Lazercraft 720 Hardtop Editor Lazercraft 720 Hardtop A 7.2 metre aluminium boat is not going to be on every fisher’s shopping list. For starters, a fully-specced price of $75, 000 puts it out of the league of many. And it’s a big boat to tow, store, manage and run. On the other hand, most similarly specified fibreglass boats of this length cost at least as much, and they do not have the Lazercraft’s advantages of lightness, ruggedness and low maintenance typical of aluminium craft. Judging by the number of large trailer boats sold, mostly to fishermen, there’s plenty of demand from the serious. Lazercraft has a reputation for well-built, soft-riding aluminium boats. The 720 hull is no exception and the addition of a fibreglass hardtop add’s to the boat’s versatility giving it virtual all-weather capability. We took Tony ------- 720 Hardtop for a run on an unpleasantly cold and windy day just hours after its maiden voyage (actually the day before). The boat was supplied by Family Boats, the Auckland Lazercraft dealer, and it had featured at the recent New Zealand Boat Show. Getting the package together in time had been a mission and the boat as tested wasn’t quite finished. We stepped aboard the big Lazercraft and were immediately grateful for the hardtop’s shelter. Twin Evinrude 90hp V4s, mounted on specially modified and strengthened transom, provided the power and quickly propelled the boat onto the plane. Big seas greeted us outside the confines of Tamaki River and it was clear that out initial plan of a run down to the bottom end of Waiheke was out of the question. First, we pounded our way across to Motuihe Island where we found some flat water for the photographs. A strong East-sou-east had built up a nasty sea in the channel and it really put the hull to test. Once I came to grips with the the trim controls on the motors (there were no trim tabs fitted to the test boat), it was possible to make excellent and comfortable progress. Tony, too, had a bit of difficulty at first deciding which engine needed trimming up and which down to give the boat the right attitude in cross winds and beam seas. He’d only had it out once before. Once we had it sorted, we were right and, pictures out of the way, we headed across the swells and down Motuihe channel at 25-knots-plus. I thoroughly enjoyed charging down the channel at speed. The big Lazercraft revelled in the conditions providing secure and speedy progress with a minimum of banging. Only once did I get it to slew away, and that was when I misjudged a turn into a big sea. Occasional big seas deposited spray on the tinted windows but we were snug and dry in the inside the hardtop. The driving position is excellent standing up. The helm seat is designed for taller peoiple than me and I couldn’t comfortably reach the wheel or the footrest from the seat. Likewise for the footrest on the passenger side. Tony, however, is 6-foot 2-inches. Sliding armour glass windows on each side of the hardtop will be welcome in summer. Behind the swivel seats are aft-facing pad seats so there’s seated accommodation for four passengers. The seat pedestals hide a sink and a pull-out stove (still to be fitted). A 60l underfloor water tank ensures there’s plenty of water to do the dishes. The cieling of the hardtop is lined, there are padded, upholstered panels throughout the boat’s interior (a nice touch) and handy cubby holes beside each seat. A So-pac hatch opens to reveal an inbuilt tackle box and there are useful shallow trays set one each side of the dash suitable for small objects, charts etc. you don’t want sliding onto the floor. The large cockpit is carpeted (lift-out washable carpets make cleaning easy) and features wide side shelves down each side. These will hold a couple of dive bottles each but, strangely, are just a couple of inches too short for a standard 7-foot fishing rod. They also interfere a little when fishing, getting in the way of knees, shins or thighs, depending on your height — wider gunwales would cure this problem. The gunwales are covered with non-slip rubber and fitted with four rod holders. There’s more rod storage in the rocket launcher on the hardtop, but you need to Tony’s height to reach those, too! Across the transom Lazercraft have fitted three aluminium hatches; two for the separate batteries and a third for the oil reservoir. They’re quite big and there’s room for all sorts of odds and ends. The portafino stern can be fitted with a livebait tank, there’s more non-slip rubber on the wide swimstep and a dive ladder as standard. A small liftout transom door and a bollard on each corner completes the picture aft. Back at the sharp end, the cabin is fully lined with padded panels a feature. There are two cubby holes on each side and full length shelves above those. More storage can be found under the squabs, one of which covers the chemical toilet. The bunks are full length and the 720 would make an extremely practical overnighter, particularly with the addition of a cockpit canopy as Tony is planning. The clear hatch accesses the foredeck with its separate anchor locker, Muir electric capstan and long-ish bowsprit. If the anchor is carried permanently on the bowsprit, it’s possible to work it from inside the boat. Otherwise, you’ll need to do as we did and walk around the hardtop to the foredeck. The footing is helped by the non-slip rubber and there are plenty of handholds, a rail along the hardtop roof and a substantial bow rail. Nonetheless, care is advised if the weather’s rough, particularly as the side deck is rather narrow. The twin 90 Evinrudes with contra-rotating propellers give excellent performance. Aside from their sound (I love the noise twin rigs make) they provide lightning hole shots, comfortable cruising (indicated 30mph at 4200rpm) and allow the Lazercraft to stay on the plane right down to 10-knots. The boat will get up on one engine (with the other still down) and pull 25mph-plus — an excellent safety featuyre, particularly for West Coast fishers for whom this boat would be so entirely suited. The underfloor fuel tank holds 180l, so the range would be reasonable — more if a single 175hp or 200hp engine was fitted. Tony has set the boat up with Sea Star hydraulic steering. Response is instant and the steering feels very well weighted. It doesn’t load up with different trim settings as cable steering sometimes does. Around the back of Motutapu we were clear ofd the worst of the waves and I was able to push on a bit harder. The boat cruises very nicely at around 4000-4500rpm and speeds of around 30mph, but there’s heaps of performance left and she’s good for around 48mph, according to Tony. At cruising speed, it’s possible to cover an awful lot of water in a short time, as we proved by circumnavigating Motutapu and Rangitoto Islands. As we had a little time on our hands, we decided to anchor and fish for an hour or so. The day before the boat had been blooded, accounting for a number of good fish. On the strength of its maiden voyage, Tony pronounced it ‘lucky’. We hoped our choice of fishing possie wouldn’t jinx it. Fortunately, the snapper were on the bite and we quickly landed a succession of fat fish to ten-pounds, much to Tony’s delight. Perhaps he was right about the boat because I had fished the same spot the day before for precious little result! With the chilly bin full, and our bodies still warm and dry despite woeful conditions outside, we pulled the anchor and headed for home. Tony took the wheel and pushed the boat along at 40-plus mph in the (relatively) quiet water inside Rangitoto. Because of the props he’s using, there’s plenty of lift and there was little need to trim the engines up. Ideed, the boat seemed to like plenty of downward trim —unlike some other Lazercraft I have tried where it was important to trim the engines well up to lift the nose. The boat’s fine entry and 20° vee made short work of the chop and it wasn’t until we once again encountered the big swells in the more open water that we had to button off to cruise speed. The boat is supplied with a braked all aluminium Lazercraft trailer. It’s a beautiful piece of engineering and helps keep the rig’s weight down under the two tonne limit (for over-ride brakes). Tony has weighed this boat, fully loaded and topped up with fuel and water. It comes in at just on 2000kg — one big advantage for aluminium in trailer boats. The result is that this boat can be readily trailered from palce to place — ideal if chasing the gamefish, following tournaments or simple adventure is your thing. As tested (but with all the extras fitted) the boat sells for $75,000. A down-specced model, with paint but with a single 150hp V6 Evinrude retails for $58,000. END