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Many of our magnificent coastal locations are surf beaches or coves in rocky coastlines that have no formal launching facilities. Such conditions have influenced boat design, with smaller outboard-powered pontoon hulls, often launched by quad bike or the venerable beach tractor, hugely popular. One manufacturer of such craft is Senator Boats of Napier. Owner Wayne McKinley manufactures a range of pontoon hulls, in addition to large plate monohulls. These are fitted out and marketed by Napier-based Firmans Marine, who feed back to the builder their customers’ design and layout needs – a very successful partnership over many years. There are many coastal enclaves where modest-sized boats are the most practical, and it was to one of these, Waimarama Beach to the south of Cape Kidnappers, that I travelled early in the New Year. The head of Firmans Marine, Brian Firman, and his brother David were both there with their families, as was Geoff Wilcox, owner of a brand-new Senator RC 560. He kindly made his craft available for the trial. Construction
Longitudinal support is provided by welding a flat plate above and across the ‘V’ where the bottoms meet to form the keel. This runs the length of the hull forming a very strong triangular cross-section. In addition, there are two full-length vertical beams and the pontoon structure itself supporting the hull. The keel line is fully seam-welded inside and out and a keel wear-cap can be fitted on request. Laterally, there is a bulkhead in the bows (forming the anchor well), a frame at the cabin, and the transom construction. The underfloor fuel tank is suspended under the cockpit deck, rather than resting on frames, as is usual. The quality of the welding appears to be excellent. A high level of reserve buoyancy is one of the big attractions of the pontoon design, and the Senator RC560 has this feature in spades. The pontoons form three separate chambers, with a fourth under the sealed deck. The pontoon chambers extend right up to the gunwale tops, allowing the hull to float upright if swamped. Total reserve buoyancy is 600kg, a huge amount for a boat of this size. Senator also considered the surf hazards with the heavy-duty construction of their dodger. It has a return on the top to help turn back water and the heavy polycarbonate ‘screens are lapped and Sikaflexed to the outside of the dodger – a very strong construction method that may well be appreciated if you were to take a decent one over the bow. Senator was, I think, the first New Zealand pontoon boat manufacturer to taper their pontoons toward the bow. They still have plenty of lift, but reduce water drag and look much more stylish than full-depth bow tubes. Power and performance
The day of the test was a beautiful, hot, blue-sky summer’s day, with about 15 knots of northeast wind. This was blowing more or less straight in on the golden sands of the coastal hamlet of Waimarama. But this did not phase the Waimarama boaties at all and they were out in force. A modest rocky reef protruding from the middle of the beach gives a small lee to load and unload boats, and a narrow, doglegged channel of slightly deeper water to get your boat set up in. Local knowledge here, as in many places around the coast, is critical. The requirements of boating at Waimarama have produced a sort of convergent evolution. Five- to six-metre pontoon boats were in the overwhelming majority, and a fine collection of rusty but feisty old tractors lined the beach near the reef. Sea conditions were sloppy, with a metre of chop keeping our sea speed down to about 20 knots.
With a stiff breeze over the bow quarter, we were regularly taking some spray over the dodger – this is not the driest boat I have ever been in – but this is my only criticism, and in the hot summer temperatures, it was not an issue. On cooler days you might want to put up the clears to keep the spray off and the RC560 was fitted with one of the best canopy set-ups I have seen. A front-protruding Bimini top is supported off the top of the dodger and runs back to the rocket launcher, keeping off the sun. A set of clears runs from under the Bimini down to under the turn-back on the dodger, where it is secured with tracking, rather than the usual domes, making it seriously waterproof. An open-back hard-top version, the RH560 is also available. Visibility was good as you are looking over the raked, tinted dodger, both seated and standing. The cable steering was adequate, if a little heavy when used with the 115 Yamaha; hydraulic steering could be fitted. Overall, an excellent performer, with the high level of stability and safety provided by the pontoon design proving to be real assets for this type of work. AnchoringWhile the pontoon top, fitted with anti-slip panels, provides a reasonable pathway to the bow, it is probably most convenient to work the anchor from the hatchway in the foredeck. A chequerplate platform provides a good place for the bowman to stand, and the large hatch also covers the big anchor well, separated from the rest of the cabin by a three-quarter height bulkhead. The split bow rail acts to constrain the warp in the fairlead, which is within easy reach of the hatch. A bollard is welded to the foredeck, and there is room to fit an anchor winch if required. Layout
At the helm, a large dash is covered by dark marine carpet, reducing glare on the inside of the tinted ‘screen and stopping items sliding around. It has a back lip and passenger grab rail. Instrumentation and electronics are flush-mounted in the dash. Aside from switching gear and the usual Yamaha LCD gauges, a Furuno Navnet VX2 multi-purpose system and Uniden Solara VHF were fitted. Standard seats are swivellers fitted on box pedestals (providing a little extra stowage), but Geoff Wilcox had specified pipe pedestals to maximize space. The rotationally-moulded plastic bucket seats were upholstered and comfortable enough. Wide, flat-topped pontoons are trimmed with a new non-slip rubber-type material called Surf-Grip, and provide a convenient perch while fishing.
Under the deck is a 150-litre fuel tank. The standard is 100 litres, but Geoff wanted the extra capacity. When the smaller tank is fitted, it allows room for a fishbin-sized under-deck wet storage hold. The fuel port is on the rear of the transom top, and a protective guard is fitted to the fuel line where it passes between the transom and deck. Over the transom, a boarding platform is fitted to the passenger’s side, with chequerplate finish, grab rails and fold-down ‘T’ ladder. Two lugs have been added to take a bridle for towing water toys and a separate transducer mounting bracket has been added to the stern under the waterline. In a smaller boat, with trips typically lasting only a few hours, a minimalist approach is a good one. A couple of big, lidded plastic boxes bungeed in place in the bow would supply all the dry stowage required, and are easily removed for cleaning and storage. Fishability
The stability of the wide hull and pontoons was a big plus when pulling cray pots in the sloppy conditions around Bare Island; we then ran out a mile or so to the wreck of the Sarabande for a quick fish. We had four on board without it getting crowded and fished three with ease. In a quick hour’s stop we added a feed of tarakihi and gurnard to the crays in the big chillybin Geoff uses to store his catch. Departure was delayed for about 20 minutes when a nice kingfish grabbed a bait on my little 6kg braid rig and hauled me around the ocean for a while, before Geoff slipped the gaff in and added him to the bag. The stability, ladder, grab rails and chequerplate boarding platform also make this workhorse diver-friendly. We headed back to the beach to process the catch and have a cold beer and lunch. To me this sort of thing is what summer holidays are all about. TraileringAt around 1090kg, this rig is an easy tow for most vehicles. The hull was carried on a DMW Premier Series trailer. This is a cradle A-Frame design constructed of galvanised box section. Wheel arches and rims are also galvanised. Five pairs of wobble rollers support the boat along each side and a keel-entry roller and bay aid the initial part of the loading. Other fittings include a dual-ratio manual winch, wind-down jockey wheel and submersible lights. All in allThe Senator RC560 proved to be an ideal boat for surf and beach launching. A smaller craft is much easier to get off the sand, and the stability and buoyancy of a pontoon design are ideal when surf must be dealt with. Senator and Firmans have got all the basics right – this hull travels very nicely and the increased beam gives lots of room and also increases stability. The design allows easy anchoring and boarding, and is backed with solid construction and even (for a pontoon boat) modest good looks. A great little work boat. Specifications
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During the summer holidays, huge numbers of people stay at coastal campgrounds or baches around our coast, and for a high percentage, boating – especially as a means of harvesting delicious, high-quality seafood – is a primary occupation.
The RC560 has 5mm bottoms, with much of the rest of the construction, including the pontoons, done in 3mm – helping to keep the weight down. Pontoon boats often end up a bit cramped for space because of the beam absorbed by the pontoons, but Senator have countered this with narrower, higher pontoons and also increased the beam, giving a big cockpit, high sides and further increasing stability.
Geoff Wilcox’s RC560 is powered by a Yamaha 115hp four-stroke, which produces about 40mph at 5800rpm while swinging a 19-inch pitch prop. This is a heap of power, and you could probably even go down in horsepower a bit, but it’s nice to have some grunt with, say, a full load of divers and their gear in a surf landing situation. Senator recommends 90hp to 115hp for this hull.
I was very happy with the performance of the 560. It lands softly, stays on the plane at low speeds and shows no tendency to broach or bow-steer. It has plenty of lift in the bow and a good range of engine trim, with no cavitation evident. Considering the number of this popular hull they’ve sold, you’d be right in thinking Firmans would have the engine set-up formula fine-tuned by now.
This is a working day boat, and no space has been wasted with berths. The bow area is open and gear stowed there is prevented from sliding back into the cockpit by two pipe rails which double as foot rests. Narrow side pockets run back to the rear of the dodger (interrupted by the console on the helm side).
Large side pockets have a flared lip and are wide enough to take dive tanks. The sealed chequer plate deck drains aft to a sump fitted with a 500gph bilge pump. A large, open-face transom shelf holds the battery (in a plastic case) well up above the deck; important when there is a possibility of swamping. An isolation switch is mounted to the side, and behind it, the fuel filter. There is also room for a bit of stowage here.
Bottom fishing, diving and cray-potting is what these tough little work boats are all about, and the needs are basic. There are four through-gunwale rod holders built into the boat, angled out to spread the rods as much as possible. Two more vertical holders in the transom support the bait board, which is off-set slightly to the helm side to allow easy passage over the transom to the boarding platform on the passenger side. A seven-position rocket launcher can be folded down for storage, and also supports a cockpit spotlight.
LOA 5.75m
