BEWITCHING LITTLE BEAUTY HIDES A BIG HEART
Marine Magic is Admiral Boat’s new 10m Sportfisher and arguably the best yet!
Since launching the first Admiral 10m Sportcruiser in 2018, Steve Clement and his small team have produced slightly better than one of these “big little launches” a year. That’s some achievement given the care and attention that clearly goes into each and considering how turbulent some of those past seven years have been.
Marine Magic is the first of the company’s new Sportfisher models. With more of an emphasis on game fishing, it has been designed to be able to back up fast, has more cockpit space, traditional Sportfisher full teak coamings, a live-bait tank plus tuna tubes and a single transom door to starboard.
Although Admiral Boats are basically a production GRP boatbuilder, when we catch up with Marine Magic at its home berth in the Tauranga Bridge Marina, it quickly becomes apparent that Steve is more than happy to tweak both the design and the fit-out to incorporate lessons learned from previous boats and the thoughts of new clients, such as Marine Magic’s experienced owner.
SURPRISINGLY SPACIOUS
While one owner chooses to use their Admiral 10m Sportcruiser solely as a day boat, the boats have been designed for extended periods away and have accommodation to match. In fact, the space allocated for this purpose is surprisingly spacious. With a vee-shaped berth (complete with infill) in the bow, a single berth alongside and an almost-queen-sized berth back under the saloon, Marine Magic can comfortably sleep two couples and a child or, on a lads’ fishing trip, 3 or 4 mates. Steve is quick to point out that there are other options too: the vee berth can be replaced by an island one and the handy shelf (portside, opposite that single berth) can be widened to create another single. Depending on an owner’s requirements, there are other options here, too: including additional clothing and/or rod and tackle lockers.
Marine Magic’s decor is a study in white and grey with timber surrounds for the doors and bunks providing a stylish accent. Covering the forward bulkhead with a dark grey, ribbed fabric is another nice touch. There is stowage under the side berths, on that side shelf and in a good-sized locker, complete with a mirrored door, that can be either a hanging locker or shelved, depending on the owners’ preference.
Ventilation is provided by a large Lewmar hatch, complete with Oceanair combination blind, sunshade and insect screen, and an oval porthole on each side. The lighting is also double-switched for convenience and there are loads of cleverly positioned USB chargers for those needing to stay digitally connected. The ship’s head is a simple, functional unit. Cleverly moulded up underneath the dash console it boasts considerable headroom and tidily combines the toilet, shower, sink and a shelf into a well-thought-out and appropriately sized area.
STYLISH SALOON
That stylish decor continues into the saloon area as does the generous headroom (at least 1.9m through the saloon and head). A 4-person settee and oval timber table occupy the space across from the ship’s station. Although most Admiral 10 Sportcruisers so far have come with a contrasting grey dash, Marine Magic’s owners have chosen to leave it white, so it seamlessly blends with the rest of the saloon.
There is an additional seat behind the helm, complete with a large pull-out drawer under (although this can be replaced by a freezer drawer). This would be a perfect spot to position the DMO (Drinks Movement Officer) as it is immediately adjacent to the 130-litre Isotherm fridge.
Above is a moulded bench area and, above that, a timber unit housing a TV, controls for the Fusion stereo and the saloon lights and a handy open locker for things such as phones, sunglasses, wallets, keys and the like. This is also home to the Mastervolt inverter charger system panel, responsible for maintaining the ship’s simple but effective 12v power supply: twin house and one starter battery.
The nicely understated blend of the moulded fibreglass benchtops and the oak cabinetry continues over in the galley where there is a handy timber unit above the bench and just inside the opening to the cockpit, and timber drawers under the diesel cooktop/heater and sink. The latter has been fitted with a carbon water filter and, another really nice touch, macrocarpa cutting boards have been made to sit over both cooker and sink when not in use.
With wide bi-fold opening doors and windows making for a seamless transition from saloon to cockpit, Steve and his team have created another nice touch in this area: the floor area throughout the entrance and galley area is from a fibreglass mould, cleverly designed to look just like white ceramic tiles (although at a fraction of the cost).
SPACIOUS COCKPIT
Given that Marine Magic is just 10m LOA, the amount of both usable cockpit space and easilyavailable stowage is impressive. Steve Clement is obviously one of those boatbuilders who has never seen a cavity he didn’t think could be better filled with something useful, and it shows. In addition to the traditional side and underfloor lockers, there are large lockers built into the bulkheads on either side of the entranceway, another back under the galley, a tidy little fender locker in the floor in front of the live-bait tank and, the piece de resistance, a handy stowage locker for gaffs, nets and even small jigging rods in the underside of the hardtop. There is also a handy moveable insulated bin, complete with a squab, positioned just under the galley window.
For those who like their fishing, as the owner clearly does, there are good-sized toe kicks on each side, an already-plumbed outlet for the washdown hose handily positioned low down, and a most impressive 90-litre live bait tank.
Occupying the centre of the new Sportfisher transom, this substantial fully moulded fibreglass unit employs all the best practices: it is oval in shape with no corners, its interior is a soothing shade of light blue and there is a large window facing into the cockpit for natural light. It has also been thoughtfully fitted out with a brace of tuna tubes. Fittings for the custommade bait board sit in the transom top to port and have been so perfectly positioned that, when the board is in place, there is just enough room to open the live bait lid, and not a millimetre more.
Basic access to the engine room is via a large hatch in the middle of the cockpit and, should greater access be required for servicing, insulated access panels on either side can be quickly and easily removed, too. As well as being practical and good-looking, Marine Magic’s cockpit has been designed to be both safe and durable, too. All the top rails are solid teak, the floor is U-DEK and there are five separate gravity-fed drainage channels leading to the outlet above the leg.
FULLY KITTED OUT
At the helm in readiness for our sea trial, one cannot help but be impressed by the amount of “kit” that has been fitted into this compact launch. The helm chair, a Hi Tech Plastic, albeit fitted out by Admiral’s upholsterer, Auto & Marine Trimming World, is a classy one, coming with a bolster and a drop-down footrest created by the Admiral Boats’ team. The dash is dominated by the twin Garmin 12” MFDs (a single 16” is another option) and into these feed the data from the ship’s chartplotter, fishfinder, radar and FLIR M232 thermal night vision camera, as well as all the glass cockpit data one needs from the Volvo D4. There is also a Vesper Cortex VHF and remote monitoring and control system, a traditional Garmin VHF and a sophisticated Humphree Lightning auto trim system. In addition to the traditional auto trim functions, this latter comes with co-ordinated turn function (that automatically keeps the vessel at a predetermined angle of heel throughout the turn, no matter how tight or shallow it is), a function that automatically gives additional lift when breaking free of the plane and then reduces it again once “on top” and integrated underwater lighting.
There are also controls for the Auto Anchor (for the Maxwell RC8 windlass), the spotlight and the Fusion entertainment system, a BEP DC switch panel, switches for the horn and three windscreen wipers (and their freshwater washers), gauges for the black and grey water tanks and a Scanstrut phone holder and charger. In addition to the aforementioned joystick, there is also a Garmin G20 remote, a sort of mouse for the MFDs that allows the skipper to remain in complete control while comfortably sitting back in their chair, rather than having to awkwardly lean forward to make adjustments.
There is also a new extra-wide opening side window, designed to make it easier for the skipper to see what is happening back at the stern, for example when battling a gamefish or when coming into a tight berth.
POWERFUL PERFORMER
Marine Magic is the first Admiral 10m to be powered by the bigger Volvo Penta D4-320hp through a DPI leg. Even more impressively, it is also the first boat in New Zealand to be fitted with Volvo’s new joystick, a clever piece of kit that is able to control both the engine and the Sleipner SEP80 bow thruster at the same time.
It is clear the Admiral 10m Sportfisher is one of those vessels that loves to get up and run. Capable of hitting 32 knots with full fuel (600 litres) and water (370 litres) and 5 people on board, it comfortably and economically cruises along in the high teens and low to mid 20s.
With the Bay of Plenty turning on one of those classic, virtually windless and glassy mid-winter days, there is unfortunately no harsh chop to run against, just a gentle, smooth swell. Nevertheless, Marine Magic acquits herself well, riding easily and predictably to all points of what little wind there is, ably assisted by that sophisticated Humphree Lightning system. It is certainly novel to not have to bother about trim when getting on to the plane, or to have to make any adjustments when transitioning from fast straight running into a tight turn. On the other hand, those, like myself, who prefer to control a boat themselves rather than having the technology do the work, need have no fears. The Admiral hull with the tab system in full manual mode proves a real joy to drive, and is delightfully responsive to both fore-and-aft and side-toside trim.
With its short duckboard, the Sportfisher backs up superbly, both at speed and at just-in-gear, with no tendency to become seacocked in either direction. Back in the harbour, the full benefits of Marine Magic’s joystick control become apparent. Like anything, it takes a bit of practice to master but, by being able to control both the engine and the bow thruster with just one hand, closequarter manoeuvring, coming alongside, manoeuvring around gamefish, docking and the like certainly become simple, straightforward affairs, even for a vessel with just one engine. There is also the option, should one wish, to have a second joystick control added to the cockpit.
SUMMARY
It is good to see that there is still a place in New Zealand for a production launch manufacturer even if, at the moment, it is on a fairly modest scale. Since its first appearance at the 2018 boat show, the original Admiral 10m Sportcruiser has collected a fair few admirers and proved to have a surprisingly wide appeal. These boats can now be found in Gulf Harbour (two), Half Moon Bay, the OBC, Pauanui and, of course, this new Sportfisher in Tauranga. The owners are an equally eclectic bunch: retired couples, families with kids and that keen day fisher who has no interest in overnighting and uses his accommodation area for stowage. And now, in stark contrast, Marine Magic’s owner. One who has a 6-person life raft on his cabin top and is planning trips to the Three Kings.
SPECIFICATIONS
Designer Admiral Boats
LOA 10m
LOH 8.8m
Beam 3m
Deadrise 12 degree variable deadrise
Displ (Dry) 4.8t approx
Max Speed 32 knots – full fuel & water w/5pob
Construction Full Fibreglass
Fuel Cap 600L (Optional fuel and water tank sizes)
Water Cap 370L
PERFORMANCE DATA
RPM KNOTS L/h L/nm
700 4.1 1.8 0.4
1812 8.7 17.5 2
2410 13.1 36.7 2.8
2998 23.5 42.5 1.8
3602 31.2 63.6 2
