2022 Protector 330 Targa review

If there is such a thing as a type of boat that is tailor-made for offshore rough water boating it has to be the rigid hull inflatable boat.

With this type of craft, designers can adopt a very sharp, very soft riding deep-vee monohull bottom shape with little concern for stability. Inflatable pontoon tubes attached to the outside perimeter take care of any stability issues, stiffening the vee hull as it settles down into the water.

With a perimeter (or collar) of multi-chamber air-filled pontoon tubes, RIBs are also incredibly safe and seaworthy.

I expect the design and construction of a first-class RIB is somewhat more complicated than I have suggested (just a bit), but the premise of surrounding a very deep vee rigid monohull with inflatable pontoon tubes to provide a smooth ride – and great stability – is sound.

No wonder large, high-powered RIBs are the first choice of search and rescue groups and military forces worldwide. A well designed deep-vee RIB is simply brilliant in rough water – generally softer, smoother and safer than a conventional planing monohull.

For me, the rough water advantage of a well-designed RIB was put into focus following my recent twin test of a pair of New Zealand Protector RIBs, distributed locally by Queensland Marine Centre.

QMC presented two boats for review: a Protector 310 Chase centre console and a Protector 330 Targa enclosed cabin boat. The latter is the subject of this test.

Protector RIBs are made by Rayglass in New Zealand. Rayglass is owned by the US-based Brunswick Corporation that also owns Boston Whaler, Bayliner, Sea Ray, Mercury Marine and more.

Nine different models are in the Rayglass Protector RIB range – five Chase centre console boats and four Targa cabin boats. The Protector 330 Targa is the second to smallest model, although it presents as a giant of a boat on the water.

The Protector 330 Targa can use dual outboard engines to a combined 900hp but will provide ample performance with a pair of 300hp Mercury V8 four-stroke outboard engines. Queensland Marine Centre has 330 Targa prices starting at $460,000 with this combination.

Protector RIBS are completely custom-built, so the price includes everything you can see on the test boat apart from the bow thruster and the Simrad electronics suite.

Some of the included gear runs to a tilt-adjust steering wheel; black-coloured seven-chamber inflatable tubes; cabin with a front opening door and two 1.98-metre berths/seats; electric toilet; sand/surf-coloured diamond-stitched upholstery; soft-rider suspension helm seats; aft-facing quarter seats; Blue Sea auto battery switching; Lenco retractable trim tabs; engine protection bars; bow Samson post with handrails and through-the-stem anchor system; Maxwell RC86 anchor winch and AA560 auto anchor system; Manson galvanised plough anchor; Ultralon (U-Deck) teak-coloured foam rubber flooring throughout; Marinco windscreen wipers and washer system; luxury split-back (removable) cockpit bench seat; Ritchie compass, fold-up boarding ladder; and more.

With the more powerful 400hp Mercury Verado supercharged inline six-cylinder outboard engines and electronics gear, the package price for our test boat rises to $537,800.

This elevated price includes a joystick-controlled bow thruster for improved low-speed manoeuvrability, along with a Simrad 16 NSS EVO3 multifunction display, Simrad RS40 AIS VHF with antenna, and a Fusion MS-RA770 Apollo series audio system with six speakers.

Worth noting is the option (not fitted) for a wet bar/entertainment centre to be fitted in the centre of the aft cockpit. It comes with a fridge, freshwater sink, and storage space.

The Protector 330 Targa has an overall length of 10.5 metres and a maximum beam with the tubes inflated of 2.9 metres. This reduces to 2.21 metres when the tubes are deflated.

The inflatable tubes surrounding the fibreglass hull are made from the highest grade of chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM). This material is commonly called Hypalon, even though the actual DuPont-made Hypalon product was discontinued some years ago.

As noted earlier, the inflatable ring or "collar" surrounding the rigid hull bottom has seven baffled inflation chambers to ensure the hull will remain afloat in the very unlikely event that one section of the hull is pierced.

The fibreglass hull beneath the Protector 330 Targa has a remarkably fine, wave cutting entry shape, stretching aft to a steep transom deadrise of 23.5 degrees.

According to the Protector literature, the hull bottom is solid fibreglass. Hand-laid 24-ounce woven roving cloth is built-up or layered until the hull is 20mm thick along the sides of the boat, and double that at the keel. With this proven construction technique, Protector has never had a hull failure.

Above decks, I was also very impressed with the quality and rigidity of the fibreglass cabin structure and mouldings.

The standard of fit and finish throughout the boat was excellent.

The Protector 330 Targa has a semi-enclosed fibreglass cabin structure with the rear of the cabin/helm station open to the vast rear cockpit.

You can option the boat with a rear bulkhead and doors, but I believe the open-plan configuration is best for most applications.

There is also the option to close off and lock the forward cabin/berth area to keep your valuables safe. This is a better option I think than partitioning the helm station from the cockpit.

Interestingly, the foredeck of the boat is accessed via a companionway through the cabin to a large, outward opening, toughened glass hatch. Open this out and you step up and through to the foredeck.

The forward cockpit has a reasonable amount of space and walkabout room, but the primary function is to provide access to the bow of the boat for disembarking and for anchoring, although the Maxwell electric anchor winch allows you to drop the Manson plough anchor via a switch at the helm.

The cabin itself is long and spacious. At 1.64 metres there is not quite full height standing room, but you can certainly duck your head to move about quite easily.

Each longitudinal, rectangular berth is 2.0 metres long with a maximum width of 670mm; there's ample room here for two adults to bunk down overnight.

For storage, the cabin has full-length upholstered side pockets and storage compartments beneath each berth.

Under the port side berth is an optional electric toilet with pump-out.

The Protector 330 Targa and similar models were updated several times in recent years, and this is evident in the excellent design of the helm station. Everything is where it needs to be for maximum function and practicality.

There is ample standing headroom beneath the hardtop and provision for all your electronics gear, either on the enormous fascia panel above the tilt-adjust steering wheel, or overhead in a panel under the hardtop, forward of a welcome sliding glass sunroof.

Taking centre stage at the helm of our test boat was the giant Simrad 16 NSS EVO3 multifunction display. It was flanked by switching to each side while Mercury revs, speedometer, and trim gauges were well-placed overhead.

Opposite, the first mate is fronted by a half bulkhead with handy grab rail, along with 12-volt/USB sockets, cupholders and moulded map/dash storage trays.

The skipper and first mate are both well ventilated via a sliding sunroof and forward opening sliding side windows that flood the helm with cool air.

The two deluxe Soft Rider suspension helm chairs are awesomely comfortable, cushioning the ride in heavy seas, although the Protector 330 Targa is so soft riding in the chop that there is no real need for further cushioning.

At speed, the Mercury power steering is silky smooth, the throttle response superb, and the seats and driving position simply excellent. All this makes the helm station a very comfortable place to be for long-distance passage making.

The only thing I would potentially change is the colour of the top dash. In direct sunlight the white dash reflects into the windscreen, causing sun glare at certain running angles. I'd be painting the dash a darker colour, or fitting some kind of dark matting/carpet.

From the helm station, the U-Dek teak-coloured foam rubber surfaced cockpit floor stretches 4.1 metres back to the transom wall beyond the two big removable aft bench seats.

From the two moulded side seats/storage boxes behind the helm, there is 2.63 metres of clear, uncluttered cockpit deck space.

The sheer volume of space to the rear cockpit makes this boat ideal as a working platform for water police, coast guard and chase boat applications, but also provides plenty of scope for entertaining.

I would certainly be adding the aforementioned wet bar, for example, as there is ample space for it, and it will improve the boat for recreational applications.

Given the inflation tubes stretching to the stern and flanking the cockpit, there is not a lot of storage space aft, although there is space beneath the transom for the batteries, steering, pumps and other gear.

Two extra storage spaces are behind the transom along with boarding platforms, a boarding ladder, an aft towing point, and big, solid stainless steel rollover bars surrounding and protecting the two outboard motors.

Where the Protector 330 Targa really shines is out in the rough stuff. The combination of a very deep-vee monohull with a collar of inflatable pontoon tubes is simply unbeatable for offshore performance.

The only type of boat that could potentially rival a really good RIB is a really good, similar-sized powered catamaran.

The Protector 330 Targa is a really good RIB. I was quite blown away with its performance offshore from the Gold Coast Broadwater. In a heavy southerly sea I could run this remarkable boat at speeds above 35 knots, the long, slim, deep vee hull skipping from wave crest to wave crest.

It was quite exhilarating actually. Blasting along the Gold Coast surf line, Surfers Paradise high-rise buildings in the background, I felt like I was on the TV set of Miami Vice chasing down drug runners (yes, I'm showing my age).

Okay, Sonny Crockett used a Wellcraft Scarab to pursue drug lords, but this Protector RIB would be equally capable; this excellent RIB simply gobbles up the distance at sea.

Getting back to specifics, the Protector 330 Targa accelerates to a top speed of 56 knots with those two giant supercharged Mercury 400hp Verado outboard engines on the transom.

I believe this level of performance will be sufficient for most recreational applications, but if you want more, consider a pair of Mercury Racing 450R V8 outboard engines. Expect to top 60 knots with 900hp bolted to the transom.

Performance*

*Both engines
Range on 95% of the 670L fuel supply: 255.1nm@3000rpm

The Protector 330 Targa is a fabulous offshore performer, and a capable sports boat for bay and offshore cruising and entertaining.

For commercial and chase boat applications such as coast guard, defence, water police and so on the Protector 330 Targa has few peers.

For recreational applications, I see the Protector 330 Targa as a toy in the manner of a high-powered sports car; you don't really need one, and it is expensive, but boy is it great fun to have and enjoy.

Priced from: $460,000 including dual black coloured Mercury 300hp V8 extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard engines with power steering, digital throttle and shift, SmartCraft instrumentation.

Price as tested: $537,800 including dual 400hp Mercury Verado extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard engines with power steering, digital throttle and shift, SmartCraft instrumentation; joystick-controlled Side Power SP 40 bow thruster; Simrad 16 NSS EVO3 multifunction display; Simrad RS40 AIS VHF with antenna; a Fusion MS-RA770 Apollo series audio system with six speakers.

Supplied by: Queensland Marine Centre