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McLay are in their nineteenth year of boat building, and are based in Milton, a quiet little town about half-an-hour’s drive south of Dunedin.
The good sea-keeping abilities of their hulls and good old-fashioned fair dealing has seen McLay boats expand from their southern base to be represented nationwide by a network of eleven dealers, with the Milton base supplying their local region. The new 610 Fisherman Hardtop came out of a desire for a larger volume cockpit than the previous 600 Fisherman. The beam has been extended by 80mm, the length by 100mm, the sides are a little higher, and the entry is slightly finer than the original, while the down-turned chines and two low-profile rounded strakes per side have been retained. The overall effect is more useable space at the helm and in the cockpit. The 610 shares the same base-hull design with the Fisherman 605, a cuddy-cabin version. Construction
Bottom construction involves butting up the bottom plates, fully seam-welding them inside and out, then fully seam-welding a 5mm keel cap ‘wear strip’ over the outside. The extended chine edge is formed by rolling the edges of both bottom and side plates out until they ‘kiss’ together at the correct angle, and seam-welding inside and out. Both of these impress as good solid construction methods. This hull is built to survey standards, with positive buoyancy. Power and performanceThe 610 fisherman is rated for 115-200hp outboards, and the test boat, supplied by West Auckland agents Glen Eden Marine, was fitted with a standard Mercury 140hp saltwater two-stroke spinning a 17” prop. Test day was not flash — overcast and with a howling 25-knot westerly running against the tide. Glen Eden Marine sales manager, Kevin Brinsden, and I did not even need to get out of Auckland Harbour’s main channel to find a harsh chop of between half and one-and-a-half metres to try the boat in. This was a brand new motor and I was reluctant to give it more than a brief squirt at full throttle, but in the sheltered waters we achieved 44mph (70.8kph or 38.2 knots) at 5200rpm — pretty good for a beamy fishing boat. This model outboard is top-end rated 5000 to 5600rpm, so the 17” prop is in the zone, and the engine will probably produce a few more revs and some more speed when it loosens up a little. I guess I have been a little spoiled by the latest technology DPI two-strokes and four strokes available, as I found the standard two-stroke model a bit noisy in certain rev ranges, but the rig certainly handled the sea well. The fine entry had us landing softly, while the hull’s broad shoulders gave plenty of bow lift. The boat was very bidable, with no bad habits, and this gave me confidence as I worked it through the heavy chop. The cable steering fitted was quite adequate for the job, and a hydraulic option is offered. In the rough conditions and strong winds the hardtop certainly proved its worth, negating spray and rain and reminding us why it is such a popular configuration in this country. The other side of the coin is the shade a hardtop provides in those scorching summer days. Overall, a fine performance from this rig. Anchoring
A ‘Quick’ capstan is fitted, with a knee-operated switch on the forward bulkhead. Other winch/capstan options are available. I found this switch a little tricky to operate, but it would be easy enough to have it set on the top of the berth, under the squab, where it could be foot-operated. A large, hatched anchor-well has plenty of space for a long warp, and a heavy aluminium bollard is welded to the foredeck to tie-off onto. The bow rails are substantial, and while not split at the fairlead, all but very large anchors can be passed easily underneath. The fairlead is high sided, and although there is no locking pin, it is unlikely that the warp would jump out. Layout
A wide, open-entry design means easy access to the cabin. If the option of a locking cabin is taken, a cabin bulkhead is fitted, narrowing the entry. The step-down has a floor-level drainage bung, which pipes any water out to the stern. The wheelhouse dash is sensibly lined in dark marine carpet, cutting internal glare on the ‘screen. All-around visibility is good, and a fitted wiper is an option. The forward ‘screens are curved safety glass, nice in a boat of this size, and the side sliders are five-millimetre toughened glass. The dash dips forward and has a good rear lip, making it pretty hard for anything like your cellphone to bounce off it, even in rough conditions. The test boat was fitted with the usual instrumentation, but as it was intended for sale, was not fitted with electronics when tested, as the choice would be up to the new owner. There was room to flush-mount some of the smaller LCD units available these days, but some shifting of gauges might be required to site larger units into the dash (these requirements would need to be sorted when the boat is ordered). Units could be stand-mounted on the dash top, although it would be a shame to interrupt forward vision. A console is mounted under the wheelhouse roof, designed to take a sound-system and/or radio. Seats on the test boat were swivelling upholstered bucket seats on narrow pedestal boxes, with some internal stowage space. A number of other seating options are offered. Footrests are fitted and double as supports for the berth extensions already mentioned. The cockpit has heaps of wide-open space, fulfilling McLay’s design aim. The sealed chequer-plate deck drains to a sump under the transom and is pumped overboard by an 1100gph bilge pump. Stowage space is supplemented by two levels of side-shelves in the wheelhouse (about a metre in length), and the cockpit (about two metres long). Lockers in the transom wall access the single battery (the desirable dual-battery system with triple switching is offered as an option). Also in the transom shelf are the oil reservoir for the outboard and an expansion chamber for the 150-litre underfloor fuel tank. Air vents run through this from each end of the tank, and the system prevents blow-back when filling, as well as weeping due to fuel expansion on a hot day. The fuel port is sited on a raised stand out on the boarding platform, so internal fuel spillage is not a problem. Over the transom (a walk-through option is offered) is a chequer-plate boarding platform on the passenger side, with full handrails, extra anti-slip panels, and a substantial fold-down boarding ladder. The other side of the platform has an auxiliary outboard mount. A mounting plate for transducers has been added to the hull to avoid drilling holes into the main structure. The boat was finished in Dupont Ez-Clear to keep it looking good and make it easier to clean. Fishability
Four robust, alloy through-gunwale rod holders are welded in, with good raised surrounds preventing water running along the gunwales from draining into the side shelves. The gimbal pins are aligned the right way too — a sure way to know if boat builders really understand what fishermen need. A six-position rocket launcher on the hardtop is easily reached from the deck by an adult of average height. A plumbed livebait tank is fitted in the transom wall and would probably sustain thirty mackerel-sized baits. It could be further improved by rounding the corners of the tank to stop the bait from piling up, although a great many fishermen only use their livebait tanks to store cut bait or caught fish. A central insulated fish bin could be easily added to store the catch, as could the optional transom-mounted bait station. The auxiliary bracket is a useful feature for those who like to troll for their trout. Divers are well catered for, with good boarding facilities, and tank racks could be fitted in the cockpit if stowage under the forward berths is not considered desirable. A ram-fed wash-down hose had also been fitted. This is a boat well suited to a wide range of Kiwi fishing and dive applications. Trailering
Other features are: manual winch; moulded-plastic guards with step plates; dual coupling; submersible lights; and wind-down jockey wheel. The approximate towing weight is 1800kg. All-in-allThe McLay 610 Fisherman Hardtop design must be close to the archetypical Kiwi fish-and-dive boat. There is a long list of options available (not all of which I have had space to mention) that allows these boats to be tailored to the needs of most customers. The continuing popularity of this series of hulls shows that McLay has got the basics pretty-much spot on. SpecificationsLength overall 6.35m
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Owner Steve McLay started the company in 1986, and having established a reputation for solid, good quality aluminium construction, they have built and sold over 1700 hulls.
The 610 is constructed with 5mm bottoms and 4mm sides and topsides. A 6mm bottom upgrade is an option. Four full-length longitudinal bearers help support the hull, and lateral bulkheads are in the bow, the rear of the cabin, the front edge of the fuel tank and the transom.
Although it is not hard to climb around the cabin side to get to the bow (plenty of handrails are fitted), the easiest way to access the bow is through the large hatch built into the cabin top.
Stowage space in the cabin is available under the berths and in two levels of side-shelves, the lower of which doubles as a backrest when sitting in the cabin (room for three adults comfortably). For those wishing to overnight or have a kip during the day, berth extensions can be added, reaching out to the helm seats. A centre infill is also an option.
McLay’s Fisherman series hulls live up to their title. Most anglers have their own ideas about the finer points of setting up fishing boats, but McLay has certainly got the basics right. The hull is reasonably stable and the chequer-plate decking gives good footing. There is good toe room when leaning on the gunwales or the transom face, so an angler can stay on balance and get good mid-thigh support. There is plenty of open space in the big cockpit and nothing to ding yourself on.
Trailers for McLay boats are built by an allied Milton firm, Toko Trailers. The one under the test boat was a cradle A-frame design, built from ‘C’ and open-ended box section for good galvanising penetration. It is a tandem-axle trailer with dura-torque suspension and hydraulic brakes working on the front axle. The boat rides on four pairs of wobble rollers along each side, with additional bow- and keel-entry rollers.
