It was one of the star attractions at the 2012 Auckland On Water Boat Show, so when Foveaux Boats asked if Trade-A-Boat would review its new 9.5m Super Cruiser, we were only too happy to oblige. Matthew Jones reports.
Foveaux Boats shares its name with the foreboding stretch of
water that crashes in on its doorstep – the infamous Foveaux
Strait. It’s a place that demands respect and harbours a fierce
reputation that would make the hairs on the toughest southern man’s
neck stand on end. When you live and play in such a location you’d
better have a strong and capable boat. Foveaux Boats’ second
offering ticks both boxes.
As a division of the Port Maintenance Group, Foveaux Boats has a
wealth of experience in marine engineering, construction and ship
repair. Managing director John Roderique’s family have been
shipwrights for six generations dating back to the 1800’s, so
moving into producing its own range of craft was a no-brainer.
“It’s in the blood. We’ve always been involved in repairing
boats so I decided it was about time we started building them as
well,” says Roderique.
Like Roderique, Foveaux Boats’ manager, Che Watt, also has a
lifetime of experience with boat building. His childhood memories
include his father building jet boats in the lounge.
“When we were kids we had a jet boat as our coffee table,” he
recalls. It’s this kind of experience and passion that combine to
produce a special kind of boat; one which drew a lot of attention
at this month’s 2012 Auckland On Water Boat Show.
A development from the show is that Orams Marine Sales have now
been brought on board as Foveaux Boats’ North Island dealer.
Foveaux Boats will continue to look after its South Island
customers directly.
Freedom of choice
Foveaux Boats use CAD design and CNC cut aluminium to enable
customisation to the highest degree. Watt says there isn’t any
limit to what they can customise and they can fabricate pretty much
anything the customer wants… within reason of course. A six metre
hardtop is currently under construction and Foveaux Boats will
build up to fifteen metres if required. “We’re keen to make the
biggest trailer boat that you can tow,” says Watt.
The beauty of a custom-build is that you can set it up to suit,
and Watt feels this particular layout would work well for either
charter or pleasure. The first set of plans for “The Demo”
(Trade-A-Boat March 2012) can be put into MSA survey and plans for
this model are currently getting approval as well.
If you’ve got a keen eye you’d notice the commercial approach to
welding – while it’s not the prettiest, it’s been done this way for
maximum strength – and strength definitely trumps looks when the
chips are down.
The secret formula
The secret to spending more time on the water is to make sure
all members of the family feel comfortable, and they certainly
should be aboard this boat. “We wanted to build a boat for the
whole family; not just for the man of the family, so we’ve included
the luxuries of home as well,” says Roderique.
This Super Cruiser’s layout has been designed so families can
enjoy a few days away while also being able to venture offshore
with the lads on extended fishing excursions. Being trailerable
(with the right tow wagon and launch site), it also has the benefit
of being able to be towed to different destinations. “If you don’t
like it in one place, simply put it on the trailer and take it
somewhere else,” says Watt.
One thing that can make any boat feel small is clutter, but this
shouldn’t be a problem on board this boat with storage everywhere:
a place for everything and everything in its place. There’s plenty
of shelving and multiple under-seat lockers throughout. A large
under-floor bin in the cockpit will take care of the catch or dive
gear. The private toilet cubicle has ample legroom when seated and
multiple shelves for toiletries while you enjoy a hot shower.
Bloke heaven
There’s nothing quite as exciting for a Kiwi bloke as a well
appointed cockpit with cup holders located beside each rod holder.
There are two separate areas to drool over here. The first is the
cockpit with a modicum of shelter provided by the overhead bimini
top, thigh-high gunnels with rubber non-skid and comfortable centre
seat on top of the engine cover. The other is the all-important
barbecue.
The inboard engine takes up a decent chunk of the cockpit space
but by opening either of the twin transom doors and stepping out
onto the fully caged duckboard, a bloke can make as much mess as he
wishes, while taking in the salt air and ocean lapping at his
feet.
Twin fold-down boarding ladders provide easy access to crayfish
country below. There are no less than 14 rod holders on offer with
another eight in the overhead rocket launcher. Once the
hunter-gatherer urge has been satisfied, the salt water wash-down
pump reaches into every corner for a quick and easy clean-up,
thanks to a tread plate sole and automatic bilge pumps. Tek Dek and
tube floor matting are also offered as options.
Entertainment central
Upon opening the full glass cabin door and entering the cabin
you’re greeted with a spacious and comfortable lounge. Immediately
to port is the well equipped galley with a sink and two gas hobs.
An open-style pantry at the back puts all your ingredients within
easy reach and the cupboards below will take care of the pots and
pans.
While the Simrad NSS12 touch screen with its 1kW transducer is a
serious fish-finding device, it’s also able to play DVD’s, display
radar and the GPS chart too. A couple of powerful speakers complete
the entertainment experience onboard the Super Cruiser. LED
lighting provides for a soothing ambience without sapping the
batteries, and removable carpet has been included for easier
cleaning at the end of a trip away.
The L-shaped couch is both comfortable and large. Even a big
family will slide in around the classy wooden dining table and,
when it’s time to call it a night, an infill squab converts the
front cabin beds to a full length double. The table also drops down
to create a second smaller double in the main cabin.
Four seasons in just a few hours
The Foveaux Boats team was only in town for a few days and, with
prospective customers waiting for sea trials, there was no time to
waste; the guys towed the boat directly from the boat show to the
launching ramp just in time for a sunset photo shoot for the
magazine.
Heading out the following morning for the official test we were
grateful for the protection of the big hardtop. To make the
southern men feel right at home, Auckland turned on its changeable
best – dishing out visibility-sapping showers, a cold and gusty
sou-wester and a smattering of brilliant sunshine – all within the
space of a few hours while we put this impressive boat through its
paces out on the Hauraki Gulf.
While seated comfortably at the helm, good vision can be enjoyed
through the large glass windows with only a slight intrusion from
the centre support beams. Each gauge and switch on the sporty vinyl
dash has been precisely laid out for maximum aesthetics and
usability. The DTS throttle was a pleasure to use, although being
quite tall I found the throttle position a bit low for my
liking.
Turbo-charged torque was in abundance thanks to the 265hp CMD
TDI diesel. At a comfortable cruise of 21 knots at 3000rpm, she’s
only sipping 1.26-litres of diesel per nautical mile. Multiply that
by the 430-litres of fuel in the tank and it gives an approximate
range of 341 nautical miles; more than enough for a few days at
sea. Due to the boat show deadline Foveaux Boats was still awaiting
delivery of the correct props, so as-tested it was over-propped and
the engine couldn’t reach its targeted 4200rpm.
The half metre of chop was hardly noticeable and no bother, nor
a suitable test for the solid hull. Having experienced what Foveaux
Boats’ nine-metre hull was capable of in the rough of their home
Strait, I’d expect this slightly bigger hull to perform even better
when conditions turn sour. Throwing 9.5m of boat around produced no
unpleasant surprises either. The trim tabs meant a level attitude
was easy to maintain at all times.
At just under 3.5 tonnes and over the legal width of 2.5m she’s
a sizeable towing prospect; you’ll need over-width flags to be
displayed and to find a suitable ramp. The triple axle, braked
trailer has been fitted with rubber skids specifically to drive on
as 3.4 tonne is a lot of boat to winch by hand. They essentially
help hold the boat in place until the winch cable can be tightened
up and the safety chain attached.
The last word
Foveaux Boats has raised the bar again in their second offering
from the Deep South. The design brief for this particular vessel
was for family comfort, entertainment and offshore capability.
They’ve certainly hit the mark. The superb layout is hard to fault,
and of course it can be fully customised to suit.
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Photography: Matthew Jones