First of a - Bluefix Boatworks

Boat Test
Bluefix Boatworks – North Cape 34
Walk The Line is the first of a new
breed for Brad Rowe and his Kiwi
team at Bluefix Boatworks. After
earning an enviable reputation for
high-quality luxury boatbuilding,
Brad’s latest creation delivers a
single-engined custom gameboat
with handling and space similar
to a larger twin-screw vessel, yet
with the economy that makes it
very attractive to own.
w
e
n breed
a
f
o
t
Firs
58 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
Cape 34
of Bluefix
Copyright © 2014 BlueWater Publishing
B
Boatworks – North
rad Bluefix
Rowe grew
up in
the Bay of
Islands, New
Ze al an d’s
ga m ef is h
capital. He
spent his
formative
years boat
ing and
fishing with
his family
and
crewing ab
oard friend
s’ boats
and with lo
cal charter
captains.
As a young
man he turn
ed down
full-time de
ckhand posi
tions and
a university
education to
follow
his dream
of designin
g and
building boat
s.
“I’ve alway
s been pass
ionate
ab ou t
bo at s,
es pe ci al ly
gameboats
– I was
forever
sketching th
em as a kid.
When I
finished scho
ol I approach
ed my
favourite New
Zealand desi
gner,
Craig Loom
es, who ac
ted as
something
of a mento
r to me.
When I as
ked him ho
w you
become a
great boat
designer,
he told me
to become
a good
boatbuilder
first. So that
’s what I
did, taking
up an appren
ticeship
with Auck
land boat
builders
Parson and
Way,” explai
ns Brad.
On
co m pl et io n
of
hi s
apprentices
hip Brad be
gan work
for Vaudrey
Miller, a hi
gh-end
custom yard
in Auckland
. The
work at Vaud
reys was inte
resting
and varied.
Before long
Brad
was running
the build of
a series
of superyac
ht tenders,
including
a 36-footer
for Larry El
lison’s
luxury mot
oryacht M
usashi.
“It was gr
eat work;
we used
top-quality
materials an
d our
clients dem
anded the
highest
possible st
andard of
finish,”
explained Br
ad.
After severa
l years boat
building
in Auckland
, Brad and
his wife,
Charlotte, de
cided to ta
ke the
plunge an
d open th
eir own
business in
Kerikeri, ab
out three
hours’ drive
north of Au
ckland.
The couple
bought a bl
ock of
land, built
themselves
a house
and erected
a large boat
building
sh ed
al on gs id e
it .
Th re e
years later
the Rowe’s
Bluefix
Boatworks
is thriving,
providing
refit and m
aintenance
work and
servicing
high-profile
clients
like Guy Ja
cobsen (Hoo
k’n Bull)
and others.
While the
refit and
service
aspect of
the busine
ss is
important,
Brad has
always
wanted to de
sign and build
boats.
Walk The
Line is the
second
of his own
designs. It
follows
his 7.5m
outboard-p
owered
trailerable
sportfisher
Bluefix,
which he bu
ilt a few ye
ars ago
(reviewed
in BlueWat
er issue
91). Walk
The Line is
his first
full-size gam
eboat and th
e first
boat out of
the new shed
.
Author: Jo
hn Eichels
heim
Photograp
hy: John Eic
helsheim;
courtesy
This article is provided courtesy of
BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing magazine.
It originally appeared in Issue 102, 2014.
bluewatermag.com.au 59
Bluefix Boatworks – North Cape 34
NEW STYLING
“Brad’s aim
is to provide
twin-engined
performance
from a singleengine boat.”
Brad has always admired custom-built American
flybridge sportfishers. “I don’t think any New Zealand
boatbuilders have built sportfishers to match US
designs when it comes to style and fishability,” said
Brad, which he suspects is more to do with the Kiwi
boating lifestyle than any failings by Kiwi builders
and designers. In New Zealand the emphasis has
always been on family cruising rather than hardcore
gamefishing, and with historically high fuel prices, hull
designs have tended towards fuel efficiency rather than
ultimate bluewater performance.
Walk The Line, however, leans heavily towards US
style, but with a large nod towards New Zealand family
boating. The cold-moulded, epoxy-reinforced plywood
hull combines a fine entry and plenty of flare forward
with a moderate deadrise aft.
Brad explained that popular production gameboats like
Bertrams and Caribbeans are fuller forward, relying on
their weight to punch into a headsea. In contrast, Walk
The Line displaces only 7.5 tonnes, so Brad fined-up the
entry to compensate, ensuring a soft ride into a headsea
without affecting handling in a following sea. Extensive
trialling has revealed a seakindly hull for its size.
FUEL- AND SPACE-SAVING
Brad’s aim is to provide twin-engined performance
from a single-engine boat, and to take advantage of
the savings in space and capital outlay that fitting just
one engine affords. Walk The Line has similar interior
60 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
volume to a Bertram 35, but provides more useable
space because there’s only a single Yanmar 440hp
engine under the saloon sole.
The single shaft lies in a tunnel for improved efficiency
and there’s no swim platform because Brad wanted the
boat to back-up well. In any case, the cockpit door is
so low to the water there’s no need for a swim platform
or boarding ladder. The boat’s unique 50mm mirrorpolished stainless-steel belting, through-bolted with
no visible exterior fastenings, looks beautiful and is
also bulletproof.
Decks and superstructure are foam-cored epoxy
composite – a construction method Brad plans to
use to build the hulls of subsequent boats. “Timber
construction made sense when it was just me working
on the boat between other jobs,” explained Brad, “but
now with a bigger team, composite building using
vacuum bags is less of a problem.”
The Rowes already have an order for a 42-foot
sportfisher and strong interest in two more boats,
including a 50-foot model.
FISHING AND FAMILY TIME
With its attractive sheerline, flared bows and no
bowrails, Walk The Line is reminiscent of a classic
Carolina sportfisher, only on a smaller scale. “I built
the boat around my family and the way we like to go
boating – weekends away, with fishing a big part of
it. She’s a comfortable boat for a family, but I guess
she leans more towards hardcore gamefishing than do
Bluefix Boatworks – North Cape 34
many of the boats built here or in Australia,” said Brad.
“She had to look like a proper sportfisher as well as
perform like one.”
Walk The Line has a two-cabin layout, with the master
in the bows and a compact guest bunkroom (2m
bunks) on the starboard side for’ard. There’s plenty
of storage space behind the port settee in the saloon,
and removing the back cushions creates another goodsized berth, which is big enough for two if you don’t
mind cosy.
The portside shared heads, with separate shower box,
are generously proportioned for a boat of this size.
So is the galley, which uses LPG for cooking and 12V
refrigeration as there’s no genset. Good-quality leather
and fabric in neutral shades were selected for the
upholstery, while the headlinings are vinyl. LED lighting
also features throughout, including recessed blue
lighting in the cockpit. Floors, cabinetry and trim are
all constructed from tawa, an attractive New Zealand
native timber, and the high standard of interior fit and
finish matches the hull’s construction quality.
Walk The Line has a
master cabin in the
bow and another
with twin bunks
on the starboard
side. Removing the
cushions on the
saloon settee creates
another sizeable
berth. The galley
uses LPG for cooking
and 12V refrigeration
as there’s no genset.
READY TO FISH
It’s in the cockpit that the boat’s true pedigree becomes
clear. It’s big and totally clean and uncluttered, especially
since the Rowes have elected not to fit a gamechair,
although there’s a dedicated mounting point for one.
Brad prefers to use light tackle and stand-up techniques.
A generous 200-litre livebait tank in the transom
circulates 3800 litres of fresh seawater per hour –
enough to keep any number of baitfish happy. A clever
screw-in tuna tube fits over the pump outlet.
Reelax outrigger bases are topped by Kilwell ‘Long
Reach’ poles, easily deployed from the flybridge. Zipout clear side curtains mean the outriggers are within
easy reach without needing to step on to the sidedecks.
While there are no racks or shelves provided under the
coamings, Brad explains equipment such as gaffs and
tagpoles can be clipped within easy reach along the
portside of the deck.
Three lockers are set into the cockpit sole, each with
deep gutters that drain into corner cavities under the
self-draining cockpit’s scuppers. This ensures water
can’t find its way from the cockpit to the bilges, which
is reassuring in a gamefishing boat where aggressive
backing-up is standard practice.
Side lockers house pumps for the livebait tank, with
plenty of dry storage left over. The lazarette over the
shaft tunnel also offers storage space and is ideal for
“Floors,
cabinetry
and trim are
all tawa, an
attractive New
Zealand native
timber.”
bluewatermag.com.au 61
Bluefix Boatworks – North Cape 34
Above: The North Cape
34 has been designed for
backing-up fast.
Above right: Brad Rowe
looks out over the lure
pattern while testing off
glorious New Zealand
hotspot, the Bay of Islands.
“The North Cape
34 can be steered
in reverse at up
to five-and-ahalf knots, and is
capable of seven.”
Right: A rounded livebait
tank with window, and
an expansive cockpit with
rounded coamings makes
gamefishing comfortable.
large items, including dive gear. A service hatch aft of
the saloon door opens on to the engine room, while
lifting the carpet and floor in the saloon – a simple
process – provides all-round, step-down access to the
machinery space for more extensive servicing.
BACK-UP FAST
The cockpit door in the curved transom opens outwards,
with rubber seals making it completely watertight when
backing-up. The transom’s convex profile, along with
the hull’s slight tumblehome aft and the prominent
rubbing rails on the aft quarters, work in combination
when the boat is backing-up. The North Cape 34 can be
steered in reverse at up to five-and-a-half knots, and is
capable of reaching seven knots in the right conditions,
although the stern ‘walks’ sideways at this speed.
That burst of speed in reverse, while not very
steerable, can still be important when it comes to the
big fish end-game when the leader is just out of reach.
It demonstrates impressive backing performance for a
single-screw boat and the cockpit stays mostly dry. If
a big wave does come over the transom while backingup, the boat’s rubbing rails form a vortex under the
scupper outlets to literally suck water out of the cockpit
in double-quick time.
For this boat test we took Walk The Line out to Cape
Brett and deployed a few lures with the boat in fishing
mode, even though we were a month or two early for
a realistic shot at billfish. The cockpit is easy to work
and I particularly liked the rodholder placement and
the angles Bluefix have used. The aft rodholders are
meant for heavy-tackle fishing using bent butt rods, so
we deployed a couple of those. The middle rodholders
of six are angled outwards and the aft pair angled back,
although Brad explained he hardly uses those.
Light-tackle outfits, switchbait and casting rods can
be lined up across the transom using suction-cup clips,
or stored in holders on the gamechair when it’s fitted.
The rocket launcher will accommodate seven rods and
a centre-rigger pole, and there’s a good-sized bulkhead
tackle locker provided opposite the big freezer.
VIEWS FROM THE BRIDGE
There’s good visibility into the cockpit from the flybridge
helm station, as it is forward over the wide foredeck.
Electronics are top-of-the-line and include a 14-inch
Furuno Z-Touch and a 1.2kW transducer, providing
excellent fish-finding performance down to 600m.
Wrap-around clears provide shelter from the elements
and there’s seating for six and a drinks fridge on the
flybridge. A single, luxurious, full-function helm seat is
complemented by a companion stool, allowing two to
sit comfortably behind the modest flybridge console.
There’s a second helm station in the cockpit with
throttle, autopilot remote and bowthruster controls.
Getting down there in a hurry is no problem either as
the two-tier ladder on the portside has wide timber
treads and plenty of handholds. The saloon opens
nicely on to the cockpit through a bi-fold glass and
stainless-steel door. A large drop-down cavity window
on the starboard side means you can watch the gear –
or the flat screen TV – from the comfort of the saloon
if you prefer, although there’s plenty of seating on the
flybridge as well.
62 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
Bluefix Boatworks – North Cape 34
PERFORMANCE
RPM
Speed (knots) *Against the tide
Idle, in gear
5.0
1000
6.1
1500
8.3
2000
12.0
2500
18.5
3000
24.5
3200 (Wide-open throttle)
26.0
REAL PERFORMANCE
Brad and his team have certainly
achieved their performance aims
with the North Cape 34. The 440hp
Yanmar provides Walk The Line
with a comfortable cruise speed
of 23 knots, and the engine
is rated to run all day at that
speed (2700rpm).
Walk The Line carries 800 litres
of fuel and 400 litres of water, with
peak performance achieved when
the boat is half full of fuel and
water, says Brad.
With flared bows, no front
windows and the engine air intake
dorades set high on the front of
the flybridge, the North Cape 34 is
quite happy tackling big seas.
Brad, Charlotte and their two
infant children recently ran the
boat 160-odd nautical miles down
the coast from Kerikeri to Auckland
and back again for the On Water
Boat Show. On the return journey
they encountered three-to-fourmetre breaking seas and 40-knot
nor’west squalls just north of
Auckland. Although the family were
forced to take shelter so as not to
frighten the children, Brad said the
boat performed to expectation. “I
wanted it to perform in a following
sea, a quartering sea and headsea.
I can take my hands off the wheel
and she holds a straight line on any
one of these angles,” he said. Once
the squalls subsided the rest of the
trip passed uneventfully, with the
boat averaging a fast 23 knots. The
Rowes averaged 60 litres of diesel
per hour for the whole trip.
We trialled the boat full of water
and fuel and with a full moon
pushing big tides. We achieved a
top speed of 26 knots, although the
boat will do almost 29 knots in light
trim. At 12 knots (2000rpm) the
turbo has kicked in and the boat
is planing.
The North Cape offers ample
power and responds well to the
helm. Her backing-up performance
and handling are also excellent
– much better than many twinengined boats, at least in a fishing
situation. Her fuel capacity should
give a range of 250 miles at
cruising speed, but much more in a
fishing situation.
Coming alongside the jetty at
Paihia wasn’t a problem either, with
the Vetus 9hp bowthruster proving
its worth in a tight space with a
crosswind. It’s not quite twin-screw
manoeuvrable, but it’s not far off.
CONCLUSION
Designed and built by a passionate
young boatbuilder with fishing in
his blood, the North Cape 34 is a
welcome addition to the ranks of
Australasian custom sportfishers.
It looks and performs like a real
gameboat, but it still provides the
comfort and versatility that families
are after.
A single-engine layout keeps
build costs under control and offers
advantages in reduced operational
and maintenance costs, as well as
more useable interior space.
Without compromising on build
quality or equipment, Bluefix
Boatworks have managed to
produce a smart new custom
sportfisher at a very realistic price,
starting from NZ$680,000.
Highlights
• Custom-built to a high standard
• Economical to run
• Manageable size and distinctive
styling
• Optimised for gamefishing, but still
family friendly
• Twin-engine performance from a
single-screw vessel
• Seakindly handling
Spec Check
Bluefix Boatworks – North Cape 34
PRICED FROM
Price as tested: NZ$750,000
Packages from: NZ$680,000
OPTIONS FITTED
14-inch Furuno Z-Touch chartplotter-sounder-GPS; Furuno
autopilot; Fusion entertainment system, including flat-screen
TV; Vetus 9.5hp bowthruster; leather, fabric and marine vinyl
(flybridge) upholstery, vinyl headlinings; tawa floor, cabinetry
and trim.
GENERAL
Material: cold-moulded ply and epoxy hull, foam-core composite
decks and superstructure
Hull type: variable deadrise
Length: 10.5m plus bowsprit
Beam: 3.9m
Draft: approx 0.9m
Deadrise: to 18° at transom
Weight: 7.5 tonnes
CAPACITIES
Fuel: 800 litres
Water: 400 litres
Holding tank: 40 litres
ENGINE
Make/Model: Yanmar 6LY2AM-STP
Type: Six-cylinder, direct-injection, turbo-charged diesel
Rated hp: 440
Displacement: 5.813 litres
Gearbox: Twin disc
Propeller: Bri Ski
Cruising speed: 22-23kt
Max speed: 29kt
SUPPLIED BY
Bluefix Boatworks Ltd
Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
E: info@bluefixboatworks.co.nz
Ph: + 64 21 410 322 or + 64 9 407 3021
www.bluefixboatworks.co.nz
bluewatermag.com.au 63