NEW BUILD HOLDS HUGE BY KEITH INGRAM T
he recent launching of the Senator 1700 in Napier by Senator Boats has given rise to the prospect of a new, larger generation of Senator cats. At 17m over all by 5.6m in the beam, this vessel – although built for pleasure, has a
heap of real estate on her, making her an ideal prospect for charter, cruising or even a small fast ferry with capacity for 99 passengers. Wayne McKinley is an avid fisherman who was looking for a serious east coast fishing craft for him and the boys. Wayne was looking for a large, stable platform and speed if required. Once outside the sheltered confines of Napier the next stop is Chile with a lot of the Pacific Ocean in between. Being the east coast, the number of recreational fishing days available to most workers is somewhat restricted by time and weather, hence Wayne's desire to go for a larger vessel, one that could cater for six to eight mates or the family and their mates in relative comfort. Wayne built his first boat for a friend almost three decades ago. Since then his company, Senator Boats, has continued to build quality, fishing vessels, predominantly for the commercial workboat industry and the leisure marine market. So it was with this history and past experience that while this new vessel is not in SSM, nor is she available for charter, she has been built to Maritime New Zealand survey requirements.
22 Professional Skipper March/April 2012
Senator is one of our respected pioneer boatbuilders of aluminum pontoon boats in New Zealand and their new, customised offshore alloy catamarans series complements their Pontoon and Offshore models.
These catamarans are known for their seakeeping stability,
safety, manoeuverability, power-to-weight ratio and speed. Some of the keys to Senator's success are the evolution in design and construction of its vessels and the company's ability to listen to the needs of the boating community. This is especially important for commercial fishers, who know what they want in a vessel, rather than what the boatbuilder says they should have. The vessels are constructed so key sections are not enclosed, allowing easy access for various trades and ensuring less down time, thus keeping costs down. The design may be powered by a conventional shaft drive, sternlegs, surface drives or waterjets. One recent custom-built vessel is the waterjet-powered Senator
1700, which maybe set up for general charter work and sportfishing. At 17m, with a beam of 5.6m, this boat one of the largest in the Senator range.
The hull design is highly efficient, with superior load-carrying, stability and storage. Built in marine alloy plate, the 1700 has an 8mm bottom with 6mm hull sides. Scantlings and frames are all
