Advice & Info: Steadecraft 600 Seville |
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The show must go on, as they say, so despite the weather Tim and I left the shelter of Marine Affair in the middle of Pauanui Village, with the Seville in tow. Ken followed with a Steadecraft 545 as a photo boat. While we couldn't go outside, the tide was high enough to explore Tairua harbour and at least give the boat a good run.
The 600 is available in two guises: the Seville as reviewed here and a Fisher version without carpets and with different seating arrangements. Many customers opt for the Seville which they then up or down spec according to their needs. The test boat was very well equipped and there's no faulting the standard of finish or the attention to detail. Inside and out the boat has been thoroughly thought through and the Tauranga factory obviously takes pride in its work. The hull has been around for a lot of years now. It's well proven and has a reputation as an excellent all-rounder. It features a relatively fine entry, running back to an 18° deadrise at the transom. It's quite full in the shoulders, the chine is pronounced and there's plenty of flare, which should mean a dry boat. Although we couldn't test its rough water performance for ourselves, this model is reputedly very competent, comfortable and dry.
Launching was very easy - the boat slipped off the GT Quickload tandem axle trailer and into the tide with a minimum of fuss. The 150hp Optimax burst into life after its characteristic two-and-a-half revolutions, idling steadily as we pushed the boat off and trickle across the shallows into the deeper water of the channel. Once we had sufficient depth under us, we trimmed the motor in and pushed the throttle forward. Response is instantaneous, and there is ample power available. The Seville really gets up and boogies and nearly 50-mph is possible on flat water with this engine option.
Steady rain made the job of photographing the boat difficult, but during the occasional lulls we shot as many pictures as we could. We were thankful for the canopy fitted to the Seville, though it didn't have clears, which would have been nice. Sitting down, the screen keeps the worst of the rain out of the eyes.
The helm position is comfortable. The swivelling pedestal seat isn't adjustable, but it was perfectly placed for me. A moulded foot rest is standard for both driver and passenger. Controls fall easily to hand and the instruments are logically placed. A Humminbird fishfinder was fitted along with a Si-Tex VHF radio and a Ritchie compass. The seats are king and queen style and there's storage in the bases. There's more underfloor (enough to accommodate three dive bottles) and there are generous side pockets and extra shelves next to the driver and passenger. Ken at Marine Affair had fitted rods racks on each side, while two stainless steel rod holders are standard.
The boat is fully lined with washable marine carpet. In the cockpit the carpets are attached with domes for easy removal (the moulded floor underneath is non-slip). The forward cabin is reasonably large and the v-berths are full length. A portable toilet is standard and a curtain to provide privacy is an optional extra. A hatch in the foredeck allows anchoring from inside the boat and a separate anchor locker is big enough to carry two anchors (a danforth and a grapnel?) with chain and warps.
Access into the forecabin is facilitated by the moulded step and the wide opening (two-thirds the width of the cabin). This, and the side windows, means the cabin is light and airy, despite the dark fabrics used on this particular boat.
Across the transom there's an in built bait bin and cutting board and a removable fishbin-seat. Under the transom is the battery box and oil reservoir with enough room for a tote tank. A vinyl curtain is an option. The swimstep is reasonably wide and there's a moulded auxiliary bracket as a standard feature. A dive ladder is optional.
We buzzed up and down the harbour putting the boat into sharp turns and crossing our own wake a few times. Without any waves to test the hull against I can only comment on the Seville's performance on flat water. It carves the turns smoothly and well and the prop bites well although the engine needed trimming in on some of the sharper high-speed turns. Acceleration is excellent and other aspects of the boats handling like maneuverability in reverse are fine.
The boat has good stability at rest. We tried three people on one side without upsetting its equilibrium to any extent and transferring from one boat to another didn't present any difficulties. Gunwale heights are about right and there's ample toe room. Moving around the cockpit's fine, although you'd need to watch your toes on the lugs that secure the fish box if it's been removed for the day.
All these attributes add up to a boat that's well suited to fishing: a nice compromise between cockpit space and seating, blue water ability and stability at rest. Although the Fisher version has even more cockpit space, I felt the Seville was roomy enough for most fishing applications and the hull is a well-proven one that won't dish up any surprises when the going gets tough. It comes with a five year structural hull warranty.
Aimed at the family boating market, the Steadecraft Seville 600 is a well-finished, well-specified all rounder with an excellent pedigree and updated styling more than able to hold its own amongst the current crop of New Zealand built fibreglass powerboats.
Specifications
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