Pinnacle 720

Being part of the process every step of the way was one of the advantages Smoke and Mirrors’ owner Shane Crook enjoyed while having his new boat built by Whitianga’s Pinnacle Marine. Grant Dixon recently travelled to Coromandel to check out the Pinnacle 720, a ‘fully loaded’ trailer boat game-fisher built by Alistair McEwan and his team…

This is the third Pinnacle boat I have spent time on, and to say she’s impressive is an understatement. From the fishing-friendly layout, great use of space, personalised features and rough-water handling, Smoke and Mirrors is a vessel that owner Shane and builder Alistair are justifiably proud of.

Based on a Scott Robson design, keen game-fisher Shane had plenty of ideas he wanted to incorporate in his new ‘baby’.

“It had to be a mobile game boat that might be fishing off Taranaki’s west coast one weekend and up north off Houhora the next,” Shane says.

He also wanted it to be a ‘lazy man’s’ boat – one that was simple to operate and inexpensive to run.

“For trolling, the fuel usage had to be around eight litres an hour at eight knots. At a cruising speed of around twenty-two to twenty-five knots, I wanted the litres per hour to be in the mid to low twenties.”

The new boat also had to be a good performer in rough conditions, a box that Shane says has the big tick, too.

“I have had it out in some snotty conditions and am well-pleased with the way the boat handles.”

In addition to good design, this attribute is due in part to the unique ZipWake trim control, an electrically activated interrupter-type blade system that is quick to react, adjusting not only the hull’s pitch, but also its roll.

During the build, Shane says he was consulted every step of the way, to the point where he was receiving almost daily updates.

“I have over 400 images of the build, sent to me by Alistair at various stages. He also came up with some great ideas as the build progressed,” said Shane.

Smoke and Mirrors is powered by a R200S Hyundai diesel through a Mercruiser Bravo One leg with a 21”-pitch three-bladed Mercury Mirage prop. With 350 litres of fuel in dual under-floor tanks, the boat has a huge range, and Shane enjoys the torque a diesel provides when working rough conditions.

On the day Alistair and I took the boat out for a run, we planned to go wide chasing tuna, but a stiffening northeasterly put paid to that. Instead, the conditions were perfect for a genuine sea trial, and Smoke and Mirrors was not found wanting in sometimes ‘horrible’ wind-against-tide slop, regardless of the angle we ran.

Smoke and Mirrors is set up essentially as a day boat, but there are options for multi-day trips. There is comfortable sleeping for two in V-berths and an in-fill. An electric toilet is fitted in the cuddy and the bait-board can be slid off its mount and replaced by a barbecue. There is also a squab option for the engine-box top, providing extra seating when needed.

A lockable sliding door provides privacy as well as security for expensive tackle when away from home base.

Because the underfloor space is used for fuel, there is no kill tank. Instead a 111-litre Waeco ice bin fits perfectly under the passenger king-and-queen seat – great use of space. Not sure if it was by accident or design, but the landing net slides in to fit perfectly beside the ice bin. Keeping nets out of the way, yet close at hand, is an issue for most boats!

There is no shortage of storage aboard, with side pockets in the cabin and under the gunwales taking the longer, bulkier items such as gaffs, boat hooks and the centre-rigger pole. There are shorter spaces alongside the helm-station and passenger seat, nicely capped off with timber and incorporating drink holders. There is plenty of space beneath the windscreen, although a lip would be good to keep items from sliding onto the floor. (Apparently, this was to have been added after the upholstery was completed, but there was no space left.)

Sockets to power electric fishing reels are tucked away in the gunwale pockets. The dual batteries are under the helm seat, where they are easy to get at.

Shane and Alistair created the port and starboard seats themselves when they couldn’t find a ready-made option they liked. They have been upholstered using Silvertex, a hard-wearing fabric that incorporates 20% alloy fibre. Silvertex features prominently in upholstery around the boat, including the gunwale bolsters.

Visibility from the helm is excellent. One of Shane’s wishes was that the side windows opened wide. Alistair, in conjunction with SeaMac Aluminium, came up with a cavity-slider system that not only allows the helmsman to poke his head out the window, but also offers better weather tightness when closed.

The cabin’s ceiling sports easy-to-clean headlining panels, also giving an impression of more space.

Shane also wanted to reach the eight-rod rocket launcher from the deck. To make this happen, 50mm was cut from the cabin’s height.

There are various well-positioned handholds and rails around the boat for the crew to hang onto in bumpy conditions.

Lighting is good, too, with Hella product fitted throughout the boat, including Sea Hawk floods for the cockpit, while Specialised Lighting Concepts’ LED strip-lighting illuminates the cockpit floor. A helm-operated Marinco wireless spotlight makes picking up a mooring buoy or anchoring in a tight spot after dark much easier. The underwater transom lights came from Marine Night Lights.

There are two live-bait tanks, one either side of the engine box, fed by a Rule Tournament 1100gph pump.

While there is a short swim-platform, Shane has opted not to include a dive ladder, reasoning it’s just something else to catch a line on when playing fish. Two buoyancy pods are located under the swim platform, designed to provide lift for the stern when reversing on a fish.

The helm-station features a Furuno TZ Touch 12 sounder-plotter, interfaced with a Furuno Nav Pilot – the latter described as ‘an extra crew member’.

The sounder runs a BM260 transducer, which is set into the hull to lower interference. Alistair says this will pick up the bottom in 500 metres at cruising speed. Communication is via the very latest GME VHF, a virtual ‘radio in the handpiece’.

The Maxwell RC8 rope and chain capstan, delivering the ground tackle in the form of a 6kg Rocna, is also operated from the helm. Access is gained to the anchor locker through a forward hatch in the cuddy. There is plenty of fall in the locker to prevent the warp and chain heaping up.

Should a crew member need to go forward for any reason, the deck from bow to stern is covered in Octogrip, providing excellent footing.

Shane believes ‘plenty of bass’ helps raise fish. To this end he had fitted a Fusion 750 UB head unit with a five-channel Signature Series amp, a 10-inch Signature Series sub-woofer, and seven-inch Signature Series speakers. Believe me, that is one hell of a lot of sound!

Access to the wiring is via a hatch in the helm station. This incorporates a ‘pantry light’ that comes on when the hatch is opened, making it easier for anyone working in that space to see what they are doing. I was impressed with the neat wiring job – there is lots going on behind the scenes, but everything is clearly labelled and contained.

On the fishing front, Shane has opted for 24-foot (7.3-metres) outriggers in Douglas Engineering stainless steel bases. These are rigged with double halyards so Shane can run not only his long lures in relatively clear water, but also those that are closer in on both corners.

Alistair has created a custom dredge pole; Shane is excited about the possibility a dredge may have on his game-fishing results and is looking forward to putting all his ‘new toys’ into action in the forthcoming season. We look forward to the photographs, Shane!

The rig is trailed on a tandem-axle Hosking trailer, fitted with over-ride brakes. Alistair says it tows well.

By the numbers

Fuel usage

Specifications

Pinnacle 720

Construction: 6mm hull and chine; 4mm decks and 3mm superstructure

LOA: 7.22m

Beam: 2.50m

Deadrise: 20.5 deg

Height on trailer: 3.0m

Trailerable weight: 2150kg

Engine: Hyundai Seasall R200S @ 200hp

Transmission: Mercruiser Bravo One leg

Propeller: Mercury 21” Mirage Plus

Fuel capacity: 350 litres

Power options: outboard/sterndrive/jet

Trailer: Hoskings

Priced from: $150,000

Price as tested: $220,000.