Orkney 440

We all need to choose a boat that suits our own particular fishing needs and demands. For my father and I it had to be an Orkney four40, formally known as Coastliner. This particular boat is the younger sister of the much tried, tested and revered Strikeliner. It figures amongst the Orkney performance range, and quite rightly so! As usual Orkney know their stuff, and although not exactly up there with the larger range of successful commercial vessels as used by the police and RNLI amongst others, this boat does what it does best satisfy immensely!

The four40 is a compact little performer that fits nicely and neatly into our small boathouse (the main reason for our choice of boat). One of the dimensions as indicated by the initial title is explanatory as being nearly 14'6" in overall length (hence four40-4400mm), combined with an generous 5'8" beam, and a height on road trailer of 5'8" it's an ideal boat if like me you're limited for space.

Performance wise it achieves a good 22+ knots maximum speed (wind and tide favourable) provided by a 20hp Mariner long-shaft engine, aided by a hydrofoil: a useful little item that we fitted to enhance handling, performance and economy.

Manoeuvrability, or handling of the craft is very good, with the boat being able to take sharp, measured turns with relative ease. The external freeboard available during the course of chucking the boat around is encouragingly good, with even the tightest turns leaving lots of fresh air between gunnel and water. The overall handling ability rates highly, and is not in the least bit unnerving, as some other boats can be.

The actual fitting out of the boat is pleasing, with a good strong forward cleat and bow roller, with two similar after cleats. The boat has a small cuddy, which whilst serving the purpose of vanquishing wind and rain forces two large men to assume the 'sardine' position once shoe-horned inside. The boat also has a forward anchor well, which is self-draining and a convenient anchor stowage space. Access to the anchor well is through a lift-up hatch, located in the cuddy. The cuddy also has a handy little storage compartment under the bow, which we use for keeping flares, spares, first-aid kit, bailer etc. As for the after end, it has a self-draining splash well, and a stowage locker for fuel tanks. However, once the fuel tanks are in place there is little room for much more than perhaps a couple of red-gills. The boat is also fitted with two drain plugs, both at the after end: one directly below the transom drains the deck, and the other is located in the after stowage locker, and is used for draining the space between the double skinned hull should the need arise. Mounted on the cuddy is an all-round white masthead light, as is the legal requirement for all vessels under 7metres in length. An Eagle fish-finder mounted on the steering console provides the necessary guidance when in pursuit of the aquatic quarry we all want to hook. The general seating available within the boat is ample but hard (especially in the rougher seas). To combat this we enlisted the services of a local upholstery company who fitted the boat out in marine grade, washable, foam filled seat covers.

When it comes to options, probably the most important extra is the remote steering console. I've seen four40's without them, and frankly they are unbalanced. If you're alone and without a remote steering console, then you'll be back aft at the tiller; if you can imagine a motorbike doing a wheelie then you'll understand my point. Luckily my boat has a remote steering console, and on long journeys I can tell you it's a comfortable advantage that I wouldn't want to be without.

"So far so good" I hear you cry! However, and invariably there has to be a however, the boat suffers in a couple of areas. Firstly the performance described earlier is largely dependent upon relatively calm conditions. The performance-orientated hull tends to slap heavily on waves in rougher conditions, resulting in an inevitable reduction of speed, loss of performance and an overall bone-shaking ride. We then get to the boat at anchor: "Oh dear" is probably too strong, however "hhhmmm" probably best describes one's thoughts as a touch of rolling at anchor is experienced, with the boat really struggling to settle with the tide.

So there you have it. In essence, if you are at the budget end of the market, or like me restricted for space and don't want a berth or mooring, then this little boat is a highly desirable vessel. In truth, the four40 is never going to take you very far off shore with any level of confidence, indeed as the old name suggests it's a coastline boat. However, let it be said that it's still great fun combined with practicality, and provides many enjoyable hours of inshore fishing that's hard to rival. This boat knows it's place and I wouldn't be without it.