Fyran Boats is one of New Zealand’s longest standing aluminium boat manufacturers, with a history dating back over 60 years.
Many Kiwis have cut their boating and fishing teeth on Fyrans, and I number amongst the ranks, having owned and fished from a classic 12-foot Fyran for a few years around a quarter-century ago.
A year or so ago, it became apparent that the company needed a major refocus. New managers were employed and they embarked on a process of redesign and rejuvenation. Building on the hard-won knowledge of the past, and adding new design and manufacturing concepts and quality components, a range of new models have rolled out of the South Auckland factory’s doors. The first was the Fyran 550, reviewed in the October 2014 issue of this magazine. Continuing on the program, Fyran released a new 440, along with the 660HT, the first all-aluminium hard-top to come from the factory in about a decade (according to production manager Nick Herd) and the subject of this review.
I met up with Nick at the ramp in the picturesque village of Maraetai, in the south of the Hauraki Gulf. Carried on a Hosking tandem-axle trailer with a hydraulic brake on one axle, the rig has a tow weight of about 1750kg dry.
The trailer has six pairs of wobble rollers per side and is a cradle A-frame design with entry bay. Despite its size, the big Fyran was easily launched, and retrieved with the dual-ratio manual winch.
Nick Herd and I headed the 660 down the Waiheke Channel and out into the Firth of Thames. The demonstrator is powered by a Honda BF 135hp four-stroke outboard spinning a 17-inch prop. Fuel is carried in a 180-litre tank, suspended under the deck.
With a fine entry, variable to 25° amidships and a modest 17° at the transom, the 660 has a soft and dry-riding hull, and is also reasonably stable, aided by flat, wide chines and easily-adjusted Lenco trim tabs when underway. With these and the hydraulic steering, the boat was a pleasure to helm.
In sea conditions ranging from dead-flat up to about half-a-metre, we had a comfortable ride. At full noise, the Honda 135 achieved 33.7 knots (62.4kph) at 5800rpm. A relaxed cruising speed was 18 knots (33.3kph) at 3300rpm. According to figures supplied by Fyran, at 18 knots fuel usage is a very reasonable 0.72 litres per nautical mile, or 13.2 litres per hour, giving a range of 250 nautical miles on a full tank.
Fyran has retained its tried-and-proven construction techniques, using a full-length keel bar, and bottom and side plates slotted into aluminium extrusions then welded in place. Five millimetre bottom plates are used, with 4mm sides and 3mm topsides. The tread-plate decks are sealed on either side of the central well (which houses the fuel tank and a storage hold), all of which drains to the bilges and a sump at the stern. Any water is removed from there by a bilge pump. Buoyancy figures were not available at the time of writing.
The 660 is configured as an open-backed hard top, with the protected area kept to a modest size, allowing for substantial fishing space in the cockpit. Apart from the layout (which we will come to in a moment), the major changes from the original 660 hull are mostly in the stern, involving a dual transom walk-through, curved stern, a redesigned engine pod, and a permanent live-bait tank and bait-station on the transom.
Fyran has thought ahead to future needs for this boat, too. A dedicated loom with access plates along the side and conduit across the stern make for easy fitting of wiring, plumbing and steering, maintenance and adding fittings. The fuel tank is suspended under a long hatch in the deck and could be removed without too much difficulty if necessary.
With a Rocna anchor permanently mounted on a short bowsprit and a Maxwell RC6 chain-and-warp capstan controlled from the helm, there is only occasional cause to get out on the bow, but access is available around the cabin sides (non-slip panels are fitted) or through the hatch in the cabin roof. Abbreviated bow rails constrain the warp on the fairlead, and a tie-off bollard is fitted.
The cabin is of a decent size – a handy place for the kids to have a kip or play if they get bored with the fishing – and lined to the berths, which can sleep two adults easily (or maybe three snugly) with the berth infill fitted. A toilet is an option. Storage space is available under the berths and in two side shelves.
Out in the wheelhouse is a dash, glove box and side stowage pockets. There is a grab rail on the dash and two under the hardtop, alongside a ventilation hatch. ‘Screens are 5mm toughened glass and visibility is good. The electronics (including a Simrad Evo II 12-inch sounder-GPS) were nicely flush-mounted in the dash.
Seats consist of two rotationally-moulded, swivelling, upholstered bucket types on aluminium bases with two levels of internal stowage. Fold-down benches on the backs double as foot rests when facing astern, as small work tops (a handy place to put tackle boxes), and offer a step up for the vertically challenged when climbing onto the gunwale or reaching up to the rocket launcher.
Side shelving runs the whole length of the cockpit each side – about 3.5m – and is supplemented by an under-deck stowage hold between the seats. Also running the full length of the cockpit are grab rails along the inside of the gunwale tops. As they are flush mounted, they do not interfere with sitting on the wide, flat gunwale tops, and can also be used to tie off fenders, fishing lines, rod safety lines and so on.
The transom wall has two hatch entries into a locker which protects the twin batteries and isolation switching well up off the deck, as well as providing more stowage space. The batteries are positioned to keep the weight central. Transom step-throughs are built at each end with optional drop doors, giving access to a large tread-plate boarding platform with grab-rails and fold-down ‘T’-type boarding ladder.
The whole of the boat, to the waterline, is protected by a single-pot product called Nano-Clear, a permanent nanocoating which keys into the alloy, producing a highly scratch-, chemical- (including petrol) and UV-resistant surface with self-cleaning properties. This makes the boat much easier to wash, and protects the alloy from oxidation and corrosion, keeping it looking smart. Surprisingly, this finish also seemed to keep the alloy from overheating on what was a hot day. A decorative vinyl overlay has been added to the sides.
Fyran’s biggest market has always been fishers and divers, so how does the new 660 HT measure up in this field? Divers are well catered for, with the ‘T’ type fold-down boarding ladder being easy to use, even when wearing fins. The platform is large and non-skid, and the grab-rails and transom step-throughs make boarding easy. The under-deck hold is large enough to store dive bottles and other dive gear.
Fishing fittings include: a six-position rocket launcher; three through-gunwale rod-holders per side, plus two on the transom (for a total of eight); and the live-bait tank/bait-station unit permanently mounted on the transom. The design of this unit is still being fine-tuned, but features a front viewing window so you can check the bait’s health (and keep the kids entertained). The top has a bait-board incorporated, which swivels up and back to allow access to the tank without interfering with the bait-station functions. Other features include: four trays for small tackle items; a knife tray; the two rod holders already mentioned; and slots incised into the front at 2cm intervals, which can be used to measure fish.
This tank is a useful spot to keep bait when not housing livies, and the transom step-through on the starboard side is made so that a 55-litre Icey Tek ice bin for storing the catch will fit snugly underneath.
Fyran’s new and smart-looking 660HT is robustly constructed and nicely finished. It travels softly and dryly, and is well-suited for multiple purposes. The shelter provided by the hard top and the cabin, along with its soft ride, make this boat fine for taking the kids out, without encroaching on its hard-core fishability.
Divers are well catered for and the modest hardtop keeps the windage down while providing plenty of shelter for the crew – without eating into cockpit work-space. This boat is well-suited to fishin’ missions ranging from basic bottom-bouncing right through to blue-water game fishing.
Material: Aluminium
Configuration: open back hard-top
LOA: 6.875m
Beam: 2.431m
Bottom: 5mm
Sides: 4mm
Topsides: 3mm
Deadrise: variable to 17° at transom
Test engine: Honda BF135hp
Prop: 17” pitch
Fuel: 180-litre under floor
Trailer: Hosking tandem axle
Tow weight: 1750kg
Key-turn rig: $79,500 (Honda BF135hp)
Price as tested: $96,522.
This article is reproduced with permission of |
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