Review - Home - Smuggler Marine

hsuCregnarOreviewSmuggler Strata 900Centre Console RIBWORDS BY NORMAN HOLTZHAUSENPHOTOGRAPHY BY SUELLEN DAVIES52Boating New Zealand

Smuggler Marine’s latest modelpresents the usucraftsmanship anald while the slightlyunusual colour scchosen by the cuhemestomer’s wife maynotbeuniversallyappealing, it’s undeniably striking.he heavy-duty Hypalon tubes in two-tone grey, thewhite centre console, the gleaming pair of silver/black250hp Evinrude E-TEC outboards, the teak-colouredDeck King flooring and the Tek Dek boarding platformare all pretty standard.But it’s the orange supports for the grey and blackhardtop, with matching orange rod holders and even an orange trim stripon the Evinrudes, that grabs the eye. And rather than the usual stainlessbrightwork, the owner’s elected to have it all powder-coated in bright orange.Which makes this a very distinctive boat that certainly stands out from thecrowd. Not that Dave Pringle, owner of Smuggler Marine, needed to do muchto make her conspicuous. At 9m LOA and a beam of 3.3m, she’s a big boatthat will turn heads in any colour. And those twin outboards deliver enoughspeed to leave most competitors far behind.Although centre consoles are often considered ‘day boats’ with little in theway of shelter or overnighting capability, the Strata 900 has enough space toovercome some of those limitations. The centre console unit is big enough tocontain two berths, with the removable squabs providing access to the electrictoilet and storage space underneath.A freshwater tank supplies a handheld shower as well as a plumbed sink unitunder the helm seat. That same unit also has a two-burner gas hob, giving theboat an overnighting capability for two on warm summer weekend trips.T subscribe magstore.nz/boatingnewzealandBoating New Zealand53

ABOVE Those strakesdo a superb job ofkeeping the RIB steadyand true.RIGHT & OPPOSITEPretty flash helmstation for a RIB, andcheck out the built-insink and cooker.54Boating New Zealand

Centre consoles are all about space, and the Strata900 has it in abundance. The forward lounge areahas seating for at least half a dozen people, and anunder-floor locker holds plenty of gear as well. Alldeck hatches are water tight, so gear stored there willremain dry regardless of the conditions. The DeckKing flooring which runs throughout the cabin floor iscomfortable on bare feet and provides a secure footingeven when wet.One of the issues RIB manufacturers face is how toeffectively mount an automatic anchor winch withoutimpacting the tubes. Smuggler’s solved this conundrumwith a remote through-bow anchor mounting. Thiskeeps the anchor well away from the soft tubeswhile offering the total convenience of an automaticanchor winch. Inside the bow area the anchor locker isaccessible under the forward squabs.U-DEKBY ULTRALONMARINE DECKINGSMART, CUSTOM SOLUTIONS FORPROTECTING YOUR BOATS DECK Hard wearing, easy to maintain alternativefor traction in wet areas.Specifically for marine applicationsReduces noise and absorbs shockDurable, UV resistant, non-absorbingEasy to clean, stain resistantFull templating and installation serviceavailable or DIY installation is easyMultiple colour and routering optionsFULLY CUSTOMISED DECK KITSAt 9m LOA and abeam of 3.3m, sha big boat that w e’sturns heads in anillycolour.The boat is, of course, dominated by thelarge centre console, with a curved carbon-fibre styledashboard. On that dash a massive Simrad NSS16 Evo3touch-screen MFD takes care of plotter, chartfinder andradar duties, and with twin transducers this is a boatthat will find fish. A Simrad AP44 autopilot with itsindependent display means the boat can even drive itself.Inside the cabin part of the centre console isthat electric toilet and twin squabs, and while snugit’s certainly adequate for a good night’s sleep. Thefibreglass hardtop – with its orange-coated stainlesssupports – carries the Simrad 4G radome, aerials anda double-row rocket launcher holding up to 11 rods. Ifthat’s not enough, the rear support for the double helmCUSTOMISED RACE YACHT DECKSTo create custom decking options for your boat0800 114 222sales@ultralon.co.nzwww.ultralonfoam.com subscribe magstore.nz/boatingnewzealandBoating New Zealand55

fulituaebreh.anotboat fromr Marine,Smuggle-wateringwith eye nce.performaOPPOSITE The twinEvinrudes deliver 500hp.Generous storagelockers abound.RIGHT Only problem isthat once you’ve tastedthe exhilaration, youmight not want to stop.seat has a further six rod holders, and to round things off thebait board in the transom adds another seven.The helm has a full-height windscreen, so the two helm seatsare fully-protected from wind and rain while the hardtop offersshade. There is plenty of storage space on the dash itself, whilelockable glove boxes provide further secure storage. Hella LEDlighting is fitted throughout so the action need not stop whenthe sun goes down.Elevated twin helm seats with bolsters and armrests, plusfootrests on the console, will accommodate most occupants,with almost limitless options for driving position. Under thehelm seat are additional storage options. A rear-facing queenseat provides a further two seats, and lifting that squab revealsthe sink with tap and twin-burner hob.The transom has yet more seating, with a squab in eachcorner acting as a step over the transom onto the boardingplatform. The custom bait-board sits in the middle of thetransom, allowing access both from within the cockpit andfrom out on the boarding platform. A livebait tank with viewingwindow is built under the port side seat, with a couple more rodholders each side.56Boating New ZealandClearly this is a serious fishing machine, and it’s helped bythe vast cockpit space. Centre console layouts have become verypopular with soft-bait fishermen, who allow the boat to drift andcast forward into the current then walk down the length of theboat as their bait drifts into the zone. The Strata 900’s perfect forthis, with an unimpeded passageway from the bow to the transom.

MARINE ELECTRICAL SPECIALISTSLI-ION BATTERY Extremely compact& lightweight Three times life of flooded /AGM / GEL batteries Ultra-fast recharging Integrated BMS, cell balancing& capacity monitoring Suitable for most conventionalcharging systems Complies with AS/NZSMarine Electrical StandardsSALES SERVICE INSTALLATIONBATTERY CHARGERS COMBI INVERTER CHARGERS INVERTERS BATTERIES LI-ION BATTERIES DIGITAL SWITCHING GENERATORS SOLAR PANELS WIND GENERATORS ALTERNATORS LED LIGHTING WATERMAKERSp. 09 414 4730e. info@enertec.net.nzw. www.enertecmarine.comStepping over the transom gets you to the massiveboarding platform, and despite a pair of 250hpoutboards there is still plenty of space to walk or standbetween the engine cowlings and the transom. This ishelped by the very neat cabling serving the engines –the single cowled tube exiting from the sides does notimpinge on the transom walkway.A Tek Dek trim on both sides ensures that swimmerscoming up the boarding platform don’t slip, while astainless boarding ladder on the starboard side makes iteasy to get back on board.DRIVE TIMEThose Evinrudes really look the part on this boat, withtheir new-generation angled engine covers and colourmatched panels echoing the black, grey and orange ofthe rest of the boat. With the total output of 500hp weexpected this boat to produce some fireworks, and itdidn’t disappoint.Evinrude’s electronic controls are fantastic, smoothand easy. The sync feature allows you to operate both subscribe magstore.nz/boatingnewzealandBoating New Zealand57

HIGHLIGHTSSmugglerStrata 900CentreConsole RIBPACKAGES FROM 185,000MANUFACTURED BYSmuggler Marine09-838-9024www.smuggler.co.nzengines with one lever – very simple andsmooth. For close manoeuvring they canbe operated independently. The boat’s openlayout means you hear the engine noise a bitmore than with an enclosed cabin, but beingfar enough away from them the noise wasnever excessive. Opening the throttle hardgave a satisfying kick in the back from the seatbolsters, and she leapt out of the hole.The owner intends to use her for seriousfishing trips (ergo, the number of rod holders)and he doesn’t want to take too long getting toprime spots like Great Barrier Island. We hadher at around 45 knots in the conditions on theday, although Pringle says she tops out over 50.In a boat like this anything less than 30 knotsfeels like a crawl.Handling the big Strata was textbookSmuggler – in a word, superb. The pontoonsact like shock absorbers, while the deep veehull cuts through chop and waves. There wouldbe no issue with blasting out all the way toGreat Barrier, which at that speed would takeless than an hour from Westhaven Marina toTryphena Wharf.Those pontoons also keep spray well away,although like any centre console it could get wetin adverse conditions. Skipper and passenger58Boating New Zealandwould remain dry and sheltered behind that fullwindscreen.We flung the boat around and did ourbest to get airborne, but the 23o deadriseand dry weight of over two tonnes meantwe cut through just about everything. Trimtabs are fitted but were unnecessary, and inmost conditions won’t be required. Althoughthere are plenty of handholds on the hardtopand seat supports, mostly she heeled overperfectly so even in tight turns there was norisk of falling over.The Strata 900 Centre Console rides ona heavy duty multi-rollered trailer, withdual axles and stainless steel electronicallyactuated brakes. Her beam is over-width fortowing, but by deflating the pontoons shereduces to less than 3m and can thus be towedwith the appropriate signage and subject toother road usage regulations. At an estimatedthree tonnes laden trailerable weight, she is aserious towing proposition.So, another beautiful boat from SmugglerMarine, with eye-watering performance. Ifyou don’t like the colour scheme conventionalcolour options are also available. Single enginepackages start from 185,000, with twin enginepackages starting at 229,000. BNZHIGHLIGHTSImpeccableworkmanshipThose adrenalinreleasing EvinrudesLiveability –pretty damngood for a RIBSPECIFICATIONShull Length 9.00mExternal Beam 3.3m(Tubes inflated)deadrise 23oconstruction GRP hull,decks and cabin, with heavyduty Hypalon tubesEngines 2 x Evinrude E-TEC250hp Gen2fuel capacity 600 litrestowing weight 3100kg(approximate laden weight,including trailer and fuel)WATCH IT

a double-row rocket launcher holding up to 11 rods. If that’s not enough, the rear support for the double helm . available or DIY installation is easy . seat has a further six rod holders, and to round things off the bait board in the transom adds another seven. The helm has a fu