Game fishing charter catamaran for experienced lobster fisherman

Alister Reid is a well known New Zealand fisherman, currently lobster fishing out of Pahoa on the Southern Wairarapa Coast of the North Island.

Alister and his father, Rex, are long time customers of Q-west with most of their numerous aluminium lobster boats over the years, having been built at Q-West's yard. Also a keen game fisherman, Alister contracted Q-West to build a spectacular 14.5 metre game fishing catamaran late last year.

The foil assisted Technicraft designed cat is set-up for serious game fishing and charter work with crayfishing being the bread and butter Winter role.

Powered by a pair of 450 horsepower D19 six cylinder Scania's, Twin Disc transimissions and driving conventional shafts and propellers, the craft easily cruises at 25 knots fully laden. Top speed is around 32 knots.

Comfortable accommodation for up to eight is provided in the hulls forward and a spacious galley/saloon is situated forward of the cockpit on deck level. A helm station is situated in the saloon area and the main station is in the hard-top fly-bridge, which is accessed via a stairway from the cockpit.

Foil-assisted, catamarans such as 'Glistering Waters' are fitted with a hydrofoil that spans the tunnel and joins each hull above the keel line around the amidships position. It produces lift to reduce hull resistance and increase speed and load bearing capability.

The foil partly reduces draft, thereby reducing resistance (and fuel consumption) but still maintaining good sea keeping characteristics and enhancing the softness of the ride. This makes foil assisted catamarans well suited to para-military and passenger ferry applications and of course fishing and pleasure  craft.

Up a flight of teak stairs to the covered in fly bridge, finds the main helm station, complete with a full set of electronics, controls and instruments. All round visibility and (importantly) a clear view of the cockpit below, provides the skipper with an excellent position for all aspects, form spotting bait fish, manouevring and fighting large bill fish. A comfortable bench seat is positioned adjacent to the helm seat.

Noticeably there is no wheel at either helm. Steering is via a proportional joy stick, coupled to an electronic, constant running system by TMQ. Fingertip control without the need for a rudder angle indicator makes steering a "second nature" exercise. Engine controls are a Hynautic fluid system which is smooth and easy to operate.

The electronics package is Furuno's state-of-the-art Nav-Net system complete with two kilowatt, dual frequency sounder, 24 mile radar, GPS plotter complete with radar overlay functions, and video display. The various functions are shown on a single screen with numerous combinations (split screen) of the four functions available to the user. A lap-top computer, including a Sea-Plot system is interfaced with the other electronics to complete the package.

During the winter fishing season, 'Glistering Waters' will be based in Wellington and traveling up the Wairarapa coast to fish for lobster around Pahoa where the owner's beach launched fleet of vessels are based. 'Glistering Waters' will then become a commercial work boat in every sense of the description, albeit in a class of her own with all the comforts of a pleasure boat.

'Glistering Waters' is in survey to MSA Restricted Coastal and will operate in and around Cook Strait, Wairarapa, Gisborne, East Cape, Northland and, from time to time during game fishing season, at the Three Kings which is about 60 miles above the northern tip of New Zealand. The Three Kings group of islands are internationally recognised as the best striped marlin fishery in the world.