Offshore Pro Charter 25-35

I doubt there are many  regular boat anglers that haven’t at some time fished aboard an Offshore 105.  I’ve fished on loads, both in the UK  and in Ireland.  It’s a boat steeped in angling history, but that’s what the old type 105 is  now, history. The offshore company recently introduced a new design and shape  to create a brand new version called the Pro-Charter 25-35.

The company has also taken  on a modern evolving attitude to boats and boat building in general, the aim  being to give the customer exactly what they want and need. The best example of  this is a closed GRP box section to cover the deck area during the build to  both protect the workers and the building process from the weather. These boxes  are to have a web cam fitted which will allow the customer to monitor the  progress of the build as work continues.

Just like some house  builders, Offshore will take stage payments as each stage of the boat build is  completed, but only after the customer is fully satisfied with the build. This  maintains a high build quality and produces the best in customer relations. What  it also does is bring the boats within the price range of more people.

During my interview with  them they were also keen to point out that any boat development is always done  with the companies own money. No experimentation is undertaken on customer  boats, which is a more common practice with some companies than you realise,  and this is an interesting issue that Offshore have raised.

A different modern approach  then, from a company looking to provide the new generation of charter boats  that will become commonplace in our marina’s and harbours.

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN
The new boats are modular  built allowing pretty much for any interior design shape the customer requires.  They are called the 25-35 because they offer a choice of length between 25 and  35 feet using a floating transom, which basically means that you increase the  length of the boat by sliding the transom in the mould to produce the required  length.

The material used in  construction is called Needaplas, a polycarbonate in honeycomb format with a  GRP coating that is easy to work, but unbelievably tough and resilient. We  tested a small section of Needaplas with my lad laying in to it with a series  of blows from a claw hammer. After repeated blows you can just about make an  indentation on the surface but it leaves the honeycomb construction underneath  in tact.

The other advantage with  Needaplas is that it is easy and neat to repair should it ever need it.

The Pro Charter  Sport on test was fitted with and IVECO 330hp  Turbo Diesel engine, but with a Hamilton jet drive unit and the hull has been  designed around the jet to get water to funnel directly in to the jet intake to  maximise propulsion at the outlet.

The bow is now tri-hedral to  give a quieter forward motion when planing and improved wave entry, plus has a  sharper V to it to cut through water better improving both speed and economy.  The design also includes a more rounded shape where deck unnecessarily long  pointed upper bow section that would otherwise incur extra mooring fees for non  useable length.

The new hull also sits  higher in the water giving a better profile and again improving speed and  economy by reducing drag.

They have also improved the  visibility from the helm seat inside the cabin by making the forward windows in  to just two sections giving you a full field of vision.

BUILD FEATURES
Full height safety rails run  across the stern and up the gunnels, the latter splitting at the cabin for  access. These are ideal for adding bolt on rod holders too. There is an  additional safety rail running fully around the bow section for security when  working forward.

Each stern corner is fitted  with stainless steel Samson posts for mooring and tying up to, also stainless  steel cleats just rear of the cabin mounted on the gunnels.

The engine hatch is raised,  but leaving heaps of room around the deck sides for walking and working.  Some skippers prefer a raised engine hatch as  it gives somewhere for the anglers to work off and store tackle away from the  deck walkways.

Lifting the engine hatch you  see that there is plenty of room for basic maintenance and access is good for  changing hoses and the like.

The deck is finished with a  stipple effect to give good grip and coloured in grey to limit light  reflection.

There are two spacious  hinged lockers, one either side of the cabin door. The port side opens outwards  and the starboard locker hinges upwards. These also double up as extra seats  and are protected by the cabin roof extending out over this forward deck area.

The outside cabin has  stainless steel grab handles running vertically down each side of the door,  with large windows each side of the door to give full vision from inside the  cabin to the rear of the boat.

The cabin door opens to port  and entering the cabin the helm position is on the starboard side. The test  boat has a single air cushioned helm seat, with two air cushioned seats for  passengers on the port side, but with a large open area rear of the seats  giving extra standing room, or additional loose storage space. The seat  consoles also hide large lockers for more storage space, these accessed from  the rear.

The console area directly in  front of the helmsman is an elongated half circular shape mounted upright and  carries all the instruments etc, and gives excellent identification of all the  current readings. You also have masses of space on the console and shelf area  to mount your electronics where suits you best.

The throttle lever is  mounted on its own console at knee height when sat, and the wheel is a round  car type with a rubberised grip that is extremely comfy to hold for long  periods.

The forward cabin area is  accessed through a door and hides a toilet area forward with locker bunk seats  either side.

The main cabin area has  hardwood dividers across the roof, a grey forward bulkhead and white walls and  rear bulkhead which maximises light and makes the already spacious cabin area  feel even larger.

Both side windows run the  full length of the cabin and feature slide down ventilation windows in the  middle. The front screen is split in to two for maximum forward vision and  there is a windscreen wiper on the helm side. You also have cabin lights either  side for night time illumination.

Access to the bow is open,  easy and safe. The bow features a stainless steel bow roller and Samson post,  with no other clutter to impede working.

The Nav lights are housed  good and high on the forward cabin sides, and the upper cabin roof area sports  sectional stainless steel safety grab rails with masses of room to fix a  stainless steel gantry to carry VHF aerials, GPS receivers and the like, plus a  life raft.

I also checked the load  bearing plates used underneath the safety rails and these are as large as can  be fitted in to the space available to maximise strength.

Bearing in mind these boats  are a true work boat designed to earn money for the owner seven days a week if  required and should not be compared to some of the gin palaces taking room in  our marinas, then the overall finish is good and above all consistently so.

PERFORMANCE
The Pro Charter Sport was  moored inside Padstow harbour, Cornwall  and the area had just experienced a couple of days of wild weather, but had  settled down and a warm sun was hinting summer wasn’t too far away.

Heading out through the  outer Camel Estuary passing between Stepper Point and Pentire Point it was  obvious the sea though was still carrying some swell, but conditions were good  and would give a reliable indication of the boats performance.

Using another boat as a  camera platform it was interesting to see the 25-35 underway at speed. The  water is deflected in a mayfly wing shape outwards from the hull and it was  also instantly obvious that the boat does truly have minimal contact with the  water at speed.

Jumping aboard her myself  and taking the wheel, I took it steady and just headed out in a straight course  to get the feel for her. Easing the throttle forward there is literally no hint  of hesitation as power piles in. The boat shoots forward continually increasing  speed and powers over the hill in to full planing mode in the blink of an eye.

Turning the wheel hard over  in to a tight turn the boat shows minimal tendency to neither lean, nor any  sign of hull slippage at the stern. She remains stable and predictable and  without throwing the passengers off balance.

Running across the waves at  a slight angle I was trying to induce some sideways slide, but the boat holds a  true course with sign of the bow sheering off at an angle as a wave puts  sideways pressure on the bow.

Running forward again at  speed you are instantly aware how much quieter this hull is regards hull  chatter in comparison to the old 105. Inside cabin noise levels are vastly  reduced and there was no sign of shudder in any of the build panels. The jet  drive also reduces the noise level to a good degree. I also found that the boat  gives the passenger a much softer ride without jarring your whole body through  your feet, as those of you used to the old 105’s will remember well.

Even punching in to an  almost moderate sea, spray getting back on the windows was minimal and vision  from the helm seat was excellent, both forward for travelling, and to the rear  through the cabin windows for manoeuvring.

Getting the local skipper to  back the boat in to the waves, I was at the stern and saw that the pressure  bulb of water built up against the stern only halfway and just odd wind blown  splashes made it over the stern and on to the deck.

Under no power and letting  the boat free drift she comes to sit with the bow just off the wind at a slight  angle and holds there. There is no sign of yawing to the wind, so she is a good  boat for drift fishing.

The sea was a little lumpier  out here, but on the drift with us on deck we found her very stable, not prone  to over rocking side to side and I’d say she’d make a really stable platform to  fish from in all normal fishing conditions. I also watched how much water  accessed the deck via the scuppers, but this was minimal on the day and my feet  stayed dry in just a pair of trainers.

The Hamilton 270 Jet Drive  is interesting too. The jet drive has what’s called a bucket on it which is  basically a water deflector. This can be used via the drive lever to steer the  boat under minimal power bringing either the stern or bow around for tight manoeuvring  and for mooring in between other boats and against quays and pontoons. It also  acts as a brake too, reducing speed.

It sucks water in under the  boat and spits it out at the back and is said to expel a third of a ton of  water every second. It’s also been found that these jet drives give a more  natural noise in the water, possibly akin to bait fish shoals being attacked by  big predators, and it’s been noted that dolphins are attracted to this boat  more so than boats with traditional propulsion units.

This got me thinking that  maybe these units might be of benefit if you’re keen to drag lures for tuna and  other potential game fish in UK  waters?

We were cruising easily at  about 24-knots, but flat out you’re looking at around 35-knots in ideal  conditions.

Fuel consumption would be in  the region of 2 to 3 gallons per hour taking an average figure.

THINGS I’D CHANGE
I found the engine hatch  cover flexed pretty easily under my weight and these need to be stronger on a  boat designed to graft for a living.

The safety rails on the  gunnels and stern especially flexed too easily and I was afraid that a big guy  slipping on deck in bad weather might produce enough impetus to actually bend  the rail enough to cause a safety problem.

I mentioned both these  things to Phil Mitchell of Offshore and he immediately agreed with me and said  they’d already picked this up as a potential problem and was in the throws of  eliminating both the flexing engine hatch and the weak safety rails.

Underway inside the cabin,  I’d also fit a grab handle positioned on the console in front of the seated  passengers. Given the awesome speed of this boat, and its capability to power  ahead in to a big sea, then something for the passengers to hold on to is a  must.

I also felt the instrument  console on the test boat looked old fashioned, and sure enough I was shown a  new style console back in the work shop that replaces the old type.

I only review the boat as  tested, and it’s likely that Offshore customers requesting things like  additional grab rails would see the company happy to supply them.

CONCLUSION
A different boat altogether  then, than the original 105 with massively improved performance and sea keeping  ability, plus a reduction in noise levels when underway.

She is extremely stable with  minimal rock, has acres of deck space for comfortable fishing. She is also  pitched at the right price to be bought by charter skippers, both new and  established, and by individual anglers than can afford a boat of this size for  personal fishing.

I see the shorter 25ft  version being a major consideration for groups of four anglers looking to buy a  cost effective craft between them for regular use, plus this smaller version is  ideal for the new breed of charter skipper working bass and cod trips, shark  trips etc, around smaller groups of four to six anglers.

These boats have already  sold in good numbers to people who rely on the sea for a living and they will  become an even more popular boat than the original 105 in the years to come.

DIMENSIONS AS TESTED
Length: 35ft
Beam: 10ft
Draft: Up to 3ft
Displacement: 3,000kgs
Fuel capacity: 100 gallons  plus

CONTACTS
Phil Mitchell is the main  contact and can be reached on 01208 812888. Mobile 07830 345889. E-mail: phil@0ffshore105.co.uk .

Alternatively for additional  contact details and information check out their website at www.offshore105.co.uk   or www.procharter.co.uk.