EVEN BETTER
When Barry Tyler reviewed the Herley Elite 8 a few months back, he was blown away with the finish and styling of the boat. I recently had the chance to run the bigger Elite 9m, and I agree with all his comments.
In my opinion, Kiwi aluminium boat builders lead the world in trailerable hardtop designs, and the Herley Elite 9m is an outstanding example. However, it’s more than just another big alloy hardtop. It is different in many respects from the mainstream offerings, not only in the design with its plumb bow but also in the attention to detail and the raft of innovative ideas. It is a quantum leap from the Ramco 700, the first production hardtop built in New Zealand, which I reviewed in the mid-1980s.
This was the first Elite 9 to be built and will be soon followed by a second. Interestingly both boats are destined for Australia, and both have an absolute accent on fishing. Our particular boat has been taken to the fishing extreme in many areas. Firstly the rod holder options are immense. There is lockable storage for ten game rods reels tucked up in the forward berths, the usual coaming holders, and a practical motorised rocket launcher. With the flick of a switch, the overhead rod rack drops down to a more manageable height to drop in your rods. Job done, you simply raise it back out of the way. Very cool and something I have not seen before. A real winner for shorter fisherman.
One of the stand-out features of this boat is a combination side boarding door and swim platform, which provides easy access on and off the Elite from the dock or the water. Being a keen diver, the side door is even more practical, as coming back about with dive gear on can be a bit of a squeeze around the twin outboards. Â
A central panel on the starboard side of the cockpit can be lowered to produce a 1m wide swim platform, complete with a ladder. We are seeing this innovation on superyachts, but very few trailer boat builders have incorporated it into their designs.
Then there’s the bait station which itself is a work of art. Mounted on cantilevered stays, you can change positions from beside the central walk-through to right above it. It also has a built-in tackle draw and a small bait bin for quick access to wet baits.
The 5.34sqm cockpit has many features and uses.
A foldout table on the portside gunnel gives the owner space to enjoy a cocktail outside but undercover. Seats fold out either side at the rear of the cockpit and, when not required, go back to leave an unimpeded fishing space.
The cockpit is self-draining and primed for fishing adventures with features like padded gunnels, state-of-the-art rod holders, raw and freshwater washdowns and knee-activated wash stations.Â
There’s a massive underfloor storage locker, a forward kill tank with macerator pump-out and a dedicated compressor storage locker. Space is provided for dive bottles and fender storage, so no area has been left unused. There is a tackle locker in the transom and two large draining lockers for tuna bags or extra ropes in the transom. Storage has been another important part of the build, and the Herley Elite 9m is awash with it.
PLUMB BOW
Herley Boats are designed from the hull up by the talented Nic Herd, and the Elite 9m is no exception. They have retained a proven hull shape which draws from traditional plumb bow theory, creating a long waterline length and fine entry with a relatively flat aft area. The Elite 9m is both stable at rest and underway. The hull runs from 60 deg forward to a shallow 10.5 deg aft at the transom. There’s also a deep keel to help tracking and handle in severe conditions.
I took the boat out from Tauranga Harbour into a deep swell off the Mount. I soon found it was a boat that liked plenty of in-trim heading into the swell and a lot of the reverse coming back. I did get it a little wrong when heading back through the entrance. With only two bars on the trim guage, I nose-dived into a swell and took a big green one over the bow. However, don’t blame the boat. That was driver error, and once I corrected the trim it ran fine and held its nose high.Â
While the owner had opted not to put on a windscreen wiper, I would undoubtedly fit one. With a combination of rain and salt spray messing up the vision, I found it hard to look through the screen. In my opinion, spray-on rain repellants aren’t good enough.
While talking about the hull’s performance, I have to say I was blown away by the acceleration from the hole-shot, and I managed to clear everything off the internal table when I hammered the throttle.Â
The Elite 9 is powered with a pair of Yamaha 300s complete with DES, so the steering and throttles are extremely precise. We were running a pair of 17″ Saltwater Series propellers, which were not exactly ideal for the boat and after the review, a pair of 15″ props were to be fitted. These should add a few 100 rpm to achieve the desired 6200-6300 rpm and put less load on the engines.
Regardless, we hit 45.5 knots @ 5900 rpm and had a sweet cruise around 4500 rpm @ just shy of 34 knots. Upwards of 50 knots is certainly achievable.
While the stability at rest is excellent, once we turned on the Quick gyro, everything changed, and in a sloppy side sea, the boat retained a stiff, level attitude. I was surprised by how fast the Quick built up to full power and the difference that it made. Indeed, a great option to have on a boat like this, especially when you could be fishing over a 600m deep canyon, 30nm offshore in a choppy sea.
The Herley Elite 9m is tough with 6mm hull plates, 5mm topsides and 4mm wheelhouse and decks. Internally there is a mix of frames and longitudinal stiffeners, which provide a rigid structure. This boat doesn’t rattle, and it feels solid when underway. The cockpit is finished with Esthec faux teak, and the hulls are all painted. In our case Majestic Blue with pearl white topsides to match the Yamaha outboards.Â
LOADED
Along with the Quick gyro, our Herley Elite 9m was loaded with extras; such as the Lone Star GX3 drum winch, IRIS s290 thermal camera, solar panels, Taco motorised VHF & FM aerials, Hella Nav lights, a very complete electronics package, which was the owner’s choice.The owner of this particular boat went all out with a C-Zone system, BEP Smart Battery Hub, Garmin GPSMAP 8416 MFD, Fusion stereo, Garmin VHF, Zipwakes and the full Yamaha DES system. Over on the transom alongside the pair of Yamaha 300hp outboards are a trio of Ocean LED unwderwater lights.
FORWARD HEAD
A benefit of the plumb bow means you have a lot more internal space to work with, and in the case of the Elite 9, the forward area has been used for the enclosed head compartment. While our boat didn’t have a shower, you have the option to install one. It’s a generous space which also makes a great private changing room.Â
The interior cabin and wheelhouse are finished with crown cut veneer cabinetry, marine vinyl upholstery and Infinity woven flooring and carpet. The berths are a generous 1.95m and 2.40m, respectively, so there is no excuse for not being able to stretch out and get a good night’s sleep. Hella lighting throughout gives you all the extra light you need, plus there is a deck hatch.
In the saloon space, the dinette table lowers to form a third berth. A forward-opening windshield allows air to flow through the space, plus there are sliding side windows and an overhead hatch. Cabin fever is not something you will feel on the Herley Elite.Â
A solid bulkhead divides the cockpit from the wheelhouse, with a starboard side door and port side bifold windows providing some natural flow. The layout is very traditional for a boat of this style, with a starboard side helm and galley with dinette and lounger to port.Â
The compact but efficient galley has a fridge/freezer under the aft seat, an induction hot plate, and a stainless bench top. There are also plenty of storage options below, plus here is where you’ll find the foldout 24″ TV. The helm seat folds up to expose more galley space and the induction hot plate.
STILL TRAILERABLE
The Herley Elite 9 is just a tad under 9m, 8.952m to be exact, and due to the upright bow design, the length on the waterline is still 8.7m. So when they say it is a 9m boat, it is, without having to throw in the extra length added for the boarding platform and bowsprit. Â
While the external beam is 2.8m, it is technically overwidth but is still legal and easily trailerable, albeit you need a reasonably substantial tow vehicle. A big alloy boat like this isn’t going to be light, but the Herley Elite 9 is built with weight in mind to keep her towable. Using the latest technology, Herley Boats have the Elite weighing in from 4.5 tonnes on the trailer and 3.5 tonnes on the water. Bring on the Ram.
The Herley 9m is a beast of a boat. Its dimensions make it an imposing vessel on and off the water. It has the ride and handling you would expect from a boat of this size and weight. The best thing is if you like the design but don’t like the layout, Nic is happy to sit down with a clean sheet of paper and come up with something that suits you. Customisation is the key word with Herley Boats, and along with that, they bring the highest possible fit and finish to every boat.
Specifications:
- Boat Design Name: Herley Elite 9
- Year Launched:Â 2022
- Designer: Nick Herd.
- Builder: Herley Boats
- LOA: 8.95m
- LWL: 8.70m
- Beam: 2.80m
- Draft: 0.400m
- Displacement: 3.5 tonnes (Dry)
- Trailerable Wght: 4.5 tonnes (approx)
- Max Speed: 45.5 knots                  Â
- Construction: Alloy 6mm/5mm
- Fuel Capacity: 550 litres
- Engines: 2 x Yamaha 300hp
- Outboard Range: 400-850hp
- Flooring: Esthec
- Winch: Lonestar GX3 Drum
- Lighting: Hella
- Stereo: Fusion BB300
- Gyro: Quick DC mc2x3
- Thermal Camera: IRIS s290
- Underwater Lights:Â Ocean LED
- Interceptors: Zipwake 450
- Switching: C-Zone
- MFD: Garmin GPSMAP 8418Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
- Price: POA
- Boat Supplied by:Â Euro City Marine |Tom Forbes | Ph 027 440 0028 | tom@eurocitymarine.co.nz | www.eurocitymarine.co.nz
- Contact: www.herleyboats.com
Herley Elite 9
| Herley Elite 9Â | |||
RPM | KNOTS | LPH | NMPG |
600 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 4.32 |
1000 | 5.6 | 10 | 2.93 |
1500 | 10.7 | 15.1 | 2.82 |
2000 | 19.8 | 25.8 | 2.14 |
2500 | 15.3 | 35.3 | 2.60 |
3000 | 21.4 | 46.1 | 2.42 |
3500 | 26.2 | 61.7 | 2.20 |
4000 | 31.0 | 82.8 | 1.98 |
4500 | 33.6 | 113 | 1.55 |
5000 | 37.8 | 139.3 | 1.42 |
5500 | 41.3 | 192.7 | 1.12 |
  5900 | 45.5 | 200.2 | 1.86 |
