Raider 18

The morning was bright and breezy with a steady southeast wind that I knew would put a fair lop on the sea, and over the inshore shallow banks build up a good short swell making ideal test conditions.

The boat sure turned eyes when Carl backed her down the slipway. The Raiders are eye catching looking almost dart shaped and futuristic, but elegant at the same time.

She slips off the trailer really easily, and is light work for two people. We had a fair side wind blowing, but she took minimal holding while Carl parked up the car and trailer.

The first thing to really strike me was how quiet the diesel unit is. I was expecting a typical diesel with background hum and characteristic "knock", but this unit is very quiet and there was no vibration through your feet off the deck.

We had to manoeuvre out through a narrow channel lined with moored boats and at minimal revs, but the boat stays responsive on the steering and even with the wind holds her course well given so few revs.

There where three of us aboard and I was conscious of taking note how stable she was as Carl's dad moved about on deck stowing their gear. When all our weight moved to one side of the boat she cants over slightly then stops dead as she finds her balance point. There was no continual lean and the handling for the helmsman remains good.

Just outside the harbour entrance I took the wheel. I knew there was lifting reefy ground just to the southwest, so headed for this looking for a rougher sea. We found it in the shape of steady three foot waves that were quite tight together.

First thing was to turn her stern on to the sea and back her under power directly in to them. There are open access points built in to the transom and I found that during this manoeuvre they fill with water and you will see a little water climb up and spill over the transom top. I expected that and the amount of water spilling in was minimal.

Back in to minimal forward throttle I let the boat go with the waves. In this following sea she is very relaxed and stays pretty much on course with only minor wheel correction needed. I brought her about, still with minimal power and she pulled herself around between the tight swells remaining stable and well balanced with minimal rock and lean.

Pushing the throttles forward and attacking the waves head on the gull wing hull cuts through the waves cleanly with no real signs of slam. I added more power and jumped off the top of a couple of big waves just to see how she fell back to sea. She actually hits the water quite softly with minimal slam and immediately starts to cut through the next wave without any sign of her nose dipping downwards.

Bringing her around and taking a course at an angle across the waves also proved an impressive performance. I was looking for lean as we tried to cut the waves at this acute angle. There is inevitably a degree of lean, but it is slight and the boat feels safe and stable in a beam on sea.

Going a step further I worked the boat on to the top of a big wave then whipped the wheel over and back to drop her in to the trough at a steep angle down the rear of the wave looking for wallow and exaggerated lean. This is something you're bound to experience at sometime when running for home in a beam on sea and worsening conditions. Some boats drop in sideways and take what seems like ages to get their balance. The raider, to her credit, won't drop, but slides in to the base of the trough and instantly rights herself. She feels very safe and is forgiving if the helmsman doesn't quite get it right.

Taking a straight course and adding more throttle the power comes in instantly with no pause. The boat is off and planing almost instantly settling slightly nose up. Hull noise is comfortable and the ride smooth given that we had a fairly bumpy sea. Hit a wave that creates airborne spray and you'll see that the spray is deflected either side of the boat and very little, hardly any in fact gets backing to the cockpit.

Killing the throttle, I let the boat drift. She tends to swing nose away from the wind direction at a slight angle, but is stable, comfy and an excellent platform to work from.

While at the Southampton Boat Show I got a preview ride aboard a Raider 18 powered by a petrol engine. This thing was quick and we were touching around 40mph. In my teens I used to chuck high powered rally cars around the narrow lanes of Wales, and this boat reminded me of driving a rear wheel drive rally car. You can throw the boat almost sideways in to a really tight turn by whipping the wheel over the get the transom to hang out and slide, apply a little opposite lock to the wheel, then whack the throttle forward to dig the stern in and bring her back on to a straight course. This is fun driving but not what the average angler is likely to do, nor should do and I include it only to illustrate just how stable and predictable the hull is.

THE COMFORT FACTOR
The gunnels are waist high and feel totally secure in the boat. You could though, still reach tope and other fish you may need to lift in from the stern quarters. With the optional transom door fitted you can step out on to the step-in to lift fish.

Sat in the helm seat, I did find that the throttles when forward were very close, maybe only an inch and half away from the wheel. In big seas I have a habit of resting my right hand on the throttle and working the wheel with my left just in case I need a quick increase, or decrease in power. When working the wheel in big circles, such as when manoeuvring, I did find that my throttle fingers were hitting the wheel.

Visibility is excellent. You have all round front vision and good side vision. With the increase in floating flotsam and jetsam around out shores, and what seems like millions of lobster pots with floating ropes, then the clearer view you have the better, and the Raider has more than most.

I also liked the no clutter design of the deck. You have total freedom to fish. Even the box that accommodates the diesel unit only comes about 10-inches out from the transom and you don't know its there.

The height of the cabin will allow even 6ft 4in guys to walk straight in and you have instant access to all areas of the cabin console and instruments.

The doorway through to the forward cabin is wide enough to give fairly easy access. You retrieve the anchor from the forward cabin via a Houdini hatch, which is fine and ultimately safer than having to get up on the bow.

DESIGN FEATURES
The bow is fitted with a stainless pedestal T cleat and stainless bow roller. Carl's boat did not have a bow rail, but these are available if required.

The cabin windscreen is split in five, three facing forward and a side screen at each side. The cabin top is flat and carries ample room for adding a stainless gantry to take aerials, GPS and radar units. The boat comes complete with navigation lights.
There are small grab rails either side of the cabin for ease of handling and manoeuvring in shallow water.

The transom has an inspection hatch for access to the power unit in the middle. Either side are step in hollows for access to the boat.

On the outside edges of the transom are mounted the air intakes for the motor, also a stainless rod holder. There is also a stainless rail running full across the top of the transom.

Jumping aboard, the deck is painted grey with foot grip added. Running rearward down the middle of the deck is a covered lift up drain well with access to the 21 gallon fuel tank. The port side stern quarter houses the bilge pump.

Each gunnel has a moulded in pocket running a good three feet across the middle that can take all the little bits and pieces you might need quick access to while fishing. The tops of the gunnels have a stainless steel rail running the full length, plus an additional rod holder at each end by the transom.

The helm position is on the starboard side, throttles on the right and at a comfortable height. The wheel is a rubberised round stainless steel type and comfy to hold in a rough sea for long periods.

The instrument console is aircraft type with the instruments moulding set back which helps to cut down glare. You have the option of mounting VHF radio, GPS and sounder units either on top of the console, on the huge flat dash area immediately to the left of the steering console, or even on the cabin roof above and forward of the helm. The port side dash has a grab handle and also carries the vent for the forward cabin.

The bulkhead of the forward cabin has moulded in footrests either side for the helmsman and passenger, should you choose to fit a co-pilot chair.

Inside the forward cabin you have two storage lockers, one either side that can take smaller items, with a forward shelf at the bow capable of taking fenders and the like.

WHAT WE'D CHANGE
My only niggle was the tight gap between the throttle levers and the wheel. I did find that awkward.

The forward cabin access door Carl decided to remove as it only opens halfway as it butts up against the port side footrest making access to the forward cabin difficult.

The boat has a protective tonneau, but Carl says it lets water in off the cabin roof.

I'd also suggest an automatic bilge pump if you're leaving the boat on a mooring for any length of time. The bilge pump supplied is manual for reliability. I know auto pumps can cause problems, but you have to exit the water somehow if you're not there.

Carl would also have liked an oil gauge and temperature gauge fitted as standard.

You'll also need to shop around for an auxiliary drop down bracket that gives enough height to lift the spare engine away from the water. Because of the step in areas in the transom, placing a bracket here puts the spare motor too low down. I'd suggest going for a 12hp sized spare engine if you're working far offshore.

Nothing major there and just typical small problems that can be easily sorted to make a boat even more owner friendly.

CONCLUSION
The Raider 18 is a fabulous boat giving phenomenal performance, a high degree of sea keeping ability, and with high emphasis on safety.

She's more than capable of working miles from shore with the peace of mind that the hull has the ability to battle its way home in deteriorating weather. She's ideal for the first time buyer too, but being such a thoroughbred also appeals to the more experienced boater who will be able to realise her full working potential.

Her shallow draft will also suit anglers needing to fish shallow banks and reefs for bass and tope, or access shallow estuary bars and tight creek type moorings.

SPECIFICATION
LENGTH: 18' (5.49m)
BEAM: 7' (2.13m)
DRAFT: 13' (0.3m)
WEIGHT: 1300lbs (591kg)
HEIGHT OVERALL: 7'9" (2.36m)
FREEBOARD: 3-feet

The Raider 18 can take outboards up to 140hp, or has the inboard diesel stern drive option with the Mercruiser Alpha One 120hp unit.