So last week, I picked up my new FC 430 (from Fish City).  I fell in love with this boat the first time I saw it.  I do saltwater fly fishing and had been looking for a boat that suited for a long time, I even toyed with the idea of building one because I couldn't find anything I liked.  It had to be small enough I could handle it by myself, easy launch and retrieve, stable, quick, light, heaps of space for fishing, high sides.. etc etc.. 

I made a few minor tweakes to the standard package, just to make the boat extra fly-line friendly - bollard in the anchor well instead of on the deck, removable and re-positionable seats and grippy stuff on the gunwales and deck.  Pretty much the standard package though.  Oh, and I got them to leave off the 6 inbuilt rod holders because I wanted to kit out the boat in Railblaza gear  

So here she is!



First launching was about 9pm on Friday night, into the Piako river to head in for a weekend duck shooting    not the normal way to christen a boat I guess but fun!

Went really well, better than I remembered the demo boat.  We took it up to Kaiaua on Saturday, a bit of sea around which it handled with ease.



Then back into the swamp...


I'll post a bit later about the Railblaza stuff I put on... a few nervous moments drilling those holes! 

Good looking boat mate, big volume hull, like the stepped floor forward incorporated into the chine, reminds me of the aussie built open boats like they use in the top end, great fly fishing boat - love those huge wide gunnels, I'd consider one of these in a heartbeat.

Took it for a burn in the Waitemata on Sunday morning.  We didnt find the snapper but had a great morning.  Even when it cut up pretty rough around lunchtime it handled brilliantly, dealt to the chop on the way back in and, as long as you are running into the sea, is a pretty dry one too.  I'm loving it.  This weekend is time to try it out in our home harbour in Raglan. 

The 30 goes really well.  A 40 wouldnt be overdoing it though - it does have a significant price jump though! 

• Seats removable and relocatable
• anchor bollard in the anchor well
• rod rack support back a bit to suit fly rods

otherwise its pretty much standard.

I must say that I'm impressed with the extraordinary lengths you've gone to to ensure you know how she balances.

Angle parked in a parallel zone..... Nah, the age old issue of not securing the stern. There's been some doozies over the years for that reason.