Reviews

Personalised performer: DNA 821HT

When customisation is part of your genetic code, the customer can choose the boat of their dreams. Matthew Jones puts the DNA 821HT through its paces.

Life is full of choices, some good, some not so good. Being able
to fully customise your dream boat to suit your every need has got
to be a good choice. With today’s ever increasing pressures on our
leisure time, when the chance to get away from it all arises, it
tastes just that much sweeter when your boat is set up exactly to
your liking.

Cracking the genetic code

DNA Boats evolved out of founder Jason Elvines’ overriding
passion for boats. Elvines built a couple for himself before
deciding to pursue boatbuilding/design as a career. As soon as his
apprenticeship was signed off, he left to carve out his own path
some six years ago, initially getting into 3 to 4m pontoon boats
before discovering a passion for 3D design.

“At DNA Boats our aim is to produce aesthetic vessels through 3D
modelling. All our boats are CNC-cut plate aluminium so our
accuracy is 100 percent,” says Elvines.

Another of DNA Boats’ goals is to produce lighter, better
performing boats while retaining a quality ride: “We put a lot of
effort into keeping the weight down through smart design in our
framing system to offer great performance while retaining all the
strength. We’ve adopted this system for all of our boats, from our
smaller pontoon boats through to our 9 and 10m boats,” he adds.

The DNA range is as good looking as it is diverse, from the
smallest 3m dinghy to the biggest boat to date at 10.5m. Hull
options include both pontoon and monohull designs, which are built
to survey standards.

The choice is yours

Our test boat was custom-built for a client whose requirements
included beach-launching capabilities and a top-notch finish.

“With this boat in particular we wanted to demonstrate what
level of aesthetics could be achieved with an alloy boat when it’s
designed and finished right. Our customer also wanted a good
comfortable day boat with basic overnighting and beach launching
capability. This is why we went with the outboard option,” says
Elvines.

Being able to safely and easily beach launch an 8m-plus boat is
certainly a nice option to have and one that opens up a wide world
of boating opportunities.

“The trailer has been custom-designed for launching and
retrieving in the tidal Abel Tasman area, so we’ve used angled
cross-members to reduce the height by about 100mm and it’s worked
so well we make all our trailers this way now,” explains
Elvines.

Atomix Boats has recently been appointed North Island dealer for
DNA and is the first point of contact in the north, with branches
in Auckland and Wellington. DNA Boats deals direct with South
Island customers. Securing Atomix Boats as a principal dealer has
been a positive step forward for DNA and Elvines is now looking
ahead to export markets.

Customisation is said to be limitless, with a full design and
build service offered. Atomix Boats’ Richard Cains says this is why
he chose DNA Boats to partner their existing GRP and inflatable
range. “With DNA Boats being designed in-house we can take the hull
specifications and put any sort of superstructure and cabin layout
on top. It’s pretty easy for us so we don’t have premium charges
for design changes and anything above the hull structure is up to
the customer,” he comments.

Stylish comfort

With her stunning metallic charcoal paint job, sublime finish
and tasteful teak detailing, this boat certainly attracts attention
wherever she goes. My colleagues, Steve and Norman, both admired
and commented on her impressive appearance while she was tied up at
Auckland’s Westhaven Marina.

Getting on board for the test was a pleasant experience, thanks
to the Portofino transom and high-quality teak flooring. The only
obstacle was the outboard wiring loom, which was easy enough to
step over.

On entering the cockpit, a separate toilet with ample room is
set to port. A shower and rod rack aren’t included but there’s
plenty of room to tick these boxes. The starboard side is fitted
with a handy hot and cold wash basin, with gas califont and storage
beneath.

Access to the cabin is through a bifold door, which is both
stylish and functional and of adequate size for easy passage into
and out of the cabin. Headroom inside is generous, with plenty of
strategically-placed handholds. The cabin layout features a
sociable seating arrangement which will easily afford five crew and
skipper a comfortable ride if the weather turns sour.

With the design brief requiring only basic overnight
capabilities, there’s really only sleeping accommodation for two.
Nevertheless, it’s very comfortable with full-length bunks. Storage
is abundant and there is stowage under each seat. Fitted with a gas
hob, galley options extend to a small sink with fridge below for
those requiring a higher level of live-aboard facilities.

In order to maximise cabin space within the hardtop, access
around the side has been kept to a minimum, but it’s still easily
navigated with plenty of hand rails to grab. There’s also great
foredeck access through the forward hatch if required but with an
Anchorlift windlass fitted there’s no requirement to venture
forward of the cabin.

Choose your pastime

The 5m2 of teak-bejewelled cockpit space on offer could be put
to good use wrestling big game fish or accommodating divers but
set-up, as it is, has ‘chillaxing’ written all over it.

The gunnels are wide, with plentiful non-skid making for
backside-friendly seats. There’s also plenty of space for a couple
of sunloungers and the Portofino transom looks like an inviting
place to perch with a cold one in hand, savouring a picturesque
anchorage. A generous underfloor bin also accommodates an oversize
ice bucket to chill whatever takes your fancy.

Although the owner chose not to specify rod holders or bait
board, there’s ample space on the gunnels and transom to turn this
DNA into a formidable fishing machine. However, storage for seven
rods is provided in the overhead rocket launcher and there is room
for more in the generously lined parcel shelves.

Landing the big one should be straightforward, courtesy of
excellent transom access and an expansive self-draining cockpit
albeit a secure transom door would be required for offshore
game-fishing. A stylish DNA-branded drain plug feeds a deep bilge
well, complete with automatic bilge pump to quickly disperse any
unwanted water.

Behind the transom hatches twin batteries are neatly housed off
the cockpit sole, with a voltage sensitive relay fitted to ensure
correct charging. A saltwater wash-down pump is included to keep
the cockpit clean and odour-free.

Cruising in comfort

We departed Westhaven Marina and headed out into a slight breeze
towards a patch of blue sky for the photo shoot. Atomix Boats
kindly supplied its new 420SC (sliding console) as the photo boat.
Conditions were much more pleasant than forecast and it turned out
to be one of those magic winter days that just get better with each
passing hour.

With the photos sorted it was time for a spell on the helm.
Heading home over a slight chop the DNA’s ride was smooth and
pleasant with the weight-saving design dishing up a spirited
performance all the way up to 39 knots. A couple of passing ferries
provided the required launch pad to test the ride. We comfortably
sliced through a solid metre of wake at 25 knots with all vertebrae
intact and no jarring to speak of.

The trim range on tap was huge with 50 percent, able to be
applied without any loss of grip on the water or boat performance.
This made pinpointing the sweet spot a little tricky but it does
offer the skipper a wide range of adjustment to suit conditions on
any given day.

With the outboard tucked in, turns were fast and tight, with no
detectable prop-ventilation. Trim tabs and wipers were fitted but
they weren’t required on the day.

Cruising at 25 knots (4000 rpm) was effortless and carefree and
with 300 litres of fuel under the floor, we could have easily
embarked on a 200 nautical mile round trip. By chucking a couple of
lures out and dropping back to 7 knots (1500rpm) range would
increase to just over 300 miles.

Finding a metaphor to describe the Suzuki Precision Control
throttle system is not easy but ‘smooth as silk’ comes quickly to
mind. After experiencing this fly-by-wire system for
yourself you’d never go back to cables. The 300hp V6 four-stroke
outboard also provided smooth, quiet and responsive power
throughout the rev range. At idle I found myself constantly
checking the rev counter to make sure it was still running.

Relaxing back into the comfortable helm seat was pleasantly
soothing with an empowering and ergonomic helm setup at the
fingertips. Combine this with the expansive views through the large
curved glass windows and Porsche-like performance and you have a
boat that’s a true pleasure to drive.

As previously discussed, beach launching is a possibility thanks
to the great-looking lowered twin-axle trailer complete with
brakes. But at around 3-tonne towing weight, you will need a
suitable tow vehicle but your boating possibilities will know few
boundaries.

The last word

Our test boat was commissioned as a taxi for a holiday home
owner in the Marlborough Sounds, so it was lacking some of the
usual fittings you’d expect to find on a boat of this calibre, such
as rod holders, bait board and boarding ladder. However, the
fit-out is top quality and with a few more options added, this boat
would be a serious fishing machine and a capable overnighter. But
therein lies the beauty of a custom build: you can have as much or
as little as you want – and stay within your budget.

The DNA 821HT is a true custom package, built on good
foundations. What DNA Boats essentially offers is a blank canvas
upon which to create your dream machine.

For more information contact Jason Elvines, ph 03 542
3977, email info@dnaboats.co.nz or visit
dnaboats.co.nz.

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Photography: Matthew Jones

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