Although some people dismiss them because they don’t like the looks of pontoon boats, they are really missing out when it comes to boating, fishing and diving – pontoon boats’ ability to combine a soft riding, deep-vee hull with great stability simply makes the boating experience more comfortable and safer.
At the Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show back in May, I was taken with the latest release from Kiwi-Kraft, the impressive, heavily customised 780 Walk Around displayed on the Auckland Marine Centre stand. Looking smart with a white cabin and sky-blue sides, giving it an almost traditional American game fishing look, the nearly 26-foot craft stood out, especially with a pair of white Suzuki DF200 APXs on the transom. Plenty of power for heading offshore.
Kiwi-Kraft 780.
According to Auckland Marine’s Mark Presnall, his staff were very impressed with the customised build, a collaboration between themselves and Kiwi-Kraft, which has become a showcase for what they can do. With Auckland Marine’s years of experience rigging game fishing boats, a huge number of new features have been introduced with this boat. The end result is a very functional vessel and Mark suggested we take it out after the show to see how well it goes on the water. He was especially keen to demonstrate the benefits of Kiwi-Kraft’s Hushtec hull design.
I had to think about it for a while, but it occurred to me that I had never actually been on a Kiwi-Kraft before, so we planned to get out on the Waitematā Harbour in late June to see what was so special about them.
Rough conditions
Mark wasn’t looking for a day that was calm, as tends to be usual for boat reviews – he wanted me to experience the big Kiwi in conditions that would really demonstrate why these are regarded as one of the best rough water boats around. Lumpier water conditions would better illustrate the commercially rated Hushtec tube design’s soft ride.
A weather window arrived where the wind was variable in the morning but rising to 25 knots in the afternoon. We launched the 780 off a very solid, electrically-braked Mudgeway tandem trailer and made our way, via Motuihe Channel, to Motutapu Island to get photos and drone footage while the wind was down.
Heading over to the island with another new Kiwi-Kraft, a 505 Cuddy, alongside as support boat, Mark wanted to show me the upper speed of the 400hp twin Suzuki- powered package. It’s equipped with fly-by-wire controls that integrate with the new Suzuki-Furuno Fish Hunter system, which provides spot lock, cruise control and sabiki lock. We rapidly hit 43.5 knots, which was impressive for a boat with a tow weight of 3,100kg (approx.). With more speed to spare, we backed off to a real-world cruising speed of 21 knots at just 3,450rpm burning 15.9 litres per hour in total. This is a good speed and fuel burn figure for a big boat, so the 350-litre fuel tank should provide plenty of range when heading out wide to fish offshore or when trolling for game fish.
Walking through the boat and photographing the details, I couldn’t help but be impressed by all the features, the level of finish, and the fine detail. It has everything a keen angler needs for a serious fishing trip. Rod storage is extensive – on the roof in a fold-down, easy access rocket launcher at the rear of the cabin top; lockable game rod storage in the side pockets for up to three game rods and reels per side; a rod holder that stows under the floor when not storing rods when trailering (it cleverly relocates to the transom); rod holders on the central bait station; and standard through-coaming rod holders.
The custom seating arrangement sees the helm seat slide out to the middle of the dash or retract back again to create more room in the cabin. There is a fold-away table and infill with custom drawers to house fishing reels and tackle boxes, moveable (reversible) backrests and very comfortable fold-away leg-rests for those long days towing lures.
The electronics package is substantial, featuring twin Garmin 953 displays with a 1kW TM275LH-W transducer with GSD 25 premium sonar and GMS 10 network port expander, Garmin VHF, Fusion stereo with two 6.5-inch speakers, as well as the Furuno autopilot integrated into the Suzuki Fish Hunter system.
There is the usual complement of grab rails for a Kiwi-Kraft, the positioning of which have been very well thought out, sliding windows, and a windscreen wiper. The centrally-located transom bait station is an option and contains a large sink, large storage drawer, room for an Icey Tek chilly bin underneath, a washdown hose and plenty of cup/sinker holders. The boat has a flush toilet up front and a removable fridge/freezer unit from Dometic, which slides out for easy access and can be removed when camping. The boat is fully game-rigged with Kilwell Swinger bases and poles.
Both stylish and practical, the lighting upgrades on the boat work well. Narva has supplied LED strip-lighting inside the cabin and under the walk around, along with additional cockpit and cabin lights, front spotlights and side lights mounted on the bow to light up jetties when leaving or returning in the dark.
The amount of gear aboard this Kiwi-Kraft will satisfy the most discerning fisher, and the ability to easily access a very useable front casting platform in the bow via the vessel’s wide walk-around will be appreciated by lure casters. The platform covers the cleverly recessed Maxwell RC8 winch, so there’s no clutter to interfere with the topwater action.
Wind arrives
With all the photos and drone footage out of the way, it was nearing midday and the sou’west wind was picking up. We headed to the infamous Motuihe Channel on an incoming tide – the ideal place to test any vessel in some very messy wind against tide conditions. We were greeted by a good chop with whitecaps and wind that was picking up past 20 knots, but we didn’t even slow down, instead heading straight through the channel at speed. The boat laughed off the conditions, and we marvelled at how comfortable the ride was in such a messy sea.
The way Kiwi-Kraft’s Hushtec hull and tube design performed in such conditions had to be experienced to be believed –the ride was smooth and soft with no pounding, even when, upon looking around at the sea state, your brain was telling you “this should be uncomfortable.”
Other features
This boat is, of course, built to New Zealand’s CPC standard, as are all Kiwi-Krafts over five metres long. Standard features include sliding windows on both sides, a windscreen wiper, all the grab rails, a walk-through transom with door, cockpit and cabin lighting, trim tab plates, an underfloor kill tank/storage, the step-down front bunk area with lots of headroom, raised gunwales, and a wash down pick up.
Additional extras fitted to the showboat not already mentioned include the heavy-duty bow rail, a three-battery system with a 120Ah AGM house battery, underwater lights, a flat floor with BoatDek, a two-rung boarding ladder, starboard walk-through, live bait tank, outside speaker boxes, and of course, the twin outboard pod.
The Kiwi-Kraft 780 Walk Around is another pontoon design that impressed me – and with the amount of kit and tech on board, I think it is one of the best pontoon boats I have ever been aboard.
You must give credit where credit’s due and this Kiwi-Kraft shows what 30 years of experience in building alloy pontoon boats can deliver.
Words and Photography by Mathew Hewetson
