SMOOTH OPERATOR
When a boat builder names his company Innovision, you immediately get the sense that he is pursuing something evolutionary and different. When I first heard the name, two notions sprang immediately to mind: Innovation and Vision. Simply defined ‘Innovation’ is a new solution for something that has a high demand or an unmet need. The best way to think about what is innovative is simply; “Why didn’t I think of that?” ‘Vision’ is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination and wisdom – definitions which aptly sum up the new Innovision IV656 Explorer.
Earlier this year, the team at Pacific PowerBoat Magazine asked me to undertake a sea test and report on the new Innovision IV656 Explorer. I confess that at the time, although I was aware of this boat building company, I really didn’t know a lot about them, even though they had been around for over a decade. So, in preparation for writing this article, I started scrolling the internet regarding Innovision and their products. First immediate impression? “Well, these boats are certainly different from most other trailer boats currently on the market”. As I continued to scan their website, I became more and more excited about getting out on the first of Innovision’s “Latest Generation” IV656 Explorers.
The actual vessel we tested was only launched in early January and Grant, the owner of this new craft, had barely clocked up several hours prior to us taking the boat out of Mangawhai Inlet, situated about 100 km north of Auckland’s CBD, for this boat test review. A few days before we were due to get out on the water there had been a north easterly storm in the region and even though the day before the test the wind had changed to a sou’wester, by the time we got out to sea in the afternoon, a moderate northly wind had clocked in making for a very confused and lumpy ocean. However, it turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day and fortuitously the weather gods provided ideal test conditions, enabling us to put this unique craft through its trials in the resultant rough seas off Mangawhai Beach.
But before we talk about our time out on the water, a bit about Innovision and specifically the first of their “Latest Generation” IV656 Explorers – ‘Nauti North’.
THE BUILDER AND THE BOAT:
Innovision Boats pride themselves on constantly looking for improvements in their designs. In discussions with Simon (Director) and Vicky (Business and Marketing Manager) it became quickly apparent that design evolution is core to Innovision’s philosophy, and they made
it clear that it takes commitment and investment to deliver better on water performance, safety and the ultimate boating experience for their customers. Innovision believe the latest 656 Explorer design changes will ensure their new IV656 Explorer is the best all round 6.5m trailer boat on the market, delivering exceptional stability and performance, maximum internal space, and a contemporary, but uniquely stylish shape.
So, what are these IV656 changes and how beneficial are they when it comes to making the craft “fit for purpose” as well as living up to the company’s “as promoted” vision?
When you first see the IV656 Explorer the two distinct features that immediately emblazon themselves in your mind are the plumb bow combined with the impressively raised bow height. You certainly get the impression that this craft is meant for business.
Breaking It Down: The raised bow height leads to a smoother transition into the newly developed shear line, offering an increased flare for a drier and more stable ride in rough conditions. In addition, extending the foredeck over the flared bow side sheets by half a metre, better deflects the waves in extreme conditions. With more flare around the helm bulkhead, it not only looks better, but it also helps when running in rough conditions, improving overall stability, comfort, and handling.
In brief, the longer waterline length improves ride and performance with the finer plumb bow entry reducing pitching and slamming. In addition, the higher bow with more volume ensures safer bar crossings while the extra length at the transom gives added stability at rest.
That’s the performance side, but it is obvious that a boat must also look good and although I acknowledge that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, aesthetics’ are important factors when it comes to one’s buying decision. Being a firm believer in “form follows function,” to me the IV656 fits the bill.
Appearance and Function: The streamlined new shearline gives the craft a softer more contemporary look, embodying Innovision’s dedication to both aesthetics and performance, while offering a timeless appearance which will endure well into the future. The quality of workmanship is unrivalled and if one wants to focus on but one example, look at the welding. So smoothly done that a final grinding down or finishing is largely unnecessary. But, good looks be damned, the formidable bow design aspect screams, “Bring it on!”
The new larger forepeak and hard top cabin offers a higher roof height (1950mm at the helm position) and can be customised to individual customer height requirements, providing additional cabin workspace and storage and allowing for a 1.85m V-berth, which is more than adequate for overnighting when required. At the same time, the roof rod holders are now 75mm lower, making it easier to get rods in and out of the holders.
The transom wall has been moved aft by 50mm, so that the Portofino transom (a design where the transom is extended with a large swim platform, often incorporating a step-down feature for easy access to the water) is the perfect size for one person to fish off whilst still allowing enough space to cross in front of the engine to the other side. This also increases the cockpit space ensuring that captain, crew, and guests have ample room for on water activities – especially fishing and diving (note the sturdy port and starboard, swing down, three rung boarding ladders), while the length overall (LOA) has been increased to 6.65 metres.
The cockpit on ‘Nauti North’ is similar to a standard IV656 but has been thoughtfully laid out to Grant’s specific requirements in several respects. For example, the seats and seating configuration consists of two Relaxn Mako Series Adjustable Swivel Seats with under seat, slide out, split lid Icey-Tek 90l chilly bins. The list goes on. I am an ardent believer in the “KISS” (Keep It Simple Stupid) philosophy when it comes to design and function and there are many subtle features hiding in plain sight in the IV656’s cockpit. Listing but a few (see also the accompanying images), the drop down port and starboard stern washboard panels (preventing water coming into the cockpit when backing into a sea), the convenient cabin shelves running port and starboard, allowing you to rest your forearm while underway, the numerous rod and cup holders on both port and starboard cockpit gunwales, the sturdy Portofino transom safety ‘cages’, etc. etc.
THE SEA TRIAL:
Background: I rendezvoused with the owner of Innovision’s first ‘latest version’ IV656 Explorer, ‘Nauti North’ at the Mangawhai Inlet boat ramp late in January, eager to get out on and experience this somewhat revolutionary new alloy boat. Grant is a seasoned and experienced seafarer – both recreationally and commercially. It did not take me long to appreciate that this taciturn character knew boats and knew exactly what he wanted in his latest vessel when he commissioned Innovison to build his new, ‘somewhat customised’ IV656. Having previously owned an Innovision IV808 Explorer and conducted sea tests on numerous Innovision 656 models for the company, he possesses extensive knowledge of boat performance in general, and of Innovision’s vessels specifically.
After launching ‘Nauti North’ from its custom Innovision trailer we slowly motored out towards the Mangawhai bar at about half tide, the Honda 250
Hp four-stroke outboard making a barely perceptible sound. As I chatted with Grant about the features of his boat and why he had decided to down-size to the IV656, several key words stuck in my mind, funnily enough, all of them beginning with an ‘S.’ Stable, safe, solid, simple and seaworthy, to name a few. I could not help thinking, “Shouldn’t every boat live up to these descriptors?”
On test day, despite the confused sea conditions outside the bar, the bar itself was reasonably calm and although I had prepared for a rough transit from inlet to open sea, crossing the bar was uneventful; without any doubt, largely helped by the raised bow giving extra buoyancy in the front making it harder for the bow to go under when navigating tricky bar crossings. However, once out in open water it soon became apparent that the IV656 was going to get a workout. Before taking over the helm, Grant ran me through the basic controls and features, not least of which being the Zip Wake automatic trim tab system. A control that we utilised quite a bit in the tumultuous sea conditions.
I have learned, while doing boat tests, that I need to trust my initial impressions. The IV656 was no exception. Anticipating the sea that we were going to be hammering the boat around in, basic instincts kicked in. In my case, most importantly remembering that I had prolapsed a disc in my lower back years ago and that one of the worst things that could happen to me is to have my spine suddenly jarred while slamming off a wave! So, instead of sitting on the comfortable Relaxn Mako seats, I stood up, letting my legs and knees absorb any impact. These seats have a flip up bolster that makes the standing position that much more comfortable. The bolster, once flipped up, sits in the small of your back as you stand either gripping the wheel when driving the boat or holding onto the conveniently and ergonomically placed handrail, if you are utilising the passenger/co-pilot port seat.
The first thing I wanted to ascertain was how sea-kindly this craft was in managing the rough conditions on the day. Turns out, I was most pleasantly surprised. The hull’s chine lines are designed to create hydrodynamic lift, ensuring a stable and safe ride in rough conditions. In heavy downwind conditions, the chine design significantly reduces broaching, making the boat one of the safest on the market. The plumb (vertical) bow gives the hull a fine entry while increasing the water line length compared to conventional bow designs, thus riding more like a 1 to 1.5 metre longer boat. These two factors significantly reduce slamming and pitching in rough seas.
Here comes another ‘S’ word. This boat literally slices through waves. As I became more comfortable driving the boat I also got more adventurous with my manoeuvres and with full blessing from Grant, really began to slam the IV656 around on the erratic surface of the ocean. Between the already turbulent sea and the extra opposing wake waves which we were creating with sharp port and starboard turns, I could see that on one memorable manoeuvre, we were going to really slam off a high wave into a particularly steep trough before hitting the next sharp wave. Bracing myself for a spine jarring thump it all turned out to be gratifyingly anti-climactic, with the plumb bow simply riding through the trough and slicing into the next steep wave as though it wasn’t there. But wait, there’s more! Even though we were throwing water everywhere, extraordinarily little was coming into the boat or even spraying the windshield overly much; the iconic Innovision high bow shear and hull design contributing hugely to keeping boat and crew comfortable and dry. The single Exalto wiper managed any water on the starboard, three-panel contoured windscreen, in front of the helm. Later, I inquired with Grant, “What is the reason for having just one wiper?”. In typical laconic understatement he said, “I’m the only one that needs to see what’s going on, so why spend more money?” Got to love it.
While assessing the IV656, I occasionally caused the propeller to cavitate during sharp turns in steep waves. Being a bit surprised about this, Grant pointed out that I hadn’t quite mastered the Zip Wave trim tab system, which he proved to me was true when he took over the helm again and, imitating the same manoeuvres I had executed, only cavitated the prop once.
Having really put the craft through its paces I asked Grant if we could just idle and put a couple of fishing lines over the side, not really expecting to catch anything, but wanting to see how this vessel behaved while just drift fishing on the lumpy sea. Once again, the IV656 impressed! But let us put this into perspective. There is no way that any trailer boat of this size is going to sit smooth and flat. Wave physics and floating objects just don’t work that way. However, what the IV656 demonstrated is that it sits comparatively more comfortably, with less “rocking and rolling”, than similar sized craft. The Hydrodynamic Stability Chines (HDSC) are particularly important to the performance of the hull at rest as well as on the plane. At rest the combination of the HDSC and plumb bow produce an extremely stable platform, while the increased buoyancy in the chines maximises stability. In fact, and I am going to go out on a limb here, the only other style of boat in this size range that I believe might manage the seas as well as, or even better than the IV656, is a catamaran hull design. Enough said.
Sea trials complete, it was ‘up anchor’ (so to speak) even though we hadn’t actually used the Lone Star drum reel anchor winch, which was nicely installed and concealed in the forward anchor locker. Once we had motored back over the bar, retrieving the boat was surprisingly easy with the custom built Innovision, dual axle trailer equipped with both manual and automatic electric winch and Boatcatch System (automatic bow locking mechanism). After backing the trailer down the boat ramp, Grant simply drove the IV656 up onto the trailer and “Bob’s your uncle”.
SUMMARY
For over a decade Innovision Boats have been working hard to develop the best alloy hull design on the market – culminating in their latest ‘Gen.design’.
Innovision’s point of difference is very noticeable compared to other brands in Australasia. Tapping into their experience in other marine industries, both in business and out on the water, they have developed an utterly unique hull design for the Australasian trailer boat market. Their latest generation hull has been developed to produce the softest ride and biggest internal volume compared to equivalent sized alloy trailer boats, resulting in one of the most stable boats currently on the market. ‘Nauti North’ is just the first of the Latest Generation hulls and one more is currently in marine fit out while another has just come out of fabrication and is off to be painted. And if you are still not convinced that this is a craft worth considering, how about the fact that every Innovision boat comes with a 10-year structural warranty proving that Innovision has full faith in the superior quality and strength of their boats.
SPECIFICATIONS
Designer Simon Minoprio with naval architects Blakewell-White Yacht Design
LOA 6.65m
Beam 2.5m
Hull Bottom 6mm Marine Grade (5083) Alloy
Deadrise 18 deg
Horsepower 200 – 300 hp
Price as tested NZD $285,000 inc trailer
Price base model NZD $140,000 inc trailer and 200 hp outboard engine
PERFORMANCE DATA
RPM KNOTS L/h LM/L Range
2000 5.9 7.6 0.7 192.5
3000 11.2 20.8 0.4 110
4200 23.1 33.6 0.6 165
5000 31 53.5 0.5 137.5
6000 37 83.7 0.4 110
