The story of the Ramco 7010 involves a number of boat-building icons. The Ramco name itself is part of it. The first two letters of the name are the hint that Kiwi aluminium boat building pioneer Graham Ransom was there at the birth (along with other early alloy boat builders Fyran and Marco). Sam Mossman trials the latest of the line, the new Ramco 7010 Provider.

Big Bill Mackrell guided Ramco to success before selling the company. Eventually, the marque was bought and relocated to Rangiora, near Christchurch, where it’s now built alongside the Kwikkraft and Icon Custom Boat brands.

After moving south in 2010, Ramco have set about distilling the designs back to their fishing and diving essence and re-applied the motto “Hunter – Gatherer – Provider” to the range. They got another icon involved, Scott Robson, who seems to have designed about half the aluminium boats ever launched in New Zealand. Robson re-designed the Ramco range, and with an uncompromising quest for excellence in construction, Ramco has been invigorated, with the company turning out excellent products from their Rangiora factory.

Ramcos are in good demand in the South Island, and for a few years not too many made it up north. Enter Phil Birss of Hamilton’s Phil Birss Marine. Phil has an engineering background and also has had a long involvement with Hamilton Jet. When the latter stopped building saltwater boats to concentrate on river boats, Phil was referred by Hamilton Jet to KwikKraft, where he became involved with Ramco, and took on a Ramco agency, returning to Hamilton a marque that had originally been born there.

One of the new Ramco designs, the 7010 Provider, was featured at Auckland’s recent Hutchwilco Boat Show and a short time ago Phil and I (along with Phil’s offsider Stu Quinn) arranged to get together and give it a run at Bowentown, the picturesque western entrance to Tauranga Harbour.

On the water

The Ramco 7010 is rated for up to 250hp and the test boat is powered by a Honda BF200D spinning a Solas 15”-pitch prop. (Phil Birss Marine can also supply boats powered by Suzuki outboards, while many new Ramcos have also gone out with Yamaha and Mercury on the back). The performance figures can be seen in the table. With a 200-litre underfloor long-range fuel tank, the boat can travel about 170 kilometres on a full tank. Maximum revs achieved on test day were 5600rpm, close to the average ‘book’ value of 5000-6000rpm, indicating a good prop match.

The test boat was powered by a Honda BF200D spinning a Solas 15"- pitch props.

I was impressed with the ride, the boat proving dry and soft-landing in the half-metre chop inside the notorious Bowentown Bar. The performance was aided by the heavy 6mm bottom, keeping the centre of gravity low, and a 21-degree deep-V design, which cut through the water like an axe head. The wide, down-turned chines help keep the hull stable.

Build quality looks to be excellent. I love to see a seam weld that looks like a stack of silver coins that has been pushed over. Likewise, the finish is of excellent quality, the silver-grey paint working well with the Honda’s standard livery. U-Dek panels are fitted on the transom and gunwale tops, as well as the removable bench seat. Ramco have such faith in their construction techniques that they offer a seven-year hull warranty.

Stem to stern

A decent bowsprit with a permanently- mounted Sarca anchor and large bow rails are part of the fore-deck furniture. A helm-controlled Maxwell ‘Tasman’ series drum winch handles the anchor chores, feeding the ground tackle into an anchor well under the foredeck. The anchor well can be reached through a hatch in the forward bulkhead, while the foredeck is easily accessed around the side of the cabin or through the hatch in the cabin roof.

The lined forecabin could sleep two or three with a berth-infill added. An electric toilet is fitted under the central berth while under-berth stowage space is also available. A dome-on privacy curtain is fitted.

The forecabin has comfortable berths with electric flush toilet beneath.

In the main cabin, a large dash is lined with dark marine carpet, helping stop items from sliding around as well as cutting internal glare on the curved, toughened glass ‘screens and side sliders. An Exalto wiper helps keep vision clear for the skipper. A matte grey textured finish has been used inside the main cabin, giving a slight military feel. A glovebox and a grab rail are fitted for the passenger, and dual pockets are attached on each side.

Electronics include: a Uniden UM 355 VHF; Garmin GPSMAP 8400 GPS/Sonar; a Garmin GMI 20 engine instrument suite; Fusion ‘Apollo’ Bluetooth sound system and controls for the Lenco trim tabs. Steering is hydraulic and lighting includes cabin and cockpit flood lights.

The forward seating includes comfortable upholstered bucket seats with roll-back bolsters and footrests. The passenger side also has a rear-facing bench seat, and both seats have internal storage space, added to by an under-deck hold between them. Further seating is provided by a bench seat that can be clipped along one gunwale, out of the way when not in use, or fitted anywhere across the cockpit, clipping to the side shelves (which run the length of the cockpit sides) at each end.

The passenger side seat also has a rear-facing bench with internal storage space.

The sealed deck drains to a sump under the transom, fitted with a 2200gph bilge pump. A transom step-through with drop gate is sited in the port (left) side of the transom wall with a fold-down ‘T’ boarding ladder on the port boarding platform and grab rails on each side, making boarding easy for divers. The transom locker houses dual batteries up on a protected shelf with isolation switching fitted.

The transom wall features tuna tube, battery lockers, bait station and step-through with live-bait tank.

Fishing fittings

With a model name like ‘Provider’ you would expect a fishing-friendly layout from this Ramco, and that is what you get. Two through-gunwale alloy rod-holders are welded through each gunwale and there are three more across the back of the removable bait station. (The bait station itself has a removable cutting surface and a storage drawer). An eight-position rocket launcher is fitted across the rear edge of the hard top, giving a total of 15 rod positions.

An eight-position rocket launcher supplements rod stowage.

Built into the transom step-through is a mackerel-sized live-bait tank. An alternative live-bait system is a tuna tube fitted through the transom wall and fed by a 750gph pump. Catch stowage can be provided by an after-market ice bin.

The transom step-through has a drop door and houses a live-bait tank.

All in all

It is great to see an iconic marque like Ramco on the rebound and repositioning itself towards the top of the aluminium boat market. The quality of build and finish is excellent, as is the on-water performance. But, importantly, the core values from Ramco’s roots have not been forgotten. The brand’s slogan, ‘Hunter – Gatherer – Provider’, captures the essence of Kiwi boating and fishing which Ramco was built on. 

Specifications

Material: aluminium

Configuration: open-back hardtop (targa top option)

LOA: 7.010m

Beam: 2.550m

Hull weight: 900kg

Capacity: 700kg/seven pax

Bottom thickness: 6mm

Side thickness: 5mm

Deck/topsides: 4mm

Deadrise: 21 degrees

Max hp: 250hp

Test engine: Honda BF200D

Prop: Solas 15" pitch

Trailer: Ramco Boats, tandem, braked

Tow weight: 2100kg approx.

Fuel capacity: 200 litres

Base key-turn rig: $98,000 (Honda BF150)

Tournament rig: $108,805 (Honda BF150)

Premium rig (as tested): $139,995 (Honda BF200

Test boat courtesy of Ramco and Phil Birss Marine.

Performance

Outboard: Honda 200hp

Prop: Enertia 17” pitch

Revs       Speed        Fuel
(RPM)      (mph)         (l/hr)

1000        5.2              3.2

2000        8.3              6.9

3000        11.3            21.0

4000        24.5            29.0

5000        34.00          54.0