John Eichelsheim for Boating New Zealand Magazine.
Today we're come to Mangawhai...
We're testing the new Senator SL1170 with the Sealegs' 100 system.
Very first boat in New Zealand to have one of these systems,
and the biggest senator pontoon boat the company has built so far.
The team at Senator boat's working with the guys from Sealegs' have
managed to get the whole of the engine and the hydraulic kit that runs
the Sealegs' system underneath the floor, so the whole area is clear.
Normally there would actually be an engine box here, but they've managed to
get it underneath the sole, it's given the boat a whole lot of extra stability
when it's underway and it's been a very very good solution.
Very keen on his fishing and you can tell and we've got two bait tables. Got nice little
pullout drawers underneath, you put a bit of gear in there. There's no lip on the board
here you can fillet fish easily. He's got a pot hauler. There's an outlet
either for the pot hauler or you could use it for electric fishing reels. live bait tank.
Everything you need to go fishing for a day or for a weekend.
This helm console...
Now the boat's owners had a lot of input into this.
In fact he really designed the shape of this helm console and I think it's a
really clever arrangement. There's a lot of extra stuff that has to go into a Sealeg's
equipped boat like this one. Not least this whole sort of module
here which has the controls for the Sealegs' system so when you're
driving it on land that's the controls that you use. They've managed to squeeze
those in their without cramping anything, and it's this kind of
wrap-around idea that seems to work so well. I really like all of these rocker switches here.
Again the owner tells me he wanted to be able to reach things not
have to fiddle around and reach under things when he's at sea, so he can
immediately get to the things that he needs. The bow camera is something
that's very important, and that allows him to see where he's going.
Whatever is showing on the screen here is also repeated in the cockpit, there's a
cockpit screen as well. It works really really well...
Spacious...
We were out today with seven or eight people in the boat you'd hardly know it.
Very workable shower and head.
Nice and bright in there. It's actually painted.
It's one of only two parts of the boat that are painted the rest of it is wrapped.
I like the way they've raised the toilet up off the floor that makes it easier to clean.
Also made it easier to plumb. I understand it also makes it more comfortable to sit on.
Look at all the head height!
So I'm inside cabin now. Inside the wheelhouse. As you can see it's vast! It's a really big
space in here. If I were lucky enough to be six foot six.. Which I'm not.
I'd have no problem fitting in to this cabin. Really really spacious, and it feels great in here.
So even though this is a large boat a lot of the time it'll just
be the owner and his partner using it. So they've kind of tailored it a little bit that way.
You know they may well be staying overnight but they have decided
that they want to be able to prepare food on the boat. They've got a decent
galley here... Force 10 gas oven.
A good-sized table here in the saloon, it's really the wheelhouse. Only two helm seats, or two seats because
usually there's only two of them.
I like the way that this one here will swivel around too address the saloon table so you can sit and eat.
Folding arm rests on both of them very comfortable. Of course they
have a bolster as well both the helm seat and the passenger seat.
So the theme of space continues here in the forward cabin. Again I've got a lot of room in
here including headroom I've got standing headroom in here which is really unusual for a forward cabin.
Neville's decided not to go with a double bed in here. Instead he's got two really wide V berths.
That makes it much easier to get in and out of the cabin.
So there we have it. The SL1170.
Very impressive vessel in every way. A total custom build of course.
It's something that the owner can be extremely proud of. The people at Sealegs',
and the guys that Senator can also be extremely proud of.
John Eichelsheim from Boating New Zealand.
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