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 1m - 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 one- quarter
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 cleanly. Toss 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 checkerplat'e 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 Storage is available in twin side trays set into the
wide coamings, plus an open locker beside the forward passenger seat. This would
be better split into two 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 6O1SRV. The
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 thc 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 6oi 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 tip’ 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.
