for up to 10 metre boats

320mm drum suited for up to 20 metre boats

Aqualine’s pairing of the 545 Sports and the 495 Fisherman are both similar but quite different. Text by Barry Thompson.

108

Southern XP716

114

Frewza F18 Fisher

Would you go diesel power? After reading Freddy Foote’s report you might.

Barry Thompson tries out the new F18 Fisher on a mirror-smooth Lake Wanaka.

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AWARD WINNING BOAT ANCHOR WINCHES &9$-64*7& 50 #"3("*/ #0"5 #*54 t 19 Stores Nationwide t WWW.BARGAINBOATBITS.CO.NZ FREEPHONE 0508 262824 BOATBITS

Point Of View

PUBLISHER D&B Publishing Ltd Barry Thompson & Doug Dukeson

Barry Thompson barry@boatmags.com

WHAT A GREAT SUMMER

EDITORIAL Barry Thompson, Editor DDI: +64 (0)9 428 2086 Mob: +64 (0)21 777 355 email: barry@boatmags.com CONTRIBUTORS Freddy Foote, Mike Rose, Mike Broome, Mathew Hewetson, Paul Walker. ADVERTISING New Zealand & Australia Doug Dukeson DDI: +64 (0)9 428 2328 Mob: +64 (0)21 772 202 email: doug@boatmags.com Alex Ram DDI: +64 (0)9 428 7277 Mob: +64 (0)21 0286 5298 email: alex@boatmags.com PRODUCTION Design & Prepress: Annabelle Rose Design Mob: +64 (0)27 427 4559 email: design@annabellerose.co.nz Printer: MH Publications Ltd WEBSITE Momentum Marketing Carl Thompson Tel: +64 (0)21 762 275 email: carl@gomomentum.marketing ACCOUNTS Soraja Thompson Tel: +64 (0)9 428 2086 Fax: +64 (0)9 424 2786 email: accounts@boatmags.com CIRCULATION NZ: Netlink Ltd Aust: Gordon & Gotch Ltd

Wow, what a great summer we have had for boating. Heaps of sunshine have certainly put a lot of people on the water. The Hauraki Gulf has been blessed with so many days of idyllic weather that I could pick the times I wanted to go out fishing. Prior to Xmas and especially through late October and November the fishing was awesome and I caught my limit of snapper almost every time I went out. My success rate seemed to slow in mid to late December, although we did catch some reasonably good sized fish around the back of Tiri Tiri Matangi Island and on the sand around 30m between Tiri and Kawau. However, in mid to late January I found the fishing really tough out in the open and did the best closer into the rocky foreshore areas. Not sure if it was just me, but I reckon I saw more sharks than usual and did hook two over the summer, a 3m Thresher and a 2m Mako, which certainly put an end to my snapper fishing in that area. This summer I have been spending a lot of time using my Minn Kota electric outboard and found I hardly ever used the anchor. Once I find a spot that was showing fish, I simply hit Spot-Lock and through the wonders of GPS I stayed in position. The little Minn Kota has plenty of power and even when the wind comes up and the tide increases it still holds you on the spot. Only time I found it not so perfect was when I was out with a mate and the wind got up and hence the waves increased. Every time he came down the transom to get some bait, the bow would lift on a wave and the plastic propeller would spin out of the water. I have since perfected this by adding a secondary bait board towards the bow of my McLay 4.8m Fortress. Problem solved. A week before Xmas, I also swapped my Mercury 60 4S for one of the new generation 75hp four strokes. While the engine is a bit heavier than the previous 60, it doesn’t seem to make any difference to the balance of the boat. Still a tiller steer engine I have the bonus of a steering dampener to take someone of the torque out of the tiller. Trimmed hard in it is a mean beast to hang onto, but trim it out to ¼ trim and beyond and it is a breeze to drive, with very little torque through the tiller. Longest trip was 45mins at the helm and the boat was a pleasure, in fact, fun to drive. The top speed has increased with the extra power and I am amazed at just how economical the new engine is. The 25-litre tote tank seems to dribble the fuel through and it lasts me for quite a few fishing trips. You will see on page 64 of this issue a feature on electric outboards in all their forms, trolling, auxiliary and as the main engine. The development has come a long way and I reckon that they are a must have part of your fishing accessories if you have a suitable boat. Anything from 3m- 6m will do, although if you are going to a bow mount like mine you have to give some consideration to the mounting plate and the bow rails. That’s the beauty of alloy, you can easily modify something or build it in from new. In this issue, we also look at saltwater fly fishing. While something I have never done, I plan to and maybe in the next issue I will report back on how it all worked out. Happy Boating,

SUBSCRIPTIONS Carla Dukeson Pacific PowerBoat Subscriptions PO Box 886, Whangaparoa, Auck. NZ Tel: +64 (0)9 428 2328 email: subs@boatmags.com

WHAT FISH THINK OF THE NEW SURTEES 8.5

Barry Thompson

HATE IT!

The island, in a lake, in an island, in a lake, in an island in the ocean! The mirror smooth waters of Lake Wanaka are seen from Aresthusa Pool on Mou Waho Island. See the McLay 701 Premier boat review page 26.

REGISTERED OFFICE Advertising & Editorial enquiries: 14 Glamis Ave, Manly, Whangaparaoa, Auckland, New Zealand. Tel: +64 (0)9 428 2086 email: barry@boatmags.com www.boatmags.com Postal Address: PO Box 132 Whangaparaoa, Auckland 0930, New Zealand.

UNLESS YOU’RE A FISH, THERE’S A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE NEW SURTEES 8.5.

All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is expressly forbidden, except by written permission of the publisher.

From the signature non-pounding super deep V hull to the stabilising

Printed in New Zealand

Today’s Quote: “Don’t tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly don’t tell them where they know the fish.” — Mark Twain

ballast technology and ultra-strong deck system, this new Game Fisher ONFIRE141059

ISSN 2324-5255 (Printed) ISSN 2324-5263 (Online)

is arguably one of the best handling, most stable trailer boats on the market. The new Surtees 8.5 Game Fisher. For fish, it’s game over!

www.surteesboats.com ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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Maverick Marine

LOOK

CENTRE CONSOLE POWER CAT

Quintrex Trident THE ULTIMATE OFFSHORE WEAPON Quintrex’s new release the Trident Hard Top is one seriously tough offshore weapon, constructed with a sturdy underfloor rib structure and 5mm bottomsides of marine grade aluminium. Featuring the renowned Quintex Blade Hull and Flared Bow design, the sub-frame rib structure of the Trident is constructed with latitudinal ribs to reinforce strength and create a precise hull shape every time. Available as a 650 and 690 model the Trident Hard Top design means you can enjoy your boat in all weather conditions, with a laminated hardened glass windscreen, sliding side windows and a standard windscreen wiper kit your view is never interrupted. The Hard Top design also features 6 new

patent-pending ‘Reel Easy’ folding rod holders, which fold down individually thanks to a quick release pin mechanism, making it easy to stow and reach your rods. The back deck sees a new live bait tank complete with viewing window and new external pickup which allows water to circulate through the tank whilst under way, keeping your live bait fresh and easy to keep an eye on. Streaker Boats Principal Dealer Leon Savage said the Trident HT had been very carefully designed and extensively tested to ensure the best overall product for the offshore fisherman. ‘The Trident Hard Top really is one tough plate boat, each one is built by our expert

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plate boat team and involves over 60 hours of welding, to give you an idea of how much detail goes into these boats.’ ‘The checker plate floor is fully welded and the structure of the entire boat is re-enforced with a solid T keel which is triple welded to the side sheet,’ Leon said. The Quintrex Trident also features a twin battery setup, transom door, seat boxes with extra storage, a self-draining tread plate floor and 4 welded rod holders all as standard. The Quintrex Trident is available as an Instant Boating Package complete with motor, Quintrex Trailer and a 3 year limited, factory warranty. www.streakerboats.com.au

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If you’re serious about your fishing or diving, whether your thing is jigging or using soft baits, poppers or trolling, a spearo or into scuba, if you’re the kind of person who demands performance from your equipment, then check out the new powercat from Maverick Marine. At 4.5m (LOA 4.9m) the Maverick power cat is crafted from tough marinegrade 4mm aluminium. This isn’t just another mono-hulled alloy boat either, a Maverick is an asymmetrical planning catamaran, something that is not common in the trailerable alloy boat market. The centre console layout means all the boat space is usable for fishing. Power options are single outboards 60-90hp. One of the huge advantages of a power cat is the softer riding hull design, stability and as much as 40% more interior space than an equivalent length monohull. A Maverick is virtually impossible to sink, with over 1600 litres of reserve buoyancy in multiple watertight compartments, to keep it afloat even when filled with water. The Maverick 4.5 is available as boat/trailer package from $NZ29500.Maverick Marine, Ph +64 0800 736 342, www.maverickmarine.co.nz

Makaira SPORT FISHING TRAILER BOATS

With over 35 year combined Aluminium boat building and game fishing experience, the team at Makaira Boats, based in Henderson, Auckland, are offering a range of quality offshore sport fishing trailer boats. They can custom build a boat to suit your needs, be it a dedicated sport fishing machine or a custom dive boat. The stock range, although everything is quite customable, includes the King Bank

940 and Ranfurly 840. The King Bank is a purpose built trailerable sport fishing boat designed to fish the 3 Kings, a remote group of islands north of New Zealand. The boat sleeps six in large berths without using the saloon and carries a massive 800L of fuel so it is well equipped for the task. While the 940 is sport fishing machine at heart, it is also a great platform for family fun with creature comforts and quality of finish that

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you would expect in a super yacht. The Ranfurly 840, due to be released in early 2015 is designed to have all the comforts of the 940 but in a smaller package. Holding 500L of fuel it has the capability to stay away for weeks at a time and with a full galley and toilet you have all the comforts of home. allan@makairaboats.co.nz www.makairaboats.co.nz

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

& Notable

Carbon Fibre Stabicraft 1600s for NZ Boat Show Visitors to the 2015 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show in Auckland this May, (14-17) will have two chances to win a revolutionary new carbon fibre Stabicraft/ Yamaha Grand Prize Package.Each of these amazing prize packages will feature a new model Stabicraft 1600, complete with a lightweight, resin-infused carbon fibre superstructure, a 70hp Yamaha F70 4-stroke outboard, a huge range of practical extras and a retail value of at least $60,000! “This year will be the 60th consecutive year the show has been held at what is now the ASB Showgrounds,” says Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show general manager, Dave Gibbs. “This is an incredible milestone for any event. “We wanted to celebrate it in style and these two incredible new Stabicraft carbon fibre 1600s and 70hp Yamaha four-stroke outboards will do just that. “They are stunning and innovative and the perfect way to celebrate our 60th anniversary show.” The two Stabicraft prize boats — a new

1600 Fisher and a new 1600 Frontier — will be the first aluminium powerboats in New Zealand to feature carbon fibre in their construction. “One of the key aspects of our design philosophy demands that every Stabicraft be instantly recognizable as such,” says Stabicraft managing director Paul Adams. “The Stabicraft 1600 Carbon Series, with its uncompromisingly sharp contours, is the essence of our brand, poured into an extreme, awe-inspiring look which is eternally different, but unmistakably Stabicraft. We are pushing the boundaries of what has previously been considered ‘the norm’ in the marine industry. The new 1600 Frontier has a new pontoonshaped console that is an ergonomic masterpiece. It features a recessed throttle control and a 70-litre chilly bin/main seat that can be stowed inside the console, leaving a completely uncluttered cockpit. A casting platform, designed to suit virtually every style of fishing and with handy dry stowage below, is also included with the prize

boat, as is a practical console bimini frame. As well as using carbon fibre for the first time, Stabicraft has also included their popular Wing Style Coamings into both models. First introduced on the 1850 Supercab, this offers great protection in rough weather and provide the perfect place to sit while waiting for the fish to bite. The two prize boats will also feature Stabicraft’s famous Game Chaser Transom and Arrow Pontoons, Stabicraft-designed Railblaza Multi holders (which include sinker, cup and phone holder and are exclusive to Stabicraft), a remotely controlled Maxwell RC6 windlass and much more. Both Stabicraft/Yamaha Grand Prize Packages will have fully painted hulls, come complete with an up spec’d DMW trailer, a depth sounder and VHF from ENL, a Fusion stereo system and a full safety package (including flares and life jackets) from Hutchwilco. A host of practical extras (washdown pump, hydraulic steering, nav lights, anchor and rode) will also be on board. www.boatshow.co.nz

New Salt-Away Dispener The new A-Salt Mixing Unit has been purposely designed to dispense the Salt-Away Concentrate formula. Designed for ease of use with a new throttle type control valve to switch from ‘off’ to ‘rinse’ to ‘Salt-Away’ and will handle high Australian and New Zealand water pressures. Constructed with a 3-position control valve Off, Rinse, Salt Attack, the receptacle holds100ml and has been tested to withstand water pressure up to 120 psi. It is ideal for outboard flushing with Salt-Away’s Deluxe Muffs and wash down and spray gun. Wholesale Marine Direct 0800272589 www.salt-away.co.nz

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ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

& Notable

The Secret To Towing Safely

Honda Marine New Zealand is to launch its first drive by wire electronic shift and throttle system, designed to provide smooth interaction between the operator, outboard engine and boat. Available from early 2015, the new system offers effortless gear shifting, precise throttle and trolling control and seamless synchronisation across multiple engine installations. Honda Intelligent Shift & Throttle system (iST) will at launch be available on Honda’s range-topping BF250 outboard, compatible with installations of up to four engines and

capable of being operated from either one or two helm control stations. The new Honda iST system has been designed with inbuilt safeguards to protect the engine, gearbox and electronics. A Home to Port backup system is incorporated, which allows only limited Honda iST operation in the unlikely event of system malfunction, while an integrated onboard diagnostic system allows the operator to identify faults quickly and easily. VeeThree digital gauges Honda’s new VeeThree digital gauges have

been designed exclusively for use with its range of marine engines. Utilising the NMEA 2000 network, the stylish white-faced tachometer and speedometer units each feature analogue pointers for engine rpm and vessel speed, as well as a two-colour graphic LCD screen (with pushbutton operation) to place a range of detailed engine management data at users’ fingertips. Completely sealed and waterproof, and featuring anti-fog coated lenses, VeeThree gauge functions include: www.hondamarine.com

AB006

On average, seven people are killed and 45 seriously injured each year in New Zealand as a result of crashes involving a light vehicle towing a trailer, according to the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). Defective or poorly fitted towbars, over-loading and poor weight distribution are among leading causes of trailer related accidents. Drivers can do much to minimise the dangers with proper preparation and by following a few simple safety steps set out by New Zealand manufacturer Best Bars.Before heading off with the trailer or caravan in tow, first check the towbar itself, to ensure all the bolts attaching it to the vehicle are tight, there is no corrosion present or cracking in the welds or structure and the towball itself is secured properly to the tongue. Be aware that even if the towbar looks OK, all may not be right. Some towbars are made from inferior quality steel, which doesn’t meet the vehicle manufacturer’s guidelines. Cheap imported towbars or those available online may use inferior parts and/or be poorly designed. Also, make sure the towball is correctly matched to the trailer or caravan coupling – there are two main sizes of towball used in New Zealand (1 7/8-inch and 50mm). A safety chain must also be used between the towing vehicle and lighter trailer/caravan, with double chains required if the weight of what’s being towed is more than 2,000kg. When packing the caravan or trailer/boat for the trip, make sure that the load on the towball tongue does not exceed the recommended tongue weight (stated on the label). www.bestbars.co.nz

Honda Go Electronic & Digital

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ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

& Notable

NEW DEALER.

If you are in the market for a small basic and very practical dory, then it might pay to consider a trio on offer from the wellestablished Marco Boats. The Marco 480 Dory range comes in three models; 480 Angler, 480 Tiller Dory and 480 Thresher Dory. All three hulls are based on the same 4.9m x 2.1m, 14 deg deadrise alloy hull, with 4mm plate used on the hull and 3mm sides. Built to the very exacting standard of all Marco Boats, the trio offer something different in each layout. The 480 Angler is the cuddy version, with twin pedestal seats and a good sized dry area forward. The 480 Tiller Dory, is as the name suggests a full open boat with a rear seat and designed for a tiller steer outboard. The 480 Thresher Dory is the open runabout version with two swiveling bucket seats and dodger screen. All three are available with a host of seating options and while the 480 Angler and Thresher are rated up to 70hp, while the Tiller Dory is rated to 60hp. www.marcoboats.co.nz Marco Boats has appointed Murray Rowe of Rodney Marine Warkworth as its preferred Auckland and lower Northland dealer. Murray said “Marco Boats is a fine edition to the comprehensive range of boats on offer to our clients and we look forward to a beneficial relationship.” Rodney Marine is one of New Zealand's most reputable dealers with a full selection of Yamaha products and accessories as well as competitive new and pre-owned boat packages. Rodney Marine, Ph 09 945 2253, E:sales@rodneymarine.co.nz

PROFILE’S

NEW DINGHY

The Profile 1410D is an outstanding boat in its class, with higher sides, deflector pontoons and turn down chines that make it a very stable in all conditions. Because of these features, the 1410D is a very dry and safe boat that is ideal for beach launching and fishing. At 4.3m (14.1ft), it is a very capable dinghy that provides a great platform for lots of activities such as diving, fishing and plenty of family fun. Running either a 25hp or 30hp this dinghy is a great entry level boat or for experienced boaties that want quick and easy launch capability. www.profileboats.com

AMM director and designer Barton Thomas

AMM RELEASES

NEW SEA CLASS RANGE Multi award-winning Queensland plate alloy boat builder, Australian Master Marine is undertaking a major transformation of its small boat range to provide even better hull performance, as well as sportier styling and greater levels of convenience. The transformation is being applied across all four hull lengths in the small plate boat range – 4.5m, 4.9m, 5.2m and 5.7m lengths. AMM also builds a large boat range of Tournament and Weekender models up to 10m, as well as customised, specialist application commercial and recreational craft. The latest series of models in the small plate boat range can be identified easily by the addition of AMM’s distinctive Sea Class branding. Among the major modifications being incorporated across the range are a new transom layout with a larger engine pod for better performance; a raised self-draining floor; elegant new sheerlines rising for’d on higher side plate sheets; greater fishing room integrated into the designs; larger storage compartments and sleek, extended side plate wings in the aft quarters. AMM Director and designer, Mr Barton Thomas said: “Our small boat range has always delivered a superb ride and outstanding strength due to a number of key factors including the underwater sections, side sheets and decks all being constructed from 4mm thick plate alloy.” “Many of the features and their advantages are immediately apparent,” Barton said. “But others, such as having a fully integrated longitudinal and lateral axis sub-frame engineered into every hull, may not be so obvious once the floor has been welded in,” Barton said. AMM which is based at Brendale on Brisbane’s northside, is developing tiller, side console, centre console, centre cabin, cuddy cabin and bow rider versions of its Sea Class boat range. www.australianmastermarine.com.au

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ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

& Notable

Top Value Top Selection

From 2.7m

$

3,500

MATT WATSON

signs for 2015 Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show Kiwi fisherman Matt Watson is set to play a starring role at this year’s Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show in Auckland in May 14-17. The host of television’s top-rating ITM Fishing Show will give daily talks, share his experiences and interact with members of the public throughout the four-day show. As part of the boat show’s 60th anniversary celebrations, Matt and his team will create a special ITM Fishing Show Experience in a large area next to the Hutchwilco stand. In this area, show-goers will be able to talk with and listen to Matt, see videos of Matt in action, talk to representatives of fishing advocacy group, Legasea and enter a special competition created just for the show. “We want people to come to the show and tell us what they would like to see on future episodes of the ITM Fishing Show,” says Matt. “We are looking for something new and different to all the exciting things we have already done, so it will definitely be a challenge. “However, if we do find an idea we like, the person who submitted it will be invited to come along and be a part of the show when we film it.” Only those ideas submitted on the special competition forms in the Matt Watson’s ITM Fishing Show Experience area at the show will be eligible for the prize. www.boatshow.co.nz ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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Scorpion 610 Seamaster Cabin $

39,950

To the

Over 20 models to choose from:

Scorpion 890 Wheelhouse $

165,000

• Dinghies • Centre Consols • • Cuddy • Cabin • Open Runabouts • • Cabin Boats • Pontoons • • Hard Tops • Weekenders • • Wheelhouse •

THE ALUMINIUM BOAT SPECIALISTS

MORRINSVILLE Thames Street West, Morrinsville Ph: (07) 889 7193 Fax: (07) 889 5405 Alan Solly: 021 595 151 Email: sportcraftboats@xtra.co.nz

OPEN 7 DAYS OVER 200 BOATS www.sportcraftboats.co.nz

TAURANGA 19 Hewletts Road, Mt Maunganui Ph: (07) 928 7193 Fax: (07) 928 7194 Roger: 027 669 7918 Jamie: 021 795 597 Email: sportcraftboats@clear.net.nz

& Notable Greg Dutton, the man behind DMW Trailers.

Hyundai SeasAll add compact S270

DMW Trailers Complete 40th year 2014 saw DMW Trailers complete their 40th year in business. Established in 1974, the company has built up an enviable reputation for innovative and functional design, that has placed DMW Trailers amongst this country’s longest standing and leading trailer manufacturers. From modern premises in Hamilton, DMW Trailers specialise in building trailers for PWC and small tinnies through to trailers for the largest trailerable boats. Their range of Premier Series Multiroller Trailers are custom built to suit most boat brands and models, and are held in high regard in the marine industry. DMW Trailers apply a 5 Year Structural Warranty on the chassis and a 1 Year Warranty on all components. www.dmwtrailers.co.nz

Brisbane Tinnie & Tackle Show Moving to Manly The Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show has partnered with Explore Australia Expo and is moving to Manly Harbour in 2015, with the event to be conducted over three days on March 6-8. This partnership brings together two truly functional and enthusiastic events for what will become Australia’s premiere 4x4 and marine super expo. Facilitating the promotion and exposure of both automotive and water based pursuits, the Manly Boat Harbour is an outstanding facility combining unequalled boating facilities and water access with a pristine flat open and accessible floor space ideal for the requirements of such a festive outdoor adventure show. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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Hyundai SeasAll has announced details of its new S270 model, now the highest horsepower unit in the brand’s high-speed product range. The new 270hp S270 is based on the already established and popular S250 model, and utilises the same 3.0L common rail V6, however a few design improvements allow it to produce more power, while taking up less space. The new S270 produces 565nm of torque, 26nm more than the S250, whilst changes to the intake manifold allow the S270 to be just 535.4mm in height, 69.6mm lower than the S250. Like the S250, the S270 has a compacted graphite iron (CGI) block which exhibits superior stiffness and engine longevity and is mated to a 24 valve cylinder head featuring common rail direct injection (CRDi). “The new S270 is a great addition to our model lineup. Being more compact, it will be a great engine option to consider for repowers of older vessels and for designers to consider in new builds,” says Allpower Marine Business Development Manager Mark Harrison. The ECU injection map of the S270 is all new and has been designed to deliver a flat torque curve giving both superior acceleration as well as power at the top end. The engine is fully compatible with the company’s new SeasLink Smartphone application which allows users to look at engine diagnostic information and export it straight to a service centre as well as recording trip reports, displaying engine info and recording vessel tracks on a navigation map. The S270 is available for sterndrive, shaft drive and water jet configurations. Allpower Marine are able to supply linkages that will allow Hyundai SeasAll engines to be coupled with ZF gearboxes and adaptor kits to link with Volvo Penta and MerCruiser sternlegs. The new S270 Hyundai SeasAll fills a mid range segment for the brand with engines already available from 125hp to 500hp in 23 basic configurations. All Hyundai SeasAll engines come with a four-year recreational warranty. www.hyundaiseasall.co.nz

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& Notable

NEW DRAGONFLY for under $399!

Profile launch another

Big Daddy

Launched in December 2014, this highly speced Profile 780HW was delivered to its Ashburton owner, who says the boat is even better than he imagined. Referred to as “Big Daddy” the Profile 780HW is a big trailer boat in every way. The strong construction is evident in the soft and quiet ride while providing a rigid platform for any serious fishing activity. The stability and genuine “toe space” provides personal safety while working the large deck area. The cabin is fully enclosed for further passenger comfort and the overall feeling of this boat is totally capable

and safe. A serious fishing machine, the 780HW is powered by twin 150hp Mercury four strokes and is fitted-out with everything required for bluewater fishing. At 7.80m , the Profile 780HW is a big boat and carries an internal beam of 2.06m and external beam of 2.66m. The pontoons are built from 4mm alloy and the 18deg hull a rugged 6mm. The 780HW can be fully customized from the huge list of extras like an enclosed cabin to enhance passenger comfort and the ability for that overnight trip. www.profileboats.com

Offering a mix of DownVision, CHIRP DownVision sonar, Dual Channel CHIRP sonar, new WiFish DownVision sonar, GPS and chartplotting, Raymarine’s new Dragonfly models put fish-finding technology on board small runabouts, kayaks and PWCs at an incredibly affordable price. By including the CHIRP technology in their new 4.3” and 5” widescreen displays, and highly innovative Wi-Fish black box viewable on any size smart device, Raymarine has become the first marine technology company to offer such advanced fish-finding capability in units that start at under $399! The new Dragonfly units are available in a variety of models so users can select the one that best suits their needs.

“Wi-Fish Downvision is an exciting new Raymarine App that seamlessly connects Wi-Fi-enabled Dragonflys to smartphones and tablets,” says Mark Milburn. “Users can simply stream the images and information from their Dragonfly sonar to their mobile devices using the Raymarine Wi-Fish app. They can also rewind and capture sonar images to share online with fellow fishers. Future versions of this app will include return to fishing spot, using Smart Device GPS and Augmented Reality.” Owners can also choose to have Dual Channel sonar, with both DownVision sonar and conventional sonar, which can target fish and bottom track at up to 275 metres; or choose models that include GPS

chartplotting and even Raymarine’s clever new Wi-Fish Downvision Sonar. With a choice of 4.3inch and 5 inch screens, the new Dragonfly models come with a rugged ball and socket mounting system that makes them easy to position for optimal viewing. Lusty & Blundell, Ph: (09) 415-8303, E: melissar@lusty-blundell.co.nz www.lusty-blundell.co.nz

Dolphin Aqualisers Offer to Duck Hunters

ĉ ûč «û÷Ă÷Ąúǭĉ Ăû÷úÿĄý Ăÿüû Ā÷ùāûĊ ă÷Ąċü÷ùĊċĈûĈ čû ÷Ĉû ýĈû÷ĊĂď ùąĄùûĈĄûú ÷øąċĊ Ċþÿĉm ÿĊ úąûĉĄǭĊ þ÷Čû Ċą þ÷ĆĆûĄp ¨û÷ĈÿĄý ÷ ćċ÷ĂÿĊď ĂÿüûĀ÷ùāûĊ ĉ÷Čûĉ ĂÿČûĉp

40 Years

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Specialist manufacturers of : Quality Boat Trailers 1 0i n Parts & Accessories 2 g t WOF & Braking Systems 7 e4b r- a l Repairs & Regalvanising Extras available on request

*Available at all leading sports and marine outlets

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12 Karewa Place PO Box 20116 Te Rapa Hamilton Ph 07 849 4721 Fax 07 849 9104 Email: greg@dmwtrailers.co.nz www.dmwtrailers.co.nz ATTN: sharon

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Kiwi company, Dolphin Aqualisers has come up with the answer for owners of small alloy dinghies that are inherently unstable at rest, especially if someone is standing to shoot ducks or cast a fly. Aqualisers are the only small boat stabilisers in the world with a patented retractable design and can be removed in seconds if someone is in the water, thereby offering another flotation device (in addition to life jackets). They add buoyancy with their air filled design and offer a stabilising effect for your dinghy, which is a huge benefit for improving shooting from boats, including bow hunting etc. If you want your Aqualiser to blend in with you duck hunting boat, camo colours are available or if you want to increase the boat visibility there is also bright orange. With duck shooting season fast approaching the company is offering $40 off camo Aqualisers for 140mm $359. NZ: 0800200248 E: sales@aqualisers.com Aust: www.torpedo7.com.au Q Ua l i t Y W: www.aqualisers.com FY

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1974

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This is your artwork for approval. Please check carefully, pay particular attention to phone, fax and code numbers, internet and mailing addresses,

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Serious rod fisherman can soon get addicted to saltfly fishing. Catching a fighting saltwater fish on a flyrod is awesome fun.

The Saltfly Impact By John F. Giacon

John F. Giacon, the recognised ‘father’ of saltwater flyfishing in New Zealand, looks back over the last decade at the significant changes to this very exciting style of fishing.

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Back before the year 2000 there was some saltfly fishing in our waters, generally pursued by a few trout anglers using old gear comprising mainly of rods, reels and fly-lines no longer required for their freshwater endeavours. Some fly tiers concocted weird and colourful fly creations that looked like canaries and were just as hard to cast for that matter! The then proprietor of Kingfish Lodge situated on beautiful Whangaroa Harbour in the Far North, Eb Leary, approached my company at the time. Eb had seen Japanese guests at the Lodge fly-fishing and was somewhat amazed at their results. Eb felt that here was an opportunity to introduce a well-organised saltfly competition. So my partners and I agreed and set about recruiting 24 rods, male and female and all freshwater anglers. We secured sponsorship from Steinlager Beer, Famous Grouse Whisky, and importantly, Sage Rods and Reels in the USA. We were underway. The very first competitive saltfly event in NZ was now a reality. It was a two-day event with half the competitors fishing from two big game boats and the other half being shore based. The shore based anglers fished from Flat Island, about 5NM off the Whangaroa Harbour entrance. The fishing was anything but flat; in fact we unanimously voted for it to become New Zealand’s first atomic bomb testing site! On day two the teams changed over. Over the two days 264 fish were caught, mostly kahawai, with quite a few snapper plus blue and pink maomao, Granddaddy hapuku and the odd miscellany type fish. It was obvious that kahawai were the most common species, but nobody minded that, I can tell you they were and still are the preferred species on a fly rod. Their savage strikes on your fly are heart stopping and their runs are quite superb. In fact, the kahawai is now recognised as an IGFA game fish and eligible for world record claims. We were quick to recognise the potential of this species and registered the “Kahawai World

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Championship” which is a recognized IGFA qualifying event for its World Inshore Fishery event. We inaugurated the Kahawai WC as part of our now New Zealand International saltwater fly-fishing event. Growing Numbers In 2000, increasing numbers of anglers wanted a piece of the saltfly action. We had to change our venue from Kingfish Lodge to Waitangi, still in the Far North, and along with Opua and Russell, the heart of NZ Big Game fishing. Being placed in the centre of our big game fishing waters proved to be a major bonus for promotions. On the pre and post big game fishing seasons we had a great choice of boats to utilise. The charter boat operators really enjoyed extra charters to add to their season and in fact some of them purchased sets of saltfly tackle to offer clients as an alternative to bait fishing. Several of them switched to saltfly during their off season. It was in the year 2000 that saltfly fishing received a major impetus. This was the year that Air New Zealand secured the naming rights as principal sponsor. Our event was renamed the Air New Zealand International Saltfly Tournament, incorporating the Kahawai World Championship. The combined results of what were now two separate events determining the overall winner. This arrangement was IGFA approved. By 2003 the International Saltfly events peaked with 94 rods from around the world. We had four-rod teams from Alaska, Japan, the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the USA and Hawaii, Australia, as well as several Kiwi teams. I can tell you that the logistics of hiring 14 big game boats for the three-day event was enough to turn my hair prematurely white. It was all a stunning success and the real bonus for New Zealand was when some teams maintained their charters after the event while others changed to trout fishing trips to enjoy the best of flyfishing in freshwater as well. It was a win-win situation.

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The saltfly fly selection is outstanding.

Would you believe there are fly reels designed for handling marlin!

Saltfly Sundays Our liaison with Air NZ came to an abrupt end following the 11th of September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York, which caused a huge downturn in all airlines’ travel and hence income. Air NZ advised it was forced to withdraw its sponsorship. Fortunately we were able to offer alternative saltfly adventures. We designed and organised “Saltfly Sundays” where we took four rods out on the Hauraki Gulf for a one-day saltfly adventure. The anglers were fully equipped with top class gear, berley was provided and schooling kahawai were the main target. This venture extended over 45 weekends and introduced 180 newcomers to the sport. Many of these anglers are now addicted to saltfly. As well we were now able to revert to smaller events, mainly providing weekend saltfly excursions for various companies and their clients, mainly in northern waters and local lodges. Some local groups organised events and competitive saltfly of their own, but they were not very successful and it would be fair to say competitive saltfly events fell by the wayside.

session and you needed an afternoon siesta. It was exhilarating stuff. So different from what we had back home. Here was a balmy climate – it was very warm, and hells bells, even when it rained the rain was warm! I came home and immediately organised a saltfly trip up to Weipa. I had no trouble recruiting five kiwi rods for the trip and off we went. I have to say the second trip was simply not up to standard. The skipper’s wife had passed away and he was somewhat lost without his “ship’s mother”. Gladys had been the chief cook and bottle washer. With her no longer present to offer her expertise day-to-day items somewhat fell apart. I was already planning a bigger and better saltfly trip, this time there were 12 of us and we would travel from Cairns up to Bamaga where we boarded our mother ship, a 12-berth, very well appointed catamaran with six fishing dories for our anglers. We experienced a world-class saltfly bonanza. Nothing back in New Zealand could compare with this. One day six of us experienced the best saltfly fishing of our lives! We saw one of our boats go ashore so we went to investigate. There were literally schools of baitfish being rounded up and harassed by giant herrings. What a fish! They appeared to be nuclear powered. They would seize your fly and then tear off all over the beach leaping clear of the water constantly. Our six anglers had to fight for every centimetre of line regained only to have metres torn back off the reel with ferocious intensity. Indeed, several reels virtually flew into bits, they simply couldn’t take it, the resultant tangles and bird nests put our anglers out of action while hasty repairs were made. Around many overseas saltfly locations, the bonefish is advertised and touted as one of the world’s premier saltfly species, but I am prepared to place my reputation on line and say that in the giant herring Australia has a species second to none. Every one of my encounters with this species has left me awestruck! If ever the opportunity comes your way to fish for giant herring, grab it. Experienced saltfly fishers who have been fortunate enough to catch both species will tell you that kilo for kilo, a giant herring will pull a bonefish backwards. Let me emphasize the quality of Australian saltfly fishing – it is

Aussie Adventure Arising out of our International Saltfly events a new door opened and the scope for saltfly fishing opportunities for kiwi anglers widened dramatically. Thanks to the Australian team who fished at the last Air NZ event, one of their members, Gavin Platz, saw the potential for marketing saltfly in Australian waters. Gavin and his partner Lou arranged for me to sample what was on offer by organising a saltfly visit out of Weipa to the Gulf of Carpentaria. I accepted and quite frankly I was blown away by the experience and the quality of the fishing. We lived on board a mother ship for five nights and we were very comfortable, well fed and the fishing – what an eye opener! On that first trip we caught 30 different species ranging from explosive tuna to barramundi and mangrove jacks. Some of our group of six rods concentrated on targeting permit, but this species proved hard to catch. Permit are probably the preferred species. Tuna are prolific and catch a few of these in a morning

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superb. The sheer number of different species that will attack your flies seems limitless! I can faithfully record that I have caught over 40 different species, but better than that I can record that on one trip our 12 anglers caught a total of 64 different species over seven days! Beat that. My total of New Zealand different species is 19. Charter boats, lodges, guides, specialist saltfly retail shops and saltfly magazines are now appearing regularly throughout the Pacific and USA seaboards. While the sport was initiated out of USA locations such as Florida and Miami, it is now widely recognised, as a legitimate sport in its own right, and it is no longer a “poor cousin”.

A good sized snapper caught during a Rod & Reel organised salt water trip on Auckland Harbour

Serious Tackle Recognition of that growth is apparent by the fact that all the top brands of fishing equipment, mainly rods and reels, are now readily available in tackle shops. Rods specially designed for saltfly are coming on the market in increasing numbers. Local brands have produced their models and they are extremely good, and of course the top-level overseas brands have made sure their products are as always touted as the world’s best, which they probably are. Today’s specialist saltfly reels can cope with those giant herrings and even bigger – would you believe there are fly reels designed for handling marlin! The creativity of fly tiers is dazzling, just as there have always been freshwater flies there are now specialist flies for saltfly fishing. Some designs will probably never catch fish, but you never know, perhaps you should carry a few in your fly-box just in case. Over the past 15 years saltfly fishing has grown and more importantly it is continuing to grow, especially in Auckland with its Hauraki Gulf is an obvious location and in the Bay of Islands.

John Giacon describes himself as a born again angler thanks to saltfly. He is a Life Member of Trout Unlimited. For more information on Saltfly fishing he can be contacted on john@nzangling.co.nz

Catch your next snapper on a flyrod!

Rea d fly k y-to-fis h its f r o $24 9.9 m 9

Captain Matto “Flyspray” www.saltflyfish.co.nz

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Very South island is this bow ladder which is a cool feature of the boat.

BOAT TEST

MCLAY 701 PREMIER HT

The 701 HT is the first in the new Premier Series from McLay Boats.

A TOUCH OF CLASS Text & Images by Barry Thompson

Based on the McLay 681 hull, the new McLay 701 Premier Hardtop was built as a prototype to test a lot of ideas for a new range of boats in 2015, but also as a personal boat for designer and builder Steve McLay. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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A big open cockpit ready for fishing. Note the two large forward bin/seats.

When I jumped about the boat at Lake Wanaka in late November last year, the prototype 701 Premier Hardtop, had less than an hour of testing. It was so new that it wasn’t until during the day on the lake that Steve chose the Premier Series name. Up until then it was just the new 701 Prototype. Steve is the first to admit that while his current hardtop range has been selling exceptionally well, and while he could have easily left it alone and continued with the current designs, he was looking for something a little different. The McLay 701 Premier HT is not just another hardtop dropped into the range, that looks like all the other models, it represents some forward thinking by Steve and his team, with innovative and practical ideas that ultimately will be transposed into other models. Most of us see a 7m hardtop as an offshore fishing machine that is designed so you can stay overnight and still provide a great fishing platform. While the 701 Premier HT does that, it’s the way it is achieved that makes a difference. Firstly the emphasis is on fishing more than overnighting, so the ratio of cockpit to cabin space is certainly in favour of the former. Plus it is also only available with a painted hull and twin outboard power. One of the most significant changes to the original 681 hull was to give the new 701 sleeker lines and hence the higher bow and raised sheerline. This offers a gentler sloping forward deckline and a more modern look. Another advantage is the extra 150mm of bow height, which is a bonus when you out offshore punching through a big sea.

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Hidden Extras Typical of South Island built alloy boats, is the fold-down bow ladder, something that is a great feature when coming into the beach. Side access around the decks is adequate and high bow rails give some security and support. The alloy ladder folds out of the way when not required and doesn’t impede the anchor tackle. The 701 Premier HT is the first McLay in New Zealand to be fitted with an Australian built, Lone Star drum winch, which is very neatly hidden below the foredeck. The GS1000D has the capacity for 130mm of 8mm warp and 9m of chain, so it’s certainly more than adequate for a boat this size. A wide roller ensures that the rode spreads evenly over the large capstan when retrieved, so there’s no binding up issues, something that is a problem on a lot of smaller trailer boats with inadequate anchor lockers. However, if you do prefer a more common auto rope/chain winch, then the McLay 701 Premier HT does offer a more than adequate deep anchor locker. New for McLay is the perspex hatch on the cabin top, replacing the solid alloy style. The result is increased light penetration into the cabin and again a more modern look to the foredeck line. Enclosed & Quiet You might be surprised to learn that this 7m hardtop boat is essentially a cuddy. Although the berths are only 1.54m long, you can drop in an infill and turn the space into quite generous area to sleep a couple of people. Great place for the kids. There’s a flush

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Our boat came with a maxi-size Simrad Nss 16 evo2 MFD screen.

Twin Mercury 90CTs give a top speed of close to 35 knots.

The ‘cuddy cabin’ comes with a head, plenty of storage and a place to stow dry gear. Steve McLay is passionate about his boats and also loves his fishing.

The helm chair comes with a bolster so you can stand or sit to drive.

raised console is required for the three Smartcraft instruments. If you fit a smaller screen, then you can get away with the instruments back on the main console.

toilet under the forward squab, privacy curtain, 940mm of sitting headroom and full-length side shelves. No bulkheads give the interior and wheelhouse a feeling of one space. Being a fully enclosed wheelhouse, it’s also a quiet area with the rear bi-fold doors closed when underway and if you are into your winter boating, a small heater might be a good addition. Sliding side and rear windows let in plenty of natural light and ventilation. The 701 Premier HT utilises an upgraded seating layout with twin upholstered four-way adjustable Hi Tech Plastics bolster style bucket seats on Softrider pedestals that go all the way to the sole and are then surrounded by a storage cabinet. There is also the addition of centre drop-in bench between the seats, to give extra seating when underway. The McLay 701 Premier HT does differ from the other similar sized McLay hardtops, in that the wheelhouse is 150mm longer and the standing headroom has increased slightly to close on 2m. While the wheelhouse/cabin area of most McLay hardtops is finished in carpet and fabric, Steve has chosen to paint all the alloy surfaces in the same colour as the hull. I personally like it and it adds a fresh touch ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

with a vibrant look to what can often be a drab area. Wheelhouse storage is provided in side trays, in the units under the seats and a large port side two-tier glove box. The profile of the side windows and roof line has been softened. Gone is that harsh squared-off look reminiscent of other McLay hardtop models, in favour of soft curves and more flowing lines. As the first 701 Premier HT is Steve’s boat, he went all out when it came to the electronics package although this is totally an owners’ option. Taking up most of the dash was a Simrad NSS 16 Evo2, which is an awesome piece of kit for the serious fisherman. The ultra large screen can be split into four displays, so you can look at a multitude of features, such as side imaging, sonar, radar and the plotter all at the same time. The bright colored 16” Multi-Touch display has rotary dial and keypad for precise control in any water condition, plus it comes with high-end chart plotting and fish finding capabilities, a 10Hz GPS/GLONASS receiver and built in SonarHub, plus is fully network with GoFree wireless capable. With the 16” screen taking up the majority of the dash, a separate

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but without lengthening the hull. The platforms either side of the engines has also been increased, hence the 7.01m length. This also gives the impression of the engines being more a part of the boat rather than hanging out on pods.

Cockpit for Fishing The cockpit is all about fishing and everything is based around making it as practical and easy as possible. The hardtop overhang has been increased 250mm, which offers good shelter from the sun or rain, yet doesn’t encroach into your fishing space. Forward are two large alloy bins which double as seats or storage. Great place to fit a fridge/freezer or to stow a stainless steel bbq and bottle. There are double storage shelves either side under the wide coamings and deep toe-kicks so you can fish right to the side of the cockpit. Mclay has done a neat job of adding an extra seat down aft, which recesses into the transom and doesn’t take up any cockpit fishing space when not required. Behind that is access to triple batteries and some limited storage. Above is an extra large stainless bait board with a built-in bait locker. Our boat had a single transom walkthrough, but you have the option of one either side if you prefer. Underfloor is a bigger than normal 230 litre fuel tank and a wet locker aft, with either side all airtight buoyancy chambers. One interesting change from the 681 is because the engines are smaller and can be pre-programmed for maximum tilt, the transom has been positioned 200m further, giving even more cockpit space, WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

Mirror Smooth The last time I tested a McLay hardtop on a lake it was Lake Te Anau in a McLay 690 HT and the water conditions were horrendous. A steep, short foaming mess whipped up by 30 knots winds screaming down the lake. Ugly and not the sort of weather you go boating in.. unless like us at the time, you had to. However, this time around it was quite the opposite. Mirror smooth, glassy and ripple free all day. Snow capped peaks in the background and thick native bush to the water’s edge made it quite surreal at times. Trolling around the edge of Lake Wanaka for trout proved a fruitless exercise, but what a relaxing way to spend a few hours on a Friday. With just one of the Mercury 90 CTs in gear we cruised quietly in the crystal clear waters at three mph. This is the first twin rig McLay has set up with twin Mercury 90 CTs and while the boat is rated to twin 115s, the 90hp package is more than enough. Steve commented that the Premier Series is only available as a twin outboard rig, which sets it apart from other models in the McLay range. With the throttle punched all the way down I managed to get close

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SPECIFICATIONS Model: Price as tested: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable weight: Power: Propellers: Power options: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

There is a ¾ width rear seat that drops down from the transom, but it’s out of the way when fishing.

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA McLay 701 HT / 2 x Mercury 90CT Fuel capacity: 230 litres rpm knots L/h L / NM 2000 6.7 16 2.4 2500 8.6 16 1.9 3000 11.9 20 1.7 3500 17.3 27 1.6 4000 22.1 32 1.5 4500 25.9 44 1.7 5000 29.7 50 1.7 5500 32.9 68 2.1 6000 34.6 71 2.1

to 35 knots @ 6000 rpm for a fuel burn of 71 lph or 2.1 lpnm. Pull that back to a suitable cruise speed of 22 knots @ 4000 rpm and the fuel consumption drops to less than ½, at 32 lph/1.5 lpnm and a range with the 230 litre tank of more than 130 nm. If you like to travel a little faster on your way to your fishing grounds, then 5000 rpm @ around 30 knots returns a reasonably conservative 50 lph / 1.7 lpnm and the range changes by only 10 nm. I spend a lot of the time cruising on the mirror-smooth waters at around 4500 rpm @ 26 knots that had the fuel burn at a total 44 lph / 1.7 lpnm. With one engine trimmed up, the 701 Premier will run at 26 knots @ 5200 rpm and 21 knots @ 4500 rpm. This is a big boat that’s destined more for coastal offshore fishing than on the lake and the calm waters for the test means I can’t comment on the rough water capability of this particular boat. However having experienced some of the worst water I have ever boat tested in with the 690 HT, I am confident enough to say that the new 701 Premier HT will more than hold its own. Interestingly we had no tabs and just used the engine trim to level the boat. Steve informed me that they were still experimenting with the strake position down aft to get the balance and stability as perfect as they could. Some changes were made after the test and Steve says he is very happy with the placement. The boat planes very level with just two aboard, has more stern lift and is less susceptible to shifting weight while planning.

Range (NM) 86 100 120 120 130 120 120 98 98

L / NM is calculated to two significant figures and rounded up. Range is calculated to two significant figures and rounded down. To allow for adverse conditions, range is calculated on 90% of the fuel capacity.

This boat could be protected against the effects of corrosion, oxidation and discolouration.

The ideal cost effective product to protect your valuable asset. www.nyalic.co.nz

Boat Show Release The 2015 Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show is the planned release for the Premier Series, which will include not only the 701, but also a larger 801, powered by twin Mercury 150s. The Premier Series is twin outboard only and no stern drives. If that doesn’t suit, then McLay have plenty of other models in their standard hardtop range to cater for your needs. The new McLay Premier Series adds another dimension to the range, with a good looking dressed up hardtop, that is still very much a fishing boat first. It has all the attributes of the proven McLay hardtop range, and while it has been trimmed in more ‘bling’, it is still targetting the hard-core fisherman who wants something a little more classy.

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McLay 701 Premier HT $ NZ140,855 Hardtop 5mm/4mm 7.05m 2.35m 18 deg variable 3.1m (less radar dome) 2500 kgs 2 x Mercury 90hp CT 17” Inertia 3 bld SS Twin 90-115hp 230 litres Toko – Alloy tandem braked

Notable Standard Items on Test Boat Fusion stereo, bait board & rod holders, hydraulic steering with tie bar, bow ladder, Lone Star drum winch, Jabsco head, live bait tank, rocket launcher, Tallon Elite USB socket, 3 x N70 batteries, 2 x Mercury 90 EFI 4S engines, GME VHF, 2 x wipers. Notable Options on Test Boat Simrad Nss 16 evo2, Simrad 4G Broadband radar. Manufacturer: McLay Boats, 299A Union Street, Milton, Otago, New Zealand, Ph: + 64 3 417 8135, E: info@mclayboats.co.nz www.mclayboats.co.nz

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BUYERS GUIDE 6M-6.5M CABIN & HARDTOPS

MID RANGE We look at some of the more popular cabin and hardtop production boats around 6.5m.

Surtees 6.7 GameFisher

HAD AN ACCIDENT?

Everyman 650

Aqualine 645 HT

We can get you back on the water sooner.

.............. ALL MAKES & MODELS

Finlay 6300 HT

The aluminium boat market is dominated by mid-size cabin and hardtop models, with most manufacturers offering a boat in ‘6m-6.7m size bracket. This may vary by a few centimetres either way, but then what’s a little length between friends. Well, you might be surprised, as what is given as the model name, i.e. 650, may not mean what you think. First impression is the boat is 6.5m overall, but is the hull length (LOH) from transom to bow or is that the overall length (LOA) from the back of the engine pod to the tip of the bowsprit. This can make a huge difference to the true hull length and may be as much as half a metre, so it pays to do your homework and check it out. The LOA is an important consideration when you are thinking of where you are going to store the boat. However don’t forget to add on the extra length of the outboard and the drawbar. Again this can be well over 1m and may require you to have a hinged drawbar. This is a simple way to shorten the length of your rig, so the hinge is virtually directly below the bow. To make the outboard ‘shorter’ tilting it down and over to one side will save you a bit more space. The LOH is a measurement that in the end determines just how much ‘boat’ you have and this is where the variants show. While size is a factor, there are a lot of other things you need to consider before paying out the money for your boat.

bulkhead, so the hardtop is only semi-enclosed with three sides, you can also have a rear bulkhead with a door if you want a totally enclosed wheelhouse style hardtop. This limits your seating options due to space constraints, but it does give you awesome all-weather protection and a big, uninterrupted fishing cockpit. With a hardtop, be it enclosed or semi-enclosed you also have a better safeguard for your electronics against water. Instruments and electronics today are not as sensitive to salt water as they used to be, but your iPhone, iPad or electronic car keys are. They are also good when overnighting, as you can be completely enclosed and comfortable out of the weather. It is not uncommon to have a small galley and fridge units built in under the seats and a head (either portable or plumbed in) under the forward v-berth. If you still like the feel of the open air, then the standard cabin style, with a rocket launcher and soft bimini with clears is the way to go. Depending on how good the canopy is, you can get very well protect ted from the weather, and the rocket launcher is normally far even forward, so it doesn’t encroach into your fishing space. In both styles, you can mount a cockpit floodlight, which is great if you are into late evening or night fishing. Usability The first step to determining which boat is right for you is deciding where you will be using your boat the most. Making this decision will help you zero in on the perfect aluminium boat for your personal use, all while giving you a firmer grasp of what types of boats are out there and how much you can expect to pay. However in the case of an aluminium trailer boat in the mid range, its odds on that you want it primarily for fishing. If that’s the case, then what sort of fishing and where? If you are planning top predominantly troll for trout on Lake Taupo or Lake Wanaka, then a big open hardtop with plenty of forward seating and coverage from the sun or rain would be most suitable. Conversely, if you are an offshore fisherman, that likes to go ‘wide’ then an enclosed hardtop with an emphasis on fishing space and associated amenities is going to work better.

Open or Closed In the mid range category, there are two main options; hardtop or cabin. While open runabouts are also available, they are certainly not as popular. If you are looking for all weather protection and plan to do your fishing all year round then the hardtop option is certainly the best. A hardtop gives you cover from good weather and bad. Nothing is worse than too much sun or too much rain. Hardtops have solid glass forward screens so you can fit windscreen wipers, which are a great addition when driving the boat in wet conditions. Side windows are either fixed or sliding and the hardtop allows you somewhere to mount your electronics such as the radar dome, GPS and aerials, plus a rocket launcher for the rods. Although it is more common on boats under 6.5m to have no rear

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Maintenance Needs If you are hoping for a boat that more or less maintains itself, your aluminium boat shopping experience will likely disappoint you. Where you live and what type of water you plan to use your boat in will decide largely what is required of you, as far as routine maintenance is concerned. No boat exists that requires no attention and still remain in tip-top shape. Without the proper care, a boat can be damaged simply being exposed to salt water, be it unsightly staining or something more serious and structural. Saltwater is especially corrosive to aluminium and needs to be fresh water washed every time it is used in salt water. It doesn’t take long to give the boat a good hose-off, both the cockpit and the hull. Salt should not be allowed to stay on your boat’s hull when it comes out of the water, as it will cause stains or even eat through the metal. Today, alloy boat manufacturers use the better grades of marine alloys that have high corrosive inhibitors, but even then they still need to be washed clean of any salt. Boats in this category are almost always 4mm or 5mm hulls with 3mm sides and superstructures. Long underfloor beams and cross stringers with a welded sole stiffen everything up, so they don’t rattle like they used to. Similarly, freshwater boats will have to deal with algae stains or growths. In general, algae are less damaging to aluminium boats than salt water is, but both substances can tarnish an otherwise beautiful piece of watercraft.

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ACE

REPL

FREE Insurance Quotes REPLACEMENT • Acrylic only • Rubbers • Back Stays • Hard Top op Glass • Reseal Hatches • Sliding Windows • Centre Console • Custom Screens • Race Windscreens PPB002

Bluewater 6.5

The layout of the forward section of either design will have a v-berth in the cabin, a matching pair of helm and passenger seats (with a king/queen option on the semienclosed designs) and optional aft jump seats. These come in a variety of styles, from sliding bench seats as found in boats from Aqualine and Kiwi Kraft to fold down rear bench seats that stow away unnoticed into the transom, such as on the latest McLay Premier series. If you are fishing a lot, then the last things you want are seats getting in your space, so it’s important that these are out of the way or able to be removed when not required. Transom designs are another space that comes in a lot of variables and it is important to check out what the boat you are looking at has. Firstly you need a good mount for the bait board and also make sure the bait board is of a generous size and good solid design. Often these are detachable and mount in the same hole as the ski pole, so you can tow your kids on water toys between fishing trips if you need too. Aluminium boats can easily be customised, especially around the transom spaces, so wide transom step through, live bait tanks, tuna tubes, kill tanks and fresh/salt water wash-downs should all be considered. If you are into diving, then a good size boarding platform is a bonus, especially with a step through that is wide enough to sit in with all your gear on, a wide tread drop down ladder and a reasonable handrail to assist when getting back aboard. Storage is something else to look at when buying a boat and while most boat’s come with wide side shelves and under-floor lockers, it’s not always the case. Some pontoon boats have limited availability for side shelves. A big underfloor wet locker just aft of the underfloor fuel is common in most boats, with the side areas sealed buoyancy.

EW IKE N

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AGAI

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Call us NOW on 09 278 9816 or visit online www.sandbrooks.co.nz

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

of 18-20 deg at the stern and a variable increasing deadrise going forward to a fine forward entry. Where the differences are made is in the position, shape, angle and width of the chines and strakes. If the manufacturers fill the under floor cavities with foam for buoyancy reasons, then you have the bonus of a natural sound deadening material so the traditional “alloy slap” can be decreased dramatically.

Hull Design Of the boats in our attached listing, there are two distinct designs; the conventional medium vee monohull and the hugely popular ‘Kiwi’ inspired pontoon boat. The pontoon boat, while still running a vee bottom hull from the chines to the keel is quite different between the chines and the gunnel. This worldwide revolution was started in Invercargill by Stabi Craft Boats and now accounts for a major proportion of alloy trailer boat sales in New Zealand. Interestingly the Australian alloy boat manufacturers have been somewhat slower to accept the pontoon style, with no Australian manufacturers and virtually all sales coming from Kiwi builders. Unquestionably, New Zealand leads the world in this style of boat design and manufacture. When it comes to ride and handling of all the different options, there is not a huge difference. While some perform a little better than others in rougher water, in the following or head sea or on mirrorsmooth waters, the running surfaces is not that much different. A 6.5m boat has around 2.5m beam at the chines, a deadrise

Power A 6m-6.7m boat, no matter what the design is ideally suited to 130175hp. More is okay and 6.5m boats will easily handle up to 225hp and a 6m boat will run okay with 115hp. What power you bolt on the transom is really up to you as you determine what you need the power for. If you are trolling a lot, then a four stroke at the lower end of the horsepower scale is going to be fine. However, if you’re an offshore fisherman and need plenty of power to get to your fishing spot or beating the bad weather on the trip home, then go to the top end of power range. Interestingly most manufacturers now offer the same engine in a variety of power variants, so the only difference is the size of the chip and the amount of fuel being sent through the injectors. Weight wise a 150hp outboard may well be the same as a 200hp, so you might as well go for the higher option and you have the power if you need it. When it comes to power, there is also a move towards small diesel sterndrive engine packages in boats up to and around 6.5m and these give you another very economical alternative. In most cases, manufacturers utilise the extra space in the stern taken up by the engine box to provide extra seating or a fishing station, so there are some extra benefits.

Southern 646

Profile 635 HT

MID RANGE CABIN/HT BOATS

Constantly improving, constantly evolving. For every new generation of engines the Volvo Penta diesel range get greener and cleaner. And the new D6-400 – the world’s most powerful diesel engine with sterndrive – doesn’t compromise. By reducing the environmental impact without undermining the unparalleled performance and by meeting the Tier 3 emission standards, the D6-400 is the obvious choice. For the present and for future generations.

PPB004

New Zealand & Pacific Islands – Volpower NZ Limited Ph. 0800 865 769 or +649-2744305 www.volvopenta.co.nz

2.45m 2.45m 2.50m 2.50m 2.45m 2.50m 2.43m 2.45m 2.35m 2.34m 2.50m 2.49m 2.35m 2.35m 2.40m 2.33m 2.40m 2.38m 2.50m 2.42m 2.40m 2.39m 2.35m 2.45m

CA HT HT HT CA/HT CA/HT HT HT HT CA/HT CA/HT CA/HT HT HT CA/HT HT HT HT HT CA/HT HT CA/HT CA/HT CA/HT

PONTOON BOATS AQUALITE 645 SS AQUALITE 665 WHT AQUALINE 645 ASSAULT 672 APB DNA 660 XHT HARDY 6.5 KIWI KRAFT 660 SPORT OSPREY CLASSIC 650 PROFILE 650H PROFILE 635H SENATOR RH 620 SENATOR RH 650 STABICRAFT 2100

2.44m 2.44m 2.45m 2.40m 2.47m 2.30m 2.40m 2.50m 2.40m 2.30m 2.38m 2.38m 2.30m

CA HT HT HT HT HT CA/HT CA/HT HT HT HT HT HT

6.47m 6.75m 6.47m 6.72m 6.60m 6.50m 6.60m 6.50m 6.50m 6.40m 6.45m 6.75m 6.40m

Senator RH 630

Dolphin

AQUALISERS

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These innovative stabilisers are easy to install and simple to operate. Aqualisers are the stabiliser solution for alloy boats from 10 to 16 feet.

HUNTING

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30 A Airdrie Rd Ranui Ph: 09 8322170 or 027 296 3254 e: bluewaterboatsltd@xtra.co.nz www.bluewaterboats.co.nz

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FISHING

NZ - 0800 200 248 AU - WWW.TORPEDO7.COM.AU

Modifications, Repairs and Alterations of all Aluminium Boats

AB010

EASY BOATING

BIG EYE 630 6.30m BLUEFIN 650 HT 6.50m BLUEFIN 6.65m 6.65m BLUEWATER 6.5 6.50m EVERYMAN 650 6.55m EXTREME 650 6.65m FINLAY IGNITE 6.75m FYRAN 660 6.60m INNOVISION 616 6.35m IMAGE 650 ELITE 6.50m KINGFISHER 650 6.60m MARCO 650 6.50m MCLAY CRUISER 671 6.75m MCLAY CRUISER 681 6.75m QUINTREX 650 6.43m RAMCO 6250 FISHMASTER 6.25m SCORPION 670 6.70m SENATOR MH 630 6.49m SKELTON PHANTOM 6500 6.50m SEABOSS 670 6.70m SOUTHERN XP646 6.50m SURTEES 670 GAMEFISHER 6.70m VMG 650 6.50m WHITE POINTER 660 6.60m

AB003

EVOLUTION WITHOUT COMPROMISE

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NZ’s Best Selection & Value to Match! DNA 660XHT

Stabicraft 2100

Your Choice So what boat do you choose? That is entirely up to you, but as a guide, you should do your homework first. Ask someone who owns a particular model what they think. There is nothing better than firsthand experience from an end user who has had time to evaluate the boat and find out the good and bad points. Read boat tests for unbiased and informed reports from magazines and check out social media such as You Tube and Face Book for what people are saying about a particular brand. It is also ideal to purchase the total rig; boat, motor, trailer and all the extras from one dealer, so you always have the recourse of going back if there is a problem. Buying local certainly makes it a lot easier when

Over 20 models to choose from:

• Dinghies • Centre Consols • • Cuddy • Cabin • Open Runabouts • • Cabin Boats • Pontoons • Hard Tops • • Weekenders • Wheelhouse •

you need to take it in for a service or some other issues. They will also set up the boat with knowledge on engine heights and propeller selection and take a lot of the guesswork out of the buying decision. If you haven’t got an outboard brand preference, then be advised by the dealer as they have the experience to match the right engine for the right boat. Today, the ranges of engines from all major manufacturers are very good, reliable and trouble free. New 4 strokes and direct injection 2-strokes are becoming incredibly fuel efficient, which makes your time on the water even better. Buying a new boat can be a very emotional experience and it’s important to make sure you get the right one for your needs.

FREWZA

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Hull and Trailer $8750 inc gst Packages $12,750 inc gst

Hull and Trailer $11,990 inc gst Packages $22,500 inc gst

F14 DINGHY

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From the

To the

420 Bluefin Pontoon

Bluefin 769 Wheelhouse

$

12,750

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81,500

AB004

THE ALUMINIUM BOAT SPECIALISTS Frews Marine Ltd, 193 Bond Street - Invercargill, Ph: 03 2141021 MORRINSVILLE Thames Street West, Morrinsville Ph: (07) 889 7193 Fax: (07) 889 5405 Alan Solly: 021 595 151 Email: sportcraftboats@xtra.co.nz ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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OPEN 7 DAYS OVER 200 BOATS www.sportcraftboats.co.nz

TAURANGA 19 Hewletts Road, Mt Maunganui Ph: (07) 928 7193 Fax: (07) 928 7194 Roger: 027 669 7918 Jamie: 021 795 597 Email: sportcraftboats@clear.net.nz

BACK IN THE BIG LEAGUE

BOAT TEST

SURTEES 850 GAME FISHER

By Freddy Foote

It has been a number of years since Surtees Boats produced a boat over the 8m mark, but due to demand they have done it again. You’ll struggle to find a trailer boat much bigger than their new 8.5m Game Fisher. Freddy Foote checks it out. This particular 8.5 Game Fisher has been built for an Australian owner, and has a lot of custom extras as specified by him, but for the large part the standard features and design of the big 8.5 ticked all of his boxes. The 8.5 Game Fisher is designed as an allrounder with all the amenities to be a very comfortable day boat, yet should you wish, and indeed as the Australian owner tends to, it has adequate overnighting capabilities yet still has a whole host of features and all the working space to allow for fishing and whatever activities he should choose. From the outside the boat visually is well balanced with a good split between cockpit and cabin size compared to the overall length of the boat itself, and with the extra wide beam of 2.8m it certainly is roomy. The layout configuration is fairly standard and is what Surtees say works well for customers. Forward, the very large forward cabin has a traditional vee berth and with the addition of two in-fills converts to a very largely and comfortable double. There is plenty of storage underneath, and also a toilet under the squab forward of the helm bulkhead. For added privacy, a drop down curtain can be dropped across the cabin door. To the port side of the main saloon area is an L-shaped dinette. This table can drop down, and with the addition of an infill, forms another bunk for sleeping accommodation. Plenty of storage is available underneath, which is accessed via two lockers. Opposite there is a small kitchenette with a sink and two-burner

The 8.5 Game Fisher is the biggest in the Surtees range.

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SPECIFICATIONS

There is a good balance between cockpit and cabin space.

The dinnete table will drop down and create another berth.

Make &Model: Manufacturer: Priced from: Price as tested: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable Wgt: Test Power: Propeller: Maximum RPM: Top Speed: Power Options: HP Range: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

Bi-folding doors provide access into the cabin area.

With the addition of infills the forward cabin converts to a decent sized double. gas stove, with drawer storage underneath. Forward of that and underneath the helm seat is a 75L fridge unit. Stepping out into the cockpit through the double cabin doors, you are greeted by a very open and roomy work area. The spacious cockpit has high gunwales that give you a safe feeling when moving around. Very large cockpit shelving takes care of storage for rods and other items on both sides, whilst a rocket launcher is located above. The aft starboard corner features a walk through onto the boarding platform, whilst underneath is a good sized live bait tank with viewing window. Across the transom itself is a large storage locker which houses batteries and other onboard systems, and a sizeable bait station is located above. A washdown hose is in the starboard after corner of the cockpit, while in the forward corner is a storage locker and housing for the califont (fed by the 100L onboard water tank) and seat for passengers. A drop down seat resides opposite and is completely movable to wherever you want to position it in the cockpit.

hot summer days. One of the neat things at the helm was the Ultraflex Power steering, which is not to be mistaken for the standard hydraulic steering. Essentially the steering can be adjusted on the fly to three different settings and three different levels of feel. Essentially ranging from light steering through to heavier if you prefer to have more of a feel for the boat underway. Triple wipers keep the view clear in rougher conditions, through the three-piece windscreen, - something we frequently used in the mixed conditions off the Whakatane coast. And trim tab controls were down to the left within easy reach. The owner of this 8.5 Game Fisher specified a bow thruster as an optional extra, mainly due to the fact that it will be housed on a cradle, and due to tight navigational issues a bow thruster is needed to get the vessel in and out of it’s home base. He also specified a solar power system to ensure onboard systems are kept powered consistently, most importantly the onboard fridge for extended trips away. An adjustable flat screen TV is located over to the port side mounted on a bracket, fed entertainment via the satellite TV system also onboard. There certainly won’t be any dull moments onboard this vessel.

Built for Comfort At the helm, everything is well appointed and positioned for easy viewing or access. The helm seat is nice and elevated and gives you excellent viewing forward when helming. The seat has a built-in bolster, which can lift up, allowing you to stand and helm should you wish. Sliding windows on both sides are a great feature, as is a sliding window at the aft part of the main cabin area. With all the windows and doors open, it will be a nice airy and cool environment on those ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Awesome Power This 8.5 Game Fisher was powered by the throaty and powerful Yamaha F350 V8 outboard and it was a good match, providing plenty of grunt and punch out of the hole. The hull is rated from 250hp onwards, but I feel you would need a minimum of 300hp to get the best out of the hull. A diesel stern drive option is available as an

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option, with at least one of the new 8.5’s in production due to have a diesel power plant. Twin four-stroke outboards are also another option to consider. On the water, the big 8.5 Game Fisher achieved 40mph with the Yamaha F350 V8 outboard. The throttle was responsive and the big wide 8.5 ate up anything we threw at it on test day. The overall ride was very very good, and it would certainly handle whatever conditions you throw at it. Test day conditions were rough and changeable, and we took it from all sides. The hull did nothing unexpected, and although we took a fair bit of spray on the windshield, it was largely due to the gusty conditions picking up spray and throwing it back in our direction. The 8.5 Game Fisher also features Surtees flooding keel system, allowing 200L of water ballast to be taken into a chamber built into the keel. This adds extra stability to the boat when at rest. Though it wasn’t fitted at the time of test, a hydraulic gate system was going to be fitted to this 8.5 to hold that water in when underway, adding extra performance for rough water handling – though in given my experience on the day, I don’t think it really needs it. Back at the ramp, the 8.5 Game Fisher is very much trailerable, though it is close to the limits of what you can comfortably tow around. It weighs in at 3250kg including the boat, motor and trailer, but that is minus loaded up with fuel, which with the addition of that would put it up at 3500kg. The 8.5 comes with a heavy duty tandem trailer with Carlisle brakes with S/S callipers on all 4 wheels including springs, LED lights, dual jockey wheel, dynamic winch rope and Surtees quick hitch system. The quick hitch system is something Surtees have had for years, and it’s a catch system that allows you to load the boat on and off the trailer without having to use the winch. As tested, this rig was $315,000. Yes, that’s a sizeable amount of change for a trailer boat. But keep in mind some of the option that were specified by the owner such as the Yamaha F350 outboard, bow thruster, 4 X large solar panels and regulator, upgraded Garmin Chirp Sounder, triple batteries, satellite TV, Ultraflex power steering and Garmin autopilot and you’ll soon see where the dollars go. Still, packages start from $285,000 and with the extensive list of standard features you are getting an incredible amount of boat for your money. If you are in the market for a large semi-custom trailer boat, then the new 8.5 Game Fisher should be on your list. WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

Surtees 8.5 Game Fisher Surtees Boats $285,000 $315,000 Hardtop Aluminium 8.65m 2.8m 18 degree 3.21m 3250kg (Dry) Yamaha F350 15 X 16 ¼ Saltwater series XL 5500 40mph Outboard or sterndrive 250-350hp 450L Tandem anxle, braked.

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA Surtees 8.5 Game Fisher / Yamaha F350 Fuel capacity: 450 litres rpm mph lph 1000 rpm 3.5mph 5.2lph 1500 rpm 6.5mph 9.3lph 2000 rpm 8.0mph 15.1lph 2500 rpm 10.5mph 22.1lph 3000 rpm 14.0mph 30.5lph 3500 rpm 22.0mph 42.0lph 4000 rpm 26.5mph 53.0lph 4500 rpm 31.0mph 67.0lph 5000 rpm 33.5mph 86.0lph 5500 rpm 40.0mph 110lph

This boat could be protected against the effects of corrosion, oxidation and discolouration.

The ideal cost effective product to protect your valuable asset. www.nyalic.co.nz Notable Standard Items on Test Boat Nyalic coating, canvas shade extension, electric toilet, window wipers x 3, Enamal 5.5 ltr caliphont, windlass, interior lighting LED, live bait tank. Notable Options on Test Boat Vetus 35kgf bow thruster, Sunware solar panels, upgraded Garmin Chirp sounder, triple Century batteries, Fusion satellite TV, Ultraflex Power steering Garmin autopilot. Contact: Surtees Boats Ph + 64 7 322 8461 Email: boats@surteesboats.com www.surteesboats.com

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PONTOON BOATS‌

BUT NOT AS WE KNOW THEM By Barry Thompson

Pontoon or Deck Boats maybe be very much homegrown Americana, but they are quietly finding a cult following in Australia. While New Zealand has yet to embrace these unique designs, there are some local manufacturers that hope to change that. Barry Thompson looks at this very interesting style of boat. Harris Floteboat have set new standards in pontoon boat design ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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With three performance pontoon logs, the Sun Tracker Regency 220 XP3 is quick enough and nimble enough to rival runabout performance!

AB008

Aqua Patio offers an incredible number of upgrade options available, so you can create exactly the boat you want.

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are incredibly stable and can carry more amenities aboard than a comparable length monohull. Pontoon boats take full advantage of their space and depending on the model and size you choose, you can have everything from changing rooms and fridges to wet bars, built-in bbqs and electrically operated bimini tops. If you are looking at a cruising model, then most feature stylish lounge areas that offer plenty of plush seating and convenient storage. Many models feature full instrumentation, electronics and marine entertainment systems. Some even offer dual loungers with built-in speakers and heated seats that deliver complete comfort on the water. They are designed to be the ultimate party boat or a great fishing platform and they come in a huge variety of sizes. You can have one around 5m, with a small outboard or even an electric motor if you are into economical, green boating, right through to 9m, with twin outboards or even sterndrive. While pontoon boats are not seriously ever designed to handle big seas, due to the very nature of the design, it is surprising what they will take, especially the larger size models. So you might get a little spray and water aboard, but probably no more than a lot of open ski boats. But, for the most part, pontoon boats are considered lake boats. The entry level or value priced pontoons still use two pontoons, but most boats being built today have three pontoons for added stability so you can take them in rougher water if you need to. While originally designed as boats for the freshwater lakes and rivers, they have developed a lot more. Construction obviously varies from brand to brand, but generally they are solidly built, using marine grade alloy. Diameter of the pontoons, the thickness of the aluminum being used on those pontoons, as well as the spacing of the cross members, are three specific things we look at below deck when checking the

Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats are designed to handle more than flat water.

The Harris Cruiser Series sees five models from 20 to 24 feet bring a new level of prestige to family pontooning.

Mention a pontoon boat to a Kiwi or Aussie and they will immediately think about a monohull with tubes. However not so in the US, where a pontoon boat is something entirely different. It is also the fastest growing sector of the US trailer boat market, with in excess of 500 models available. There’s even a magazine, Pontoon & Deck Boat, devoted totally to this very American style of boat. A US derived style pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. They support a platform; that can be left plain and basic or upmarket and flashy. It’s essentially a floor/deck on the water. Common boat designs are a catamaran with two pontoons or a trimaran with three and the pontoons are constructed from sealed alloy cylinders. There are some grp versions available, but the majority are alloy and while most are manufacturers in the US, there are some designed and built by alloy boat builders in Australia and New Zealand. Pontoon boats/deck boats have a number of advantages that sets them apart from what would probably be referred to as ‘traditional mainstream’ boat. Firstly they offer a very shallow draft, which reduces the risk of running aground and underwater damage. They provide unrivaled space for their length,

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RUNAWAY BAY PONTOON BOATS Specialists in New and Custom Australian made Pontoon Boats w w w. ru n a w a y b a y p o n t o o n b o a t s . c o m

The Sunchaser Classic Cruise suitable for entertaining or fishing quality. The strength of the material itself is augmented and airlocked by multi-baffling near each weld. Crossbeams and a solid plate floor tie the two hulls together, giving both rigidity and strength. Tube Diameters vary from around 55cm to 68cm and hull thickness from 2mm to 4mm. One option being offered by Queensland based Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats is DIY kits, which allows home builders to construct their own boat, with a customised internal fit out. However, when compared to the purchase of their complete boat package, the cost saving is very little and you get into your boat a lot quicker than if you built it yourself. Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats have standard designs or will build a layout to suit your actual requirement. Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats

are also build to survey. “Buying “Australian Made” from a company that has been operating for over 55 years means you can rest assured that the product you get is built for Australian & N.Z. saltwater conditions”, says Craig Winch from Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats Today’s breed of pontoon boats is a lot more sophisticated and stylish than those of 20 years ago. Exquisite detail, premium material and boats that not only ride well, but also looks fantastic. On some of the larger cruisers, even the fencing details around the deck perimeter has been given an elegant and modern look. Rotorua’s Orca Marine are one of the few Kiwi builders that have got into manufacturing pontoon boats, with a number sold to local owners in the Rotorua Lakes area.

Elite 326

DLX SS

Based in Brisbane, Australia. We work with clients across the world offering them the best in Luxury Leisure Pontoon Boats or Sports Pontoon Fishing Boats. You want it we build it – send us your layout for quotation on your new Pontoon Boat.

CAN BE BUILT TO SURVEY • Various lengths and widths available • Custom colour schemes & graphics • Choose or supply your own outboard Save money with our DIY kits • Customise your internal fitout • You want it we build it – send us your layout for pricing • Now stocking most pontoon boat accessories • We can supply furniture to modernise your old boat • Repairs to existing boats

SunCatcher pontoon boats by G3 incorporate all the luxury, comfort and performance possible to offer you the very best quality pontoon boats on the market today. Three families of product, the Elite Series, X Series, and V Series allow you to find the perfect SunCatcher pontoon boat for your family. An impressive array of popular pontoon boat models from 16’ to over 26’ feature newly designed, stylish lounge areas that offer plenty of plush seating and convenient storage. At G3, our core values Quality, Performance, and Satisfaction - are built into every SunCatcher pontoon boat. Life is better when you are on the water... G3 can take you there.

AB013

AB012

G3 Boats Australia: Ph 03 8358 4422 www.g3boats.com.au e:cam@g3boats.com.au

PH +61 (07) 3440 9000 FAX +61 (07) 3341 0693 Sales - Craig Winch: 0417 646 711 • craig@Holmwoodhighgate.com.au Factory Tours Welcome – 155 Ford Road, Rochedale, Queensland, Australia

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Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats are Australian designed and built and available with plenty of customization to suit your needs.

The G3 Elite 326 GT is an entertaining platform designed to embrace and elevate your boating experience from sunrise to sunset and beyond.

HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT PONTOON BOAT. Buying a Pontoon boat is no different than purchasing any other type of boat, it’s just you need to choose what is best suited for your needs. Even when you decide on a brand, the choice may still be daunting from models available. The US brand Bennington, for example, offer a staggering 141 models on their website and there’s certain to be a few they have added since for 2015. When looking at an imported or locally made pontoon boat, check out the construction, especially the alloy quality and thickness and thoroughly compare the imports against the local Australian built boats just to see the differences. Echuca based Xtreme Marine were recently appointed distributors for the Harris Flotebote brand of pontoon boats from the US. Harris flotebote have dedicated more than 55 years to achieving excellence in the building of sophisticated, innovative, luxurious pontoon boats, powered by Mercury / Mercruiser engines. Harris FloteBote is a subsidiary of the Brunswick Corporation and a division of the Brunswick Boat Group. Harris FloteBote revamped the early pontoon boat industry in the 1960’s by installing upholstered pontoon seats and furniture on their pontoon boats. Harris Flotebote adopted aluminum tubes around 1968, when welding equipment big enough to accommodate the material became available. In the 1970’s Harris Flotebote pontoons were early adopters of stern drives, and had motor-pods capable of holding engines as powerful as 140hp, which enabled Harris Pontoons to pull water-

Rotorua’s Orca Marine, one of the few Kiwi builders offering pontoon boats.

skiers, an early innovation for pontoon boats. Harris have a reputation for innovative, distinctive luxury pontoon boats that are virtually unlimited when it comes to customisation. The stunning Crowne Series boasts sleek lines, premium construction, elegant detailing, dramatic power and agile handling, as well as a startling array of amenities in three available floorplans. Power options are up to 600hp on the eye-catching Crowne 250, a boat that sets new standards in styling. Without question, this flagship pontoon redefines luxury at every turn. The boats are delivered with a full 5-year bow to stern warranty, including motor and a limited lifetime structure warranty. Trailers are built to full Australian standards. SunCatcher pontoon boats by G3 incorporate all the luxury, comfort and performance possible to offer you the very best quality pontoon boats. Three families of product, the Elite Series, X Series, and V Series allow you to find the perfect SunCatcher pontoon boat for your family. Overall there are 32 models available, so somewhere in that mix, coupled with your customisation, there is a model to suit your needs. All Suncatcher pontoon boats are powered by Yamaha, with the latest 2015 model, and the flagship of the fleet, the Elite 326 GT capable of handling up to 300hp. Standard power is a Yamaha 225 or 250. The new 8m 326 GT is an entertaining platform designed to embrace and elevate your boating experience from sunrise to sunset and beyond. If you are looking for something smaller, then Suncatcher offer a wide range of

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entry-level models, although all retain the exceptional high standards of finish and appointments of the larger boats. The new V16 FC, which is offered in two models, is 4.8m of fun and versatility. The FC model features a 2.62m wide rear fishing platform designed with comfort in mind even for the youngest of anglers. Equipment includes, two custom high back swivel fishing chairs, a center console with rod holders and cup holders and a livewell. An impressive array of popular pontoon boat models from 4.8m to over 8m feature newly designed, stylish lounge areas that offer plenty of plush seating and convenient storage. Many models feature full instrumentation, flush mounted fishfinders with GPS navigation, and marine entertainment systems, all designed to enhance your quality time on the water. Another US brand that has enjoyed considerable success in Australia over recent years is Misty Harbor. Imported by Tweed Coast Marine, Misty Harbor has a reputation for high quality. Importer Peter Winks, says “ Misty Harbor has been very successful because of the high quality of this brand and the wide diversity of models that suit every taste from cruising and entertaining, to serious river and estuary fishing”. Misty Harbor’s full range of pontoon products includes 32 different models ranging from 4.26m to 7.8m in length, in four Series. The Skye Series is designed to cater for the cruiser market and offers an exceptional level of comfort based on two size platforms, 6.8m and 7.8m.

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Misty Harbour is another big player in the pontoon boat market, with a wide range of boats

Starcraft line up and 28 in the Sunchaser range, from 6.1m to 7.6m. Overall, an impressive 112 models in a huge variety of layouts and options. The layouts are designed to suit your cruising needs and entertaining requirements, or there are models that cater very much for those into fishing. Construction is also of the highest quality, with full-length skid bar that protects the tubes and premium vinyl upholstery with dual density foam for comfort and longevity. All Starcraft, Sylvan and SunChaser pontoon boats also offer great features, reliable construction and impressive warranties. THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A PONTOON BOAT One of the first things to consider is the size. Just how big or small do you want and whether you have it on a trailer or a dock, what space do you have to store it. Power options come into play also with a choice of outboard, sterndrive or electric. Outboards are certainly the most popular and there is a move towards some of the larger electric options. Twin outboard engines are also becoming more popular in the pontoon industry, but it’s not that common. Pontoon boats also come in different widths and pontoon diameters. Choosing the right size for you depends on several things. Two of the most significant factors in choosing are the amount of people you may need to

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fit on board and the size of the water body where you will typically use the boat. If you typically expect to use the boat as a couple with occasional guests, a 5m-7m boat may be all that you need. If you frequently entertain and need a larger capacity, a 6m8m boat would be recommended. Typically boats under 6m have a passenger capacity of 8 or fewer people. Pontoon boats in the 6m to 8m range may have seating capacities from 8 to 15 or more. Boat widths are typically all within the trailerable width of around 2.5m. The layouts reflect the purpose the boat will be used for, be it fishing, cruising or water sports. Pontoon boat performance is a matter of personal preference and the layouts reflect the purpose the boat will be used for, be it fishing, cruising or water sports. Choosing a pontoon boat with two tubes or three tubes depends on how fast you want to go and what your budget will afford. If you need more speed for activities like skiing, then go with three tubes; more floatation means you can get up on plane and can obtain speeds from 25 knots to more than 45 knots. If leisurely cruising is your thing, two tubes are adequate for the job and will cost less. Whatever use you have for a pontoon/deck boat, they can prove to be an amazingly versatile and enjoyable craft. Whether you’re into soft bait fishing for Barra in North Queensland or cruising the Noosa River with a cocktail in hand, a pontoon boat might just be what you need.

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Pontoon Party Boats Be Safe on the Water. Reliable. Affordable. Marine VHF Communications.

ENGINEERING & MARINE SHEETMETAL & MARINE SPECIALISTS

ats

Cus

uilt B m to

m Bo u i n i m

Alu

Visit www.enl.co.nz for Your Authorised Dealer

Orca Engineering & Marine 81 View Road, Rotorua. Tel: 07 349 2977

www.orcaengineering.co.nz

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AB005

The Biscayne Bay Cruise model pontoons are available in a variety of layouts and come in three platforms from 6.2m through to 6.8m spread over seven models. The Adventure Series comprises seven models which are designed for the fishing enthusiasts and the Explorer Series are perfect for anyone looking for a compact boat that can be rigged with either a small outboard, or a battery-powered electric motor. The TripleToon (three hulls) option converts a traditional pontoon boat into a highperformance boat that runs fast, pulls multiple skiers and handles rough water like a dream. The TripleToon option can be fitted with up to a 250 horsepower motor because it includes a third center-mounted tube. The Tripletoon is available on all Skye, Biscayne Bay, and most Adventure models. Peter also points out that the USA made product is made for saltwater use as developed my Misty Harbor through the saltwater series they import. Melbourne based Force Trading import three different US pontoon boat brands, Sylvan, Starcraft and SunChaser. Sylvan traces its history back to the late 1940s, when it was founded as a pontoon and houseboat manufacturer near Sylvan Lake in Wolcottville, Indiana, the company now produce seven model series with a total of 46 individual models, ranging from 5.5m through to 8m. There are 38 models from 5.5m to 8m in the

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THE PROGRESSION OF FISHING RODS

Old school solid rods have been superseded by technology.

By Paul Walker

Fishing rods are nothing new and date back over 4000 years, with the first recorded being used by the Egyptians around 2000BC. The Greeks were using rods in 900BC, the Chinese and Romans go back to 400BC, as do the early Britons and the peoples of the Caribbean. But over that period they have certainly changed. The first rods for fishing were fashioned out of long slender, straight tree branches. Bamboo was and still is a favourite in countries where it is available and around the northern Mediterranean a long very stout European reed was used all for subsistence fishing. There were no reels, just a line and hook or gorge of some description tied to the tip of the rod. The people of Norfolk Island, until quite recently used to rock fish for big kingies with this exact method and some, may still do. Long lengths of bamboo were hung in the pines to dry then a 6m length of 100lb mono was tied to the tip, a live bait attached and cast in of the rocks. As soon as a kingie took the bait it was the dance of death, you either landed the fish after running it up and down the rock shelf to tire it out, or if it was to big you either let go the rod or got pulled in. Brutal way to go fishing.

New Materials One of the good things to come out of the war years was the acceleration of research and development, and the innovation of materials. Fibreglass (GRP- glass reinforced fabrics) created and developed in the mid 1940s by two boffins Mr Gayle and Mr McGuire, changed everything about rod construction and started a whole new explosion of development. In 1964, three Royal Airforce engineers discovered and developed carbon fibre or graphite as it is known today. Graphite contains various synthetic polymers, which are heated to an incredible 2700 degC, to produce a very light, black and immensely strong fibre strand up to ten times as stiff and strong as steel. Other materials like Boron and Kevlar were developed over the years and tried, but these fell by the wayside as rod building material for they were too brittle and way to expensive even in mass production. Today we are left with fibreglass and graphite. So let’s look at how these two are used in the manufacture of the modern fishing rod and then how and where these rods are used From the 1950s to the 70s, fishing rods in general were solid fibreglass, made by grinding down a thick solid fibreglass rod to the required diameter, with the final thickness determining the strength of the blank. There was some longer two piece spin rods joined in the middle by chromed brass ferrules, where the top sections were flexible and whippy and the bottom section stiff and rigid. They were quite heavy by today’s standard.

Sport Fishing Using rods and approaching fishing as a sport as far as we can tell started in the sixteenth century England. Fly fishing established itself after it was found river fish would attack bits of fluff and feather tied to a floating hook. In those days, rods were called angles hence the term angling and sports fishing were born. Many differing types of woods were still being used in the construction of rods, such as Lancewood, Greenheart, Hickory, Maple, Hazel, Ashwood, and Bamboo. In some cases, rods were formed with a mixture of woods to give a solid, strong mid and butt sections, but a supple whippy tip for casting. By the mid to late seventeenth century, line guides were being added and the nineteenth century saw Tonkin and Malacca cane being split into four or even six triangular lengths then bound and glued together. This was followed by sanding and lacquering then with the additions of guides and a reel seat plus cork handgrips we had the beginnings of the modern sporting fishing rod.

Stump Pullers By far the most well-known rod of this era was the short stubby boat rod commonly known in NZ fishing circles as the stump puller. They were made by local rod manufacturers and sold in their thousands. After using wooden rods or hand lines we thought they were amazing, but the best was yet to come. The big change came in the

Racked up and ready to go. WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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“The first time you use one it will be like stepping out of your old Ford Sedan into a Ferrari”. The old stump puller and the new lightweight, hightech graphite may still catch the same fish, but are much more fun on the super-sensitive graphite rod.

Rod blanks straight off the mandrel, ready to be trimmed and components fitted, before becoming a complete fishing rod.

Cane and split cane rods of yesteryear and a rare black steel rod (right).

Today’s Rods As we come to the present day, boat anglers now realise that the demand for cheaper and cheaper rods perhaps wasn’t such a good idea as that’s exactly what you got. Failures that went with cheap gear is pretty much behind us and current rods are being made with far better components than those of ten years ago. We now don’t see as many of the problems we used too. So let’s consider you’re in the market for a new boat rod, there are many things to consider and many things have changed over the last twenty years. Back then one of the new 7ft hollow glass rods seemed to do all you wanted, even the new sport of jigging. If you

regard yourself as an average bottom, bait fisherman then this type of rod will still work well for you. However, I would suggest you look at a glass/graphite blend rod, which is lighter than a fibreglass rod and has plenty of bend and action. It is also more robust than a pure graphite rod and can take the knocks dished by the average angler. I believe this is what most boat anglers should be using. However, if you want to get into full on lure fishing, then it’s a whole different ball game! Firstly lure fishing is broken up into several different categories; soft baiting, slow jigs, deep jigging[kingies], poppers, and spinning. All of these forms of lure fishing will need a separate high-tech rod and reel setup to be successful. With lures,

“The big change came in the late seventies when hollow fibreglass rods arrived”. late seventies when hollow fibreglass rods arrived. They were lightweight, compared to the old solid glass rods, with a 2m long rod around half the weight of an old solid glass rod. But what impressed boat anglers was that these new rods had an action, they bent, they were fun to fish with and boat sports fishing for the masses was born. Next came graphite a rod building material and it was an immediately popular with successful fishermen, not only for its lightweight, but also its superior strength and stiffness over fibreglass. In the beginning these new graphite rods were a bit susceptible to damage through knocks bumps and impacts, but this has been much reduced over the years, although you still need to take care with graphite and look after it. Unlike fibreglass that can take a bit of a beating, graphite doesn’t like it and require a little my TLC.

cut into long strips (also called flags) will donate the type, strength and action of the particular rod being made. The flags are then rolled onto a long tapered steel rod known as a mandrel, which is then placed in a huge vertical oven and baked for about an hour at temperatures up to 180 C. After cooling and hardening, the blanks are ground and polished to be ready for cutting and to start the process of building the fishing rod. In building a rod, a blank will be chosen either fibreglass in e-glass or s glass if the rod needs to be a little stiffer or one of the many graphite’s available or even a blend of the two. The blank will be picked for line strength from 2kg up to 37kg, which is not how big a fish the rod can catch, that’s up to angling skills or what the blank can lift, just purely what line weight the blank is designed for. It will also be picked for action, either fast where mainly just the tip bends, medium action where the top third to half of the blank bends, or slow action where the whole blank bends in a parabolic curve. After this the blank is cut to length, the main spine found, guides set out for either a spin rod or an overhead, reel seat fitted. Then the gimble and grips glued on. The final part of the build process is to bind the guides in colourful thread and the rod is finished . Now all, you need to do, is match it with the correct reel and you’re in business.

Building A Rod The manufacture of rod blanks whether fibreglass or graphite follows the same basic process after dipping sheets of either fabric into solutions of the appropriate plastic resins, the sheets are then squeezed between rollers leaving the correct amount of resin for the type of sheet being used. After being slightly heated, the sheets are

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Southern Boats pride themselves on presenting you with one of the finest handcrafted Alloy boats available today. The team of skilled boat builders, upholsterers and painters based at Southern’s Dunedin manufacturing facility have spent thousands of hours perfecting their craft to bring you a boat with proven performance, handsome good looks and heavy duty durability. With models ranging from 6 - 10 meters and a wide selection of standard and optional features, Southern can build the boat of your dreams. Call us on 0800SOUTHERN, visit the website or drop into your local dealer and start making that dream a reality today.

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CUSTOM MADE LIVE BAIT TANKS AND TUNA TUBE COMBOS Hi Tech Plastics Products are all NZ Made for NZ Boating conditions At Hi Tech Plastics we can custom make all sizes of live bait tanks and Tuna Tube combos to suit your boat. Live bait tanks from 15 litres- 300 litres portable or permanent tank combos available. Check out our standard sized range at our website or contact us or your marine dealer NZ wide for a custom set up.

Perfect package for those wanting a portable live bait tank just fill up with water and clip to your battery. Package includes: 15, 45or55, Litre Tank, Small lid, Bung, RULE 360 GPH Portable aerator Pump with suction feet, Handles. Or complete custom set up made just for your boat. Prices start at $ 316.

3 Year Warranty/Extruded Side Decks, Anchor Well/Side Pockets, Low Bow Rails/Carpeted Floor, Forward & Rear Casting Platforms, Live Bait Tank & Tackle Storage Box, Two Skipper Seats & Four Seat Positions, Transom Step & Rail, Alloy Cleat to Foredeck/Four Rod Holders, Anchor Kit, Mercury 30hp 2-Stroke Outboard, 25 Litre Fuel Tank & Fuel Line, Quintrex Single Axle Trailer, WOF & Rego /Prop Flag & Tie Downs.

Our hugely popular Portable Twin Tuna system, an ideal Tuna Tube combo for those wanting an easy to remove twin tube option. Can be easily bolted or fixed to duckboard. Available in White and Black. NZ made. Can be custom made to suit your boat set up also available in single and triple systems. Prices start at $ 308.

The latest 2015 rods for stray lining, bottom fishing, poppers, soft baits, slow jigs and kingfish jigs.

3 Year Warranty, Casting Platform Forward, Low Bow Rails & Aft Grab Rails, Two Thwart Seats, Flotation Under Seats, Anchor Well/Side Pockets, Carpeted Floor & Fuel Tank Rack, Transom Step & Grab Rail, Anchor Kit, Mercury 30hp 2-Stroke Outboard, 25 Litre Fuel Tank & Fuel Line, Quintrex Single Axle Trailer, WOF & Rego /Prop Flag & Tie Downsv

Auckland Marine Centre,

AB012

247 Ti Rakau Drive, Pakuranga, Auckland Ph: 09 579 7981 Matt 027 210 4255 Paul 021 272 8171

w w w. a u c k l a n d m a r i n e . c o . n z

Our latest live bait tank combo comes complete with a single removable 138mm ID Tuna Tube, 55 litre tank ( can be customised to suit larger tanks with twin tubes also), small hatch, 1100 Gph pump, pump bracket and all plumbing. This combo is ideal for those how want to incorporate all there live bait into one area, with only using a small amount of area. Tuna tube can be easily screwed from tank and then have access to all 55 litre of tank space. Pump flows into both tube and tank at same time or tank by itself when tube removed. Prices start at $ 675 for full

55 litre combo.

AB0914

you need to be on your game and using the correct tackle is absolutely essential. You can also spin cast with a soft bait rod quite successfully. All of these rods that are very different to one another in design, will have one thing in common, they will all be made of graphite or high graphite blends, they will be strong and powerful for their line weight, designed to be fished with braid line, beautiful to fish with and expensive. The first time you use one it will be like stepping out of your old Ford sedan into a Ferrari. They are that good! To have a look at today’s top end rods, visit a good pro tackle shop and talk to the staff. They use this gear on a regular basis and I am sure can recommend the right gear for your needs. If you haven’t been in a tackle shop for a while you will be amazed by what’s being used by today’s good anglers. From Egyptian river reeds to high tech graphite, fishing rods have come a long way.

The ideal live bait tank set up, allowing maximum longevity of your live bait. Ideally situated on the duck board where 5 holes are drilled into the tank for continuous flow of water. Package includes: 15,45,55,70,75,85,125, and 300 litre Tanks, Small, medium or large lids, Bung, RULE 500 GPH Tournament series pump, and bracket, and all plumbing to set up tank system. Or complete custom set up made just for your boat. Prices start at $ 499

You can view our full range of New Zealand made boating accessories including seating, pedestals, bait boards, custom made water tanks, custom made underfloor fish bins and much more at www.hitechplastics.co.nz

Hi Tech Plastics 2002 Ltd and Marine Tech Industries 10 Clow Place, PO Box 5303, Frankton, Hamilton 3242, New Zealand Phone: +64 7 843 3343 Fax: +64 7 843 3346 email: info@hitechplastics.co.nz

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www.hitechplastics.co.nz, and mti.co.nz

BOAT TEST

The Enduro 640 ran 38 knots with the Suzuki 175.

ENDURO 6400

Barry Thompson checks out the Enduro 6400, the latest offering and only the second series from the relatively new Enduro Boats.

FOCUS ON

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Perfection is a word that is often overused, but in the case of Andrew Fink, it is entirely appropriate. It’s in his pedigree and there is no getting away from it. The Fink name and that, of course, includes brother Lance, builder of the Tristram range of GRP boats, is synonymous when it comes to quality and attention to detail. It’s not just about the finish and presentation, it’s also the work ethics, the build process and the interaction with both staff and customers. I had previously been to Hamilton to review the Enduro 4100 Series and right from the first minute I saw the two models on offer I was impressed. They looked great, they were finished to an extremely high quality and best of all they also went damn well. Andrew started building the Enduro alloy boats in 2011 as a natural extension of his very successful trailer and motor home building enterprise. With the 4100 gaining immediate success, with growing numbers on the water throughout the North Island, it was only natural that something bigger would soon follow. When an Australian client came along and asked Andrew for a big mid range centre console for serious fishing off the Southern Australian coast, he got the opportunity. Andrew is quick to point out that the 6400 are not simply an up-scaled 4100 and was 3D CAD designed to a very specific design he had in mind. A very different boat, but built on the same exacting philosophy of perfection.

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Construction, like the 4100 is exceptional and the finish for an alloy boat is faultless. The CNC cut hull is 5mm with 4mm topsides, with what Andrew refers to as an ‘egg crate’ construction under the cheque plate sole. All the welds are ground smooth, the surfaces faired and the hull and decks on our test boat painted. As was the centre console and helm seat base. You can have the boat unpainted but to date, the first two have both been finished with PPG two pack. 40 Hour Test I had two shots at running the Enduro 6400 and although both times were on the mirror-smooth Lake Waikato river, I can attest to the sea keeping and ride of the hull. It is a very stable hull at rest and shifting weight whilst underway doesn’t upset the trim too much. Trim tabs are optional. With the engine trimmed well out and the throttle to the max, I managed to toss the boat into hard turns without any prop slip. Impressive! When I say I can attest to the ride and handling of the hull, it was because I was able to have a chat with the owner of the boat, who in less than a month of receiving it had clocked up over 40 hours, boating both east and west coasts. “I have had the boat in some nasty water, especially off the west

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SPECIFICATIONS Model: Priced from: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable weight: Power: Propellers: Power options: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

Enduro 6400 $NZ89,000 Centre Console 5mm/4mm 6.40m 2.40m 19 deg 2.50m 1960 kgs Suzuki DF175 20” 3bld 140-250hp 160 litres Enduro

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA

The seat base is on sliders to maximise space requirements.

Loads of space for a large MFD screen and extras. Good side access is great when fishing.

The big open cockpit has plenty of fishing space.

The working space for fishing is very well designed.

coast and I have been amazed at just how well it rides and handles”, he said. He adds that the boat is perfect for his use as a serious fishing boat to go just about anywhere with his mates, is very dry and soft riding. “We caught plenty of fish over the summer and found the boat excellent for four guys with plenty of deck space to work from. The bait station, live bait tank and rod storage is perfectly designed and it certainly made our fishing experience that much better”. On the flat water of the Waikato River I was able to record the fuel/ performance data and I have to say I was impressed with the Suzuki DF175, especially the crisp smooth way it drops into gear and the velvety throttle response. A big block (2.8 litres) 4 cyl, DOHC, 16-valve high-performance engine, the DF175 uses Suzuki’s Lean Burn control system. This controls the fuel and airflow to boost the limit of the controllable rpm range, improving fuel economy over a wide operating range. It certainly works as the brochure indicates with a very economical 61 lph @ 5800 rpm. At 5000 rpm that drops back to 42 lph or 32 lpnm @ 32.5 knots. In mid-range cruise mode around 4500 rpm, the Suzuki DF175 was using 34 lph or 28.5 lpnm @ 29 knots. Given the 160-litre fuel tank (you can a bigger one) that gave the Enduro a range of 120nm. More than enough for a day’s fishing! The Enduro 6400 ran to 38 knots (44 mph) first time out on a tight engine. Lightly laden with all the fishing gear left on the dock, 40 knots (46 mph) is quite achievable. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Fisherman Friendly Unquestionably the Enduro 6400 centre console is pitched at the fishing and diving market and the layout reflects that. If you like the hull but want some better protection, then the 6400 is also available with a full cabin or even a hardtop. The layout of the 6400 I tested, starting at the bow has a deep anchor locker with top and rear access hatches, a Maxwell RC6, with wide fairlead and alloy bollard. The open bow features a raised casting deck, with storage under and a double bin seat ahead of the centre console. This is a great space for a couple of fishos or to simply relax while underway. If you are into soft baiting, then you’ll really appreciate the casting deck, which is at a nice height so you still feel secure when standing and it’s an easy step back to the main cockpit sole. Access either side of the alloy console is generous and you can walk down to the cockpit without having to squeeze between it and the side decks. Talking of the side decks, they are 300mm wide and flat all the way through to the transom. Underneath on either side are extra wide, fully lined storage shelves with three separate access points. These will easily stow the longest boat rods, plus are handy and easy to get into when fishing. Standard, the boat comes with six deck mounted rod holders, but with the optional bimini and rocker launcher there’s another six available. Never seem to have too many I reckon. Centre of the cockpit, the alloy console has been designed to handle

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large MFD screens (we had a Simrad NSS12), plus still leaving plenty of space for instruments, controls, switch panels and whatever else you want to install. We also had a GME VHF and a Fusion iPod dock/stereo so we were covered for sound and comms. One of the very special features of the Enduro 6400 is the helm seat base, which is mounted on sliders. You have it back when driving and then slide it forward 300mm when you want maximum space in the 1.90m wide cockpit for fishing. There is storage underneath and the twin backrest bolsters swing both ways. The transom has been given the fisherman friendly treatment with a deep live bait tank to starboard, bait station in the centre and wide walk-through cut out to port. The coaming height seemed just about perfect for me for bottom-fishing. Tucked into the transom are the twin batteries, behind hatches, with a deep self draining bilge aft. There is a pair of fold away bench seats that are ideal when underway and can then be dropped out of the way when fishing. There is, in fact, dedicated seating for at least six adults, which is unusual in a centre console style. Running down the centre line of the boat is the 160-litre fuel tank, with a huge wet locker aft. Another neat feature of the Enduro 6400 is the big boarding platforms that extend either side of the outboard. A three-step, fold-out alloy ladder is extra and is a must have if you are into diving. There is plenty of useable space under the aft deck area for dive gear, at least four/five dive bottles and even extra tote tanks. If there is a point of difference in the Enduro 6400, it’s the focus on quality, which coupled with a great layout and excellent sea keeping makes this a very special boat in its class. I look forward to seeing the first cabin variant, I am sure it will be stunning. WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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Enduro 6400 / Suzuki 175 Fuel capacity: 160 litres rpm knots L/h 1000 4.0 2.7 1500 5.5 4.4 2000 6.5 7.5 2500 8.0 10.5 3000 12.5 14.5 3500 20.0 19.5 4000 24.0 24.5 4500 29.5 34 5000 32.5 42 5500 35.0 57.5 5800 38.0 61

L / NM 0.5 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.7 1.7

Range (NM) 280 140 120 100 120 140 130 120 110 84 84

L / NM is calculated to two significant figures and rounded up. Range is calculated to two significant figures and rounded down. To allow for adverse conditions, range is calculated on 90% of the fuel capacity.

This boat could be protected against the effects of corrosion, oxidation and discolouration.

The ideal cost effective product to protect your valuable asset. www.nyalic.co.nz

Notable Standard Items on Test Boat Bilge Pump, Nav lights, 6 rod holders, sliding helm seat with bolsters, forward casting deck. Notable Options on Test Boat Bimini & rocker launcher, boarding ladder, Maxwell RC6 auto winch, Lectratabs, Fusion stereo, Garmin VHF. Manufacturer: Enduro Boats Ltd, 10 Udy Place, Te Rapa, Hamilton, Ph +64 7 850 5512, E: sales@almgroup.co.nz www.almgroup.co.nz ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

when I learnt how to use the i-Pilot remote control properly and more especially the Spot-Lock option that comes with the Riptide ST Minn Kota. Like the expensive GPS programmed position locking system you find on big cruisers, Minn Kota’s i-Pilot Spot-Lock does exactly the same job for a fraction of the cost. Not that you could put a trolling motor like this on a boat much bigger than 8m. The i-Pilot delivers speed, steering, Spot-Lock, and the ability to record and retrace paths on the water, which I can review through my Humminbird 788ci sounder. Everything I need is at my fingertips with fully automatic GPS accuracy. I have found this an invaluable tool for fishing and by using the spot lock function I now hardly ever anchor. Fishing in 30m-40m between Kawau and Tiri Tiri Matangi Islands in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, I tend to use my main engine (Mercury 60 4S) to get to roughly where I want to start fishing, drift until I find some activity and then hit the Spot-lock and hold position. Once the fishing goes off, I turn off Spot-Lock and carry on drifting until I find another lucrative spot. Best thing is there is no need to launch and retrieve the anchor and I can accurately stay on the fish, rather than swinging away on the end of the anchor warp, at the whim of the wind and tide. I learnt early on that you needed a reasonably grunty battery as an electric trolling motor can suck the juice in uncomfortable conditions. Best I have had so far is close to 5 hours constant running and the battery still had some power left. The size of an electric trolling outboard is determined by power output, which in the case of a trolling outboard is electric motors with 0.5 to 4 kW direct current (DC) output, operated at 12 to 60 volts DC. These systems have the propeller fixed directly to the motor, which is mounted in the lower unit under water. This setup limits the power output but makes them ideal for trolling engines. The advantages of electric boat propulsion systems, be they a trolling or main engine is that they are low maintenance, inexpensive to run, almost noiseless and emission-free. If you are using an electric outboard as the main engine, the disadvantage is the limited range due to the weight and size of the batteries. Lead-acid batteries have high weight (38 watt hours / kilogram) and limited capacity when quickly discharged (60% at 1 hour). Newer battery technologies like lithium systems (e.g. LiFePO4 or Lithium polymer) offer up to seven times the performance of a leadacid battery, but they are very expensive. Trolling Motors A trolling motor is an awesome addition to anyone’s fishing ‘box’. With wireless GPS remotes, constant, quiet power, trolling motors are a great weapon to improve your fishing. There are a number of well-established brands available, such as Minn Kota, MotoGuide and Watersnake, plus the proliferation of electric outboard brands from China. You have a choice of bow mount or stern mount, and in some cases, freshwater or saltwater models. Minn Kota electric trolling motors began its life in 1934 in Fargo, North Dakota. Mr. O. G. Schmidt, the inventor of the trolling motor, was known to be a man of many diverse ideas. Because of its proximity to the MINNesota – North DaKOTA border, Mr. Schmidt named the business The Minn Kota Manufacturing Company. Since its founding, Minn Kota has led the way in product innovation and cutting-edge technology. In 1934, the company released the first gear-driven electric trolling motor and a year later the world’s first flexible cable-driven electric trolling motor. 1968 saw the first foot operated electric steer control and in 1987, the first space-saving compact bow mounted electric trolling motor with built-in electronic variable speed control and automatic battery condition display.

By Barry Thompson

Electric outboard motors are an option for boat propulsion that has developed over the years into three distinct categories, trolling, auxiliary and main. Barry Thompson, who has spent a couple of seasons running a Minn Kota trolling motor, reckons it’s the best piece of equipment in his fishing armoury. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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When I first saw the small alloy pad protruding from the side of the foredeck on the McLay Fortress 4.8, I thought what a waste in Kiwiland. Obviously designed for a trolling outboard, something that is very common amongst river, lake and estuary fishermen in Australia, I couldn’t see I would ever find a use for it. How wrong I was! Shortly after taking delivery of the boat a couple of seasons back, BLA came to me with the offer of a Minn Kota trolling engine. Naturally I said yes, but at the time I had my reservations that I would actually take advantage of it. Well, that was until I started to use it and understand it, especially

WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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Torqeedo one of the world leaders in the field of electric auxiliary engines. The Watersnake GPS smart motor delivers its 80lb. (36kg.) thrust across ten forward and ten reverse speeds.

WIRELESS GPS TROLLING SYSTEM

THE NAVIGATION

REVOLUTION

Don’t waste time positioning your boat, let Minn Kota® i-PilotTM do that for you. i-PilotTM uses GPS technology to control your Minn Kota® so you can focus on fishing.

SPOT-LOCK Select your fishing spot and if you drift more than 1.5 metres away, i-Pilot will trigger your trolling motor to bring you back.

Bow mounted trolling motors can be foot or remote control operated.

6 SPOTS

RECORD A TRACK

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

24V GPSmart motor delivers its 80lb. (36kg.) thrust across ten forward and ten reverse speeds. The 152cm composite shaft is noncorrosive and flexes on impact to avoid damage. The three-blade weedless propeller mounts onto a stainless steel prop shaft. Bow or Stern Bow mounted motors are convenient if you fish primarily in an open bow rider or from a casting deck. If you have a casting deck, then foot-operated controls are the perfect option. As you will often be operating in very shallow water or close to reefs, most motors have, a spring-loaded mount that allows the motor to swing away on impact, to prevent damage from groundings. On very small craft the trolling motor often doubles as an auxiliary engine and is mounted on the transom where it is operated by a tiller. Transom-mount motors also feature brackets that adjust to different angles and heights so the motor’s shaft is immersed at the right depth. The standard shaft length is 106cm. To determine the right length for your boat, measure the distance from where the shaft is mounted on the deck or the transom to the water and then add 40cm to 55cm depending on the manufacturers recommendation. An example is Moto Guide suggest 40cm and Minn Kota 51cm. If you are operating in rough water longer shafts are recommended, so the prop stays about 15cm below the surface when the boat pitches and rolls. You can fine-tune the motor’s vertical position with the adjustment on the mount. As most trolling motors are manufactured in the US, they are rated in pounds of thrust. As a rule of thumb 72lb to 75lb. (32.65kg to 34kg) of thrust roughly equals one horsepower. A typical 12V motor that draws 60A consumes approximately 720W. The equation for power is easy: the higher the voltage, the higher the thrust. Trolling motors are offered in 12V, 12/24V, 24V and 36V versions, with the most powerful one, the Minn Kota Ulterra offering 112lb. (51kg) of thrust, powerful enough to move heavy vessels such as pontoon boats. Maximum thrusts at different voltages are approximately 12V/55lb. (25 kg) and 24V/80lb (36kg). When it comes to size, bigger is almost always better. Larger boats need more juice, but then you should also consider the type of

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water conditions you will predominately use the trolling motor in, with consideration given for wave action, wind and current. Erring on the stronger side has its benefits because stronger motors run more efficiently at lower speeds and provide a safety cushion for handling the different conditions. One recommendation is 5lb. (2.3kg.) of thrust for every 90kgs. of the vessel’s gross weight. Think about the size of your boat, how much battery capacity you can safely install to satisfy the energy demands of a trolling motor, and whether or not you will be able to charge the batteries when underway. A 24V model with 55lb. (25kg.) of thrust may only draw 28A, while the 12V model with 44lb. (20kg.) of thrust can draw 36A. The rule of thumb is that larger motors require more battery capacity, and if you fish from dawn to dark with a boat of 5m or longer, you’ll probably want 24V. Serious anglers who spend a lot of time on the water will appreciate a 36V motor.

A

ADVANCED AUTOPILOT Simply point your trolling motor in the direction you want to head and activate Advanced AutoPilot. i-Pilot keeps you on your heading and delivers you there with GPS accuracy, while compensating for wind, waves, currents or drifts.

CRUISE CONTROL Gives you unparalleled bait presentation by maintaining your actual on-thewater speed (in miles per hour) and allowing you to adjust your speed in 0.1 miles per hour increments.

COPILOT Control speed, steering, on/off and high-speed bypass - our legendary CoPilot functions from your i-Pilot remote. Free yourself from the foot pedal and fish from anywhere on the boat.

Main Engines Recently developed outboard motors powered with an alternating current (AC) or DC electric motor in the power head like a conventional petrol engine, mean, a motor can produce 10kW output or more and is able to replace a petrol engine of 15hp or more. Some electric outboard engines are built based on existing outboard legs with the motor on top and a vertical shaft transmitting the power to a lower gear box. The advantage of this setup is the accessibility of the motor and to have all electrics above the waterline. The disadvantage is a somewhat lower efficiency due to the gearbox. These outboard engines allow much larger electric motors and mostly use standard outboard parts (like propeller etc.). The disadvantage is the limited range due to the weight and size of the batteries. Lead-acid batteries have high weight (38 watt hours/kilogram) and limited capacity when quickly discharged (60% at 1 hour). Newer battery technologies like lithium systems (e.g. LiFePO4 or Lithium polymer) offer up to seven times the performance of a lead-acid battery, but they WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

B

6 TRACKS

AVAILABLE IN • • • •

55lb 54” 12V 80lb 54” 24V 80lb 60” 24V 112lb 60” 36V

OVER

Distributed exclusively by

For more information and for the location of your nearest dealer, contact

sales@bla.co.nz

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boatinglifestyleadventure bla.co.nz

01_15_AlloyBoat_MK_Feb

In 1991, the company released the first autopilot, in 2002 the first integrated transducer and in 2003 they launched the first wireless remote system for electric trolling motors. However, one of Minn Kota’s most important innovations was in 2010, with the introduction of, i-Pilot, the world’s first wireless remote controlled GPS based trolling motor navigation system. 2014 saw the release of the powerful 112lb thrust motor with I-Pilot (internal GPS) and units that can be linked direct to Humminbird 800, 900, 1100 series including their new touch screen models Onix and Ion. With the I-Pilot Link-System, you can operate your Minn Kota directly from your Humminbird fishfinder/GPS and or a hand held remote. Looking ahead in 2015, the first auto stow/deploy, and electric trolling power trim motors for both fresh and salt-water applications will be available. Currently, Minn Kota produces 17 models and is the largest producer of quality electric trolling motors in the world. MotoGuide, a product of Mercury Marine recently introduced two new and improved engines. The all-new Xi5 wireless trolling motor, with a wireless pedal, provides outstanding motor control from anywhere on the boat and comes with MotoGuide’s proprietary Pinpoint GPS technology. The X3 Freshwater Edition is designed to deliver better performance in the 40lb (18kg.) to 70lb. (32kg.) thrust range. The X3 offers a dual cable pull-pull steering system that eliminates slack, while the innovative variable ratio technology reduces torque steer feedback and improves responsiveness. You can connect your Pinpoint GPS-equipped trolling motor to a compatible Lowrance HDS fish finder / chart plotter through an NMEA 2000 network. The Lowrance 565 HDS user interface includes on-screen controls for all Pinpoint GPS features, including complete Xi5 motor control. Watersnake released its GPSmart electric motor in early 2014, which just like MotoGuide and Minn Kota uses patented GPS technology that acts as your virtual anchor. Plus it can also track along a recorded route and cruise at a chosen speed in a set direction. The GPSmart’s microcomputer utilises an HD GPS receiver to control your position that automatically compensates for crosscurrents of two or more knots or wind speeds up to 30 knots. The

i-Pilot can record your track (or troll run) for up to 3.2 kilometres. To retrace your path in either direction, just press the Track to Start or Track to End buttons.

Performance, Style, Quality Scott Robson Designed

Three pontoon models available: Finlay Sports 5900

Minn Kota use i-Pilot, the world’s first wireless remote controlled GPS based trolling motor navigation system.

MotoGuide, a product of Mercury Marine recently introduced two new and improved engines. are very expensive. For longer trips, the system can have a rangeextending generator, which recharges the batteries, but this is only possible in larger boats. There is a lot of development in the area of electric outboards as the main power, with companies such as the German based Aqua Watt currently developing a 20hp outboard. Aqua Watt electric outboards are suitable to be used with either lead-acid batteries up to 10kW output or with lithium batteries up to 13kW output. The outboard motor is water cooled and equipped with a digital controller providing a fully automatic adjustment to the power demand of your boat. It is powered by an advanced maintenance free AC motor that can drive boats over 20 knots and even allows water skiing. The dimensions and power output are equal to a similar sized 20hp four stroke petrol engine. The company has also developed an electric outboard motor with an output of 30hp (22 kW) and special versions up to 40hp are made on order. Regen Nautic USA has bragging rights when it comes to electric outboard horsepower with a line of electric outboards from 100hp - 330hp. While some are still in development, the company is advertising three engines, the ReGen 100hp, ReGen 180hp and the ReGen 300hp. They are all based on the same 110 lb. (50 kg.) brushless IP67 electric motor and controller, with a cooling heat exchanger, lithium battery bank with management system and a medium voltage-charging unit. The electric motors are built by UQM Technologies of Colorado, USA and operate at almost 95% efficiency. This means water skiing for up to an hour on the equivalent of 2 litres of fuel! Just as with hybrid cars, a smart computer is an integral part of the system, and it works behind the scene to ensure power transfers and safety of the fairly complex and highly efficient system. The electrical energy is provided by a 26kW lithium battery pack, able to provide the peak power 150kW required for acceleration and top speed. The new motor looks like a regular 200hp motor from the outside, except that it is a lot lighter, it is quiet and it does not generate any fumes. The surprise comes when you open it up and look inside. Tests on a 7m boat in Sweden resulted in a range of 45 nm per charge, ten secs to 47 knots, and a fully recharged time of 30 minutes.

Finlay Centre Console 5900

Auxiliary Outboards Torqeedo one of the world leaders in the field of electric auxiliary engines., is a German based company that focuses on optimising the input power to achieve the highest overall efficiency possible. That is, every Torqeedo drive converts its available battery power to propulsive power arguably better than other outboards. This is very important for electric drives because it means more power and range with limited battery capacity. Conventionally, an electric motor‘s alternating current is switched via sliding contacts – the brushes., but in the case of Torqeedo motors, they create the alternating current via electronic digital switching. The benefits of this method are that the leading angle of the alternating field is always matched ideally to the load and the speed, which makes it more efficient. Torqeedo use lithium batteries with a built-in battery management system (BMS) with redundant safety and the engines include an integrated GPS as part of the battery electronics. Their range of engines is the equivalent of between 1hp and 9.9hp. Elco (Electric Launch Company), have been producing electricpowered boats since 1892, but its only very recently that they got into electric outboards. In 2014 the company launching a new line of 5hp, 7hp and 9.9hp electric outboards that provide all the signature benefits of Elco’s electric inboard motors. The outboards are designed to meet the growing interest in clean, quiet and fuel-efficient propulsion among both recreational and commercial boaters. Elco electric outboard motors, which are also sold under the Parsun brand, come equipped with multiple safety features, including an emergency stop switch, overload protection and temperature indicators. Additionally, optional gauges and LCD monitors are available that display a variety of data such as power consumption, voltage levels and other information. The advantages of electric boat propulsion systems, be they a trolling, auxiliary or main engine is that they are low maintenance, inexpensive to run, practically noiseless and emission-free.

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All models come complete with: Auto Capstan, EPIRB, Chart Plotter/GPS, VHF Radio, Fusion Ipod player

L.O.A: 6.295m HULL LENGTH: 5.900m BEAM: 2.310m INTERNAL BEAM: 1.860m Honda 135hp

Finlay Ignite (Hard top) 6300 L.O.A: 6.752m HULL LENGTH: 6.300m BEAM: 2.430m INTERNAL BEAM: 1.955m Honda 225hp

P: 03 929 2677 E: info@finlayboats.co.nz W: finlayboats.com WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

L.O.A: 6.295m HULL LENGTH: 5.900m BEAM: 2.310m INTERNAL BEAM: 1.860m Honda 135hp

A minor technical hitch with the Leyland P76 and a chance for Gus to have a smoke.

WET ON THE WAIMAK A few years ago Barry Thompson braved the cold winter weather and spent of few hours jetboating the braided Waimakariri river. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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The rattle of river shale across the bottom of the jetboat was a sure sign that I had totally stuffed the turn and missed the shallow channel by heaps. The deceleration from 45 mph to zero happened so fast that my co-driver Gus hardly had enough time to turn off the engine before I sat there sucking river stones through the grill, past the impellers and out the jet unit. Not a good look, but then I have never been known as a jetboat driver, let alone on the ever changing and difficult waters of the Waimakariri River. I was also to experience why Waimakariri is a Maori term meaning “cold water”! A week after jetboating the waters of the Kaituna River in the North Island I found myself in the South Island on the banks of the Waimak -as the locals call it - accompanied by co-publisher and advertising manager of NZ Propeller, Doug Dukeson, and our hosts Geoff Robinson and Wayne ‘Gus’ Guthrie from CSB Huntsman Boats. As Huntsman doesn’t manufacture jetboats, the team provided a couple of 10-year-old Hamilton Jet 151s that, as I was to discover, were absolutely perfect for the trip which lay ahead. The plan was to run from the lower Waimakariri Bridge, about 75 km up the river to the Waimakariri Gorge, stop for lunch and then WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

proceed as far as practicable through the gorge, before returning and hauling out at the bridge. We had allowed most of the day for the anticipated 80 nautical miles trip, leaving loads of time for photos, admiring the magnificent scenery.....and getting stuck! We paired off. I went with Gus and Doug went with Geoff, who took the lead, because he had the experience. This was great as I was just able to sit alongside my driver who weaved and wandered along in the trail behind the others. It was interesting to ‘read’ the water ahead and try to anticipate which way the lead boat would go. I seemed to get it right about 50% of the time and it didn’t take long before I really appreciated the skill one needs to navigate these braided rivers. It was understandable also why the little, nimble and very easily driven 151 is so readily adaptable to the braided rivers of the South Island and one of the most popular pleasure boats on the rivers. Get into trouble and two people can push it back into the channel and if you have to make a sudden decision in a tight area, the 151 is responsive and quick to adapt to a change in direction. On a few occasions Geoff got it all wrong and we were either forced to do a rapid exit back down river and revert to another channel or

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In parts the river is slow, meandering and very easy to read.

Preparing for our Waimak adventure we launched our Hamilton 151s at the main bridge.

0800 Grounded! Gus tests out the water as we prepare for the big push.

One mistake and you’re up to your ankles in gravel!

take instant action and skim across the shallows into deeper water. Going upstream, they tell me is a lot easier than running down river, but unfortunately we weren’t planning a return trip through the shallow braided lower reaches. As the kilometres rolled past, the scenery changed and the river took on a deeper look, with braided fast giving way to a more meaningful river. Along the way the solitude of one of nature’s ever-changing wonders was quite remarkable. Two days later the river was in flood and totally ‘unboatable’. We passed numerous diggers mining gravel from the riverbed. One of the main sources of aggregate for Canterbury, the Waimakariri gives up over 300,000 cubic metres a year and hardly notices it. It took us about an hour to get to the gorge as we had stopped a few times on the way for photo opportunities and hadn’t been pushing it too hard. I was told that the top river racing jetboats could cover the distance in 29 minutes! Once at the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge we took time out to reflect on the trip upstream with a nice vino and some barbecue steak ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

sandwiches, before going into the very different river canyon which leads through to the base of the Southern Alps. The Waimakariri rises in the Southern Alps and flows 160 km southeast to Pegasus Bay, 13km north of Christchurch. Fed by its principal tributaries - the Bealey, Poulter and Esk - the river drains a basin of about 2600 sq. km. The delta formed at its mouth constitutes a major portion of Banks Peninsula and part of the Canterbury Plains. While the lower reaches are all braided channels that change with the rains, the upper reaches may run dry. The middle gorge offers a fast flowing deep river with inspirational scenery, native forests lapping on the gravel banks and the occasional hint of a rising salmon or trout. If you know what you’re looking for then the Wrybill Plover, an endangered species of birdlife may be spotted, hooking its bent beak under the river stones while foraging for food. My bird spotting is of a different variety and I have trouble seeing the difference between a sparrow and a starling, so if there were any Wrybill Plover’s I never saw them. The Waimakariri Gorge runs around 50 km from the bridge at the start of the gorge to the end. If the water level is slightly above normal,

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then you can get right up to the Bealey and stop for a well-earned Speights at the Bealey Pub. You can’t go above the Esk River is spawning season either. Our trip wasn’t quite as adventurous, with a run of about 30 minutes through the gorge before the day turned rather cold and miserable, with the sun long since hidden by the towering cliffs and overhanging bush. On the way down-river I was surprised to see just how steep the fall was and you get the impression you are going downhill at a rapid rate. The river flow varies from around 80 to 200 cubic metres per second depending on the melting snow and rain in the alps. Two days after we left the river, the highest rainfall the area has seen in years arrived and the river rose a staggering amount and would have been totally unboatable. On the way back down through the gorge I was behind the wheel of Gus’s 151 and following ‘my leader’ very carefully. Still very much a rookie at this river jet boating I stuck my Hamilton jetboat into the wake ahead with regimental accuracy. However, on one very sharp starboard turn I had too much power on and with the thrashing WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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sound of gravel across the bottom of the hull, suddenly came to an abrupt stop. Apparently, I was told later, I should have feathered my slide into the corner and then had enough power left to ‘gun’ it and power across the shallows into the deeper channel. Great to tell me afterwards! Gus wasn’t too impressed with the stones through his jet unit either. Next step was to get out into the fast flowing river and push the boat into deeper water. This wasn’t easy as we had to go against the current and getting a footing in the fast moving river bed was really difficult. It was also cold. Damn cold! It took a fair amount of pushing and grunting to get into water deep enough to start the engine, but once back in the main channel it was a fast trip back to the bridge where we pulled the boats out and headed back by road to Christchurch. It had been an interesting day and quite a different sort of boating from what both Doug and I are used to. I would like to go back and have a crack at getting to the Bealey Pub, even just for the Speights.

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

BIGGER, WILDER & GREENER... 2015 sees a number significant new engines available from the world’s top six outboard manufacturers, from the wildly different ETEC Gen 2 to the ‘new’ Tohatsu V6 range.

While most of the releases were made in 2014, in some cases the new engines only found their way into our markets at retail level this summer. 2015 will see a whole crop of new engines, although most are still under wraps and it’s usually not till about mid-year that we find out what new products are being released. Right now, the outboard market is on a high, with sales well up on recent years. New Zealand outboard sales have more than doubled that of 2009 but are still 13% lower than the most recent high of 10220 in 2007. Most recent figures have imports of outboards into New Zealand of 8875 in 2013. The breakdown for whatever reason splits the figures between Under 7hp (2381) and 7hp and above (6494), which shows a substantial growth in the larger horsepower models. Predictions are for the 2014 year, outboard sales will be up and probably exceed the 2007 record. All time high for outboard motor imports was in 1987, when 12245 were imported. That’s also when the market was dominated by Johnson & Evinrude, Mercury and Chrysler. Yamaha. Tohatsu, Honda and Suzuki were only small players and had not got into the higher horsepower engines of their American competitors. Today there are many more brands, such as Hidea, Parsun and Waterman, just to name a few from China, and there are many more. Some we see in NZ or Aus and some we don’t and in a few cases they are virtually the same engine with a new ‘wrapping”. So what’s new for 2015 and what can we expect to see coming up? We take a look at some of the new products from the big six. SUZUKI – LEAN BURN Suzuki has unveiled its latest

lightweight and fuel-efficient model – the new four-cylinder DF200A. The new DF200A delivers the kind of impressive performance one would expect only from a V6 engine – but from just four cylinders, which means it is the lightest in its class. In addition to this, the new DF200A benefits from a whole host of high specification features. These include direct air intake and variable valve timing, 2,867 cm displacement and a higher compression ratio, lean burn control technology, water detection sensors and systems to monitor and control internal engine operating parameters and improve reliability. The new DF200A weighs in at just 225kg, over 12% less than Suzuki’s current V6 DF200 model. The Suzuki Lean Burn System utilises an oxygen sensor and a knock sensor to lean out the airfuel ratio at mid-range cruising speeds, to achieve a claimed 33% increase in fuel economy. These slim motors can be mounted on 26-inch centers, and so are a great candidate for repowering an older boat with V6 two-stroke outboards – with little weight gain but a big boost in economy and technology. While it has the same 2.9-liter displacement as the DF150/175 motors, Suzuki says the new DF200A is more than just a “tuned up” 175. Its block casting has been updated to accommodate an exhaust oxygen sensor and a knock sensor, and it has different cylinder heads with a higher, 10.3:1 compression ratio. The goal is to provide the performance of a 200-hp V6 outboard in a more compact, lighter-weight four-cylinder configuration, and it’s the same path Yamaha has followed with the development of its fourcylinder F200 model. The slim profile of the Suzuki DF200A makes it a candidate for repowering older boats with twin outboards. Just one look at the newly designed cowling of the DF200A indicates that this outboard is something special. A new cowling is designed with a special baffling to provide a semi-direct air intake system that provides cooler air directly to the engine’s long track-tuned intake manifold. With the DF200A weighing just 225kg, boat owners can choose a lighter, inline four-cylinder engine without sacrificing power or performance. In addition to the DF200A, Suzuki is also introducing the DF200AP,

which benefits from even more technology. The DF200AP will be the first 200HP outboard on the market available with Suzuki Precision Control drive-by-wire controls and Suzuki Selective Rotation. With Suzuki Selective Rotation, you can set up engines in either standard or counter rotation, thanks to specially-designed gearing in the lower unit and the engine’s electronic shift controls. In addition, DF200AP models will feature a keyless ignition system. This system uses a coded key fob to transmit an access code to the engine’s starting system. Available in early 2015 the new Suzuki DF200A & DF200AP are set to redefine lightweight outboard performance and fuel economy. At the other end of the horsepower stakes, Suzuki released two new compact engines in 2014, the DF25/30. The DF25A and DF30A are all-new from the skeg up and replaced a 597cc V-Twin DF25. The motors share a 489cc three-cylinder powerhead that features Suzuki’s battery-less EFI (so it can be started manually without a battery) and the Lean Burn system for better fuel economy. Use of new casting techniques and more composite materials reduces the weight of these motors to 137 pounds (158 pounds with electric start). www.suzukimarine.com.au

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

Corrosion Control SALT REMOVING TREATMENT Salt-away is a must for engine flushing, washing boats, trailers, trailer brakes, fishing and dive gear

maintenance. Design features borrowed from the 150 FourStroke include a light-weight cowl that provides outstanding sound reduction, the Focused Mount System that reduces vibration and a large muffler. All of the easy-maintenance features introduced on the FourStroke 150 are here, too – a drip tray under the oil filter and quarter-turn oil drain fitting that accepts a hose, a quick-change fuel filter with snap-fit connectors, a flush fitting that can be reached from inside or outside the boat.

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M

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MERCURY – COMPACT 4 STROKES MY

WARNING! 9 out of 10 engines fail from salt corrosion. ACT NOW and protect your valuable boat, engine, trailer, fishing and dive gear.

CY

Salt-Away will protect aluminium castings and water jackets. Stop engines from rusting (yes, aluminium corrodes). A regular flushing program for your engine with Salt-Away (mixing unit recommended) will prevent corrosion and decrease metal deterioration by eliminating build-up of rust in water passage ways. Flush your engine for 30 seconds after every use with our mixing unit, you can even use salt water!

CMY

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YAMAHA – SLEEKER & LIGHTER Yamaha’s new F130 is a totally new engine packed full of exciting technology. Fitting neatly into the power space between two of Yamaha’s most recent launches – the F115 and F150 - the perfectly positioned F130 is an example of how Yamaha’s constant drive to develop the very latest 4-stroke and electronic technology brings huge benefits to the end-user – and the environment.

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Mercury Marine’s all-new 75, 80, 90, 100 and 115hp four stroke outboard models are all based on the same compact and low weight package from a 2.1-litre, four-cylinder, eight-valve, lowfriction valve train with single-overhead-cam design. At 2.1L, the new Mercury’s have one of the largest displacements in its class, and deliver up to 23% more torque over previous four stroke models. In fact, despite their larger capacity, the new 115hp FourStroke model is the lightest on the market, coming in 9kgs lighter than the next closest competitive four-stroke product. So light and compact, the 75-115hp FourStrokes even trump Mercury’s ever popular 1.5L OptiMax direct-injection models in the weight department. The new Mercury FourStroke engines are based on the same architecture as the popular Mercury 150hp FourStroke, with an all-new, world-class hydro-dynamically designed gearcase comes as standard, decreasing drag by 15% to improve efficiency and performance. There’s a careful balance between technology and simplicity – a single overhead camshaft controlling eight valves is more compact and requires fewer parts than the 16-valve, double overhead cam designs featured on Yamaha and Suzuki 115 HP models, but Mercury employs low-friction roller finger followers in the valve train that boost efficiency and never require

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ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Available with the 90 and 115hp FourStroke Outboards, the Command Thrust models (previously known as Big Foot) use the same bigger gearcase housing as the Mercury 150 FourStroke, but with an all-new 2.38:1 ratio ideally suited for heavier boats. The optional Commander Thrust gear case provides greater torque for heavier pontoon and center console boats. The 90 and 115hp Command Thrust models are also available with left-hand rotation for improved handling and docking in dual-engine installations, perfect for offshore fishing enthusiasts and a variety of applications. With Command Thrust, you not only experience the benefit of a larger, heavy-duty gearcase, but also the larger-diameter class of V6 propellers that go with it, such as Mercury’s popular Enertia series. Mercury’s new 75-115hp FourStroke outboards have been engineered and manufactured to provide the quietest ride. A tightly sealed top cowl and idle relief muffler system lessen high-frequency exhaust noise. A top-mounted throttle body fine-tunes intake noise, while the exclusive Focused Mount System greatly reduces vibration. Even the trim pump is designed to run significantly quieter, and a new clutch system reduces shock while shifting into gear. All of these features deliver a smoother, quieter, more pleasant boating experience. TOH118 Advertising HP dealers background.ai

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A full range of Mercury’s dedicated SmartCraft digital gauges, including SmartCraft SC1000 gauges, VesselView4 and VesselView7 screens, can be optioned with these engines, along with a wide range of propellers to help boaters get the most from their packages. Mercury says it has more than 17,000 testing hours behind the new 2.1-liter models, more time than it has ever invested in a new outboard. Seasons on the water are the only way to measure durability, but it appear Mercury has raised the bar for outboards in this segment. www.mercurymarine.com.au

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DELIVERING RELIABILITY FOR OVER 50 YEARS C

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MY

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What makes Tohatsu outboards different? While other manufacturers focus on building higher horsepower engines, at Tohatsu our focus has always been on building the most reliable engines.

For more information on the full range of 2 Stroke and 4 Stroke Tohatsu engines Visit www.tohatsu.co.nz

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Our huge range of 4-Stroke and award-winning TLDI engines also include some of the lowest emission outboards available. Our engines deliver both power you can rely on, and all the benefits of lower emissions.

What makes Tohatsu outboards different? While other manufacturers focus on building higher horsepower engines, at Tohatsu our focus has always been on building the most reliable engines.

Try a Tohatsu and experience the dif erence. The dif erence is reliability.

Our huge range of 4-Stroke and award-winning TLDI engines also include some of the lowest emission outboards available. Our engines deliver both power you can rely on, and all the benefits of lower emissions. Try a Tohatsu and experience the difference. The difference is reliability. | fx 02 4392 1587 | sales@lakesidemarineptyltd.com

www.tohatsu.com.au WWW.TOHATSU.CO.NZ

Australian National Distributor Lakeside Marine Pty Ltd ph 02 4392 6110 | fx 02 4392 1587 | sales@lakesidemarineptyltd.com

www.tohatsu.com.au

Pty Ltd ph 02 4392 6110 Phone:Australian 04 237National 7800 Distributor 0800 Lakeside 528 318MarineFax: 04 237 0822

sales@diversifiedproducts.co.nz

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In fact, despite its unique-in-class strength and power, this new engine is so compactly designed and light in weight – featuring many of the design advances pioneered in our latest and widely acclaimed F115 - that it compares almost directly with equivalent 2-stroke engines. What’s more, its light weight and compactness also means the versatile new F130 can not only replace older, larger engines of the same power, but also of course, deliver more power than many lower-powered outboards of the same physical size! Yamaha’s engineers have also adopted many of the latest cutting-edge electronic technologies and driverfriendly features they developed for their very latest engines and incorporated them into this significant new F130. The new Yamaha F130 weighs in at only 174kg, making it one of the best power-toweight outboards in its class. The F130 is based on a 16 big valve engine (1,832cc inline 4-cylinder format with DOHC), featuring the latest-generation styling with new top cowling and sleek design. Multi-point electronic fuel injection, microcomputer ECM control, direct ignition system, electronic throttle valve and streamlined intake manifold are all features of the new F130. The F130 also is available with the optional Digital Network System, designed to drive the latest multi-function gauges. Variable trolling RPM allows you to adjust low-speed rpm in 50rpm increments and the Yamaha Y-COP immobiliser/security system gives you peace of mind. The engine is fitted with Yamaha’s compact, lightweight single-ram Power Trim and Tilt unit, which includes a Tilt Angle Limiter available as an option. A 35 Amp high output alternator provides extra power for starting and accessories and the F130 uses the new Talon Series aluminium propellers. All in all, the F130 is a very versatile unit. With its 1.8 litre, inline 4-cylinder configuration, muscular power band and innovative engineering, this new engine is suited to a wide range of boats and a comprehensive list of uses – bringing improved fuel-efficiency and smooth, quiet performance to everything from water sports and cruising boats, to tenders and utility craft. The new F130A will be available from official Yamaha dealers from early 2015. www.yamahaoutboards.com.

BRP – SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BRP hit the reset button on top of its Evinrude outboard line with the reveal in 2014 of E-TEC G2, the company’s first complete outboard redesign since acquiring the brand in 2001. Dramatically styled and peppered with clever technical ideas, the six new Evinrude E-TEC G2 models may not be revolutionary, but do represent a great leap forward in the evolution of high-powered outboard design. Five years in development, these 3.4-liter DFI two-stroke V6 outboards, rated from 200 to 300 horsepower, are new from the skeg up. The powerhead is a 74-degree V6 that BRP is claiming produces 20 percent more torque, 15 percent better fuel economy and 75 percent lower emissions than the best outboards in this category —thanks to a redesigned combustion chamber and refinement of the E-TEC DFI system. The top model, the E-TEC G2 300 R.A.V.E., utilises a two-position exhaust port that broadens the power band. There are dramatic changes in the midsection and transom bracket, where a new hydraulic helix (imagine a screw turned under hydraulic pressure) is integrated into the bracket and replaces the traditional hydraulic steering ram. An electric-boost motor tucked within the bracket adds power steering to all Evinrude E-TEC G2 motors in 25- and 30inch shaft lengths. The trim system also utilises a hydraulic helix control, and the motor pivots on a tilt tube that’s about 2.5 times larger in diameter than any previous design, and in conjunction with a new transom bracket is very rigid. The rigging tube terminates at a port on top of the transom bracket and does not move when the motor is steered, so boat builders will be able to design motorwells for a much shorter tube. These motors are designed for new drive-bywire controls.

BRP also ups the ante on maintenance. These new motors offer five years of maintenancefree operation, plus computer-controlled auto storage and no break-in period. You still need to keep the injector oil reservoir filled (only with BRP oil, by the way), but now there’s a two-gallon oil tank located right on the motor that can be filled through the top of the cowl. A gauge on the digital displays (sold separately) shows the oil level. Concerned about not checking the gearcase for five years? These new motors have a gearcase lube reservoir under the cowl that indicates both the lube level and water contamination. The new motors weigh more than current big Evinrudes. An E-TEC G2 has a claimed weight of 558 pounds (20-inch model) compared to 503 pounds for a current 3.4-liter Evinrude E-TEC. BRP points out that the weight of the new motors includes the oil reservoir and steering components that are not part of the current motors. Which brings us to the styling. Instead of a typical bucket cowl, the new Evinrude models have a composite exoskeleton that supports plastic panels on the top, port and starboard sides. The side panels are secured with six quarter-turn screws and offer access for typical service. The panels will be offered in five different colours (blue, silver, black, red and white) with 14 available accent stripe colours, so you can colour-match your motor to your boat and truck. The Evinrude E-TEC G2 outboard engines are just becoming available to local buyers, with the first installed on a Smuggler Strata 750. Although G2 models outperform and are more efficient than BRP’s existing models of the same horsepower, the company reports that it is still manufacturing its ‘Generation 1’ units in those power ranges. www.brp.com

* Introducing the worlds lightest 200HP Outboard 4-Stroke.

* World’s lightest refers to dry weight in its class.

Fuel saving efficiency. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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Find out more at: suzukimarine.co.nz

with either the Tohatsu multi-function tiller handle featuring many benefits such as gear shift located on the tiller arm, central trim switch, steering co-pilot / friction control and ergonomic handles or Standard Forward Control version which comes with Premium Style Polished Bezel Tachometer and Trim Gauge. Both versions come standard with propeller and 25ltr fuel tank. www.tohatsu.com HONDA GOING DIGITAL

In late 2013 Honda Motor Co. began production of outboard models privatelabeled for Tohatsu Corporation and these engines have now found their way to the dealers. The motors from Honda are rebadged 60, 75, 90, 115, 150, 200, 225 and 250 hp models, all of which are also in the current Honda line. Painted blue and bearing the Tohatsu logo, the motors are available in Australia, the US and 16 other countries, but not it seems in New Zealand. However, while we will not see any of the new Honda/Tohatsu engines this season, there is a possibility that they may be made available in early 2016 to Kiwi boaties. At this time, Tohatsu will be able to offer a full range of outboards from 2.5 hp to 250 hp and allow us to expand our dealer network. Tohatsu’s line of outboards in New Zealand currently stops at 115 hp. Its current range is 2.5hp to 115hp 2 Stroke, TLDI Models 40 to 115hp are direct-injected two-strokes, while the 2.5 to 50 hp outboards are four-strokes. Australia however now has the benefit of the extended range of seven more engines in the 4-stroke range. The newest models from Tohatsu are the lightweight four-stroke, MFS40A EFI and MFS50A EFI. Released in 2014, the new 40 and 50hp is one of the lightest available in its class, at just 97kg and features electronic fuel injection with tuned intake manifold for optimum fuel economy and outstanding smooth, responsive performance. The sleek modern cowl sets the new model apart from its competition and has been designed to provide a sporty look and effective induction system. Both the 40 and 50hp include many modern features such as a variable idling system to allow trolling speed to be adjusted in four levels from 650rpm to 950rpm via touch key control, similar to the existing TLDI engines, 21 amp alternator and a convenient built in freshwater flush system that simplifies routine engine flushing. The MFS40A and MFS50A are available

2014 was a milestone year for Honda, with the company celebrating the 50th anniversary of the very first Honda four-stroke outboard engine, the GB30. A modest 4hp engine, it represented the noble ambitions of Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda, to manufacture only four-stroke engines for the benefit of the environment and generations to come. Now, with a range that stretches from the BF2.3 to the BF250, Honda Marine continues to be a leader in four-stroke outboard engine technology. The latest engines, released last year are their first 80hp and 100hp outboards. The BF80 / BF100’s 1.5-litre, SOHC, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder engine is inspired by the same engine that powers one of Honda’s best-selling motor vehicles, the ‘Jazz’. The BF80 and BF100 are lightweight and compact designs that are manufactured to provide optimum levels of performance while ensuring best fuel economy. They make the very most of the unique Honda engine technologies for which the brand and its range is renowned. The engines feature BLAST (Boosted Low Speed Torque) Honda’s own acceleration

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technology, designed to improve off-the-line acceleration, in which the ECU provides optimum control for the fuel injection quantity and ignition timing at a rapid acceleration to increase torque. They also have ECOmo (Economy Controlled Motor) that is Honda’s proprietary Lean Burn Control technology that uses sensors to monitor air/fuel ratio in cruising mode, adjusting it to achieve optimum fuel economy. Combined with Honda’s programmed fuel injection technology, the result is high fuel efficiency and low emissions. Borrowed from the car industry, the outboards also feature VTEC, (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control), a technology to adjust intake airflow by changing the opening / closing timing and lift volume of the valves at low to high speed. The new BF80 and BF100 offer a range of enhanced features to ensure optimum ease of use. Firstly they offer Honda’s trolling control, allowing precise slow speed with automatic adjustments in 50rpm increments, ideal for certain types of fishing and slow speed manoeuvres. Both outboards are also fully compliant with NMEA 2000 allowing simplified connectivity to other devices. The models also allow the customer to purchase as an option, the new Honda digital NMEA 2000 compliant multi-function gauges. These are designed to provide simplified and standardised connectivity on board and to give vital engine information to the operator. The Honda gauges display information on key functions including engine rpm, trim angle, maintenance reminders, engine temperature, battery charge levels, oil pressure and engine management. These new gauges also feature Honda’s unique ‘Eco Light’ which informs the boat operator when the engine is in ECOmo / lean burn mode, and, therefore, at its most fuel efficient. Both engines come with Honda’s five years warranty. Honda has also announced its new driveby-wire throttle/shift control which is now available. The control, which is manufactured for Honda by Glendinning, features shift and throttle actuators that are located under the cowl, rather than in the boat. The new DBW system is available for BF175, BF200, BF225 and BF250 V6 engines, but it will also be adaptable to BF200 and BF225 from previous model years, so owners can upgrade. The control offers adjustable trolling speed, synchronisation of dual engines with single-lever throttle control, and plug-in multi-station capability. www.hondamarine.com

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TOWING SOLUTIONS & AUTO ACCESSORIES

BOAT TEST

Australian builder Quintrex has the largest model range on the market, with around 100 boats listed on their website. Freddy Foote checks out one of their popular and versatile models, the 440 Renegade SC.

QUINTREX 440 RENEGADE S.C.

ON THE MONEY ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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Powered by a Mercury 50hp four-stroke outboard the 440 Renegade will achieve 27mph. There are five different sized models available in Quintrex’s Renegade range from the smaller 420 model, up to a 520 available as a side console. The Quintrex 440 Renegade is available in three configurations, centre console, tiller steer and the side console (SC) model I tested. It’s primarily an easy to launch, easy to operate and feature packed open fisher. And fishing is what we elected to do. It was reported that some exceptional trout were being caught at Lake Rotoiti in the Bay of Plenty, so a quick trip to meet Gary Hatton from Auckland Marine was undertaken. Test day conditions were beautiful for boat testing. Lake Rotoiti was glassy calm, there were hardly any clouds in the sky and it was hot. But would the trout still be biting. Once aboard, I was immediately impressed with the side console concept. It is simple yet functional and gives you more than enough WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

room to fish. The boat comes fully carpeted as standard and there are a whole host of additional options you can specify to fully bling it out to your liking, such as a bimini cover or live bait tank (which was already fitted to our test boat). Aft, there is a raised platform, which incorporates storage underneath, provision for batteries and a live bait tank located in the port corner, as well as a dedicated space for a tackle box. At the helm, there is pretty much everything you need. A compact glove box with tinted Perspex lid and provision for engine instruments/gauges and a healthy area for a multi-function display should you wish. The seating configuration is made up of two pedestal seats, with additional seating space able to be utilised aft or forward. There are actually three different seating positions throughout the boat, so you can move the seats where you wish. You can also specify a pedestal

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One of the first healthy sized trout we brought aboard during our morning fishing.

The Quintrex 440 Renegade SC underway on Lake Rotoiti.

SPECIFICATIONS Model & Model: Priced from: Price as tested: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable weight: Test Power: Propeller: Power options: HP Range: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

Stability when bringing fish aboard was fantastic.

The layout is exceptional for fishing.

The side console was comfortable and is big enough to handle larger electronics.

Quintrex 440 Renegade SC $25,990 $28,990 Side Console Runabout Alloy 4.6m 2.11m Variable 1.7m 600Kgs Approx 50hp four-stroke Mercury Spitfire 13P Outboard 40-60hp 50L Single Axle

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA Quintrex 440 Renegade SC / Mercury 50 Rpm MPH 1000 3.5 1500 5.0 2000 6.0 2500 7.0 3000 10.0 3500 12.0 4000 17.0 4500 22.0 5000 24.0 5500 27.0

Another one coming over the side!

A healthy anchor locker forward, we utilized it for our drogue anchor.

This boat could be protected against the effects of corrosion, oxidation and discolouration.

A live bait tank is situated aft.

style seat in the bow as an option. Up in the bow itself, there is an awesome raised casting platform, which we used a lot on our test day. Underneath there are four separate storage lockers, one with a rotationally moulded plastic bin. Forward there is a sizeable anchor locker, which we used to store our drogue anchor during our days activities on the lake. Three of us fished very comfortably for a whole morning on the lake, mainly jigging for trout. When there was a strike, there was plenty of room for the other two anglers to wind up and store rods away quickly on the side shelves. Playing the fishing, the entire boat was easy to navigate and we were all able to stay out of each other’s way. When it came time to netting the fish, stability was awesome; never any time did I feel uneasy about two to one side bringing the fish aboard. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Mercury Power As far as performance goes, our test rig was fitted with a Mercury 50hp four-stroke. Underway it topped out at 27 mph, using 16.5 lph from the onboard 50 litre fuel tank. At a comfortable cruise of 20 mph, it was consuming 10.5 lph. On our test day we had three large adults onboard as well as a chilly bin, drogue anchor (soaked with water) rods, tackle boxes, camera equipment etc, so the boat was fairly well loaded up. With a slight chop on the lake in some places, the Renegade handled it very well. The boat felt rock solid when underway and kept us very dry when we shifted direction. The hull is rated from 40hp through to 60hp. I felt 50hp was about right, but a 60hp outboard would be ideal. I think if you had a

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Notable Standard Items 3 Year Warranty, Extruded Side Decks, Alloy Side Console with Mechanical Steering, Anchor Well, Side Pockets, Low Bow Rails, Carpeted Floor, Forward & Rear Casting Platforms, Two Skipper Seats with Three Positions, Transom Step & Rails, Alloy Cleat to Foredeck, Four Rod Holders, Anchor Kit, 50L Under Floor Fuel Tank, Quintrex Single axle Trailer. Notable Options on Test Boat Live Bait Tank & Tackle Storage Locker, 50hp Mercury Four-Stroke. Boat Supplied by: Auckland Marine, 247 Ti Rakau Drive, Pakuranga Contact: www.aucklandmarine.co.nz Ph 09 579 7981, Email: gary@aucklandmarine.co.nz

number of passengers onboard, plus gear then 40hp might be a little underpowered. However, if you plan to fish solo or with one other most of the time, then a 40hp outboard might be sufficient. So what did I think? Well, I absolutely loved it. I’ve always quite liked Quintrex’s, they’re well appointed and a lot of the time you don’t’ feel like you’re aboard a traditional tinnie. I’m also quite a fan of small boats, and from the moment I got aboard the 440 Renegade I knew I would like it. It’s packed full of great features, and uses every centimetre of internal space to the max. It has everything you would need to be a great fishing vessel. Fitted with the rear casting platform, live bait tank, tackle tray and four rod holders, the 440 Renegade is built to handle reefs, estuaries and lakes. WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

The ideal cost effective product to protect your valuable asset. www.nyalic.co.nz

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KIT SET BOATS

This DIYNO 801 was professionally built to a high standard.

Can’t find what you want off the shelf and have the necessary welding skills, then maybe you should consider a kit set boat. Both professional and home builders are looking at kit set boats as an alternative.

Great advances in boat performance usually coincide with advances in technology. The sudden performance increase of boats in the past can usually be attributed to advances in materials or new ways of building boats lighter and stronger, new engines that develop more horsepower for less weight, or masts that can be built stiffer, lighter and stronger. Likewise the alloy kit set boat market has benefitted from three advances in technology a; the development of design software enabling designers to accurately develop each and every part of the boat that can then be unrolled onto flat panels for cutting. b; CNC machines capable of cutting out these parts as accurately as they have been drawn. And c; the advancement of better and cheaper welding machines. Gone are the days of designers drawing on film using ducks and splines to loft lines. Most designers these days would be designing boats on computers. While drawing on computers is not as enjoyable as lofting pencil lines on paper, the reality is that the information, which can be generated from a 3D digital model far, exceeds what can be pulled off a 2d pencil drawing and builders demand and indeed expect this level of information these days. It is the combination of these three things that has opened up the market for alloy kit set boats. The labour, to build an aluminium kit set boat, is hugely reduced by the fact that that every part is already cut out. These parts then fit perfectly together like a jigsaw puzzle which takes away the highly skilled job of firstly lofting the boat and subsequently accurately cutting the parts to the lofted lines. If the cut files have been generated accurately, all the builder needs to do is match each part to the next and the boat should come out very fair and true. There is no excuse why any builder should not be able to produce a very professional product, assuming that the design of

WWW.NOAHTHOMPSONDESIGN.COM

A set of typical CNC cut parts. This shows a DIYNO 601 being built inverted.

the boat is good and the cut files are accurate and of professional quality. Typically kit set boats are conically developed. This means that the parts will lay on the surface of a cone (or usually multiple cones) and cylinders all joined together along a common radian or straight line. The key is that while the panel may look like it has curvature in both directions, at some point the surface must have a straight line representing the radians of the cone or cylinder. If this is done then the panels, can be “unrolled� onto a flat sheet. Some composite kits are developed for boats with compound curvature, but this can only be done with components that work together to make up the skins. For example a fibreglass cloth can be laid over pretty much any surface even if it has compound curves as can core materials that are made up of multiple small squares or cores that are planked up in thin strips like a cedar core. However, then the skins have to be built up in parts adding resin and glues and building the skin up layer by layer which is very labour intensive and the cost of the materials can be quite expensive.

RSD ALLOY KITSETS For the home builder or engineer RSD 1000 HT

Flat Packs This article is about conically developed panels more commonly plywood and aluminium. In days gone by plywood flat pack kits were popular but these days aluminium is more common. Aluminium offers both a material cost saving and also a labour cost saving. Plywood boats still make an excellent product. Very light and very stiff, but to make it durable it needs to be resinned, maybe glassed and painted. Resin, glass and paint add a considerable amount of financial cost and to do well takes many,

Model 701 Professionally designed alloy kit sets

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ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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The DIYNO501, a typical kitset boat from DIYNO WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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AB001

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3.6 metre runabout 5 metre runabout 6 metre runabout 7 metre cabin cruiser 8 metre cabin cruiser

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Model 501

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Hull skins in a female Jig

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ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Pro-Kit monohull boats are built right way up and do not require a jig, just a cradle to setup and hold the hull sections level.

Matt Janson’s home built Pro Kit 6m cabin boat.

many hours of hard laborious work. Aluminium can be purchased and cut in sheets as large as 9m x 2m. This reduces labour as there are very few joints required in the boat. Parts are merely cut from the right sized sheet. Aluminium can be left untreated. Weld it together, clean up the welds and you are ready to go boating. If you do want to paint, it is a far less arduous task than working from a fibreglass or wooden base.

and it may be easier to pull the panels down over the framework as opposed to pulling the bottom sheets into a female jig. DIYNO Kitset Boats sell all their kits with a female building jig to build the boat the right way up. This is also CNC cut and slots together. The reason they use a female jig, according to Jim Pauling of DIYNO Kitset Boats, is it makes the set-up very easy. It takes skill to set up frames upside down the traditional way and if not done accurately then the hull panels will not fit at a later date. By using the female building jig, the hull skins are the first piece of the puzzle so you know that everything else has to fit if the skins have been pulled down into the jig correctly and aligned with the corresponding edges. With the CNC cut parts, if the panels are accurately tacked together with the edges touching then the cut files themselves will ensure the boat is fair and true. The structure is all CNC cut as well so these effectively fair the hull skins by default when they are set in place. Thereafter all the welding is down hand welding. This, says Jim, is much easier than welding overhead. For one thing, you don’t get showered in molten metal but also you have gravity working for you as you weld. Welding is making metal molten. If you are welding down into the panel, then gravity helps keep the molten metal where it should be. When you sit a welding ticket, you are certified for the welding position that you sat in the test. This is because it is harder to weld vertical and overhead than down hand. So building the boat the right way up in a female jig, he believes is the easiest way to get a good result particularly for non- professionals or first-time builders. There is a third way of building the boat the right way up but without a jig, simply relying on the cut parts to hold the shapes. With this process, it is vital that all the parts may fit together, and that you don’t get any twisting as the build process proceeds. The small price of the jig ensures a very true finished product. As the boat is being welded, very high heat is put into the materials in the area of the weld. These materials expand and change the shape of the boat. You can imagine if you are welding on one side of the boat, the material there is hot and expanding while the other side of the boat is cool. Add to that the welds themselves are contracting as they cool. This puts stress on the boat that may not necessarily be balanced at any point in time. The weld schedule tries to spread the welds evenly around the boat to reduce the effect of this, but there are limitations. This distortion

Better Welders In recent years, there have been great technological advances in welders. The machines on offer these days make welding very much easier and almost set themselves. This technology coupled with CAD design and CNC cut parts means that each and every part should be touching. We tell our kit set customers if it is not touching don’t weld it! It is hard to weld gaps in aluminium but if the cut files are accurate and the joints are tight, and you are using a good modern welder then the job is very much simpler and the finished product of much better quality. The availability of single-phase inverter welders for aluminium that are very cost effective has made building an aluminium boat feasible for home builders. These are high-quality welders that no longer require 3 phase power to run them. The builders can now build their boats in the garage at home with single phase power. No longer does it cost a fortune to buy a welder before you even start to build the boat and once you own one of these machines you will find it very useful indeed. Other tools required are mostly what any home handyman might have in his shed. A Jigsaw, a grinder, drills. It is a good idea to have a small single phase compressor and an air grinder and/or die grinder. These can be purchased cheaply from most hardware stores and once again are very handy to have even once the boat is finished. Building Techniques There are three ways to build an alloy kit set boat. The traditional way is to stand the frames upside down on a strong back or jig and build the boat inverted. One advantage of this method is the ability to “fair the lines”. It is easier to see the curves and check for fairness on a convex curve as opposed to a concave curve. The other advantage is that when you lay the sheets you have gravity working on your side ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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is counteracted to a large degree by the use of a jig. Without a jig, these stresses can in fact twist and distort the boat a lot. Even though all the parts of the hull may still fit, the twist may not be noticed until it is too late. With a female jig, once the skins are laid, all the structure is tacked in place before major welding commences holding everything in place as it tries to expand and contract. This also means that all parts fit together and there is no need to then individually modify and fit each part. This saves many hours of labour. “We have done kits for professional boat builders who have always built boats inverted, starting with standing the frames. While I believe it requires more skill to do it this way it shows there is more than one way to skin a cat (or a monohull)”, says Jim. Nelson based Ace Engineering are another player in the kit set alloy boat market and have a different approach. Jason Elvines owner of Ace Engineering, builders of the DNA range of boats and Pro-Kit kit set boats, says he got into the kit set market after initially been approached by an oversea’s customer already manufacturing boats, who wanted to enter the pontoon boat building market and also to change the look of their monohulls. “Our customers have confidence in our designs and construction techniques because that’s our day to day business, so what you get from our kit sets is our refined techniques, step by step guidelines on building and welding processes from what we use on a daily basis”, says Jason. Pro-Kit kit set pontoon boats are built using a simple MDF jig cradle to hold the pontoon sections in place at the correct angle to form the ring and everything falls into place after this. The monohull builds are built right way up and do not require a jig, just a cradle to setup and hold the hull sections level. “Due to the large hull panels being manoeuvred, from a fabrication point of view, room to move panels freely in or out speeds up fabrication time”, says Jason. This method is important to get things right from the beginning as it sets up the accuracy for the entire build. Jason adds that if his clients follow the instructions, building the boat is a very straightforward process. “This process has proven popular in the Pacific Islands where it is cheaper to import the boat in parts and then assemble on site. In these cases, we usually pre fold all the panels ready for them to begin to manufacture immediately and even include windscreens”. WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

Prokits hard top range comes standard with curved glass windscreens, which also provide a structural element to the hardtop design and cut down on the fabrication required in window pillars and roof structure as well as adding aesthetic appeal to the boat. Why Build A Kitset Boat So why do people build a kit set alloy boat? Some home builders

Professionally designed marine kitsets Aluminium Pontoon and plate boats Custom boat design and concepts. Designed by Jason Elvines

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This RSD 751 is very popular with home builders.

The RSD 1000 has just been completed by a D.I.Y. builder to a very high standard.

RSD have a range of pontoon style for pleasure and commercial operators such as this RSD 731. simply have always had a desire to build their own boat and an alloy kit set gives them the opportunity to accomplish it in the least amount of time. Along the way, they develop some great new skills. Some builders decide to build an alloy kit set because they can get a better boat than what is on offer to them elsewhere and building it themselves allows them to customise the layout exactly to their requirements. Home builders usually have to give consideration to the space they need to build the boat. Will it fit in the garage? Secondly how long will it take to build or how long will the wife’s car have to sit outside? Another great advantage of using alloy is it can be put outside without deteriorating. If you have a solid week to put into the boat, you can work on it in the shed and then store it outside until you have another time period allocated to work on it again. It doesn’t even need to be covered when it is put outside. DIYNO offer an alloy jig to build the boat that then becomes the trailer. Once the trailer is built, the boat can be easily moved around. It is unusual for production builders to offer much in the way of customisation. It is simply too expensive for a large production yards to do so. Guys building their own boats can customise elements of their boats. Designers of kit set boats need all the information they can from you, as a huge amount of design work goes into accounting for all the weights and the positions of weights of all the various parts. Changing these can have a big impact on the performance and handling of the boat so it is vital to work with the designer. Christchurch based Robson Design has been in the business of producing kit set boats for a number of years for both the professional boat builders or a D.I.Y. enthusiast to build in their engineering workshop. The RSD models available as kits are all based on proven boats in operation throughout the world. RSD systems have one of the largest range of alloy kits sets available in New Zealand with over 35 different models available in 4.5m to 16m, all designed by Robson Design. Robson Design was one of the first to produce full CNC cut alloy kits, supplying some of New Zealand’s top alloy production boat builders over the years. RSD alloy kits are quite comprehensive and have been developed by the designers who have worked as boat builders so have been able to create very builder friendly concepts for the boats with emphasis to ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

produce boats that do not require specialist boat building skills, just good engineering and sheet metal skills. Robson Design can also custom design or modify an existing boat in its RSD range to suit client’s personal requirements or arrange construction for a partially built or completely turnkey vessel for any of the kits by one of the affiliated quality builders throughout the world. Choose Carefully So how do you achieve a successful outcome from building an alloy kit set boat? Choose your kit set carefully. Do your research on the design. It is a lot of money and hard work to achieve the desired outcome so choosing the right design from the start is vital. Look for a company that is happy to support you through the build process. It helps to have a good working relationship with the designer. As stated previously, one advantage of building your own boat is the ability to customise it. It is important to be able to discuss any proposed changes with the designer. Give careful consideration to the materials used in the kit set. “We design our boats on the basis of 5083 alloys that has very good mechanical properties, but more importantly has excellent welded strength (up to 90% of the unwelded strength)”, says Jim. 5052 can be used, but the welded strength of 5052 is about 80% of the unwelded strength. The yield strengths are even less than these figures, 56% for 5052 and 77% for 5083. While this does not mean that 5052 cannot be used, there may be some applications where 5052 is the right choice, but the welded strength of the alloy needs to be taken into consideration. The cost of 5052 is considerably cheaper than 5083 and therefore tempting to substitute for 5083. However, 5052 should never be substituted for 5083 if the boat has been designed and engineered for 5083. We have had potential suppliers tell us in the past that 5052 is just the same as 5083, just not marine certified. This is wrong and potentially dangerous! Check that the material supplied in the kit is the material specified in the design and sourced from a reputable supplier. Special thanks to Jim Pauling of DIYNO Kitset boats for his assistance in putting this article together. www.diynokitsetboats.com

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BOAT TEST

Aqualine’s pairing of the 495 Fisherman (left) and the 545 Sports are both similar in many respects but are quite different.

495 FISHERMAN & 545 SPORTS

MATCHED PAIR Aqualine’s pairing of the 545 Sports and the 495 Fisherman are both similar in many respects but are quite different. However, they both are designed to cater for the small boat fishing market and as Barry Thompson found out recently off the Kapiti Coast, for their size, they also come with a great ride and handling. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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My first impression of the latest Aqualine models was when I arrived at Mana Marina to find three boats; a 495 Fisherman, 545 Sports and a 595 Sport HT. In the Jan-Feb issue of Pacific PowerBoat we ran a full report on the largest of the trio, the 595 Sport HT and kept the two smaller and somewhat similar 495 Fisherman and 545 Sports for this issue of Alloy Boat magazine. The background to the Aqualine brand is an interesting one, as it started simply as a rebadged Kiwi Kraft. Designer and builder of the Kiwi Kraft boats, Rodney Harris felt that if he was going to have a successful export market in Australia he needed to ditch the Kiwi name and find something more generic. So was born Aqualine as the ‘export’ brand name and for a time there was not a lot of difference between the two brands. However in recent years there has been some significant changes and now even more so since Phil Butler and the team at Boat City in Paraparaumu got their hands on the

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boats and decided to market them in New Zealand. “We have made a lot of changes to the boats, so they are in many respects different to the Kiwi Kraft equivalent, with distinct points of difference. Most noticeable is the higher coaming and transom heights, plus we have improved on the fishability of the boats”, says Ian Coutts, sales manager for Boat City, the sole New Zealand retailer for the Aqualine brand. The dashes and walk through screens in some models have been altered and changes to the anchor lockers were made so they could better accommodate free fall drum winches. Aqualine boats are wider than their Kiwi-Kraft counterparts, (up to 100mm internally in the larger models) have the transoms further aft, which along with the extra width offers more internal cockpit space and more freeboard due to the higher coamings.

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495 FISHERMAN A BIG SMALL PACKAGE...

Top speed with the Yamaha 60 was close to 29 knots (33 mph). The Aqualine range starts with the 435, followed by the 495 Fisherman, with a 5.075m LOA, an external beam of 2.02m and internal beam of 1.40m. Dry weight of the hull is 380kgs and as a package has a towing weight of around 700 kg. The 495 Fisherman is a one person launch and retrieve and is light enough to be easily beach launched. The 495 Fisherman layout is open and uncluttered with the standard seating layout being twin swivelling bucket seats on pedestals from Hi Tech Plastics (upholstery is an option) and a full width sliding hardwood bench seat. A king/queen port side seat is also available. The transom area is extremely well designed for fishing with a starboard side bait board and a walk through transom to port. This can be changed for a large bait locker or live bait tank, plus there are various bait board designs and sizes available. There is also the option of an underfloor kill tank. I liked the generous size boarding platforms either side of the outboard pod and the larger than normal handrail. Perfect for divers and swimmers coming back aboard. While the 25 litre tote tank comes standard with the boat, there is space enough for a 45 litre tote, which would be well worthwhile having as there is no underfloor tankage

The 495 Fisherman layout is open and uncluttered. available. Twin hatches conceal the battery and extra storage. The main cockpit storage is provided in wide side shelves, which carry right forward into the dodger area under the foredeck. There’s also a couple of pontoon storage lockers with circular hatches, so dry storage areas are well catered for. The forward area is too small to be called a cuddy and there is no provision for berths, so you’de simply regard it as a place to stow dry gear. A 200mm high storage rail stops anything making its way into the cockpit. There is also provision for an overhead cargo net for storage of items such as life jackets and wet weather gear. The 495 Fisherman has a walk-through screen, with the open anchor locker set far enough back into the deck, so it’s easily accessible from the cockpit. If you fit a lockable chain bollard and fairlead then you can leave the anchor on deck and don’t have the hassle of reaching into the deep anchor locker to get it out. Certainly makes anchoring chores a lot easier. But then there’s also the option of electric rope/chain winch or even a small drum winch, which can be custom fitted. The small helm is designed to take a bracket mounted sounder, (up to 10”), or you may like to mount this on the other side ahead of the passenger seat. If you angle

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The small helm is designed to take a bracket mounted sounder up to 10”. the screen a bit, it is easily readable from the helm. This way leaves you space for instruments and a few switches. A 6 way switch panel comes standard as does rotary steering and there’s also built-in footrests for both the driver and forward passenger. Being a CPC rated boat the 495 Fisherman also comes standard with battery box and isolator, navigation lights and an 1100 gph bilge pump. Power options are 50 to 70 hp, with our test boat running a Yamaha F60 four stroke. Top speed was close to 29 knots (33 mph) which is totally adequate for this size boat. If you run a 50 hp outboard I would expect the top end speed to drop to around 26 knots (30 mph) and if you decide you need more power, then a 70 hp is going to return you 32.2 knots (37 mph). It’s certainly a hull that can quite comfortably handle the speed and in some reasonably choppy water in behind Mana Island, the 495 Fisherman performed well. The hull is quiet through the water and easily driven, but there are limitations and you need to remind yourself that this is still only a 5m boat. If you think the 495 Fisherman is just a little small and the 595 too big, then check out the mid-sized 545 Sports. At 5.52m overall, 2.18m external beam and 1.56m internal beam, it’s just that much bigger

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545 SPORTS

SIMILAR BUT BIGGER...

With a Mercury 115 EFI the 545 Sports runs to 35 knots (40 mph). than the 495 and being the Sports version, does have the bonus of being a genuine cuddy with upholstered bunks with a drop down floor. There is good sitting headroom and the berths are long enough for smaller adults or kids to lay on, but it’s certainly not designed for overnighting. There is limited storage under the berths, plus like the 495 has a couple of pontoon lockers to keep stuff dry. In the 595 Fisherman model the chequer plate sole extends all the way to the bow, much the same as the 495 Fisherman, with no berths. From the aft of the forward seats, the cockpit and transom layout is identical to the 495 and is available with all the same options. The standard seats are a king/queen passenger seat and Softrider pedestal driver seat, but again you have options to change that to whatever suits. There is extra storage in the grp moulded king/queen seat base as well as in an underfloor locker. This can be converted to a fully plumbed kill/live bait tank and the 545 Sports also comes standard with a 150 litre underfloor fuel tank. The dash area is also a lot bigger than on the 495 Fisherman, so you have more space for electronics, etc. In our test boat we had a Raymarine 5” GPS/Sounder, (there’s room for up to a 12” screen), twin Mercury Smartcraft gauges, a Uniden

Standard seats are a king/queen passenger seat and Softrider pedestal driver seat.

VHF radio, 6 way switch panel and the controls to operate the Sav fastfall drum winch. Like on the larger models, Aqualine have done a neat job of hiding the large and obtrusive drum winch away below the deckline. With the drum winch fitted with a braided nylon rope, we had 120m of line available, which is way more than would be possible with a conventional auto rope/ chain anchor system. If you don’t have an auto system, then it’s an easy reach via the split windscreen and deck hatch to the open anchor locker. Our 545 also came with a few extra options such as a rocket launcher with six rod holders and bimini. If you have a height issue where you park the boat, then a quick release system allows you to drop the canopy and your overall height on the trailer is down to around 2m. A bigger boat means bigger horsepower engines are available and in the case of the 545 Sports the options are 80hp-115hp. With a Mercury 115 EFI, I managed to run the 545 Sports to 35 knots (40 mph). Acceleration was excellent with a very quick holeshot, with a 19” three blade Laser prop biting hard. We had no trim tabs, but as the boat isn’t a hardtop it didn’t really need them and I found it ran very level at speed and was responsive to engine trim. Best cruise was around 4500 rpm @

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23 knots, which according to the Smartcraft fuel gauge was using 24 lph. At 5000 rpm the Smartcraft indicated 28 lph, at 5500 rpm, 34 lph and flat out Flat out this increased to 45 lph and at 6000 rpm, the maximum flow was 45 lph. Quality Plus One common thing about Kiwi-Kraft and equally Aqualine is the reputation the boats have for their soft ride, with the trademark Hush Tec hull. These are traditional pontoon boats with round tubes and soft chines that use trapped air between the sponson and

the hull to contribute to the smooth ride. Buoyancy and stability are also very

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Fun family

495 FISHERMAN SPECIFICATIONS Models: Priced from: Price as tested: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable weight: Power: Propellers: Power options: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA Aqualine 495 Fisherman $NZ31595 $NZ36995 Runabout with Dodger 4mm/3mm 5.075m 2.20m 18 deg 1.95m 650 kg Yamaha 60 13” Alloy 50-70hp 45 litre tote tank Mudgway

Models: Priced from: Price as tested: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable weight: Power: Propellers: Power options: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

STABICRAFT / YAM BOAT PACKAGES

The sliding bench seat gives you plenty of extra seating when you want it.

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA Aqualine 545 Sports $NZ38995 $NZ66,000 Cuddy 4mm/3mm 5.52m 2.18m 20 deg 2.07m 920 kg Mercury 115 EFI 19” Laser SS 50-70hp 150 litres Mudgway

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The 495 has generous size boarding platforms and a larger than normal handrail.

Aqualine 495 / Yamaha 60 Rpm knots 1000 0.5 1500 3.8 2000 5.4 2500 7.6 3000 10.8 3500 15.1 4000 19.4 4500 23.8 5000 25.4 5500 28.6

545 SPORTS SPECIFICATIONS

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Aqualine 545 / Mercury 115 EFI Rpm knots 1000 0.5 1500 2.0 2000 2.5 2500 6.0 3000 10.0 3500 16.5 4000 19.5 4500 23.0 5000 25.5 5500 30.0 6000 35.0

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Aqualine have done a neat job of tucking the drum winch away below the deckline.

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The 545 does have the bonus of being a genuine cuddy with upholstered bunks with a drop down floor.

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important and the Aqualine hulls certainly deliver where it matters. Each pontoon section is sealed providing massive buoyancy and in effect makes the boats virtually unsinkable. The boats are also built to an extremely high standard and in some areas probably overbuilt, but that’s something the factory will not compromise on. They have that solid, sturdy feel about them and there’s no rattling or shimmering when underway. Notable Standard Items on Test Boats Bilge Pump, Nav lights, 4 rod holders, baitboard, CPC rated.

Notable Options on Test Boats 495 Fisherman - Railblaza mount baitboard, VHF, Lowrance Elite 5, rocket launcher, boarding ladder 545 Sports – Raymarine 5”, VHF, Sav Winch, rocket launcher. Manufacturer: Kiwi Engineering & Marine Ltd, Ph: +64 3214 1388, E: rodney@kiwikraft.com www.aqualineboats.com Boat Supplied by: Boat City , Ph 04 298 5931, E: sales@boatcity.co.nz www.boatcity.co.nz

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FISHING & DIVING AT THE MOKES By Mathew Hewetson

If you haven’t been to the legendary Mokohinau Islands, then it should be on your boating bucket list to do. This small group of islands lie off the northeast coast of the North Island, 21km northwest of Great Barrier Island and about 52km east of Bream Head.

Approaching Grouper Rock to cast softbaits. WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

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Adrian with the first snapper of the trip caught straight off Leigh.

The magical Mokes are a special place to venture.

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The Mokes are a special place to visit and fish for trophy snapper that inhabit the deep and very clear waters surrounding the isles. Over the last twenty years and on several trips to the Mokes, I have caught my own PB 20lb snapper here and I have also witnessed two snapper caught that were both well over 10kg. A friend Adrian Hogg has spent a lot of time fishing the Mokes and he has seen even more trophy fish landed from its waters. So we organised to head out in spring to stay overnight once a good weather window arrived. In mid-October after two weeks of 20+ knot winds had finally blown out, we had our chance with light winds forecast under 7 knots for a mid-week trip. Adrian would take his Mclay 720 and another friend, Derek Bradley made up our crew of three. Adrian and Derek are both keen divers, so the plan of course was to fish for snapper and also explore underwater for crays. We left Auckland early at 4:15am to get to Omaha and launch in the dark. We wanted live baits for targeting big snapper and Adrian found them along the shallow rocky coast by T-Point. We caught over a dozen Jack mackerel which would be just candy to a big fish. As the sun had just started to rise we sped out towards our destination. Only five minutes into our trip I saw gannets to the left in the hazy early morning gloom diving straight off Leigh. I told Adrian to gun the boat around and head north to take a better look. As we approached we were surprised to see a lot of gannets with dolphins smashing into baitfish. Adrian stopped and dropped a slowjig into the water while Derek and I rigged our rods. As soon as Adrian’s jig hit the bottom he hooked up

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MOKES TOP TIP: - Use Jack mackerel live baits for big trophy snapper. - Use heavier gear, 15kg mono and 60lb – 80lb traces. - Drift over reefs using ball sinkers above the swivel of the trace to get the baits down.

This Jack mackerel live bait was rigged and sent down on a reef.

Adrian and Derek were all smiles after a successful cray dive.

hard. My jig was also hit hard moments later as it hit the bottom in about 30m of water. Adrian lost a lot of line and finally subdued his fish which was a good 6.5kg, while mine was 61cm and about 5kg. What a start to the day and we hadn’t even made it to the Mokes. The workup finished quickly and we wanted to push on, so we headed out wide in perfect conditions cruising at 24 knots all the way. We arrived about 8:30am and immediately set up out live bait rigs for the fresh mackerel live baits. Adrian selected a big Jack mackerel and I picked a smaller one. We dropped them to the bottom and left the rods in the rod holders. About fifteen minutes later and Adrian’s reel screamed as a good fish took off with his livie. He clicked into gear and struck the rod hard but unfortunately it didn’t hook up. That was a good fish and a promising start. We kept live baiting for another hour with no results so we switched tactics to softbaiting. We headed out to Grouper Rock to cast softbaits into the white water and we noticed a lot of jellyfish. Maybe that was affecting the fishing as strangely we didn’t even get a strike softbaiting for an hour. We decided to get the diving done and went in closer to Burgess Island for Adrian and Derek to suit up. Adrian had bought along dive scooters which looked like fun and they would be a first for Derek who hadn’t tried them before. They dove on a rock that was about 20m below on its highest point and after about half an hour they surfaced with several good crays and two big reds. They were all smiles. The second dive wasn’t as successful with only three crays, but with 15m visibility they both enjoyed the dive.

Adrian and Derek used scooters and were impressed with the 15m visibility.

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Snapper or Cod, you get it all at the Mokes.

stabicraft marine

BREAKOUT FACT Burgess Island is the northernmost island and easily recognised by its lighthouse built in 1883 which was automated in the 1970’s. You can land on Burgess but the remainder of the islands; Fanal, Flax and Trig Islands, as well as the small stacks – are all nature reserves that protect wildlife such as the rare Mokohinau skink, the robust skink, Mokohinau stag beetle and several threatened plants. We shifted to find a good reef to berley up on and strayline baits for the afternoon and evening. Hopefully we would catch a big snapper coming into dark. Top Catch Westhaven had supplied us with some awesome 4kg salmon berley which attracts fish like flies. We also had pilchards, bonito belly strips and bullet tunas to strayline. The fishing was steady as we caught good sized pannies that were all resident kelpie snapper that were a stunning brown copper colour. Where were the big snapper? While I got dinner started I selected a bigger bullet tuna to cast out the back and left it in the rod holder. Suddenly it got smashed and the reel screamed as line disappeared from the spool at an alarming rate. I grabbed the rod and struck hard but it dropped the bait. Another lost chance. That was a big fish that was perhaps too fast for a snapper, maybe a kingfish, maybe a trophy snapper? I’ll never know unfortunately.

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We fished till about 7:30pm and decided it was time to find shelter for mooring. There were three other boats in a bay under the lighthouse that had all anchored for the night. We joined them and were in our sleeping bags by 10pm, shattered from the big day. I awoke at 12pm to the boat moving about as the wind had changed and it was hard to sleep. Adrian got up and pulled anchor to follow his track on the GPS to another position he had wisely marked earlier that day. After we re-anchored in this calmer mooring we got back to sleep for a 6am start. We headed back to the reef early to berley up again. This time Derek was bringing up a steady stream of good kelpie snapper to 50cm. I caught three granddaddy hapuka in a row! The bullet tuna bait seemed to be the flavour of the morning for the snappers’ breakfasts. We fished until about 10am and then decided to pack up and fillet all the fish and look out for another workup on the way back to Omaha. Unfortunately this trip to the Mokes didn’t produce a large trophy fish as we hoped for, but we had a couple of chances and the fish missed our hooks. We had great weather, diving and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Mokes is a special place and a true big snapper destination that you should consider when planning your next trip.

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BOAT TEST

Our test Southern XP 716 is the first to be launched with a Hyundai D170 diesel sterndrive.

SOUTHERN XP716 DIESEL

APPLES VS APPLES Fresh off testing the Southern XF 676, Freddy Foote looks at a newly released variation, the XP 716 Diesel, one of the first trailerable powerboats in New Zealand with a Hyundai SeasAll D170. ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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The pros and cons of running a petrol outboard compared to a diesel inboard stern drive in a trailer boat has long been debated and I am not really sure there is a definitive answer. Many manufacturers offer model in either diesel stern drive or petrol outboard configurations and while the outboards dominate, there is a move, albeit small towards the diesel option. It’s not often we get to sample both configurations in an almost identical model and report back the results. In this case we have put the Southern XF 676 with a Yamaha 150hp four-stroke outboard up against a Southern XP 716 Diesel, powered by a Hyundai SeasAll S170. Essentially they are the same hull, albeit the diesel version is a little longer and both engines are comparable horsepower.

to a double with the addition of an infill. The cabin is fully lined with carpet giving a warm feel. Storage is available underneath the bunks, as well as on side shelves. An electric toilet is fitted under the bunk to starboard, and by sliding the cabin door shut, it provides plenty of privacy. Above, a large hatch opens to the foredeck where a Maxwell winch takes care of anchoring. The helm seating is made up of a pedestal seat, mounted on a base with storage underneath. The seating position gives the skipper a great-unobstructed view forward through the windscreen and when standing there is plenty of headroom, so the very tallest among us will be able to stand to drive very easily. The dash itself is neatly finished with a Raymarine 9� cSeries GPS/ Sounder, whilst a switch panel and Maxwell anchor winch controls are located below. On either side of the helm area are handy and convenient cubbyholes for storing keys, phones and the likes. On the port side,

Layout From mid cockpit both boats largely share the same layout configuration. Forward in the open cabin, a large vee berth converts

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SPECIFICATIONS

That’s a nice rear.

Storage space is available underneath the port side seating.

Make &Model: Manufacturer: Price as tested: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable weight: Test Power: Propeller: Power Options:

The helm seat has plenty of storage space underneath.

HP Range: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA Southern XP 716 Southern Boats $145,995 Hardtop Aluminium 7.10m 2.45m 20 degree 2.95m 2000kg 170hp Hyundai SeasAll diesel 19” Mirage Plus Outboard or diesel sterndrive 170-225hp 180L Custom

Yamaha 150 4S Fuel capacity: 200 litres RPM KNOTS L / H 1000 4.5 3.5 1500 7.0 4.5 2000 8.5 7.5 2500 10.0 11.5 3000 13.5 16 3500 20.0 20.5 4000 25.0 26 4500 27.0 32 5000 31.0 45 5500 34.0 58 5800 36.5 63.5

L / NM 0.8 0.7 0.9 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.5 1.8 1.8

RANGE (NM) 230 270 200 150 150 160 160 150 120 100 100

Hyundai SeasAll D170 Fuel capacity: 180 litres RPM KNOTS L / H 700 3.0 1.5 1000 5.0 2.1 1500 7.0 5 2000 10.0 11.5 2500 17.5 20.5 3000 24.5 28 3500 29.0 33.5 3800 32.5 37.5

L / NM 0.5 0.4 0.7 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

RANGE (NM) 320 380 220 130 130 130 130 130

This boat is protected against the effects of corrosion, oxidation and discolouration.

The outboard version transom is quite different.

The cabin comes with a lockable sliding door and extra privacy for the toilet.

seating is made up of a pedestal seat mounted on a base with storage underneath. However, this side gets an aft facing passenger seat as well. The cockpit has high gunwales with thigh padding to assist anglers. Carpeted cockpit shelving takes care of storage for rods; additional rod storage is located above via the rocket launcher as well as in the coamings and at the bait station aft. The obvious prominent feature of the cockpit is the engine box, covering the Hyundai diesel. The hatch lifts forward for easy service, and above is padded for seating comfort. Overall I didn’t think the engine box was too obtrusive for the cockpit, as was still adequate room for four anglers. A walk-through in the starboard corner gives easy access to the full width-boarding platform and accompanying dive ladder that can be shut off by inserting the gate. A wash down hose for the cockpit is also located here, allowing quick and easy cleanup of the working area. On the port side of the transom is a sizeable live bait tank with viewing window.

out of the hole with a 150 Yamaha four-stroke was great and helped propel the 676 to a top speed of 42mph @ 5800rpm. Fuel supply for the 150hp Yamaha comes via a 200-litre fuel tank. At 4000rpm and 28.5mph on the GPS, fuel burn was 26lph giving it a cruise range of 214 nautical miles. At a trolling speed of 8mph or 7 knots and 1500rpm, the fuel burn was down to 4.6lph. With the Hyundai SeasAll D170, the XP 716 achieved a top speed of 37.4mph @ 3800rpm burning 32.0lph. At 1500rpm the XP 716 is doing 8mph or 7 knots using 5.0lph – almost identical to the Yamaha. At 3000rpm the diesel will achieve 28.0mph and use 18.0Lph – 8 lph less than the Yamaha. However at 28mph, it will give the 716 a cruise range of 280 nautical miles. Though it is a slightly bigger boat than the 676, the 716 has a slightly smaller fuel tank at 180L, largely due to the fact of the engine taking up space underneath the floor. But with the exceptional economy of the diesel, it’s no real issue. On our test day aboard the XP 716, we experienced some fairly typical Auckland conditions, with an incoming tide and wind presenting some rough waters on our way from Half Moon Bay to Motuhie Island. With the extra weight of the diesel inboard, and the slightly longer hull length, the ride was great. It pushed through the chop very easily and had a very solid feel when underway.

Pick Your Power The standard and minimum power rating for the Southern 676 hull is 150hp., although it will happily handle up to 200hp outboards. Punch

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The heart of the operation, the Hyundai SeasAll D170.

It was reasonably easy to trim and with a cross wind, the trim tabs are a must. As this brand new package was the first Hyundai install for Southern Boats, there was still a little bit of work to do quieting the engine at idle (every alloy boat is different and suffer from different harmonics.). However underway the noise wasn’t overly obtrusive and two of us were able to converse easily enough at cruise. The diesel option is considerably more expensive to purchase, with a difference of around $30,000 in the base prices. Packages for the XF 676 start at $99,990 with a Yamaha 150hp ($25,500) four-stroke outboard. Packages for the XP 716 with the Hyundai SeasAll D170 start from $129,995. As tested this rig was $145,995 (Engine and Bravo drive costing $42,600.)

You probably need to factor in the cost of petrol v diesel, although ultimately that’s a small cost for your boating enjoyment. There is obviously a huge difference in vessel range; a 150hp Yamaha four-stroke powered boat has a range of 214 nautical miles at 28mph. The Hyundai SeasAll D170 however will allow you to go 280 nautical miles at the same speed, which is quite a significant difference. Overall, both engine packages have their good and bad points, it’s really just a matter of what suits you best. For me, I’d happily have either. Notable Standard Items on Test Boat Drivers adjustable pedestal seating, Passenger King/Queen seating w/ storage, Live bait tank, Nyalic Finish Int/Exterior, fully painted Int/ Exterior Notable Options on Test Boat Wash down pump, Electric toilet, Ray Marine C97MFD, Maxwell anchor winch. Contact: Family Boats, Ph: 09 274 0511 E: sales@familyboats.co.nz www.familyboats.co.nz

The Winner So is there a clear winner deciding between a diesel stern drive and a four-stroke outboard of similar powers? Well it’s a hard call. It largely depends on what your preference is and where you do the majority of your boating. If you spend a lot of time on the water, and do 50 plus hours a year, a diesel stern drive might be a better option. You’ll also find, if you fuel up on the water, many marina’s and wharfs around the country still only have diesel available at the pump.

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The ideal cost effective product to protect your valuable asset. www.nyalic.co.nz

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READY TO PERFORM 3 TONNE TOW RATING

Introducing the All-New ISUZU MU-X. With an impressive 3 tonne towing capacity (braked), The All-New ISUZU MU-X never knocks back hard work. Be it towing your boat, caravan, horse float or trailer, the MU-X does it effortlessly and with seven seats you can bring the whole family along for the ride.

The Honda 100 is a very quiet and grunty engine that is well-suited to the Frewza F18 Fisher.

BOAT TEST

FREWZA F18 FISHER

In 2013 Frewza Marine released the first of their new F18 hardtop models and shortly after followed that with the F18 Fisher, an open version of the same boat. Barry Thompson spent some very relaxed boating time on a mirror-smooth Lake Wanaka to find out more about this Invercargill built pontoon boat. Brendon Frew is a man that is passionate about the brand that carries his name and while they are extremely popular and known in the South Island, the Frewza brand is not so strong further North. However, that is quickly changing in places such as Auckland, Tauranga and Nelson. In 2014, Frews Marine built around 150 boats of which the F18 was responsible for 12 of those sales. “The F18 was the result of customer demand for a bigger boat, especially in the hardtop version, so selling around one a month was very pleasing”, says Brendon. Frews Marine deal direct with customers and say this has proven very popular as clients can have a regular update on the boat’s progress and make the necessary option changes direct with the factory. He says, “ We pride ourselves on producing exceptional boats for “real” people, keeping our boats at an affordable cost and offering a range of models and options including full customisation”. Good Design One of the characteristics of the Frewza F18 Fisher hull design is a fine entry point and positioning of the planing strakes. Brendon points out that he doesn’t run strakes on any models smaller than the F18 as the hulls don’t need them. “They add about 18% to the lift factor and in a following sea they allow the hull to track really nicely and predictably down a wave”, says Brendon. As Lake Wanaka was mirror calm for our test, I have to rely on Brendon’s comments re rough water handling, but based on what I have heard about his other designs, they have a great sea keeping reputation. I can comment however on the excellent stability at rest, with the boat remaining very level with both Brendon and myself on one side of the cockpit. Good to know when you are fishing 2-3 people or have a diver dropping over the side. Construction is typical of a pontoon boat of this size with 4mm plate on the hull, 3mm used for the pontoons and 3mm cabin sides and top. There are three sealed air tight chambers in either pontoon, plus

BUILT FOR PURPOSE ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

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The boarding platforms either side of the outboard pod are standard. SPECIFICATIONS

An open, deep anchor locker holds plenty of tackle.

Model: Priced from: Price as tested: Type: Construction: LOA: Beam: Deadrise: Height on trailer: Trailerable weight: Power: Propellers: Power options: Fuel capacity: Trailer:

Live bait wells, bait stations, washdown pumps and bait bins can all be custom fitted into the transom area. The fold down rocket launcher also comes with a bimini. The F18 starts off as a basic fishing version and then can be up-speced as required. sealed cavities under the chequer plate sole. Overall there’s around 1700 litres of buoyancy, which makes the Frewza F18 virtually unsinkable. Our test boat was brand new, and Brendon had brought it to Wanaka to deliver to its new owner. His plans for the boat were more than lake fishing, with plans this summer to tow the boat through to Haast and do a lot of his fishing off the rugged and unpredictable West Coast. However, when I got to run the Frewza F18 Fisher the biggest ripple I had on the water was crossing our wake. Hardly a true to test for a boat like the F18, but what a beautiful venue to do a boat review. Lake Wanaka is a massive lake that offers a serenity that can only be found in the Southern Lakes of the South Island. Beautiful scenery one way, magnificent vistas the other. But back to reality and the boat review.

contributes to the engines’ excellent fuel economy and VTEC (BF100), provides more top-end power while maintaining optimum fuel economy. Overall a very quiet and grunty engine that is wellsuited to the Frewza F18 Fisher. The engine also includes an optional Trolling Control function which allows precise control of engine speed, with adjustments in 50rpm increments from 650rpm to 1000rpm, which is ideal for various styles of fishing and slow speed manoeuvres. Great for trolling around the edge of Lake Wanaka for trout. Custom Layouts Like most of his designs, Brendon starts off each new model as a basic fishing version and then up-specs them as required. This particular F18 Fisher has been kept reasonably basic and not over speced by its owner as his prerequisite was for a serious, nononsense fishing boat. Forward, the cuddy area is spartan, with no berths in our test boat, but there is the option of fully lining this area and adding vee-berths. There is a large overhead Maxwell deck hatch for ease of access to the forepeak open anchor locker and a rear upstand on the sole to stop your gear ending up back in the cockpit. This is certainly Frews Marine most popular layout and in reality the cabin is just someone to stow the dry gear. There is the option of installing a fully automatic anchoring system, either a below deck line drum winch or a deck mounted capstan. When it comes to the dash area, you can fit up to a 10”-12” MFD screen and still have room beside and above for instruments, controls and switches. In our test boat, we had the added options of a GME VHF radio and a bracket mounted Lowrance Elite 5 HDI

Silent & Deadly The Frewza F18 is rated from 90hp to 130hp, outboards only, with our test power being a Honda BF100, an engine released in 2014 along with the BF80. The BF80 / BF100’s 1.5-litre, SOHC, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder engine is inspired by the same engine that powers one of Honda’s best-selling motor vehicles, the ‘Jazz’. A range of Honda-exclusive technologies combine to deliver exceptional power, superior environmental performance and best-inclass fuel economy, we’re told. Well, I would have to agree, as the acceleration and top end speed of the Frewza F18 was very impressive for just 100hp and on a flat calm ‘sticky’ fresh water lake. At 6000 rpm, with maximum trim I managed to squeeze the speedo to 68.5 knots. Honda’s ECOmo, is a sophisticated fuel control system that

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Frewza F18 Fisher $NZ37990 $NZ42500 Cuddy 4mm/3mm 5.75m 2.25m 18 deg 2.75m 1000 kgs Honda 100hp 19” SS 75-115hp 100 litres Mudgway

FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA

combo unit. I asked Brendon about the lack of a separate glove box to keep car keys, cellphone, wallet, etc., but again this is another option available should you want it. Standard seating is a pair of swivelling cantilevered Hi Tech bucket seats with storage under. A wide variety of seating is available, such as king/queen options. But then you find you are encroaching on the available fishing space. The most common option for extra seating is a removable full width cockpit bench seat which slides up/down the side rails or can be left at home if you don’t need it. A very simple and effective way of adding extra seating when you have the family aboard. Storage is plentiful with full-length side shelves and a huge space available under the aft deck. We had a single battery, but there is provision for twins and there’s still plenty of room for gear. Live bait wells, bait stations, washdown pumps and bait bins can all be custom fitted. The rocket launcher with bimini and rod holders is an option, but something that I feel would be a must have option on the boat. Ten Years Young Frewza celebrates 2015 as their 10th year in business and Brendon sees a growing demand for his boats, especially in the export market. While already sending boats to a number of Pacific Islands, including Rarotonga and the Tokelau Islands, it is Australia that he sees as an untapped area for his brand. “Our plans are to establish a dealer network through the main centres of Australia by mid-2015 and I am certain that models like the F18 will be well accepted in the market”, says Brendon. Brendon sums up his boats as being uncomplicated, extremely well built, sea kindly and stylish, which is a combination that’s hard to beat. The Frewza you end up with is totally up to you, be it basic or fully customised, and that’s one of the neat things that the company can offer. With the F18 filling in a size gap between 5m-6m, look for a hardtop around 7m-7.5m coming soon from Frews Marine.

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Frewza F18 Fisher / Honda 100HP Fuel capacity: 100 litres

RPM

MPH

1000 rpm 1500 rpm 2000 rpm 2500 rpm 3000 rpm 3500 rpm 4000 rpm 4500 rpm 5000 rpm 5500 rpm 6000 rpm

6.5 mph 9.0 mph 11.5 mph 16.0 mph 28.0 mph 35.5 mph 40 mph 50.0 mph 58.0 mph 66.5 mph 68.5 mph

This boat could be protected against the effects of corrosion, oxidation and discolouration.

The ideal cost effective product to protect your valuable asset. www.nyalic.co.nz

Notable Standard Items on Test Boat Bilge Pump, Nav lights, 4 rod holders, Notable Options on Test Boat Railblaza mount baitboard, VHF, Lowrance Elite 5, rocket launcher, boarding ladder, painted hull. Manufacturer: Frewza Marine Ltd, 193 Bond Street, Invercargill, +64 3 214 1021 frewsmarine@xtra.co.nz www.frewzaboats.co.nz

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

COMPANY PROFILE With the FC610 HT, the company moved into the hardtop market.

400 & STILL COUNTING The boat that started it, the FC430, sold for under $15000 when released in 2011.

Ross Christensen doing what he loves the most…. going fishing and diving in one of his own FC boats.

Freddy Foote talks to Fish City’s Ross Christensen about his hugely successful retail business and his burgeoning boat building venture. It was in October 1992 that Ross Christensen realised his childhood passion and opened his own fishing and tackle shop in Kahikatea Drive, Hamilton. He called it Fish City and it would be committed to offering the best level of service to all fellow fishermen. Just over 22-years later, Fish City has remained a prominent player in the New Zealand marine market. Fish City started with three dedicated staff, Kevin Taylor, Jon Hewson and Ross himself as owner/operator and jack-of-all-trades. The operation soon became the top spot for local fishermen. As Fish City’s reputation for unsurpassed service, passion and professionalism grew, so too did the business. Less than ten years after opening as a simple tackle store in Frankton, Fish City opened its second ‘City’ in Albany- Auckland, in 2001. The name Fish City soon became synonymous with, “a successful day,” thanks to an ongoing commitment started way back in 1992 to bring the very best advancements in fishing rods and reels, lines and lures, boats, engines and new electronics, that play such a big part on today’s modern fishing vessel. More recently Fish City has moved into hunting and shooting

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

bringing the same passion and level of experience and expertise to our land-based hunters. Fish City, in Frankton, Hamilton and Albany, Auckland are now recognised as two of the most comprehensive fishing, boating, hunting, marine and outdoor service centres in the country. FC Boats Launched With the growth and expansion in the retail sector, came the expansion into manufacturing, and three years ago, Christensen launched FC Boats. Christensen says that brand largely came to fruition due to market demand and the global financial crisis (GFC). “After the GFC, new boat sales had halved by 2008 and then it halved again in 2009. The whole market was hurting particularly in new boat sales. We were ok as we had a healthy service department and our retail presence was good,” says Christensen. “I was at a boat show and I was thinking, what can we do to pick things up and grow. People didn’t want to spend big money, but they still wanted to get out there fishing.

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Christensen says the design philosophy behind the range is largely to eliminate all the things that are traditionally hated about boats.

“The market was demanding a good, affordable small boat for under $20,000, so we developed our FC430 model, and at the time retailed it for $14,995 and it was a hit”, says Christensen. The boat was so popular that it immediately saw the introduction of a bigger 500 model and a smaller 390 model. “We were initially going to focus on the lower end of the market, producing some good quality and affordable smaller boats. However, people observed the design aspects of them, then started requesting larger models.” Now in just three years since the release of the first FC430, the brand now boasts a range of 16 different models, from the FC390 up to their largest at this stage, a 6.5m hardtop. “We didn’t expect this kind of success initially. But we think we have hit a sweet spot in the market, which is largely customer driven.”

of the more established dealerships. In that time, we’ve sold a lot of boats, and learnt a lot about what makes a good boat good. In launching the range, we’ve tried to eliminate as many of the attributes that customers don’t like. “We’ve designed the models to largely be all-rounder’s, with the core features, such as generous cockpit space for fishing, fantastic stability due to it’s flooding ballast system, a dry ride due to the wide chines, and now in some models a large casting platform on the foredeck for fishability”. Stability is one of the key design elements in FC Boats. There are two stability systems built into the boats over 5m. Aft there is a flooding keel, which floods when the boat is at rest, making the craft ultra stable, then when underway the water drains out quickly. Christensen’s experience in offshore powerboat and water ski racing has led to race boat technology being incorporated into the recreational FC Boats. “In the forward section, there is a controllable ballast system, enabling the skipper to bring the desired amount of forward ballast onboard, and then to dump it when not needed. A simple release valve

Building a Better Boat Christensen says the design philosophy behind the range is largely to eliminate all the things that are traditionally hated about boats. “We’ve been in the market a long time now and are probably one

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ALLOY BOAT SPECIALISTS SCORPION 610 HARDTOP

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is located near the helm to control the amount of water easily – it’s very similar to what is used in offshore powerboat racing.� “We thought it worked in racing, there is no reason it won’t work in our boats. “Safety in small boats was also a big driver and by combining underfloor and gunnel buoyancy we have been able to add significantly more buoyancy and thus safety without losing the internal fishing space that pontoon boats do�, adds Christensen. CAD Designed R&D is a big part of the FC Boats build process, with all the boats designed using CAD software and Christensen fieldtesting every new model that joins the range. “Once we design a new model, we go away and field test it, often for about a week, to make sure all the things, we have designed into it, perform properly. If they don’t, we go away, re-design it, re-engineer it and build it again. “I think it’s this formula and how we go about our design, manufacture and marketing process has helped us be successful.� Now with over 400 boats sold, Christensen expects the growth to continue. FC Boats have a number of new models in development, all customer driven – meaning they are model sizes and configurations that they have had demand for. While Fish City (Hamilton and Albany) have done a great job of servicing the central North Island, in the future Christensen says they will probably be looking for far north and possibly South Island distributors to increase their market presence and help strengthen the FC Boats brand.

p. +64 9 448 5900 f. +64 9 448 5911 e. info@sopac.co.nz

www.sopac.co.nz

41c William Pickering Dr | Albany, Auckland ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

sportcraft marine

The FC580 was their first cabin boat.

• 3 SIZES; 305 X 205, 325 X 255, 525 X 275 MM (CUT OUT)

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BLUEFIN 665HT OFFSHORE Available with 150hp optimax. Comes on trailer with vhf and sounder. Fully lined, full size cabin. (Paint extra). Retail $80,500 Special $68,500

Mercury FourStrokes have long led the pack in clean, quiet, fuel-efficient power... > Ultimate Durability > Exclusive EFI technology > Available in 40-150hp

SAVE $$$ BUY DIRECT WE MAKE THE BOATS $29,250

$34,950

SCORPION 470 CUDDY - unbeatable value, roomy boat, complete package incl fishfinder, VHF, deluxe canopy, helm upholstery, back seat upholstery, nav lights, switch panel, baitboard, Sportline trailer, 50hp Mercury, separate anchorwell. Retail $30,750 Special $29,250 paint extra

MORRINSVILLE

Thames Street West, Morrinsville 1IPOF t 'BY "MBO 4PMMZ t #FOK

&NBJM TQPSUDSBGUCPBUT!YUSB DP O[

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BLUEFIN 600 FISHERMAN New 6 metre boat on trailer, including motor. A boat built to hunt. 5mm hull, treadplate floor, nice and stable, heaps of fishing room and big anchor hatch. Complete on trailer including 90hp Mercury outboard. Retail $36,250 Special $33,950

$78,500

BLUEFIN 620 CENTRE CONSOLE The ultimate centre console. with 5mm hull and treadplate floor standard this is one strong boat. This boat comes complete on trailer including 90hp Mercury, VHF, fishfinder, 6 rodholders, deluxe bait board (bimini extra). Retail $37,250 Special $34,950

OPEN 7 DAYS

BLUEFIN 720 WEEKENDER Separate toilet and shower closet with hot and cold water included as standard. Complete packages on water from $78,500 – paint extra.

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COMPANY PROFILE

TAURANGA

119 Hewletts Road, Mt Maunganui Phone: (07) 928 7193 'BY 3PHFS t +BNJF +BTPO

&NBJM TBMFT!TQPSUDSBGUNBSJOF DP O[ 16/06/2014 10:19:58 a.m.

T Thompson Marine Make/Model

LOA

Beam Hull Const Type

ALLENCO 4.6 Runabout 5.00 Runabout 5.3 Cuddy 5.5 Cuddy 5.9 Cuddy 6.25m 6.60m 6.70m 6.80m 7.50m 8.00m 8.50m 9.00m

5.20m 4.70m 5.70m 5.80m 6.28m 6.50m 6.90m 7.00m 7.10m 7.80m 8.30m 8.80m 9.40m

1.86m 2.17m 2.17m 2.27m 2.27m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.45m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.80m

6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 8mm

RU CC CA CA CA HT/CA HT HT/CA HT/CA HT HT HT HT

* All hulls also available as pontoon boats and larger boats overwidth. . ALTEC 6.8m 7.0m 7.6m 8.5m 8.8m 9.0m 10.5m

LOA

Beam Hull Const Type

6.06m 7.12m 8.13m

2.13m 2.43m 2.48m

4mm 5mm 6mm

HT HT HT

7.90m 8.80m 8.50m 8.90m 9.50m 10.0m

2.50m 2.80m 2.50m 2.50m 2.83m 2.83m

6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

HT HT HT HT HT HT

5.30m 5.50m 6.15m 7.21m 7.61m 8.21m 8.50m 9.41m

2.02m 2.28m 2.41m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

CA CA CC HT HT HT HT HT

4.30m 6.40m

1.88m 2.45m

4mm 5mm

TS/CO CC

DICKEY Custom 750/XS Semifly 28 HT/Softop Custom 800 Custom 850 Custom 900 Custom 950 DNA 531 Sport Fisher 551 Sport Fisher 621CC 721 HT 761 HT 821 HT 850 HT 941 HT

7.10m 7.20m 7.80m 8.70m 9.00m 9.20m 10.50m

2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.70m 2.70m 2.70m 3.00m

6mm 6mm 6mm 8mm 8mm 8mm 8mm

HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

7.20m 7.50m 7.70m 8.50m

2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m

8mm 8mm 8mm 8mm

HT CC HT HT

5.80m 6.10m 6.80m 7.20m 7.70m

2.25m 2.35m 2.45m 2.50m 2.50m

6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

CC/CA/RU CC/CA/RU/HT CC/CA/RU/HT HT HT/CA

4.20m 4.60m 5.10m 5.44m 5.90m 6.00m 6.00m 6.58m 6.79m 7.50m 8.79m

1.64m 2.00m 2.00m 2.35m 2.35m 2.43m 2.40m 2.40m 2.43m 2.50m 2.5m/3.1m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 4mm 5mm 5mm

RU RU RU CA CA HT CA/HT HT HT HT HT

EVERYMAN

4.50m 5.50m 5.85m 6.30m 7.00m

2,00m 2.41m 2.41m 2.45m 2.50m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CC CA HT CA HT

EXTREME

5.00m 5.50m 6.00m

2.45m 2.45m 2.45m

4mm 4mm 4mm

CC CA/HT/CO HT/CA

6.20m 6.20m 6.50m 6.65m 7.10m 7.20m 7.20m 7.69m 7.69m

2.30m 2.50m 2.45m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CC HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

5.90m 6.00m 6.40m 6.60m 6.70m 7.00m 7.50m 7.70m 8.00m 8.70m 9.10m 9.50m

2.30m 2.30m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.80m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CA CA HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

6.00m 4.60m

2.25m 1.84m

6.00m 7.30m

2.40m 2.50m

AMF Viper 720 Cobra 750 Viper 770 Cobra 850

Make/Model 601 701 801

ENDURO 4100 6400

Enduro 6400 - see review page 60

AMF PRO SPORT

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Affordable Trailers Boat Trailers 12ft to 30ft Boats / Box Trailers: 7’x 4’ to 12’x 6’6”

BAXTER C 420 Jet C 460 Jet C 510 Jet B 540 B 590 B 600 SC (Cat) B 600 B 635 B 650 WC (Cat) B 750 B 800 SC (Cat) BIG EYE 450 550 585 630 700 BLADERUNNER 5m cat 5.5m 6m Cat BLUEFIN Bluefin 620CC Bluefin 620HT Bluefin 650HT Bluefin 665HT Bluefin 700HT Bluefin 720HT Bluefin 720 WK Bluefin 769HT Bluefin 769 WH

COAST CRAFT 560 Rapid Runner 460

CA RU

CIRCA Circa 6.0 Circa 7.3

5mm 6mm

CA/HT HT

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

361 501

122

2.00m 1.86m 2.10m 2.05m 2.35m 2.35m 2.45m 2.50m 2.70m 2.80m 3.05m

4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6/8mm 6/8mm 6/8mm

TS CA/CC TS CA/CC/HT CA/CC/HT CA/CC/HT CA/CC/HT HT/CC HT HT HT

5.50m 5.75m 6.18m 6.65m 7.20m 7.60m 8.60m 9.54m 11.00m

2.10m 2.22m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.80m 2.80m 2.94m 3.10m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 5mm 6mm 6mm

CA/CC CA/CC/HT CC/HT HT/CA HT HT HT HT HT

FC 390 FC 430 FC 500 FC 580 FC 600 FC 640

3.90m 4.30m 5.00m 5.90m 6.00m 6.40m

1.82m 2.02m 2.06m 2.46m 2.50m 2.50m

3mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

TS TS/CC TS/CC CA CC CC

6.29m 6.75m

2.31m 2.43m

5mm 5mm

HT HT/CC

3.54m 3.85m 4.90m 3.85m 4.50m 5.00m 5.50m 6.10m 6.60m 7.20m 7.60m

1.52m 1.55m 1.74m 1.80m 195m 2.19m 2.20m 2.35m 2.45m 2.50m 2.50m

1.6mm 1.6mm 2mm 2mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm

TS TS TS TS RU CA CA/HT CA/HT HT CA HT

4.20m 4.60m 4.70m 4.70m 5.00m

1.90m 1.90m 1.90m 1.75m 1.90m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

RU RU RU RU RU

4.45m 5.42m

2.04m 2.20m

4mm 5mm

CA/CC/CO CA

reid trailers

FINLAY Sports 5900 Ignite 6300

16 Cowley Place, Albany, Auck, NZ Private Box 302070, North Harbour, Auck, 0751. Ph: +64 9 415 0133 | Email info@reidtrailers.co.nz

0800 807 155

FYRAN 12 13 16 385 440 500 550 610 660 HT 720 HT 760 HT HAMILTON MARINE Jet 132A Jet 141A Jet 151A Jet 152A Jet 161A ICONIC

DIYNO KITSET 162 Foundry Road, Silverdale Freephone 0800 162 500 Email sales@xpresstrailers.co.nz www.xpresstrailers.co.nz

540 Sportfisher/CC 570 Sportfish 610 Gameking/CC 650 Gameking/SF 700 Gameking 750 Gameking 850 Gameking 950 Gameking 1100 Gameking

4.30m 4.70m 5.00m 5.60m 5.95m 6.35m 6.55m 6.90m 8.20m 8.65m 9.45m

FC BOATS

BLUEWATER Bluewater 5.4 Bluewater 5.8 Bluewater 5.9 Bluewater 6.1 Bluewater 6.5 Bluewater 6.8 Bluewater 7.3 Bluewater 7.5 Bluewater 7.7 Bluewater 8.5 Bluewater 8.9 Bluewater 9.3

430 470 500 550 595 635 650 690 8.0m 8.5m 9.5m

3.65m 5.05m

WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

1.67m 1.93m

3mm 4mm

RU CA

440 540

WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

AB007

PPB003

580 Pro Sport 610 Pro Sport 660 Pro Sport 720 Hardtop 770 Hardtop

123

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Make/Model

LOA

Beam

Hull Const Type

INNOVISION 616HT

6.35m

2.35m

5mm

HT

6.10m 6.50m 6.40m 7.45m 7.50m 8.50m 8.50m 8.73m 9.00m 9.25m 10.50m

2.30m 2.35m 2.35m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.80m 2.70m 2.80m 3.10m

5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

CA HT CA/HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

7.10m 8.10m 9.10m 9.60m 10.40m

2.40m 2.50m 2.70m 2.80m 3.30m

6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

HT HT HT HT HT

3.70m 4.40m 4.90m 5.00m 5.75m 6.60m 7.05m 7.95m 8.75m 5.75m 7.05m 8.00m

1.58m 1.75m 1.95m 2.08m 2.30m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 3.00m 2.50m 2.50m 2.85m

3mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 4mm 5mm 6mm

TS TS TS CU/CC CU/CC CU/CC/HT HT HT HT CU/CC HT HT

5.25m

2.06m

4mm

CA/CC

6.40m 7.40m 8.40m 9.40m

2.50m 2.70m 2.80m 2.90m

6mm 6mm 6mm 6/8mm

CA HT HT HT

4.50m

2.27m

4mm

CAT

4.00m 4.40m 4.90m 5.10m 5.20m 5.20m 5.50m 5.70m 6.00m 6.25m 6.50m 7.40m 8.00m 9.30m

1.90m 2.10m 2.10m 1.90m 2.07m 2.07m 2.07m 2.20m 2.20m 2.27m 2.49m 2.49m 2.49m 2.90m

4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 8mm

TS/CO CA/RU/TS/CO CA/RU/TS/CO RU CA/RU/TS/CO CC/CA/RU CC/CA/RU CC/CA/RU CC/CA/HT CC/CA/HT CC/HT/WA CC/HT/WA CC/HT/WA HT

4.40m 4.60m 4.80m 5.00m 5.50m 5.18m 5.50m 5.65m 5.65m 5.80m 5.60m 5.80m 6.00m 5.95m 6.10m 6.75m 6.75m 7.01m

1.85m 1.85m 2.00m 2.00m 2.08m 2.00m 2.08m 2.20m 2.20m 2.28m 2.08m 2.20m 2.28m 2.20m 2.28m 2.35m 2.35m 2.35m

4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

TS RU TS CO CO CA CA CA CC CA CA CA CA CA/HT HT HT HT HT

IMAGE 5.8 Elite 6m Elite 6.4 Elite 7.45 Fishfinder 7.5 Fishfinder 8.25 Fishfinder 8.25 Fishmaster 8.25 MasterJet 8.75 Fishmaster 9.0 Fishmaster 10.4 Cruisemaster

Beam Hull Const Type

8.01m 7.20m 7.45m 7.80m 8.10m 9.30m 11.40m

2.48m 2.35m 2.45m 2.48m 2.48m 3.00m 3.09m

6mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

6.52m 6.70m 8.29m 6.20m

2.25m 2.43m 2.65m 2/40m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CC CC CC CA

3.58m 3.64m 3.75m 3.76m 3.80m 3.85m 4.00m 4.01m 4.01m 4.05m 4.27m 4.29m 4.29m 4.41m 4.29m 4.43m 4.43m 4.48m 4.50m 4.50m 4.50m 4.54m

1.45m 1.49m 1.50m 1.45m 1.58m 1.79m 1.69m 1.73m 1.76m 1.87m 1.87m 1.87m 1.87m 2.00m 1.87m 2.02m 2.02m 1.90m 2.00m 2.10m 2.05m 2.01m

1.6mm 1.6mm 1.6mm 1.6mm 1.6mm 1.6mm 1.6mm 2mm 1.6mm 1.6mm 2mm 2mm 2mm 2mm 2mm 3mm 3mm 2mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm

TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS RU TS TS RU TS TS CO RU

Seablade 19 Seablade 22 Seablade 24 Orca 6200 Walkaround QUINTREX Quintrex 350 Explorer Quintrex 350 Dart Quintrex 370 Explorer Quintrex 370 Quintrex 370 Dart Quintrex 390 Explorer Quintrex 400 Dart Quintrex 400 Hornet Quintrex 400 Trophy Quintrex 400 Trophy Quintrex 420 Dory Quintrex 420 Explorer Quintrex 420 Trophy Quintrex 430 Top Ender Quintrex 420 Angler Quintrex 440 Hornet Quintrex 440 Trophy Quintrex 430 Escape Quintrex 450 Fishseeker Quintrex 450 Top Ender Quintrex 450 Trophy Quintrex 440 Angler

KINGFISHER 370 Dinghy 430 Dinghy 490 Dinghy 500 575 650 705 795 875 575 Cat 705 Cat 800 Cat

LOA

ORCA

KWIKKRAFT 661 Offshore 761 Offshore 861 Offshore 922 Offshore 1022 Offshore

Make/Model Premier 801 Cruiser 721 Cruiser 751 Cruiser 781 Cruiser 811 Cruiser 931 Walk Round 1100

MARKS 1 525 MAKAIRA Coaster 640 Coaster 740 Ranfurly 940 King Bank 940

Quintrex 440 Dory Quintrex 450 Escape Quintrex 450 Top Ender Quintrex 460 Dory Quintrex 440 Top Ender Quintrex 460 Classic Quintrex 470 Fishseeker Quintrex 480 Trophy Quintrex 470 Coastrunner Quintrex 500 Trophy Quintrex 500 Fishseeker Quintrex 470 Freedom Sport Quintrex 470 Escape Quintrex 470 Top Ender Quintrex 490 Escape Quintrex 490 Freedom Sport Quintrex 490 Coastrunner Quintrex 490 Legend Quintrex 490 Top Ender Quintrex 520 Dory Quintrex 520 Classic Quintrex 510 Legend Quintrex 510 Spirit Quintrex 570 Escape Quintrex 510 Freedom Sport Quintrex 510 Freedom Cruiser Quintrex 510 Coastrunner Quintrex 510 Top Ender Quintrex 530 Escape Quintrex 530 Legend Quintrex 530 Spirit Quintrex 530 Top Ender Quintrex 530 Freedom Sport Quintrex 530 Freedom Cruiser Quintrex 570 Coastrunner Quintrex 570 Spirit Quintrex 570 Legend Quintrex 570 Top Ender Quintrex 570 Freedom Sport Quintrex 600 Fishseeker Quintrex 610 Top Ender Quintrex 610 Spirit Quintrex 610 Legend Quintrex 610 Freedom Sport Quintrex 610 Coastrunner Quintrex 650 Coastrunner Quintrex 650 Spirit Quintrex 650 Freedom Quintrex 650 Offshore Quintrex 610 Freedom Cruiser

MCLAY Fortress 441 Sportsman Package 461 Fortress 481 Fortress 521 Fortress 551 Sportsman Package 521 Sportsman Package 551 Sportsman Package 571 Fortress 571 Fisherman 581 CrossXover 561 CrossXover 581 CrossXover 601 Sportsman Package 591 CrossXOver 611 Cruiser 671 Cruiser 681 Premier 701

McLay 701 - see review page 28

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Beam Hull Const Type

Make/Model

7.44m 7.44m 6.81m

2.40m 2.40m 2.40m

5mm 5mm 5mm

HT HT CA

7.3 Sportfisher 8.5 Gamefisher

4750 Prelude 5050 Prelude 5050 Sportsman 5450 Prelude 5450 Prelude 5500 Dominator 5800 Interceptor 6020 Fisherman 6250 Fishmaster 7010 Provider 7450 Seahunter 8450 Ultimate

4.75m 5.05m 5.05m 5.45m 5.45m 5.45m 5.80m 6.02m 6.25m 7.01m 7.45m 8.45m

2.05m 2,10m 2.10m 2.10m 2.10m 2.10m 2.25m 2.20m 2.33m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m

4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CA/CC CA CA CA CA CA CA HT HT HT HT HT

3.60m 4.10m 4.40m 4.70m 4.80m 5.35m 6.10m 6.70m 7.30m 8.50m 8.89m

1.80m 1.90m 1.90m 2.17m 2.17m 2.20m 2.30m 2.40m 2.40m 2.45m 2.80m

3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm

TS TS RU CA/CC RU CA CA/HT HT HT HT HT

5.57m 6.00m 6.49m 7.15m 7.3m 8.0m 8.35m 8.8m 9.3m 10.80m

2.38m 2.38m 2.38m 2.5m 2.5m 2.5m 2.7m 2.7m 2.7m 3.10m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

CU CU HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

3.5-4.8m 2.00m 6.50m 2.50m 7.00m 2.50m 7.50m 2.70m 7.60m 2.90m 8.0-10.0m 2.8-3.5m

5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

CC HT HT HT HT HT

5.50m 5.80m 6.00m 6.20m 6.70m 7.00m 7.50m

2.42m 2.42m 2.42m 2.42m 2.42m 2.50m 2.50m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CA CA CA CA/HT CA/HT CA/HT HT

5.45m 6.20m 6.50m 6.80m 7.10m

2.20m 2.40m 2.40m 2.45m 2.50m

5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CA CC HT HT HT

VMG500 VMG575 VMG650

550 Sports 550 Cente Console 5.80 Sports Jet 6.20 Sports Hard Top 660 Sports Hard Top 660 Sports Cruiser 660 Custom Cruiser 7m Sports Hard Top 7m Sports Cruiser 7m Custom Cruiser 730 Sports Hard Top 730 Sports Cruiser 730 Custom Cruiser 750 Sports Hard Top 750 Custom Cruiser 750 Sports Cruiser 8m Sports Hard Top 8m Sports Cruiser 8m Custom Cruiser 840 Pro Sportsman 840 Sports Hard Top 840 Sports Cruiser 840 Custom Cruiser 850 Sports Hard Top 850 Sports Cruiser 850 Custom Cruiser 920 Custom Cruiser 940 Pro Sportsman 1050 Pro Sportsman all models avaulable in 8mm

SENATOR MC 540 MC 600 MH 630 MH 670 MH 700 MH 760 MH 800 + Wide beam MH 850 Wide beam MH 920 Wide beam Offshore 1020

124

WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

4.54m 4.61m 4.61m 4.65m 4.69m 4.72m 4.75m 4.84m 4.96m 5.00m 5.01m 5.05m 5.05m 5.05m 5.21m 5.21m 5.21m 5.21m 5.21m 5.26m 5.32m 5.41m 5.41m 5.41m 5.41m 5.41m 5.41m 5.41m 5.61m 5.61m 5.61m 5.61m 5.61m 5.61m 5.88m 5.88m 5.88m 5.88m 5.88m 6.13m 6.16m 6.16m 6.16m 6.16m 6.16m 6.43m 6.43m 6.43m 6.43m 6.93m

2.01m 2.10m 2.10m 2.09m 1.96m 2.09m 2.05m 2.05m 2.10m 2.05m 2.25m 2.09m 2.09m 2.09m 2.25m 2.25m 2.25m 2.25m 2.10m 2.09m 2.10m 2.25m 2.22m 2.25m 2.22m 2.22m 2.25m 2.38m 2.25m 2.25m 2.25m 2.30m 2.25m 2.25m 2.38m 2.38m 2.38m 2.38m 2.38m 2.21m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m

3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 4mm

TS RU SC TS TS SC TS SC RU SC TS BR RU TS RU BR RU CC CO TS CC CC CA RU BR BR RU CO RU CC CA CO BR BR RU CA CC CO BR TS CC CA CC BR RU RU CA CC HT BR

7.30m 8.65m

2.50m 2.50m

6mm 6mm

HT/CA HT/CA

5.50m 5.75m 6.50m

2.10m 2.25m 2.35m

4mm 4mm 4mm

HT/CU/CC HT/CU/CC HT/CU/CC

5.60m 5.60m 5.80m 6.20m 6.60m 6.60m 6.60m 7.20m 7.20m 7.20m 7.40m 7.40m 7.40m 7.60m 7.60m 7.60m 8.20m 8.20m 8.20m 8.40m 8.40m 8.40m 8.40m 8.80m 8.80m 8.80m 9.20m 9.40m 10.50m

2.10m 2.10m 2.10m 2.35m 2.45m 2.45m 2.45m 2.45m 2.45m 2.45m 2.45m 2.45m 2.45m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.75m 2.75m 2.75m 2.70m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.90m 2.90m 3.10m

6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

CA CC CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA HT/CA

5.34m 5.85m 6.03m 6.47m 6.75m 7.55m

2.10m 2.10m 2.44m 2.44m 2.44m 2,44m

4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

CA CA CA CA HT HT

4.35m 5.07m

1.95m 2.02m

3mm 4mm

TS CA

ALLOY BOAT PONTOON AQUALITE 535 SS 570 SS 601 SS-XRV 645 SS-XRV 665 WHT 775 WHT AQUALINE

SEABOSS 550 580 600 620 670 700 750

Beam Hull Const Type

WHITE POINTER

SCORPION 360 Dinghy 400 Dinghy 440 Runabout 470 500 Bowrider 535 Cuddy 610 670 Wheelhouse 730 Wheelhouse 850 Wheelhouse 890 Wheelhouse

LOA

VMG

RAMCO

Bardozer Phantom 6500 Phantom 7000 Phantom High Bow Ocean Series HT760 Carbon Series

Quintrex 440 - see review page 82

MARCO 400 Dory 440 Dory 480 Dory 510 Thresher 520 Dory 520 Angler 550 Striker 570 Angler/Striker 600 625 650 700 Souwester 760 Souwester 880

Quintrex 690 Offshore Quintrex 690 Offshore SDP Quintrex 690 Spirit

LOA

SKELTON CRAFT

MAVERICK Maverick 4.50

Make/Model

435 495

SOUTHERN XP516 XP616 CC XP646 HTO XP676 HTO XP716 HTO

Aqualine 495 - see review page 92 545 565 595 645 705 780 860 890 1080

5.52m 5.65m 5.95m 6.47m 7.20m 7.77m 8.55m 9.00m 10.80m

2.18m 2.32m 2.40m 2.45m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.80m 3.10m

4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm

CA HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

6.72m 6.92m

2.40m 2.50m

5mm 5mm

HT HT

4.83m 5.30m 5.50m

2.00m 2.00m 2.42m

3mm 4mm 4mm

CA/CC CA CA

4.00m 4.50m 4.50m 5.00m 5.50m

2.05m 2.20m 2.20m 2.35m 2.45m

4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm

TS CC CA CA CA

4.20m 4.80m

1.87m 1.87m

3mm 3mm

TS TS

3.10m

1.72m

3mm

TS

ASSAULT

Southern XP 716 - see review page 108 XP746 HTO XP746 HTE XP776 HTO XP776 HTE XP816 HTE XP856 HTO XP856 HTE XP896 HTE

7.50m 7.50m 7.80m 7.80m 8.20m 8.60m 8.60m 9.00m

2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.80m 2.80m 2.80m

5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

SURTEES 4.85 Workmate 5.5 Workmate 5.5 Hardtop 5.8 Workmate 5.8 Gamefisher 6.1 Workmate 6.1 Barcrusher 6.1 Gamefisher 6.7 Gamefisher 6.7 Workmate 6.7 Sportfisher 7.3 Gamefisher

4.87m 5.63m 5.63m 5.88m 5.88m 6.20m 6.20m 6.20m 6.70m 6.85m 6.70m 7.30m

2.01m 2.15m 2.15m 2.26m 2.26m 2.37m 2.37m 2.37m 2.39m 2.39m 2.39m 2.50m

4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm

CA/CC CA/CC HT/CA HT/CA/CC HT/CA HT/CC HT HT HT/CA HT/CA/CC HT/CA HT/CA

WWW.BOATMAGS.COM

672 APB 692 APB BAXTER B 480 B 530 B 550 BLACKDOG CAT - Catamarans BDC 4.0 SS / XL BDC 4.5 CC BDC 4.5SS BDC 5.0 SS BDC 5.5 SS BLUEFIN 420 APB 480 APB COMMANDO 3.1 Trooper

125

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Make/Model 3.6 Trooper Delux 3.6 Trooper 3.9 Trooper 3.9 Trooper Sport 5.4 Trooper 5.8 Wide Body 7.5 Silverado 8.5 Trooper

LOA

Beam Hull Const

3.60m 3.60m 4.20m 4.20m 5.40m 5.80m 7.50m 8.50m

1.72m 1.72m 1.72m 1.72m 2.22m 2.26m 2.48m

3.90m 4.60m 5.15m 6.10m 6.60m

3.40m 4.10m 4.40m 4.95m 5.75m

Type

3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 5mm 6mm 6mm

TS TS/CA TS/CA CA/CC CA/CC CA CA CC

1.71m 2.02m 2.13m 2.47m 2.47m

3mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm

TS/CC CA CC/CA HT HT

1.65m 1.75m 1.75m 2.00m 2.25m

3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 4mm

TS TS CA/CO/HT CA/CO/HT CA/CO/HT

Make/Model 390 400 535 585 650HT

361 Jet-2 361 Jet-3 442 Powercat 451 601

Type

4.05m 4.50m 5.50m 6.25m 7.20m

1.68m 1.60m 1.90m 2.10m 2.26m

3mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm

TS/RU CU CU CU HT

3.67m 3.67m 4.41m 4.36m 6.00m

1.30m 1.54m 1.51m 2.10m 2.39m

3mm 3mm 4&3mm 4mm 4mm

RU RU CA CA CA/CC

3.50m 4.20m 4.40m

1.70m 1.70m 1.87m

3mm 3mm 3mm

CI TS TS/CC

3.50m 3.80m 4.20m 4.80m 5.50m 6.80m 7.60m

1.70m 1.70m 1.73m 1.73m 2.20m 2.20m 2.50m

3mm 3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 5mm 5mm

TS TS TS TS/CA CO CA HT

6.13m

2.25m

5mm

CC

4.00m 4.10m 4.10m 4.74m 4.74m 5.04m 5.30m 5.40m 5.50m 5.70m 6.12m 6.13m 6.45m 6.13m 6.45m 6.75m 7.13m 7.93m 7.97m 9.90m

1.65m 1.80m 1.80m 1.87m 1.87m 1.87m 1.52m 1.98m 1.98m 1.98m 2.18m 2.20m 2.38m 2.20m 2.38m 2.38m 2.49m 2.49m 2.70m 2.70m

3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

TS CC TS CA CC CA CA CC CA CA CA CC CA HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

3.92m 4.55m 5.30m 6.00m

1.90m 1.90m 1.90m 2.30m

4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm

RU CA CA CA/HT

4.30m 4.30m 4.30m 4.67m 5.00m 5.26m 5.40m 5.40m 5.60m 5.50m 5.60m 6.27m 6.27m 6.40m 6.40m 7.32m 7.16m 7.86m 7.92m 7.92m 8.80m 8.80m 8.80m

1.7m 1.7m 1.7m 1.87m 2.15m 2.15m 2.16m 2.16m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.31m 2.31m 2.30m 2.30m 2.30m 2.32m 2.49m 2.49m 2.49m 2.49m 2.49m 2.49m

3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

TS CC CA CA CA CC CA CA CC CC HT CA HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

We’ve sourced some neat products, which are all available online.

SEASPRAY 3.5 4.2 4400 WB

FREWZA 3.4 4.1 F14 F16 F18

Beam Hull Const

REVO

DNA 420 460 XC 515 610 XHT 660 XHT

LOA

REEL

SEA SURGE 3.5 3.8 4.2 4.8 5.5 6.8 7.6

Frewza F18 Fisher see review page 50

SEALEGS 6.1 D-Tube SENATOR

605 680

6.05m 6.80m

2.30m 2.30m

4mm 5mm

HT/CA HT

4.0m 4.7m 5.25m 5.40m 5.70m 6.00m 6.50m

1.78m 2.06m 2.17m 2.17m 2.17m 2.30m 2.30m

3mm 4mm 4/5mm 4/5mm 4/5mm 5mm 5mm

CA CA CA/CC CA/CC CA/CC HT HT

3.60m 3.90m 4.70m 5.20m 5.50m 5.90m 6.60m 7.20m 7.80m 7.80m

1.82m 1.95m 2.00m 2.10m 2.20m 2.30m 2.40m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m

3mm 3mm 3mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm

TS CA CA CA CA/HT CA/HT CA/HT CA/HT HT HT

3.80m 4.50m 5.40m 6.00m 7.00m 7.00m 8.00m

1.60m 2.05m 2.33m 2.40m 2.40m 2.40m 2.50m

3mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 3mm 3mm

TS TS/CA/CC CA CA/HT/CC CA/HT/CC PP PP

3.50m 4.00m 4.50m 5.00m 5.20m 5.65m 5.90m 6.10m 6.50m 7.00m 7.50m 8.00m 8.50m

1.68m 1.68m 1.95m 2.15m 2.25m 2.25m 2.25m 2.25m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m 2.50m

2.5mm 2.5mm 3mm 4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

TS TS TS/CO CO CC/HT CC/HT CA HT CA/HT CA/HT CA/HT HT HT

4.65m 5.20m 5.45m 5.85m 5.85m 5.87m 6.00m 6.40m 6.50m 7.00m 7.50m 7.80m 9.40m

1.80m 2.00m 2.00m 2.14m 2.14m 2.14m 2.25m 2.30m 2.40m 2.40m 2.60m 2.66m 2.73m

4mm 4mm 4mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 5mm 6mm 6mm 6mm 6mm

CA CA CA CA CC HT HT HT HT HT HT HT HT

IS 380 ICC 400 IS 400 RC 450 RCC 450 RC 480 RC 500 RCC 510 RC 520 RC 540 RC 580 RCC 580 RC 620 RH 580 RH 620 RH 650 RH 690 RH 770 RH 780 RH 860

HARDY 4 4.7 5.25 5.4 5.7 6 6.5 KIWI KRAFT 360 390 470 515 Fisherman 550 Fisherman 590 Sport 660 Sport HT 720 Sport HT 780 Sport HT 780 Overnighter

392 455 530 600 STABICRAFT 1410 Explorer 1410 Frontier 1410 Fisher 1530 Fisher 1650 Fisher 1750 Frontier 1850 Fisher 1850 Sport 1850 Frontier 1850 Matt Watson Signature 1850 Supercab 2050 Fisher 2050 Supercab 2100 Supercab 2100 Frontier 2400 Supercab 2250 Supercab 2570 Matt Watson Signature 2600 Pilothouse 2600 Supercab 2900 Supercab 2900 Weekender 2900 Pilothouse

OSPREY Osprette 349 E/S Osprette 380E/S Osprette 450S Osprette 495 Classic 520 Classic 565 Classic 590 Plus 610HT Classic / Plus 650 Classic / Plus 700 Classic / Plus 750 Plus 800HT 850HT

DIXON BOAT LADDERS are made in New Zealand to the highest quality. See the full range at http://shop.boatmags.com.

PEPPERS EYEWEAR are polarised, look great and some even float. No more lost sunnies sitting on the sea floor. See the full range at http://shop.boatmags.com.

SCORPION

ORCA 3.8 4.5 5.4 6 7 7.0 Party 8.0 Party

Keep those beers cool all day long with these ENGEL COOLER BOXES. Wow your mates with the Engel electric cooler box or go for the more traditional cool box. See the full range at http://shop.boatmags.com.

PROFILE 465C 520C 545C 585C 585CC 585H 600H 635H 650H 700H 750HW 780HW 940HW

ALLOY BOAT 2015 ISSUE #4

Free Listing Available For builders of production or custom aluminium boats. If you wish to be included in this Alloy Boat Listing please send your details to barry@boatmags.com

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The FISH HOOK REMOVER and IKI SPIKE are basic essentials for any fisherman. See the full range at http://shop.boatmags.com.

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Strong, durable and made in New Zealand. Mount the DIXON BAIT STATION in your boat today. See the full range at http://shop.boatmags.com.

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