601 Specifications

LOA - 6035 Motor leg length - 635 (25")
LOH - 5370 Beam - 2446
Cockpit beam - 1910
Cockpit length XRV - 3020 Cockpit length SS - 2820
Coaming height - 700 min Cabin height - 1000
Height on trailer - 2325 Length on trailer - 6650
Deadrise @ transom - 23 deg Trailerable weight - 1250kg
Hull weight - 660kg Hull/Topsides - 5 / 3mm
Recommended HP - 90-135 HP Maximum HP - 150HP

Standard Features

Twin swivel pedestal seats V-berth forward squabs
Self-draining anchor locker Steering unit & cable
High level Gunwales with storage Underfloor tank-140lt
Fibreglass dashboard Boarding platforms
Battery & oil tank storage Self bailing valves
Forward walk-around Rodholders (4)
Heavy-duty fendering Treadplate floor
NYALIC clear coating Forward hatch
Bilge well & pump Deck fittings
Navigation lights Boarding ladder
Underfloor storage Decals
Battery isolator Screen
Bowrails-short Cabin Lining
Fuel tank is fitted with a fuel sender 10-180 ohm (excludes gauge)

Aqualite 601 SRV

When I first saw the prototype of the new range of Scott Robson designed Aqualite rigid buoyancy boats at the 1998 Christchurch Boat Show I had to wonder why no one had done it before. Here was a well proven hull shape that until now had been in for some heavy criticism about the topside styling.

Pontoon boats (the trendy name is rigid buoyancy boats) have for some time now been an accepted part of the market and have an enviable reputation when it comes to handling adverse seas. Trouble is the `aesthetically challenging' cabin tops haven't always found favour with potential buyers. When Timaru based Aqualite Marine Ltd decided to hit the market with a new range of rigid buoyancy boats, they knew they needed something stylish as well as practical and that would carry on the same inherent attributes of this type of hull form. Enter international designer Robson who has drawn up a range of models from 4.8m through to 6.45m, all based on the same flowing soft deck lines that set the Aqualites apart from many other rigid buoyancy boats.

Along with Dave Smith from Honda Marine and the team at Bay of Islands Marine, the local Aqualite/Honda dealer, I was given the first of the 601SRV models to put through its paces. Deep Vee Performance There's no doubt that the excellent handling and rough water capabilities of the Aqualite are attributed to the knowledge and experience that designer Scott Robson has gained from his work with high performance boats. With the 601 he has broken with tradition and produced an aluminium boat with a deadrise that is usually only found on larger bluewater cruisers and offshore race boats. At 23 degrees at the transom this is a true deep vee hull form and about as steep as it gets in production boats.

Now you may think that this boat is going to be an unstable son of a bitch at rest and a chine-walker at speed in the calm. Well fear not, thanks to the double chine arrangement and the wide pontoon shape that carries well aft of the transom, the hull sits level and certainly isn't tender. I had the opportunity to test the 601SRV in the Bay of Islands and the sea conditions were ideal to find out if all the stories I had been told about the boat were true. A lm - 1.5m ground swell was rolling around Tapeka Point and our trip out to
Roberton Island and beyond was met with a series of short sharp seas right on the nose. Once I got the feel of the boat I found myself pushing it harder and harder and loving it. The boat ran sweet on 4000 rpm @ 26mph and achieved the most comfortable of rides.
With the Honda 130 on onequarter trim, the boat ran very flat with the wide forward bow sections punching the water low and giving us a dry ride. In the following sea I purposely dropped the bow into some deep troughs and even then couldn't get any water over the front or on the screen. In the side sea, there was only a flick of water aboard and the hull tracked cleanlyToss it into tight turns and like the old adage goes .... it hangs on as if on rails! The bottom has two strakes per side and no ski plank and is one of the softest riding boats I have been in for a long time. The pontoon shape obviously does a lot to dampen the ride. Overall I was very impressed with the handling and the overall balance of the 601SRV/Honda 130 combo. The 601SRV is rated to 150hp, so the Honda 130 was a good match-up. Lowest speed recorded on the Eagle GPS was 3.5 mph @ 500 rpm and the fastest 45.5 mph @ 6000 rpm. Interestingly the boat didn't start to really get up and move until 3500 rpm @ 21 mph and laboured to 2500 rpm before getting on the plane. It's the price you pay for such a deep vee and the benefit of a hull that is designed to perform better in rough water.

Roomy Cabin The 601SRV is from a family of eight, with sizes ranging from 4.78m to 6.47m and in two standards of appointment and styling. The cuddy cabin model or RV is the utility model, with checkerplate floor, twin pedestal seats and a large open cockpit to suit the sportsman. The SRV is the higher spec'ed boat with a longer foredeck, the cabin 500mm longer, painted hull, marine carpet throughout, cabin windows and V berth. The 601SRV has plenty of cabin space, with sitting headroom for at least four adults on comfortable vinyl covered foam berths. Although there is storage under all three squabs, the interior lacks side storage shelves.
Access through the forward hatch is good with the deep anchor locker within easy reach. Nice to see such a good sized fairlead, but the low profile alloy bowrails may be better utilised if carried onto the bow and let them act as warp guides. Our test boat came with solid bulkheads and open companionway and you have the option of lockable doors or a more open plan look with the port bulkhead removed. Built with D shape pontoons, the 601 SRV offers a very beamy self- draining cockpit that is ideal for fishing.
Divers will like the low profile coamings and flat side decks as well as the transom door that drops down into the water to form the boarding ladder. Dive bottles can be stowed in a large underfloor locker and rods in the optional rocket launcherThe minuscule floor hatch needs to be replaced with something a lot more substantial however if you ever hope to get any gear under the floor. The 140 litre stainless steel fuel tank takes up all the space aft of the locker.

levels, to make more use of the space. If you are like me and no matter how much fuel you have in built-in tanks you still like to carry a tote tank, then there's no place to stow it away on the 601SRVThe cockpit space has all been used as workable area and with no room under the narrow aft deck, there's little extra storage, apart from the battery. A solid alloy panel tidily hides away all the outboard cables and hoses. There are a number of seating options available, from single pedestals which offers massive uncluttered cockpit space, to the king/queen styling fitted to the test boat. I found these to be far too narrow and not comfortable for the rear seat passenger. Larger back to back to bucket seats would be a nice touch and do a lot to enhance the appeal of the boat. An optional removable double bin seat aft should also be considered. The driving position behind the Taylor Sandbrook perspex screen was perfect for me, either seated or standing. The only extra I would have liked was a footrest at the base of the seat box. Aqualite have gone for a moulded dashboard with a split-level styling that allows for copious instruments and switch panels. They have also made plenty of space available for bracket mounted electronic add-ons.

Stylish Good Looks Although I felt there were a number of small things that needed to be addressed on the 601 SRV, they don't in
any way detract from the capabilities of the boat. Not only is this the most attractive rigid bouyancy boat I have seen for a long time, it is also one of the best performing boats for its size. It is the sort of boat that should be `dressed up' with all the extras such as a rocket launcher, bimini top, painted hull and fancy seating. The 601 SRV is an outstanding performer and its overall appearance further
closes the gap between fibreglass and aluminium.

 

New Zealand Fishing News
NOVEMBER 1999
Aqualite 601 SRV

I could have bet the helmsman flew in the Battle of Britain, but he was too young for that!

He peeled the SRV Scott Robson designed Aqualite 601 SRV alloy pontoon-style boat off waverops like it was a fighter aircraft, feathering the trim like a fiddler at the Proms. From zero to 55 mph this was an amazing demonstration albeit pushed to the max by a
150 hp Optimax, and a whole heap of pride. (I believe there was still 800 rpm in hand, but who's counting)?

For tech purposes we had on board the service manager for MacPherson Marine, Mike Rennie, who kept up a running commentary about the Optimax. But it was the stability of the Aqualite that took first place in the comparison between the boat and motor. I thought any Merc, 125 through to 150 hp would be ideal on the craft ……. the Optimax was just pure luxury! I'm told the recommended hp is 70 to 115 with a max of 150 ….. but then I like speed!

Get-up-and-go was assured, but could the craft take the punishment we intended with four persons on board and pedal to the metal stuff . . . well, we would see.

At 30 to 40 mph the Aqualire skimmed the surface easily. This looked like being a dry boat, despite rising ripples in Littelton Harbour and larger waves accumulating outside the Heads. Directional stability was quickly ascertained by crossing a half-metre swell at 30 mph firstly front on, then at a 45 degree angle, and more spectacularly at 90 degrees, chasing the trough so to speak! The figure eight, held on the tightest possible circles at 30 mph showed helmsman skills along with the Aqualite's docile nature.

But it was only when we got amongst the offshore water that we saw the character, responsiveness, and robust nature of the Scott Robson design. That's when the Optimax and helmsman took matters into their own hands and chased waves like a child at play.

That's when a two metre swell would lave been a pleasure ….. instead, we had to make do with about 1.5 metres of swell … but the helmsman made these exciting, if not particularly demanding of the Aqualire. In truth I thought the Aqualite was stiff enough in the steering to warrant some assistance, but maybe that was because we were testing a motor with just 2.5 hours on the clock and the helmsman was forgiving of its youth, so when we did fast figure eights in the largest swell we could find, and topped waves that featured whipped water blowing away in the rising wind, I would have favoured a less rigid stance at the wheel. But hey… considering I was standing between the front passenger seat and windscreen, writing (scribbling) my notes throughout the 60 minute test, you can see it wasn't a craft that pitched or yawed in cross swell conditions.

Again we frolicked on a 45 and 90 degree angle to the off-shore swell, and no matter what we did the water stayed outside. Even when we went on opposite torque prop-climbs up the front of waves, or trimmed back to go over the top with the promise of some surfing to come, the Aqualite remained stable and dry.

As I said earlier. . . this guy could easily have fought the Battle of Britain, probably single-handed. I bet downed pilots in the channel would have appreciated the ride home in an Aqualite!

So why so enthusiastic about a craft that came about simply because the Timaru manufacturer decided to diversify his plumbing and metal-work operations? Why was Peter Hynes, manager of MacPherson Marine so keen to get me into the boat and to have a play with the Aqualite? I believe it was because both manufacturer and retailer knew how good it was, and of course they wanted to spread the word. But more than that, it was a matter of pride, pride in having such a good design, and such a useful boat. The alloy craftsmanship is beyond question, but it's the Scott Robson design that's paramount in placing this boat at the top of the Christmas list for serious marine and lake boaties. There’s good reason for that. In this 623kg hull it’s the pontoons that provide the secret to an elegant shape. It’s six metres of beautifully flowing design that ties the hull and deck together in an eye-catch ing manner. It's the pontoons that make this craft so light on its balance, and in particular the aft section of the pontoons protruding past the stern to counter-balance the boat in a following sea, raise the stern and tip the nose down slightly to keep the bow of the bull in contact with the water, to maintain better directional stability. See, it wasn't all the hehnsman's skill … the hull and pontoon design worked together like a dream. Of course it just made it easier for the helmsman to "play" the hand button to trim the boat for whatever lay ahead. Look at the deep V, it's 23 degrees at the transom, and the elegant shape of the hull at the cutting edge … the nose! This is a serious boat This is a boat that transfers the impact of waves outwards and softens the ride. No wonder I could stand while writing notes. No wonder, when the boat was trimmed, it felt more like a 4WD on shingle than a boat on the sea. If anything, it felt more stable than some
4WD's I've been in!

Inside the Aqualite there's a heap of room. Our boat was the upmarket model with carpeted floor etc, but the side bin, easy access to the forward cabin with its practical squab seating and cosmetics, excellent driver platform and instrumentation only emphasised how good the Aqualite 601 SRV is.

There's no denying the work area of the deck is clear of obstructions and very functional, and the seating (five on our test boat), well upholstered.

The perspex all-weather canopy and impressive rocket launcher only furthered the feeling that this is a boat we'llsee more of.

Offered the chance to go out to the groper hole, this would be a choice boat for the task. As a runner before or into the short-sharp chop of inland lakes, it would provide the stability one expects from a marine craft, yet it could just as usefully be used as a water-ski boat at Benmore. Indeed, I believe that's where the manufacturer did his initial tests.

I have to admit I have known the manufacturer for several years. I thought he was playing with fire when he resigned from Rotary to spend more time developing his companies boat building division. I was wrong . . . the only fire I saw on the Aqualite was in its blast from zero to 55 mph, and in the eye of the helmsman. At 55 mph across a half metre swell or climbing waves of around 1.5m, he knew it was a good boat. He knew it would impress me.

He wasn't wrong!

I'll take up his offer of a trip from Lyttelron to Akaroa sometime... providing it's via the groper hole... and I want the GPS coordinates! I think I could take a liking to the sea in this boat.