Slicing through the rough stuff

A great looking boat with plenty of seating and a windlass too. Photo / Supplied

Kiwi fishers like their boats built locally and with a protective cabin. But then this came along

American boats have never made a really big impact here. From time to time, when their dollar crashes and ours soars, a number are brought in and a few find favour. They never, however, seem to gain real traction.

Kiwis seem sceptical about boats they perceive, often quite wrongly, as being designed primarily for lake and smooth-water boating.

The generally held view is often: "They look all right in the showroom but get them out in the Motuihe channel, with the wind against the tide, and see how they cope."

Well, that's exactly what the Propeller magazine boat test crew did recently with a boat claimed to be the "ultimate fishing boat in its class".

Like most US imports, the Scout 262XSF looks the part on the trailer: beautifully finished hull, deep upholstery, plenty of "fruit" and a suitably impressive price tag.

However, before it even hits the water, it is at a massive disadvantage. This 8-metre fishing machine is a centre console; almost half its hull length is occupied by an open bow. There is no cabin, no protection against our notorious fickle weather.

How will this cope returning back up the old Motuihe in typical fresh conditions? Wet certainly (no protection from the spray); possibly very wet (if a big one comes over the bow, it will run back through the whole boat).

Not quite. In fact, not even close. While the test day had been chosen for its predicted 10 knots of light wind, the tea-leaf gazers had again been looking in the wrong cup. What actually eventuated was a breeze that rose to the high 20s and blasted across the waves in the exact opposite direction to the one in which they were running.

Not normally pleasant conditions for boating but great for boat testing: after all, what Auckland boatie has not encountered exactly this while returning home from a great day out?

So how did the centre console Scout cope?

Propeller's Barry Thompson: "It loved it! The more I got the feel of the boat's ability in such adverse conditions, the more I liked it and the further I pushed the throttles forward. The twin Yamaha F150s provided plenty of punch and we 'cruised' through Motuihe Channel with the speedo on 25 to 28 knots.

"The technologically designed hull, combined with the bow flare, assured a very dry and exceptionally smooth ride, even when slicing through the rough stuff. There were no harsh hits as we came off the larger swells and, apart from the very occasional spray lifted by the wind, we had another dry and comfortable ride." Hardly the description one would expect of a "lake boat".

Scout Boats pride themselves on their soft riding, fuel-efficient hulls. Their NuV3 hull is a convex design, comprising variable degree hull angles (ranging from 21 to 23.5 degrees at the transom). They also build plenty of weight into their hulls and this further improves their ability to handle rough water. The Scout 262XSF weighs in at around 2600kg, with the twin outboards and 250 litres of fuel.

Okay, so the Scout can handle the rough stuff but what about the centre console design? No cabin, no stowage, no protection from the cold and rain? Well, there is the option of full clears. These will hang off the hardtop above the steering station and keep those behind them out of the weather.

Lack of stowage is not really an issue: there are huge, self draining bins under the forward seating; a deep, self draining locker centred in the forward floor; a live bait tank on the starboard rear, with drawers under; an extra large bin on the rear port side; triple rod racks either side and even the foot rest at the console lifts up to reveal another locker.

For those still not convinced, but impressed enough to want to know more: Scout also produce an Abaco Series, a line of cabin boats based on the same hull platform as the Sportfish Series (of which the 262XSF is one). The local distributors are apparently planning to bring in a few.

Of course, for those really serious about their fishing, the centre console is a plus not a disadvantage. One can fish from virtually anywhere on board. It will also fish 4-6 comfortably.

There are excellent toeholds around the rear cockpit, enabling anglers to fit their feet under the compartments and really lean back. There is also great padding at thigh height around the whole boat.

There are numerous other features, too, all targeted squarely at the serious fisher. These range from a 270-litre wet storage bin, a massive live bait tank with a freshwater pump and sink unit, a rear bait station built into the back of the centre console and a "wave gate", a triple transom seat that folds down when not in use and allows ease of access to either side of the twin outboards, where there are moulded boarding platforms and a drop-down stainless steel ladder.

Like the few other Scout boats here, the 262XSF was imported through Balmar Marine Ltd and is being marketed by Jason Snashall of Orakei Yacht Sales. This particular craft is currently for sale at a special "demonstrator" price of $150,000. A new model with a similar set-up would normally sell for around $50,000 more.

Built in South Carolina, the 262XSF is just one of 30 models built by Scout Boats. The range runs from 4.4m open fly fishing platforms to an 11.8m offshore cruiser. All are outboard-powered.

SCOUT 262XSF
LOA: 8.1m
Beam: 2.7m
Deadrise: 21-23.5 degrees
Engine options: outboards up to 350hp
Construction: GRP
Fuel capacity: 550 litres
Water capacity: 38 litres
Price (special): $150,000
Packages from: $188,000

A full review of the Scout 262XSF appears in the April/May issue of Propeller magazine or at www.propellermagazine.co.nz.

Contact Marine editor Mike Rose on (09) 483 8284; 021 735 015 or email: mrpr@xtra.co.nz.