Ocean Craft 6500 Hardtop

This is a very neat and tidy Oceancraft 6500 Hardtop. Not a Chinese built vessel, it is ideal for fishing and crayfishing.

The hull structure features a perimeter chamber with eight individual compartments which, coupled with the underdeck chamber, give virtually a double hull with level flotation. Deadrise is a sharp 24 degrees but does not have a flooding keel to balance it. Instead there is a small permanent glycol-water ballast tank plus a long, narrow 370 litre fuel tank carried low. Stability is given an extra hand by the low, below waterline, deck, which also means a more secure feeling for those standing at the rail.

The helm position is a driver's delight, starting with excellent suspension seats and well placed grab handles for when standing. The controls and monitors are logically laid out and nothing is a stretch, including the radio mounted overhead. Carried just below eye level is a pair of screens for serious fishing, so anglers do not need to flick between fish finding and navigating functions. For tricky reef country the skylights are well located for the driver to stand on the seat and insert his head for a higher view.

The deck is sheathed with Comcork, a near indestructible non skid material needed to take a long lifetime of coping with cray pots. These are pulled via a derrick-style hauler with the winch mounted on the derrick mast.

Other styles of fishing are thoroughly catered for. Tackle boxes hinge down, there are rod sockets, a bait board, an enormous live bait tank with a slide-out esky below it, deck wash, and room to move. A pair of seats fold up flush into the boat's sides. More seats mounted on eskies are sited aft of the driver and navigator.

The cabin is purposely short, being intended for shelter, storage and an optional toilet. An Engel fridge lives under one of the settees with its own power supply panel and fuse. The cabin has a rear bulkhead with a fabric door to suit the toilet function.

The short foredeck is equipped with rails fitted for people in the water handling the boat at a jettyless ramp. Right up front a drum style windlass handles anchoring.

Under way the 6.5 is the real deal. Kiwis design boats to cope with breakers over harbour bars. The ride is very good to excellent from the suspension seat and stays that way when moving into the side seats. The hull naturally trims well; the smallest adjustments of power trim perfecting it.

The trailer was built by the hull builder. Retrieving was simple: a single handed drive-on finalised by the auto catch and release mechanism.