Buccaneer 720

Gerry Gerrand likes fishing. He also builds boats, Buccaneer Boats, one of New Zealand's leading brands. Gerry's fishing experience is immediately obvious the moment you step aboard one of his craft, particularly one like the new 720 Billfisher which is first and foremost a fishing craft.

The boat is an evolutionary development of the Buccaneer Billfisher 237, a popular model with an excellent reputation for sea-kindliness and fishability.

Buccaneer have changed the cabin top mouldings and screen (now a curved, toughened glass Taylor screen instead of the perspex of the previous model) giving the boat a more rounded, less angular profile. In fact, the entire deck mould is new. The changes are for the better and everyone we talked to agreed the boat is a handsome beast.

The generous cockpit and full walkaround decks have been retained. I love walkarounds and feel they are the best possible configuration for a recreational fishing boat. The raised and rounded cabin top has improved headroom inside the forward cabin which is surprisingly roomy and well-equipped. A redesigned stylish fibreglass hardtop completes the picture.

The boat we tried is owned by Buccaneer and used by Lusty and Blundell and Moller Yamaha as a test bed and demonstrator for their products. On the stern sit two brand-new Yamaha 100hp four-strokes. These are the latest in the ever-growing range of four-stroke outboards from various manufacturers. The Yamahas boast several advantages over their rivals, not least very light weight, no more in fact, than many equivalent two-strokes.

As already noted, the 720 is an attractive craft. The twin Yamahas with their slim cowlings complement the boat's lines very well. The level of finish and attention to detail throughout the boat is outstanding. The only possible criticism is that some of the stainless steel screws securing the boat's railings show signs of discolouration. The rest of the stainless work (supplied by Manta Marine) is spotless.

We loaded quite a bit of fishing gear aboard for a sortie to the bottom end of Waiheke Island and a go at some of the resident kingfish. Storing gear is no problem on this boat, it has rod storage to burn (8 holders on the rocket launcher, two on each side deck and two more on the custom bait board, plus horizontal storage for two rods each side). Huge underfloor lockers swallowed the bait and fish bins and a removable aft seat/fish bin took our tackle boxes and soft bags. Two big transom lockers take more gear (and access batteries, fuel filters, oil reservoirs and the like) and other, smaller lockers accept safety gear, wash-down bits and pieces and other odds and ends. And then there are the live wells...

Forward in the cabin there's plenty more room with the squabs lifted. A chemical toilet is discreetly hidden by a centre squab which forms part of the full-size double berth forward. Another single (quarter) berth is tucked in under the helm position on the starboard side. It looks cramped but it's actually full-length and wide enough to be very comfortable. A compact galley sports a two-burner stove and a plumbed sink with a surprising amount of storage fitted in around the galley area. Headroom is excellent and the cabin is fully lined. Tinted oval windows let in the light and there is a small hatch in the cabin top for ventilation.

The helm is absolutely loaded with electronics - not surprising considering Lusty and Blundell's involvement. A Raytheon Pathfinder RL70 Radar-GPS-Plotter and a Raytheon L750 Fishfinder sit side by side surrounded by the latest in waterproof switch gear, trim adjustments and indicators. A full complement of Yamaha instruments, including their optional fuel computer, complete the picture.

Fully adjustable (fore and aft as well as up and down) swivel seats for helm and passenger make up the forward positions and two more passengers can comfortably sit on the padded fish bin aft. There are handholds aplenty for standing passengers and the hardtop gives good protection from the elements. Clears are standard but we did not have them fitted.

Although sea conditions could best be described as 'unpleasant', we pushed along at a good speed - generally in excess of thirty knots, despite a decent 1.5 to 2 metre easterly sea on the nose. We were forced to slow down as we crossed the Motuihe Channel but mostly managed to stay dry (the two standing passengers did cop a face full of spray occasionally). The screen does an excellent job of protecting the boat's occupants.

Response and performance from the twin Yamahas is excellent. The boat is smooth and quiet, and very easy to drive. The motors are punchy down low and seem to be particularly strong and tractable in the mid-range. A single trim adjustment acts on both engines, though they can, of course, be adjusted individually. Trim tabs were fitted and very handy, especially with twenty-five to thirty knots of breeze and the sea on the beam.

The way the boat handled the conditions is a tribute, not just to the builder (who has a reputation for building top-quality boats), but also to the boat's set-up. Moller Yamaha have gone to considerable trouble to set the boat up to get the best from the new four-stroke engines.

Although the wind was really pumping, the sun was shining. Once in the lee of Waiheke, we made good speed to the bottom end where we planned to take some pictures and then catch a kingfish or three.

The pics were accomplished easily enough and we were soon trolling a paravane amongst flocks of screeching terns. The boat trolls well and fuel consumption is quite reasonable - 9 litres per hour at 2000rpm and 7.5 mph, according to Moller Yamaha's Greg Fenwick. Interestingly, the same speed on just one engine requires more revs and actually uses more fuel (2700rpm and 11.5 lph), he said. An instance where trolling with one motor does have merit is on the lakes when trout are the target. Speeds as low as two or three mph at 800rpm are achievable and ideal for trout trolling. With 345 litres underfloor, range is not a problem.

Adam Clancey's paravane-spoon combo soon produced the goods for us. The first kahawai was in the bait tank moments after we picked up fish on the sounder. From then on, every time Lusty and Blundell's Mike Harris and I picked up fish in mid-water on the sounder, Adam would pull in another kahawai - even when we were well away from 'working' fish and birds. It was a graphic example of a fish finder in action.

Once we had secured a dozen small kahawai we motored down to a rather more exposed point to see if we couldn't tempt the local kingfish population. Neither Greg nor Mike had caught kingies of any size so they were quite keen to have a shot.

The water on the point was pretty rough and broken, a combination of wind and tide doing its best to make things uncomfortable. I manoeuvred the boat through the maelstrom according to Adam's shouted instructions while he readied the rigs. We reached the reef and spun the boat round to drift down wind, mindful of the occasionally breaking seas and the rocks just a hundred metres or so down-current. The engines were left running and I used them to occasionally kick the boat round so that it drifted correctly.

Adam was still demonstrating the technique of lowering the livebait when he got hit and his bait was ripped off. On the second drift, Greg and Mike were on their own, Greg getting a strike almost immediately. The fish hooked-up solidly and Greg was soon engaged in a torrid struggle with drag screaming and me doing my best to motor us away from the reef in to the channel and relative safety. Once well clear of danger, we all settled down while Greg worked to subdue his first good-sized kingfish. Ten minutes later Adam lifted a nice 15kg fish into the boat (we'd forgotten the gaff).

Greg was jubilant and we were pretty happy, too - it's not often in fishing that things go completely to plan. Now it was Mike's turn.

The procedure was repeated and, right on cue, Mike hooked up his first decent kingi. Once again, I motored slowly away while Mike put as much pressure on the fish as his drag and 15kg line would allow. Adam talked Mike through, at the same time retrieving the other livebait which was promptly gobbled in a spectacular top water strike. Now we had two screaming drags.

This is the type of situation where walkaround boats come into their own. Adam was able to go forward well out of the way of the less experienced Mike. I worked the boat to Mike's advantage first, landing his fish (around 13kg) after a few minutes of hard work on his part. Adam's fish was bigger and it was another five or ten minutes more before I was able to get my hands into the gills of his 17kg beauty.

That left just me fishless so it was Greg's turn to take the helm while I wrestled another bait from the tank. This was hit immediately but that fish pulled free after a strong run. Another two drifts could induce no further interest and we decided to call it a day.

On the way back we decided to stop for a bit of a snapper fish in the shelter of the island. Once again, the walkaround concept proved its worth in a wind against tide situation. One of us fished happily from the bow, the other three spread themselves across the stern and starboard side. A few pan-sized snapper succumbed to our pilchard baits but the afternoon drew to a close all too soon. With the wind abating a little and the sea largely behind us or slightly on the beam, we made good speed back to Westhaven and the dry stack - a thoroughly enjoyable day in less than ideal conditions thanks to an extremely capable and fisher-friendly boat.

The Billfisher 720 is a versatile blue-water family cruiser, as well as a serious fishing and diving boat. It's a practical weekender and a fast and comfortable day boat. Twin four-strokes give excellent performance and are lighter than sterndrives - a common installation on 720s - with associated benefits for towing and boat handling at the ramp. Outboards also give more room in the cockpit and better fishability overall, although there is the disadvantage of having to lead fish around the motor legs. As an offshore trolling rig, the 720's superb.

Aesthetically, the boat's a good looker and the layout is eminently practical. Manufactured to CPC standards, fit-out and equipment are all first-class, as is the boat's behaviour in the rough. The twin 100hp Yamahas are quiet and fume-free, give very competitive fuel consumption (even when compared with single outboard installations), and offer the safety insurance of two engines should one break down.

The boat is supplied with a tandem DMW Premier Series multi-roller trailer with Hydrastar electro-hydraulic braking, Duratorque suspension and submersible lights.

Specifications

Buccaneer Billfisher 720

GRP Walkaround semi-deep vee

LOA: 7.5m

Beam: 2.45m

Deadrise: 21°

Trailerable weight (including 100l fuel): 2550kg

Horsepower rating: 150hp-plus, sterndrive or outboard

Fuel capacity: 345 litres

Engines - Yamaha F100 four-stroke X two

Some options fitted on test boat

Raytheon Fishfinder and Radar-GPS

Raychart Autopilot

Bennet trimtabs

Apelco VHF

Yamaha digital instruments and fuel management gauge (computer)

Seastar hydraulic steering

Targa top with clears

Manta rocket launcher

	This article is reproduced with permission of NZ Fisherman Magazine John Eichelsheim Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited