NORTH WIND 6000

Garry Smith, Cairns.

MARCEL Maujean, from Cairns Custom Craft, is certainly on a winner with his latest design, the North Wind 6000. Combining the attributes of a long boat with the advantages of plate alloy has produced a boat which will find a ready and waiting market. Four boats have already been sold before the release.
Aimed at both the recreational and commercial markets, the North Wind is built to last with 5mm bottom and 3mm sides. It comes in a basic tiller-steer version and a top of the range centre console model.
The North Wind will be marketed through Sharplift in Cairns and is available in a fully optional format. Clients can choose any variations from the bare hull up.
It is the hull design which holds the key to the sure-fire success of the North Wind. I have never been in a softer riding 6m alloy boat, which is exceptionally quiet to boot. Marcel has designed a monohedron with a moderate V bottom. For the technically illiterate like myself, a monohedron has at least a third of the hull length, with the keel and chine parallel.
This produces the combined effect of a soft entry with a large planing surface, resulting in lower power requirements. The test boat was fitted with a 70hp Johnson two-stroke which produced 36mph at 5500rpm. Marcel has rated the tiller-steer version down to 40hp, which is one heck of a small motor for a six-metre boat.
Marcel, Murray Roberts and I took the North Wind for a spin out the mouth of Trinity Inlet, and we made the mistake of letting Marcel keep the wheel. Marcel has the reputation of really putting his boats through their paces when he tests them, and I think Murray has been through a few before. Marcel spotted a large dive boat coming into port, lined her up and hit the throttle. Murray sat back on the rear casting platform, went white and hung on for dear life. I aged 10 years in a few seconds as Marcel shot, full throttle, across the stern of the dive boat into a huge wake. I was expecting to be picking my fillings off the carpeted deck, but instead the North Wind cut the wake like a braid through nylon.
There was no jarring at all in a situation where most 6 metre boats would have been lucky to be left floating upright. I was convinced and managed to relax a little for the rest of Marcel's time at the wheel before he handed her over to Murray and me. Murray's colour gradually returned, and he was quickly singing the boat's praises.
It handled the short, sharp chop in the channel like a mountain bike on gravel. Speed could be maintained at any angle to the swell, and she tracked beautifully even when the wheel was released.
The North Wind turned surprisingly well and remained very stable throughout. The dropped chine forced the water back down, but with the strong crosswind that was blowing, we did get a bit of spray, though much less than most open boats in the same conditions.
The finish throughout is exceptional, from the excellent paint job to the top quality fittings and smooth, clean welds. The test boat is fully carpeted, with the main floor alloy underneath, and the rear casting platform ply.
The basic version will have checker-plate flooring with a rear and forward bench seat.
The centre console is raked back to produce a pleasing line, in keeping with the sleek profile. The North Wind is one of those boats that has instant appeal from the first glance, and this attraction was continually enhanced the more I checked her out.
The console seat has a bum-roll back rest, which is hinged to allow both forward and reverse seating. We found the ideal location for the back rest was forward, so the helmsman used it as a bum rest and then two people could sit facing backwards.
The perspex screen has a full wrap-round grab rail and curves back at the outside, to offer good protection for any electronics fitted on the dash.
The anchoring system is a masterstroke of simplicity and function, with the split bow rail feeding directly onto the rounded bowsprit. There is no roller to complicate the issue, just a nice smooth curve to run the rope over. The cross bollard is big and strong to allow extended towing, and the split bow rail only has a narrow gap to help keep the boat tracking straight when being towed.
The self-draining anchor well, with hatch, is very large and would hold all the serious ground tackle anyone could want. There are six welded-through gunwale rod holders and slightly raised lips to keep the reel from rubbing against the gunwale.
To protect the hull when grounding, the keel is made of 50mm x 25mm x 4mm channel, and like everything in the boat, it has the look of strength and durability. She is painted down to and under the drop chine and has a bare alloy bottom.
The North Wind is designed with fuel economy in mind, and this will certainly be achieved with a cruising speed of 25mph at 4700rpm. The North Wind will plane at speeds down to 10mph and has no sensation of getting up out of the hole when taking off. She simply goes from stationary to planing, with no nose lift.
The first time I stepped aboard a long boat, I felt many boaties would find the low sides and narrow profile disconcerting, but this was not the case when boarding the North Wind. The high bow and grab rails, combined with the slightly wider 1.9m beam, give a secure feel, which was confirmed when checking the stability by walking around.
There are stacks of storage, with three hatches under the rear casting platform and another two watertight lockers in front of the centre console. Side pockets run half the length of the boat, and there is more storage under the padded console seat.
It was the first time all of us had been in the boat, and there is no doubt the North Wind gained three big fans. For further information on the North Wind 6000, contact Murray Roberts at Sharplift, in Cairns, on (07) 4035 1981.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Model - North Wind 6000
Length - 6m
Beam - 1.9m
Weight - 500kg (hull only)
Fuel - 100 litres (underfloor)
Min. hp - 40hp