Saturday,March 16, 2013 Weekend Herald Marine metservice...

Boat is an entertainer’s dream

Theperfect summer crafthas surprisingly comeout ofthe freezing state ofMaine

byMikeRosemarineeditormrpr@xtra.co.nz(09)4838284,021735015

BackCove34LOA: 11.45mBeam:3.67mDraft:0.94mDisplacement(dry):7.5 tonnesConstruction:GRPEngine:CumminsQSB5.9@480hpMaximumspeed:29.8knotsCruisingspeed:22-24knotsFuelcapacity:700 litresWatercapacity:380 litresBaseprice:$479,000(approx)Priceasdescribed:$599,000(approx)

There is plenty of built-in seating in theBackCove 34’s deckhouse and cockpit and, by simply removing the dropcovers, the two areas become one giant social centre.

I don’t know about you, but when Ithink of Maine I conjure up images ofsnow, freezing cold winds and revolt-ingly rough seas.

The northernmost state on theUnited States’ eastern seaboard,Maine is on the same latitude as Mon-treal, a city so cold in winter thatmuch of its shopping is done in largeunderground malls.

You could then reasonably expecta Maine lobster boat to be a sort ofnuggety, rounded little battle-horse,quite capable of coping with the wildnorth Atlantic weather, but possiblynot that pretty.

You would be wrong. The firstboats to be built in the United States,apart from those of the native Indians,were in Maine, and some 400 yearslater they know how to build a sea-worthy craft — and a good-looking onetoo.

The Back Cove 34, which recentlyarrived in these waters, is a good ex-ample. The spoon-shaped bow, thegraceful sheerline, the hint oftumblehome and the gently reversedtransom all reveal its Maine lobsterboat heritage. Yet this is no ‘‘stuck inthe past’’ design. The Back Cove 34also boasts a modern V-hull androomy and inviting layout.

It is a combination with a wide andgrowing appeal. Since 2003, BackCove has built more than 500 boatsand sold them to countries as diverseas Greece, Norway, Japan and nowAustralia and New Zealand.

There are six models in the fleet.Unusually in these bigger-is-always-better times, they range from 26 tojust 37 feet (7.9 to 11.3 metres).

It is a deliberate strategy. BackCove wants to create simple but ele-gant powerboats that are affordableto both own and run. As a result, theyare powered by just a single diesel en-gine, combined with a bow thruster,and all systems are designed to besimple and efficient.

Perhaps surprisingly for a boatfrom such cold climes, the Back Cove

34 is also an ideal boat for summer en-tertaining.

There is plenty of built-in seatingin both the deckhouse and cockpit(meaning there is no need to perch onthe gunwales or carry folding deck-chairs) and, by simply removing thedrop covers, the two areas becomeone giant social centre.

The cockpit is rather more centredon seating than is usual for a Kiwiboat, where fishing normally takespriority. However it is ideal for thosewhose idea of a perfect day on thewater is to spend it relaxing withfriends and family.

There is an L-shaped bench seatand a foldaway aft-facing seat for com-

fortable lounging while under way, orwhen anchored in a peaceful bay.There is also a removable cockpittable between the two.

For those who want to fish as well,the best option is probably to fit a rodholder-mounted bait station in thetransom and fish from the full-widthboarding platform.

Although there is a step up fromthe cockpit to the saloon, there is nosolid bulkhead between them. Thismakes for a seamless transition and,together with overhead hatches,opening side windows and a centre-opening windshield, ensures that thesaloon and helm areas are airy andbright.

This area is divided into threezones, with the cherry timber-finished galley and helm to starboard,and the raised dinette to port. The in-laid table is a fine example of theMaine boat-builder’s craft and is typi-cal of the quality of work foundthroughout.

There is a dedicated helm chairand, forward of the dinette, a doublemates’ seat is a comfortable perch forguests. There is plenty of room at thehelm, for multiple MFD units and forthe plethora of controls.

As is common on smaller craft, thegalley runs fore and aft. Close at handis the two-burner cooktop and micro-wave; the fridge-freezer units are

beneath the helm and mates’ seats.The Back Cove 34 is essentially a

single-cabin boat, but there is pro-vision to sleep up to six in a large,comfortable island berth forwardand, a little further aft, a convertibleL-shaped settee that can be isolatedfrom the cabin with a curtain.

The saloon table can also dropdown to create another doubleberth.

There is just one head (oppositethat settee), but it’s a generous onewith a completely separate showerstall.

The Back Cove 34 has a deep-V hullbased on downward-turning chinesand long spray rails to give additionallift. Construction is largely resin in-fusion, with an Airex foam core help-ing to reduce weight and engine andexhaust noise.

Although standard power is asingle Cummins 380hp diesel, thefirst Back Cove 34 to arrive in NewZealand has been upgraded to the480hp QSB9. A new QSB 6.7-litre en-gine (which was not available whenthis boat was ordered) would also be agood option.

With the 480, the Back Cove 34cruises at 22 to 24 knots with a topspeed of close to 30 knots. For longer-range cruising, the 700-litre tank willsafely cover 250 nautical miles at 22knots and a bit less at 24. At wide openthrottle, the range reduces to 188 nau-tical miles (about three return trips tothe Barrier) and, at a more sedatenine knots, it expands to around 380nautical miles (about three returntrips to the Bay of Islands).

Back Cove agent James Purvis hasalso ‘‘Kiwi-fied’’ the 34 by adding alow-revving Kohler genset (for theelectrical appliances) and boosting

B20 Saturday, March 16, 2013 Weekend Herald

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Marine

Tidelines

Multihulls will be on show.

TheNewZealandMultihull YachtClub is staging aMultihull BoatShow inWynyardQuarter thisSunday. Theevent, which is beingheld inKarangaPlace from9amuntil 4pm, next toEmiratesTeamNewZealand,will feature a rangeofsailingmultihulls includingWeta,AClass, 8.5s andExtreme40s.Admission is free and thoseattendingwill have a chance towin$150worth ofAdhesiveTechnologies products.

Saturday SundayMangonuiKaipara HeadsKohukohuRussellWhangareiAucklandOnehungaManukau HeadsMuriwai BeachRaglanCoromandelMercury BayTaurangaWhakataneGisborne

Saturday height (m) Sunday height (m)

Maori fishing guide by Bill Hohepa

Saturday Sunday

Auckland sun/moon rise & set

Wind

knots

Swellm

E.g. SW 2m 1-6 7-16 17-21 22-27 28-33 34 plus

Thesemodel forecasts are computer-generated andmay differ from themarine forecasts and warnings. Marine forecasts andwarnings take precedence over model forecasts if there is any conflict. Check latest forecasts and warnings onmetservice.com.

Note:Gusts are 50%stronger than average winds

2

High Tides

FishingCalendar

Sun andMoon

Wind and SwellNoon Saturday Noon Sunday

Marineweather

sun

moon

metservice.comSaturday, March 16, 2013

7:19am

7:40pm

7:20am

7:38pm

11:23am

9:57pm

12:19pm

10:39pm

Good Good

12:36am 12:53pm 2.5

2:18am 2:34pm

2:07am 2:23pm 2.9

12:03am 12:20pm 2.3

12:24am 12:41pm 2.9

12:17pm 3.1

2:39am 2:52pm 3.8

2:08am 2:21pm

1:59am 2:12pm

2:15am 2:31pm 2.9

11:56am 2.7

12:00pm 1.8

12:06pm 1.8

11:44am 1.8

10:57am 11:19pm 1.9

12:13pm 2.5

1:41am 1:55pm

1:30am 1:44pm 3.0

11:40am 2.3

12:01pm 2.9

11:36am 11:54pm 3.2

2:06am 2:18pm 4.0

1:35am 1:47pm

1:26am 1:38pm

1:38am 1:52pm 3.1

11:15am 11:33pm 2.8

11:19am 11:41pm 1.9

11:25am 11:47pm 1.9

11:03am 11:25pm 1.9

10:12am 10:34pm 1.9

Tide data © LINZwww.hydro.linz.govt.nz/tides/index.asp

1.53

1 1.5

11

rise:

set:

rise:

set:

Fishing with Geoff

Geoff Thomas

It’s a fine time for catching kingfish, near rocks or a reef near youThis is a good time to catch kingfish.These magnificent sport fish arefound everywhere from North Capeto the Marlborough Sounds, and evenfurther south, with some spotted bypaua divers at the Chatham Islands.

The Hauraki Gulf, Tauranga andWhangarei are full of kingfish,includinglots of small specimensknown affectionately as rat kings.

They will follow a hooked fish tothe surface and can be seen circlingunder the boat, occasionally hookedon baits aimed at snapper.

Keep a measuring tape handy. If aking of less than 75cm is found on theboat, the angler is in trouble with thefisheries officers.

You need a more calculated ap-proach for larger fish. Tackle shouldbe quality rods and reels spooled withat least 15kg line, preferably 24kg.

A gimbal belt is useful on the bigfish, as the trick is to stop them gettinginto the rocks, which are never faraway from kingfish haunts such as thereefs around The Noises and Crusoe

Rock, the bottom of Waiheke Islandand both Coromandel coasts.

Kings will take trolled lures andsurface poppers cast and retrievedaround structures such as channelmarkers, but there is no real substi-tute for a live bait. This is ideally aslimy mackerel or kahawai, withpiper and jack mackerel less appeal-ing — piper because they are small anddie quickly, and jacks because theyare not as lively.

Kahawai are the most commonand work fine as livies. If you use largespecimens, you will only hook bigkings. But when was that a problem?

Live bait hooks are designed forpresenting live baits and the size of

hook should match the size of bait.Generally with hooks, small is better,as you can hold a large king on a sizeNo 6 hook, but a big hook will kill thelivie. The bait is hooked through theupper lip if being slow trolled;through the back if offered under aballoon; or through the nose ifanchored to the bottom by a heavysinker.

Slow trolling works well aroundreefs, but if you’re fishing over sandon the edge of a reef, it is a good ideato have one bait on the surface undera balloon and another on the bottomtethered to a weight with dental flossso it will break off on the strike.

Traces are 1.5 to 2 metres of at least

30kg mono. Heavy trace adds secur-ity, but if it’s too heavy it can deter thequarry. The best time is at slack water,preferably on low tide.

Snapper fishing continues to frus-trate many people, but the fishing inthe gulf is now more consistent thanfor a long time. Just look for birds, orsign on the bottom, from 40m out.

Snapper are more co-operative in-side the Manukau Harbour than offthe coast, and mullet bait in the Papa-kura Channel has been getting goodsnapper. Fishing around the Mercurygroup of islands and around GreatBarrier Island for kings and snapperhas picked up, and surfcasting alongBay of Plenty beaches is also firing,

with some anglers taking home limitbags after an evening’s fishing.

FreshwaterTrying to catch trout while fishingwithout a licence has cost a Rotoruaman more than $1000. When the26-year-old appeared in the RotoruaDistrict Court this week, Judge JamesWeir fined him $400 plus another$400 fine for giving false informationwhen apprehended, plus court costs.Fish and Game officer Anthony vanDorp said fishing without a licencecould be a very expensive exercise.

Bite timesBite times today are 4.20am and

4.40pm, and tomorrow at 5.05amand 5.30pm.

These are based on the moonphase and position, not tides, so theyapply to the whole country.

Tip of the weekWhen jigging for trout you can tryusing a metal jig to attract fish, insteadof a sinker as the weight, but you canonly use two flies to stay within thethree-hook maximum rule.

This can also be done at sea with aflasher rig or baits, and you will oftenhook up on the jig.● More fishing action canbe foundtonight onRheemOutdoorswithGeoff, 5.30pm,TV3.