Bluefin’s 665 HT is one of Sportcraft Boats’ most popular models and, while it’s been around since June 2009, this is the first time it’s been offered with an economical diesel engine. We’re told the game fish find it irresistible too…
Having a trophy wife may be something a lot of us aspire to, but
good looks don’t last forever and quite often equate to high
maintenance. Sportcraft Boats prides itself on producing practical,
useable designs; and while it probably won’t be collecting first
prize in a beauty pageant anytime soon, practicality wins hands
down when cost and usability are concerned.
Sportcraft Boats’ managing director, Jamie Black, outlines the
benefits that they’re practical approach brings: “We design our own
boats and actually use them ourselves. We go for practicality above
all else, and we’ve made our gunnels really wide so you can sit on
them and use them as a table. Rather than manufacturing features
that have pretty lines, we incorporate features that are useable
and workable – thin, rounded coamings may look nice but they’re not
practical and you can’t do anything with them.”
Sportcraft Boats manufactures both the Scorpion and Bluefin
range, which covers 2.7-metre dinghies through to the largest
Scorpion built to date – a 10m commercial crayfish boat operating
out of the Chatham Islands. It sells direct and manufactures its
larger models in production runs to keep the price tag as
attractive as possible. With its designs being made exclusively
from aluminium, customisation is also available.
Diesel driven
The Bluefin 665 is one of Sportcraft Boats’ most popular models,
with 36 hulls produced to date. It’s the smallest hull in what
Black refers to as its ‘bluewater’ series: “It’s been designed off
our bigger boats and features the same 2.5m beam. It gives our
customers a big enough boat that they can go everywhere but it’s
still small enough that they can handle and tow it without feeling
daunted.”
So what prompted the release of the Bluefin 665 HT with a diesel
engine? Black explains, “It was about putting a package together
with a diesel engine that’s both economical and affordable, and
which wouldn’t take up too much cockpit space.” The Sportcraft team
has done an excellent job, as it hardly takes up any cockpit space
at all.
Diesel also has a higher safety factor for over-nighting and is
more readily available at wharves and marinas. “A lot of people
that stay out on their boats don’t like having petrol on board,”
says Black. One consideration, though, is that the visible fuel
breather hose running over the edge of the cabin storage recess
could potentially get damaged. The forward and aft engine covers
provide excellent access for servicing, and the larger MerCruiser
2-litre 170hp diesel option can also be fitted with only a slight
loss of cockpit space.
Apparently, swordfish are fond of the MerCruiser diesel’s
soothing reverberations as well. “We’ve run this type of diesel
engine in some of our bigger boats and found that it really pulls
the game fish in,” says Black.
A quick once over
Speaking of fishing, the cockpit is easy-clean treadplate with
super-wide gunnels that would make a comfortable seat with the
addition of some non-skid for safe boarding. There are three
aluminium rod holders per side with another two on the transom for
the plastic bait board. A rocket launcher overhead has space for a
further five rods. The canvas hardtop extension provides protection
from the elements but obstructs access to the rocket launcher when
extended. It slides back into the roof out of the way, but keep
some CRC handy to give the tubes a good lube first.
With no transom doors on the demonstrator you can actually sit
on the transom with your legs dangling over the back and a line in
the water. Adding some optional rubber non-skid panels here would
increase both the safety factor and backside comfort level. To
maximise cockpit space the rear engine cover extends out onto the
duckboard with walk-around room still available. A duckboard cage
and single walk-through transom can also be fitted.
The cabin features good headroom with full-length bunks, and
even tall adults will be able to sit inside without banging their
head. To maximise space, extra bunk length has been afforded by
creating recesses beneath both port and starboard dashboards – just
remember that fact before lifting your head too quickly in the
morning, though, or sleep with your head at the bow.
Black says this boat is offered in a ‘Weekender’ option, with a
lockable hardtop that doesn’t encroach on the useable cockpit space
for fishing. A freshwater sink, gas cooker, and portaloo or
electric toilet are options too.
A handy waterproof glovebox will keep all the pocket-dwelling
items safe and dry. The batteries are also housed safely up off the
floor with extra storage in the transom lockers either side of the
engine bay. Also in the interests of safety are the sealed
underfloor and upper level buoyancy in the bow and stern, which
Black says is of a higher level than normal. The trade off, of
course, is that there’s no space for underfloor storage bins in the
cockpit.
Sting in the swell
I drove down to Mt Maunganui on the back of the deadly
tornado-inducing low that hit West Auckland in December 2012.
Thankfully, all that was left by the time I arrived was a remnant
1m swell and a few showers, which departed just prior to putting
the boat in the water.
While it became a beautiful, calm day, there was still enough
sting left in the swell for Black to get the Bluefin 665 HT D
almost completely airborne for the photos – and I didn’t even have
to ask! The modest 120hp diesel has a surprising amount of
torque.
We headed out past the Mount into open water, comfortably taking
the swell on the front quarter with no pounding, even when running
her at WOT (30kts). While 30 knots flat out isn’t overly quick for
a trailer boat, it’s only using 26.5 litres of diesel per hour at
this speed. Easing back to 18 knots at 3000rpm sees consumption
drop to approximately 10 litres per hour. At 7-8 knots, 2000 rpm,
the frugal MerCruiser is only sipping around 3.8 litres per
hour.
The 1.7L Mercruiser diesel’s torque curve rises sharply above
1500rpm, producing its peak output of 264Nm (194ft-lb) at 2400rpm,
so this Bluefin gets on the plane very easily. With its 2.5m beam
and 17-degree deadrise, this boat exhibits good stability, but, as
with any hardtop, the optional trim tabs do come in handy.
Vision at the helm is good with only a slight intrusion from the
support beams. While we didn’t take any spray over the windscreen
on the calm test day, wipers are available as options in case it
gets snotty. With the very basic analogue MerCruiser gauges on the
dash there’s no room left to flush-mount a fishfinder, but there’s
no shortage of space on offer beneath the safety glass
windscreens.
With a bit of a twist, the upholstered helm seats swivel to
become rear-facing fishing seats. Hydraulic steering makes the 665
HT D a breeze to drive and the hull grips well in tight, high-speed
turns.
This game fish magnet is supplied on a Sportline tandem-axle,
multi-roller, un-braked trailer with submersible LED lights – also
manufactured by Sportcraft Boats. With a dry towing weight of
around 1650kg, it’s well within the braked towing weight of many
SUVs, even when you add the weight of fishing gear and a full tank
of diesel. Of course, a towable bluewater boat also opens up plenty
of boating opportunities.
The last word
Sportcraft Boats’ practical approach has resulted in a
user-friendly, bluewater-capable boat that’s delivered at an
attractive price. Despite the laws of physics, this boat goes
surprisingly well with the clever MerCruiser 120hp diesel inboard
installation, which means there’s plenty of cockpit space to be put
to good use targeting unsuspecting marlin without having to worry
about the price of petrol.
For more information on the Bluefin 665 HT D contact Jamie Black
at Sportcraft Boats, ph 07 928 7193, email jamieblack@sportcraftboats.co.nz
or visit sportcraftboats.co.nz.
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Photography: Matthew Jones