Drago Olympus 540

The name Drago Boats will be  a new one to many of you, but those keeping pace with current boat sales will  already be aware of the impact Drago boats have made throughout Europe and  their recent rapid progress in to the UK market.

Drago Boats is a family run  business working out of Koropi Attikis, Athens,   Greece.  Established in 1969 the company has expanded rapidly throughout that time  building in excess of 23000 craft of various types, with 90% of their product being  exported far and wide across Europe. Their  annual production is now in the region of 800 individual craft. Drago’s well  earned reputation has been based on a hand build policy, with all stainless  steel fittings, windscreens and upholstery all done in house to maintain overall  standards.

Severn Valley Boat Centre  based in Stourport-on-Severn where quick to see the quality and potential of  the Drago range, and are the sole distributors here in the UK.

Stourport-on-Severn may  carry the name of a very famous river, but it is best described as land locked  in relation to the sea, so it was down to Lymington, Hants to review the Drago  Olympus 540 Centre Console and a visit to the very impressive premises of BHG  Marine LTD, who are a main Drago dealer, but also offer a one stop shop for the  boating enthusiast.

BUILD FEATURES
Looking at the 540 hull on  the trailer I’d classify it as a medium deep V hull. She was married to the new  Yamaha 50hp Four-Stroke EFI fuel Injection engine that only made its debut late  in 2004 for the 2005 season.

Checking the side profile of  the boat she’s dart shaped with a neat downward curve at the stern giving the  boat a sleek quality that suggests speed. Dressed all in white with grey  fendering and a minimal blue stripe set off with the stainless steel fittings  it produces a very neat functional looking boat that is easy on the eye.

I also noticed that the  navigation lights are neatly built in to the outer gunnel either side of the  bow.

The bow carries a solid  looking and feeling stainless steel bow roller that runs fully around the bow  and back past the console to give good inboard security.  Forward fixings include a stainless steel bow  roller and two T cleats for tying off, one either side of the bow, plus a roomy  anchor locker with a hinged hatch.

The seating runs around the  bow’s U shaped inner deck forward of the console. The seats hide one large  single storage locker either side, plus another at the bow ideal for carrying  spare rope, anchors and fenders. The upholstered seating is comfy and easy to  keep clean, and you also have upholstered backs on the inner gunnels sides for  additional comfort.

The gap between the forward  seats houses a removable table which can be utilised as a sun bathing area with  the family aboard, or be removed fully when you’re fishing.

The console sports a tinted  top screen bolted in place, with a stainless steel upright grab bar surround. A  small shelf at the rear base of the screen has enough room for a Fish Finder  and GPS mounted on brackets. There is also room for a VHF with a protective  flip up cover to be housed in the forward facing edge of the upper console  if, like me, you prefer a fixed set rather  than an hand-held for any offshore work.

The port side forward facing  edge of the console also offers plenty of space for additional instruments with  the switch panel on the starboard side. The wheel is also positioned on the  starboard side and is a very grippy but comfy car type. The throttle lever is  on the outer starboard side of the console and is easy to operate and comfy positioned  just above knee height.

The console also has an in  built large storage locker with hinged hatch access, plus you have additional  storage via a hatch locker at your feet just rear of the console. The 540 is  supplied with two upholstered and very comfy swivel seats with strong backs  that are excellent when working a boat in to a good lumpy sea giving you  something to brace yourself against.

The gunnels are nice and  high, plus have the additional safety rail to work against. Even the rear edges  of the gunnel without a safety rail are high enough for good security when  working on deck. On the inside edge of each gunnel you have a built in shelf  area for carrying smaller items of tackle.

The transom has a full  length seat, again upholstered and hiding two large storage lockers for fuel  tank, batteries etc. This still leaves plenty of room between the swivel seats  and the built in transom seat for two people to fish very comfortably.
   
The starboard rear gunnel  carries a bayonet type plug in socket fitting that carries a Steaming Light set  on a 4-foot chrome bar giving the steaming light more height when you need to  be seen. You also have T cleats on each stern corner.

The splash well is  impressively deep and has dive platforms or step aboard platforms built in to  each corner. There is also a dive ladder fitted to the starboard side, though  the review boat was straight out of the factory and was awaiting the ladder  being fitted. You also have plenty of room to fit an auxiliary engine bracket  for the essential second means of propulsion.

I also noticed that the deck was heavily stippled which gave excellent grip on what was a wettish day thanks  to a decent sea and wind whipping up lots of spray. The deck is also fully self  draining.

Taking the time to have a  careful look around the craft the overall finish on the review boat was very good  with no obvious mould blemishes and all the fixtures and fittings were well  made and securely fixed in place with quality fixings.

There were no rod holders  fitted to the review boat, though you have the choice of adding screw on ones  to the safety rails, or adding stainless steel rod holders recessed in to the  gunnel tops.

TEST FINDINGS
Easing the boat out through  the 4-knot inner limit there was a good force 4 to 5 northerly wind blowing  with a chill factor that cut you to the bone. It had created a short, confused  and in places very bumpy sea as Matt Knowles of SVBC and I pushed her out to  open water with the Isle of Wight Ferry just behind us.

Easing the throttles forward  gently at first to get the feel of her you see the bows lift quickly as she attempts  to find the plane. Add more power and the boat takes off settling down at the  bow and skipping across the surface. Increasing power from here on in and the  boat instantly reacts leaping forward, and bear in mind this is with a 50hp  motor.

Just handling the boat  through general manoeuvres I quickly discovered this is one very nimble and  predictable boat. What you do at the wheel you instantly get from the boat, and  with precision. If you really know your ground she’d be perfect for zipping  around shallow reefs after bass when you’re working lures or fly fishing.

Taking a steady run with the  waves at speed produces little in the way of hull chatter and you don’t feel  wave judder coming back through the hull either, and given the bumpy conditions  I was certainly expecting some.

Easing down the power, I  brought the bow around, then took off again at speed running across the general  wave direction. I was looking for a tendency for the boat to try and either  slip sideways as a decent wave pushes on the full length of the hull, or for  the boat to lose her balance and try and flip and she rode the sharp angle of  the wave as it crests. In reality the 540 held her course well with no sign of  sideways slip or unbalance, and only slight wheel correction needed to hold the  course across the waves.

It was time to see what the  hull could do heading in to the waves, and inevitably in to the wind as well. I  was expecting getting soaked frankly. There was a decent wind blowing and sat  in a centre console you’re bound to take some water heading in to the sea and  weather. Again though, I was pleasantly surprised that even pushing the boat in  to the weather harder than I would under normal circumstances there was  relatively little wind blown spray reaching us sat back in the seats. I watched  water lifted by the wind get mostly pushed out and blown to the side of the  hull rather than come showering back on deck. I did get a wash of saltwater on  my face a couple of times, but I’ve been far wetter in better weather and sea conditions  when working other centre consoles. Easing down on the power to normal speeds  and next to nothing got back on deck.  

Maintaining a good speed in  to the wind and sea the hull proved to have excellent sea keeping. The bow  lifts to the wave but does not bounce, it rather finds the top of the wave and  cuts through it. This creates a pretty comfy, safe and predictable ride. Even  though we were really attacking the waves head on the hull keeps on a true  course making the helmsman’s life an easy one.

I turned the boat around in  amongst the bumpiest bits of sea with no problems, again a tight turning circle  seeing the boat remain stable for the occupants and any gear on deck. The power  off and the boat at the mercy of the wind and waves and again the 540 proved  very stable under foot, even when you walk about on deck and with two of you  biased to one side.

Sat at the helm you have  excellent vision to sea level and the boat rides flat enough to allow you to  run at speed and still read the sea in front of you while sat. Some centre  console can tend to ride high at the bow and limit forward vision.

I got Matt to reverse the boat  in to the waves and the bulb of water created only washes in and back out of  the splash well, only the odd drop or two of water splashing high enough to get  back on to deck when you challenge a really big wave in reverse.  

I’d happily take the 540 a  few miles offshore in good seas for a day’s reef pollack fishing with lures,  drift fishing over banks for flatties, and general fishing for rays and tope.  This boat though, really comes in to it’s own for reef bassing when you need to  work several different areas close inshore as the bass adjust to the tide. Its  speed and agility, easy launching, plus its design allowing easy movement within  the boat for its occupants makes it the ideal craft for short early morning or  late evening trips after work. On those oily calm days I’d also work much  further offshore for sharks. Fighting a big shark from a centre console is so  easy without superstructure to get in the way and allows the use of much  lighter tackle.

She’s also versatile enough  to mix business with pleasure and take the family out for a day afloat or a  spin round the bay with some comfort.

Launching and retrieval was  simple and straight forward. Honest I was taking pictures, not shirking, but  watched the lads launch her in a matter of seconds, and she came on just as  easily and just as quick. You can tow here with a normal family car too.

THINGS I’D CHANGE
The only thing I’d add  myself if I bought a 540 would be an additional upright grab rail positioned on  the forward facing edge of the console and biased towards the port side. This  would allow the seated passenger to grip the upright bar around the console  with the left hand and the grab bar with the right hand when the boat is being  forced at pace in to rough weather and lumpy seas.

The 50hp Yamaha proves a  good economical choice. It gives a maximum speed of around 35mph and a fuel consumption  figure of about 17-litres per hour. She’ll cruise around 25mph. I think though,  a motor in the region of 70hp would be a phenomenal partner for this boat and  produce incredible performance. The boat is rated to take a 90hp, but for  mainly fishing the 70hp would give stunning performance.  

FINAL CONCLUSION
Frankly this would rank as  one of the best centre consoles I’ve been in. Very stable when made to work  both in to and across a good sea, stable on the drift with people walking  about, plus its relatively dry when seated at the helm and working in to a  wind.

You’ve good deck space  available for two anglers at the bow and room for another two up front for a  short session. The upholstery looks robust and easy to keep clean, plus you  have lots of storage space that is well thought out for convenient access.

What also makes the  difference for a lot of small boat owners is that the family can get something  from this craft too, away from fishing. Its ideal for those summer jaunts for a  picnic at sea, a little sightseeing around the bay, or just plain messing about  on boats type fun.

TECHNICAL SECIFICATIONS
Length: 5.4mtrs
Beam: 1.97 mtrs
Weight: 480kgs
Maximum Engine:  90hp
CE category: C

CONTACTS
SOLE DISTIBUTORS
Severn Valley Boat Centre,  Mart lane, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, DY13 9ER. Tel: 01299 871165  Fax: 01299 871165. E-mail: sales@severnboat.co.uk or drago@severnboat.co.uk Website: www.severnboat.co.uk . Ask for Roger  Page or Matt Knowles.

MAIN DEALER
Paul Martin, BHG Marine Ltd,  Ampress Park,  Southampton Road,  Lymington, Hants, SO41 8LW. Tel: 0845 644 6645/01590 613600.  Fax: 0845 644 6635. E-mail: paulmartin@bhg-marine.co.uk Website: www.bhg-marine.co.uk