Marco

Marco Boats was purchased a year ago by Bryan and Helen Horne, who started Horne Engineering Company (in 1997) after being in the Engineering Industry for 30 years. After creating a successful business, they decided to extend their hand to Boat Building once Marco Boats became available on the retirement of Graham and Marilyn Ransom.

While they are relatively new to the aluminium boating industry, the Horne’s have owned boats most of their lives and are well aware of the needs of the NZ Boatie. Helen, eldest son Dayne and Bob Jarvie are running the company and are working hard to improve the quality and the finer points of their boats while building on the proven hull design that Graham Ransom has developed over the past 20 years.

Preliminary

As with the test last issue, there are a number of things I am going to be constructively critical of with this boat. I ask, actually I demand, that you look past those faults as this is a good boat that has the ability to be a great boat. The reason for this is that the Horne’s are engineers, clearly good ones, and that will continue to filter through their design work in the future. They also have very good ethics when it comes to product support. Let me give you an example.

When I returned the boat to Dayne Horne the day after the test and discussed some of my thoughts, he told me about their changes to the model and what the company had done. It seems that when they acquired the Ranson built model they believed it could be done better. There was nothing inherently wrong with the older version, after all the previous owners sold hundreds of them. However, the Horne’s were concerned with the propensity for the boat to bow steer with a couple of big guys up front, and NZ’ers weights have increased since the boat was originally designed. They took the original and widened it, in keeping with current trends. Happy with the new model, they recalled the seven existing boats they had built and REPLACED them all! That is why you need to see through the faults with this model; they are minor compared to the engineering and backup going into its production.

First Impressions

The boat looks like a Marco. That’s good. Like a comfortable old jersey there is a reassurance to an old favourite looking like it should. Yet there are clearly changes to the product, not least being the targa top. More on that later. Also immediately apparent is the clean new transom arrangement and the voluminous cockpit. The rising bow rail lifts the profile while the rocket launcher and baitboard clearly identify that this is the fishing Marco of old. The lines can be best described as pleasant and functional.

Elsewhere first glances give a generally good impression. The usual Marco alloy gunwale moulding is present. I’ve always reckoned it looks great. The welding is of an acceptable standard although I must add some of it is only at the level we considered okay ten years ago. The lines of the plate swaging look strong and clean.

The Rig

This unit is designated as a 520 Angler. It has a unique (to the best of my knowledge) walk thru front. This means the screen opens up, the hatch opens up and access to the front is completely unrestricted. I really believed, before the test, that this was going to annoy me. Afterwards I’m happy to report it rates as its best feature. I believe other manufacturers were eyeing the option at the recent National Boat Show.

The hull has an overall length of 5.15m and a new wider beam at 2.07m. Deadrise is a modest 15 degrees. Construction is of 4mm for the hull, transom and the full length stringers. The balance is in 3mm. It weighs 385kg.

This boat already has an owner and he has fitted a late model second hand Yamaha 60 to the boat. This fits just below the maximum rating of 75hp given. I have some thoughts on that I’ll save until later. It looks balanced. The complete rig resides on a Voyager trailer clearly built to the quality you would expect from one of the elite manufacturers.

Marco is a member of, and therefore builds their boats to, the NZ CPC standards.

The Cabin

The cabin on this model is just for storage. It’s still a substantial area that could be better utilised than it is at present. I gave Dayne Horne my thoughts on how it could be improved, however he quickly pointed out that the customer rejected all their similar suggestions. So, as it stands, the cuddy area has a pocket on the passenger side and not a lot else. It is ideally suited to a couple of side pockets for clothing, stretchy nets below to secure lifejackets and a bigger locker behind the dash.

It’s a weird feeling, at first, to fold the screen back and open the hatch. It gives a very open boat look to the pointy end. A little bit of care would be necessary in heavy seas while pulling the pick, however the reality of this style of boat is that if you wear a dumper the extra bit of screen isn’t going to stop much of it landing on the deck. The anchoring arrangement is good, however the opening means there is nothing to brace against behind the anchorman. The floor is raised slightly behind the anchor well bulkhead. The area raised could be bigger. The well itself has enough capacity for the intended use the boat will be put to. The anchor fairlead is riveted and glued to the hull. Not good enough in my opinion, having been too often in the situation of stuck anchor requiring assistance from the boat. Extra plate underneath and a tapped and bolted mount would be preferable and stronger. On the positive side, an oversized model with captive pin is used. If a capstan is on the wish list modifications would be needed to the front at the time of construction.

The hatch is well secured by an aluminium twist toggle. It seemed to seal well (and we tested it…) however no explicit provision has been made for the anchor rope to enter with it closed. It still managed to close on the rope without problem. What was a problem was using the hatch on the water. I was joined for the day by Stu Helm from Autokool. While retrieving the anchor for the final time on our test day he scored a direct hit on the scone as the hatch blew shut. A simple mechanical latching arrangement or even a strap to the bow rail would solve the problem.

The Cockpit

The short cuddy cabin design means that this boat is all cockpit. And there is a lot of it. The Marco models have long been regarded as top fishing boats; check out any Coromandel, Kaiaua, Tauranga or Raglan boat ramp and you’ll see what I mean. There’s even one belonging to one of our writers that resides at our place. The style the previous owners built and the bang for the buck has always been very good.

Starting from the top, let’s mention the targa. This is an example of why the Horne built Marcos will succeed. The design is quite unique; the frame is designed to fold out and lock in position, then, with the pull of a pin, it will fold up tight against the rocket launcher. The canvas wasn’t quite finished when we tested so we removed it for trailing, however when it’s complete the whole thing will secure with a couple of straps. Top stuff.

The rocket launcher is the traditional design. It has the anchor light mounted on top. Like so many, the rod holders are at too steep an angle, making casting of longer rods a battle. While on the subject of lights, here are my thoughts, and yes, I know I’m sounding like a broken record. One, I’m not sure how any boat can be considered CPC compliant when the side lights aren’t exactly on the fore and aft line of the vessel. This isn’t the worst example but the sidelights still aren’t parallel with the centreline. That means the wrong colour can be seen from the wrong side when approaching from ahead. Two, it’s a simple wiring job to fit a single diode into the anchor light wire meaning that when the nav lights are switched on, all three lights go on the one switch, and when the anchor light switch is turned instead, just the anchor light goes. End of lecture.

This model has a fully welded alloy floor with chambers either side of a central well which runs almost full length. It has two separate lids which is an issue as the rear one is unusable in practice as it can’t be lifted with the rear seat down. I pointed this out to Horne but it was another customer decision. For me, an extra bulkhead reducing the rear bin size would be much more useful. I managed to fit one of the low profile genuine fish boxes in the space.

The stern of this vessel is particularly well done. A revamp of the transom has seen enough space created for fuel tanks to sit out of view on the floor. This leaves a great big covered shelf for batteries, oil tank and storage. The test boat was well done in this regard, the battery and switch being well protected from harm. The cover runs in one length full width. Not a fault but an improvement could be to have this in two pieces with latches to hold them up while out of use. Below is another full length panel which when tilted up and legs folded down becomes a stern seat. When not in use it completely covers the lower stern area.

Above, a square box section passes through the coaming and creates a mounting point for baitboard or ski pole. The baitboard fitted is the owners not the usual fitted by Marco, which saves me criticising the mounting bolts, all of which are proud of the cutting surface.

There are the usual cockpit side pockets. They are too short for anything other than short boat rods, although there is room to hang a rod or two below with a bit of engineering. They also became swimming pools when I washed the boat; the panels had been badly assembled meaning the corner drains were completely covered.

Two standard pedestal seats were fitted. Both swivel but don’t slide. The plastic pedestals have storage within and would be improved with a false floor to keep things dry. The seats themselves are small, adequate rather than comfortable. It is still a small boat after all.

The Dash

This is an area of mixed results. Starting from the left, the passenger area could be better serviced by changing the slope of the dash to the vertical plane. That would give a bigger area to build in a glovebox. It would also give the handrail a better position; it works well when standing but is a difficult reach when seated. A fiddle or alloy lip would make the space more friendly for loose gear.

On the drivers side the shape is probably as good as can be done within the constraints of the walkthrough. The steering wheel, and then the driving position, could probably be improved by using an angled bezel to make the wheel vertical. The standing position is rather forward and the reach to the throttle is behind. Its fine when seated or the throttle is at cruising revs. Personal opinion, if the seat pedestal went back a touch, a seat slider was fitted and the wheel angle changed, an okay set up would be made much better. Someone larger than my average size could well find the existing position difficult.

One of the problems, if it could be described that way, is that the boat isn’t as big as it feels – the oversized cockpit is responsible for that. That gives rise to the feeling that the dash is rather lower than you would expect. It could probably be higher but it wouldn’t look like a Marco then. Just remember, it’s only 5.2m long….

Our test craft was fitted with the standard twin Yamaha gauges, switch panel and compass. A VHF and radio had been mounted around the corner. The customer’s GPS and sounder had just been fitted. At his request the GPS was mounted on the passenger side. In use that proved to be as stupid as it sounds. My neck will eventually straighten…. Marco had constructed the transducer mount almost dead right; as I have also harped on about before, the transducer needs to be mounted on a bracket welded top and bottom, becoming an extension of the hull. This was done and in fact there was even an angled bracket for the speed/temp sensor. It could only be improved by welding and grinding the bracket fair and smooth with the bottom of the hull. We got full throttle performance from the sounder.

A negative was the wiring behind the dash. This was best described as untidy. In fact, the cable posts had broken free on one side. If the positive and negative ones touch each other the result will be messy and possibly involve a lot of smoke. We are fortunate to have a number of very good products, imported and local manufacture, that will ensure a tidy and efficient electrical system. They need to be used. In this case I had tested the VHF before we left and found it would only work by moving one of the wires. Not good.

Performance

I pulled the pin on our first chance to test the boat; gale warnings aren’t included in the design brief. A week later we were off to Tauranga to check the near-shore tarakihi population.

Before launching at Sulphur Point, Stu and I put the cover on the targa top. This wouldn’t usually be required but the canvas work was still incomplete as stated earlier. With a genuine 15knots of wind in the harbour there wasn’t much doubt we would get wet, especially as the clears were on the yet-to-be-made list. The Yamaha fired easily into life and we motored our way up the channel at the required five knots. We were already getting covered in wind-blown spray.

Clearing the entrance, I put the throttle down and the boat climbed easily on the plane. I experimented with the trim, quickly finding it liked only one position – fully up. As we neared the bifurcation mark, I spun back into the wind before we hit more sheltered water. Mistake one; high speed turns should not be attempted with this hull in this format. In the space of about 1500m we had already summed up a fair bit about the boat; with so much weight forward the performance is dictated by this fact, the boat needs the underfloor fuel tank at the rear to balance it better, or more motor weight, the targa top is a large surface area and the wind does affect it, the weight forward means that spray will be a constant companion in the wind, and we really could have done with the clears.

I have been in other mainstream brand boats of similar style with the same results. It’s just a case of keeping weight aft and recognising the trade off for so much fishing space. Stu and I headed for the Bridge Marina to take the photos before the clouds took over. It wasn’t until after we had completed the shoot and started back to begin the test proper that we noticed two important points; the tacho wasn’t reading and the voltmeter was showing less than 12 volts. I was unable to raise one of our mechanics and a check of the wiring and visible fuses didn’t show any obvious fault. That left us with two options; cancel the test, or carry on with a backup plan. With two VHF’s, two cell phones, two GPS’s and an epirb on board, I didn’t have too much concern with battery power. There were lots of alternatives if we couldn’t rope start the motor. The call was to complete the run and make a decision on fishing after that.

Heading towards the harbour entrance there were a couple of characteristics showing through. The boat rode ok in the harbour chop and wakes but was noisy in doing so, not a bang crash sort of noise rather the hollow sound of aluminium meeting water. Trust me, we did bang it off a wave or two, but then it was blowing fifteen knots and they were the exception. The boat tracked straight and true and didn’t seem fazed whichever direction we ran it. We got wet though; shags came to mind. It was all wet weather gear and pass the towel.

We decided that with someone knowing our exact GPS co-ordinates, plenty of boats around and a full compliment of safety gear, it was safe to take the run to our spot north of Karewa Island. Clear of the entrance the wind eased, so often the case when clear of the funnelling effects, and we made a wet trip up the coast.

I drove both standing and seated, the later being the better option to gain some protection behind the screen from the elements. We were pleased to arrive at the destination. It was a good ten mile run in conditions that were difficult but well short of the boats capabilities. I can assure you though that I have been bashed about by hulls inferior to this one. Yes it was wet, yes it was noisy but it went as well, if not better, than the rest of its class. Just recognise that its only 5.2m long.

The fishing was hard, although we found out later we did better than some of the local guns. A couple of moves saw the first of a small catch of tarakihi arrive aboard. We extended it with a couple of gurnard as well. Moving around the boat in a dozen knots of breeze showed that stability isn’t its greatest feature. Again that needs qualifying; I have fished in boats of the same size that needed a warning to other occupants if movement was in order. It’s not a requirement here. However, the feeling was that some extra low down weight, like an underfloor tank, would stiffen things considerably. Two of us on one side created a considerable, although far from dangerous, lean.

With a feed for both families secured, we elected to make our way back just before dark in case of problems. Anchor retrieval was no problem, apart from Stu’s attempts to keep the hatch open with his head, as reported earlier. We did notice the prop came clear of the water with each passing wave with one of us at the anchor and the other on the wheel. The boat performed in a similar manner on the return journey, this time the wind was quartering from slightly astern, and apart from being wet the ride was predictable. We emptied the first 25l tank just as we returned through the entrance. A quick burst on a much calmer harbour saw the canvas targa self release from the frame; it’s too big a surface area for domes only.

Summary

I know that, a year from now, this is going to be an even better boat. The Horn’s abilities as engineers will see to that. I can also see that if Dayne Horne is given the latitude to set up the boats how he wants, a very good product will ensue.

The boat at present performs as well as you would expect from this style, even if it is a little noisy. Accept that so much un-countered weight forward will affect performance and handling. Accept that it also adds up to a wet boat. There are a few rough edges to be knocked off, such as the swimming pools. I found another while washing the boat when I ran my hand along the chine, cutting my finger. Big dollops of weld had been left in four positions where the construction jig had been. Look past these minor considerations (although check for them before paying your final cheque) and see the thought that has gone into the transom design and other parts of the construction.

Because of our electrical problems we didn’t get to test the new bait tank that had been fitted. Nor could we run any worthwhile speed tests with no tacho. We did confirm top speed on the GPS at 28 knots.

Would I own one? Yes I would. It would probably have a bigger motor, a full underfloor tank and a re-jigged steering position. With better provision for storage and a few more hand rails, this would be a very good inshore, mussel farm, close offshore, trout trolling, multi-purpose vessel. Just like the hundreds of other Marcos already in use throughout the country.

This article is reproduced with permission of Coast to Coast Magazine Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited