McLay Sportsman |
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McLay boats started aluminium boat construction way back in 1986 in the quiet South Island town of Milton, about half-an-hour’s drive south of Dunedin.
Having developed a reputation for constructing solid, dependable and well-behaved hulls, the company is now represented nationwide by a network of eleven dealers, with the Milton base supplying their local region.
With ever-increasing costs of outboards, construction materials and fittings, McLay saw the need for an affordable entry-level rig to get people on the water. To this end, they have taken their standard 530 Fisherman hull and replaced the 5mm hull with 4mm material, and pared away the extras like hatches in the transom wall and seat upholstery. The result is a basic but functional key-turn package that, with a 90hp Mercury outboard and Toko trailer, is on the market for $28,000.
Construction
As just mentioned, the bottom plates of the Sportsman are 4mm thick, with 3mm sides and topsides, and a 4mm chequerplate deck. Lengthways the hull is supported by five bearers, laterally there are three main bulkheads (plus the transom assembly), and a further four support frames are under the cabin deck. The keel and chine construction is formed by butted plates, double seam-welded.
The fore-cabin is drained by pipe into the bilge. Both the bilge and sealed decks drain back into a sump under the transom wall, from where water is removed by a 900gph bilge pump.
Buoyancy is provided by a large under-floor air chamber, which is drained (to remove any condensation) by pipe out to the transom, where a bung is fitted. Buoyancy figures were not available at the time of writing.
Plates for mounting transducers and any other external fittings are attached to the stern, as is a built-in pathway to take the transducer cable up into the hull without having to drill holes.
An 80-litre underfloor fuel tank is an option (although the test boat used two tote tanks that sit under the transom), and hulls are fitted with a stand for the fuel port outside the transom. A clever idea is to fit the fuel-tank breather through the inside of one of the stern grab rails, so that any blow-back is expelled out under the boarding platform, rather than down the side of the hull.
As befits its entry-level workhorse ethic, the Sportsman is not painted. However, the hull and insides have been finished in a hardwearing Teflon-based two-pot Dupont product called Imron. This clear finish is not stripped by fuel spillage and makes cleaning easier.
Power and performance
Wayne Hansby, from West Auckland towed the test boat across to the Westhaven ramp in the heart of Auckland City, and we took the Sportsman for a run out in the Hauraki Gulf. It was a fine, clear, winter’s day with the sun streaming down, but a nippy 15-knot SE wind was putting a chill in the air. Sea conditions were a typically tight half-metre chop, with running swells of a metre churned up by ferries, shipping and launches.
The 5.3m hull (a seventeen footer in old-speak) has a 16° deadrise and down-turned chines. It is fairly full in the shoulders, has four pressed strakes on the bottoms, and three moulding lines on each side.
This hull is rated for 70- to 90-horsepower outboards, and the test boat was pushed by a 90hp Mercury Saltwater two-stroke, spinning an 18"-pitch stainless Vengence prop. In calm water I gave the rig a quick squirt and it ran up to 46mph (74kph) at 5600rpm on the dash instrumentation. This is pretty nippy for a boat of this size and weight, and for safety’s sake you certainly wouldn’t want to go any faster. Probably a 70hp outboard would do the job fine.
At 30mph (48kph), the hull handled the conditions comfortably, with the bow trimmed down a little so the entry could do its work. The cable steering was adequate for the job. With a stiff breeze on the beam we took very little spray, even without the benefit of a canopy. The hull seems to be a good performer in its class. If there is any criticism to be made, it is that this lighter-gauge hull is a bit noisier when underway than the heavier-hulled models of the marque.
Anchoring
It is reasonably easy to climb around the sides of the cabin to get to the bow, but there is no real reason to do so. The wide cabin entry allows easy access to the large hatch in the cabin top, from where it is a short reach to the fairlead.
The seats in the cabin have a marine-carpet finish, making you feel comfortable about standing on them in your sea boots. There is good mid-thigh support at the front of the hatchway, and right in front is a separately hatched, self-draining anchor well of good capacity. The split bow-rail makes it easy to place and remove the anchor on the short bowsprit, and also contains the warp on the roller. Overall, a very well-designed anchoring set-up. A capstan package is also offered as an option.
Layout
This rig is offered as a basic product at a very attractive price. A wide range of further options are offered as extras, but are too numerous to list here. Navigation lights had not been fitted and these are pretty much a ‘must have’.
The cabin is deliberately small to provide maximum cockpit room. Two adults could shelter in there at a pinch, or a couple of children could have an afternoon nap. There is some stowage room under the seats, and two lined side shelves offer additional stowage space. The back of the console is covered by a screw-on plate, which can be removed to access the wiring and steering.
At the helm position is a fair-sized dash with a grab rail at the trailing edge. There is space there to mount an LCD sounder/plotter unit, or one could be flush-mounted in the console. Seats are moulded-plastic swivellers on aluminium pedestal boxes with some internal stowage space, and footrests are built in. An additional grab rail is mounted on the passenger side.
Visibility through the curved Perspex ‘screen was very good, both seated and standing. Dark marine carpet on the dash would eliminate the small amount of internal reflection (as well as stopping things from sliding around up there) and is simple to cut and fit.
Side shelves about two metres long are fitted up under each gunwale in the cockpit, with marine-carpet lining. Each side also has two vertical aluminium bars under this for mounting clips and racks for items such as a paddle, gaffs etc. A wet storage hold is placed centrally under the deck in the cockpit (this space is taken by the underfloor fuel tank if that option is exercised).
The large transom shelf takes batteries, oil reservoirs, fuel filters etc., well up off the deck. Over the transom is a chequerplate boarding platform (on the passenger side) with a good-sized fold-down boarding ladder and big meaty handrails.
Fishability
The basics are all there: the big beamy, uncluttered cockpit gets most of the space – this is not an overnighting boat, so why waste fishing space with a big cabin? The gunwales give good mid-thigh support, and are wide and comfortable enough to sit on. There is toe room to stand upright when leaning on the gunwales, the hull is reasonably stable for its size, and the chequerplate decks give good footing.
As a bare-bones rig, there are not much in the way of fishing fittings – two nylon through-gunwale rod holders is all – but this can be viewed as a ‘blank canvas’ to create a set-up that suits your needs. Fishing items on the options list include: livebait tank and plumbing, bait station, rocket launcher, alloy through-gunwale rodholders; a wash-down hose, and a range of fitted electronics – or you can go through the process (I find it enjoyable) of fitting much of this stuff yourself.
More rodholders and a rocket launcher would be basics. An ice bin for the catch (or use the under-deck hold) and a central transom-mounted bait station are other useful fittings.
There is plenty of space, considering the size of the hull, and it could fish up to four with care, although it’s ideally suited for two. The platform and boarding ladder cater for divers, with the under-deck hold a good place to stow the dive gear.
Trailering
The McLay Sportsman is carried on a cradle A-frame trailer, built by allied company Toko Trailers of Milton. It is constructed of galvanised box section, with a single axle and zinc-treated leaf springs. Other features are a manual winch, submersible lights, wind-down jockey wheel, and dual coupling. The boat was easily retrieved in a sheltered ramp situation, with four pairs of wobble rollers per side.
Options include brakes, spare wheel and guide poles – a good idea when loading in a side wind or current, and a useful aid when backing the empty trailer down the ramp after dark. The tow weight of the rig is listed as a modest 990kg.
All-in-all
There is a lot to like about this moderately priced rig. In particular the anchoring set up, the forward visibility, and the big, beamy cockpit are well designed.
It travels well and is easily towed. For a coastal saltwater and lake fishing and diving boat, this rig is a good place to start, and it can be further specked up as needs, finances and time permit.
Specifications
Hull length 5.30m
LOA 5.50m
Beam 2.08m
Bottoms and deck 4mm
Sides and topsides 3mm
Power 70-90hp
Hull only $14,000
Key-turn package (as tested) $28,000
The large hatch in the cabin top makes it easy to work the anchor.
Substituting marine carpet for squabs makes sense in a working day boat
The large dash offers stowage and instrument mounting options.
The helm position is comfortable and well protected by the ‘screen.
At under a tonne on the trailer, this rig makes for easy towing.
The under-deck hold could be used to store the catch or dive equipment.
A beamy cockpit provides plenty of workspace.
Platform, grab rails and fold-down ladder make boarding easy for divers and swimmers.
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