AMDAC 65

Electric drop blinds unfurl behind pelmets as though something big is about to happen. A sonic boom thunders through the surround-sound system. The Plasma television comes to life. Stirring images of a sailpast, anglers fighting marlin and of Port Stephens at its sparkling best steal our attention from the real world outside.

Next comes a Powerpoint presentation via a laptop computer plugged into the boat. Then, what we've all been waiting for: plates of freshly shucked oysters, peeled prawns, glasses of Chardonnay and champagne, in the strictly shoes-off saloon.

While it could have been a whizzbang launch in a conference centre somewhere, the razzle-dazzle - in aid of the new midweek Toyota-sponsored gamefishing tournament at Port Stephens - took place aboard Miramar.

Miramar is the latest 65ft corporate cruiser-cum-gamefishing boat from fast-growing Australian Marine Design and Construction (AMDAC). It exemplifies the new-breed of luxury gameboat that is, in case you haven't noticed, taking over big-city marinas and swanning about harbour waterways when not at sea.

The first 65-footer out of the mould, Miramar is a not an unfamiliar name with Sydneysiders. Owner Ross McDonald, who is on the executive committee of the NSWGFA, came from a Precision 50 and a Mariner (a 43) of the same name.

McDonald soon discovered he wanted to do more than just sit and 'swan' aboard his boats. So he developed an interest in gamefishing and started writing the cheques. A member and past President of Broken Bay GFC, he is currently working towards a long-held dream to cruise and fish the Australian Eastern Seaboard one day. More immediately, Miramar was poised for Ladies Day, the new midweek Toyota comp, and sponsors day at the Port Stephens Interclub this year.

The decision to buy the semi-custom boat, valued at around $3 million, isn't taken lightly. McDonald travelled to Miami, various parts of Asia and inspected NZ-built boats, too. But he says the Australian-made boats were better in terms of hull lay-up, engineering and finish. This is why AMDAC has released a rash of ritzy 50-70 footers in the last few years.

Each AMDAC is special in its own way. Some have interiors fresh from the pages of a designer magazine, others are built for assuaging corporate types, and all seem to have won-over a new order of gentrified gamefisher.

Miramar is probably the most hard-core fishing machine from AMDAC yet. It blends time-proven seaworthiness, a strong lay-up and sophisticated engineering with custom internal finishes. Plus, it can and will raise fish.

ECONOMY AND RANGE
The criterion applied to Miramar was that it must be comfortable, economical and have a big range. McDonald listened to the experts up to a point, but soon realised, ultimately, it is you and only you who knows what best suits your boating.

While Miramar might cop the wrath of some sailpast dragsters, there is logic behind using modest twin 760hp V-eight MTUs. Not least of these is that the fuel bills are roughly half that of some boats of a similar length.

Miramar isn't fast, but it is certainly frugal. Per motor, at idle it uses 5.5lt/hr; at 1515rpm it uses 35.3lt/hr; 1905rpm it uses 69.05lt/hr; and at 2180rpm (around 20kt) it consumes 100.8lt/hr. Days and nights could be spent trolling at sea.

As for range, the boat holds 5920lt of diesel, consumes just 170lt/hr at 19kt, and will truck up swell and down dale for a comfortable 660nm at these cruise speeds. Meantime, there is a desalinator that makes 1500lt of pure water a day, two generators to service onboard power needs and a communications and navigation kit that, a few years ago, might have been found in the cockpit of a top-level military ship.

While one looses the sense of speed when inside the fully-enclosed flybridge with airconditioning, top speed with full tanks was 22.7kt. In seatrials the builders managed 26kt, I'm told. The boat displaces 37,000kg laden and tips the scales at 29,700kg light.

But it's the economical cruise speed that is important. Because the boat is not fast, it is untroubled by sea conditions. The moderate speed ensures the boat rides on an even keel, tracks straight without rounding-up or broaching, and is always kind on crew.

According to AMDAC, the 65 is the company's best hull yet. It is said to travel with a bow-up attitude not unlike a Precision 50. A bit more horsepower would probably have the 65 doing mid-20kt cruise speeds. Twin 1000hp motors would be a nice match. Needless to say, there is plenty of room left over in the engine spaces on Miramar.

The next AMDAC 65-footer, which was being floated at the time of writing, was being fitted with twin 1400hp Caterpillar engines. We'll bring you a report on Joe Joe in coming months. Its skipper, Leon Thomas from the famous gameboat The Sheriff, says it will be contesting tournaments up and down the coast.

INTERIOR COMFORTS
The comfort factor, seemingly the most important ingredient aboard gameboats these days, shines through in areas ranging from finishes to fabrics and cabins and cockpit design. The boat will satisfy demanding corporate charterers as well as exacting anglers. It's also great if you plan to liveaboard.

The saloon is a symbol of style, with art deco touches, modish brown-swirl fabrics, camel-coloured sofas, stainless facias in the kitchen, frosted glass accents, 24V strip lighting and cool Osram-brand downlighting. There are lots of nice touches such as internal red globes on all the light switches so you can happen upon them at night.

The joinery is something special, comprising solid dark-hued oak with light Masur birch highlights around the door handles bordered by ebony. Carpet is a plush loose-loop type in a cream, walnut and black speckled pattern. The chic theme is carried throughout the boat. It's a very pretty fitout.

Accommodation is also designed to appease anglers, corporate overnighters and, in due course, the owner. The forepeak cabin contains four adult-sized bunks that, upon testing, have plenty of leg and shoulder room. The solid framework is made from oak, while the inner-spring mattresses each have a custom-made bedspread in a camel colour with a shell motif.

As with the two other cabins, the forepeak has a white soft-touch ceiling liner, a big overhead hatch (some cabins have opening portholes), separate reading lights, an independent Kenwood CD and radio system, a TV/VCR combo unit and airconditioning.

Storage exists in two lockers over the bunks, twin underbunk lockers, three drawers and a hanging locker. The standard of joinery throughout is impressive. Unlike some boats, the timber is solid. Headroom is such that you never feel cramped.

The dayhead doubles as a bathroom for the forepeak. Once again, it is contemporary enough to satisfy corporate types wishing to powder their nose, while functional for extended cruising and liveaboard work. The head has a fully-moulded liner with a separate shower stall and Lectrasan loo.

Designer touches include a floating sink bowl, a tiny shower nozzle that dispenses a huge fan of water, timber benchtops and a bronze-coloured moulded vanity. There's an extractor fan, towel rails and a huge mirror, but the mirror (was it chrome-plated perspex?) isn't exactly distortion-free.

The master guests' cabin to port, almost amidships and away from potential chine slap, is fitted out to Euro standards. You get two full-sized single berths that share a bedside chest. The walls have birch timber accent strips, there is an art deco lamp, storage under the bunks and in the chest and in three drawers below a hanging locker.

A mirror hides behind the door, which is held open with a magnetic lock.

There's a good amount of dressing, sleeping and personal space in the master guests' cabin. There is also an ensuite that, to all intents and purposes, mirrors the dayhead. Except it does not have a separate shower stall.

A companionway lined with hard-wearing Amtico vinyl, which looks like strip planking, leads back aft on the starboard side. You walk past a laundry with sink, Miele washing machine and separate Miele dryer, to get to the master cabin. It lies more or less beneath the dinette and galley.

The owners are treated to a queen-sized island berth topped with a camel-coloured check bedspread, soft-touch white vinyl walls with birch inlay strips and some interesting curios. There are art deco lamps, bedside tables, his-and-her hanging lockers and plenty of drawers for hiding bootleg. I noted a table for the laptop, portholes for crossflow ventilation, a sound system and TV/VCR and another glorious ensuite.

To surmise, Miramar can sleep up to eight people in three cabins, plus a skipper in the bridge and crew in the saloon. The boat's decor is unique, the finish first rate, but if I was picky I would note the odd dimple here and there. The carpet didn't have sewn edges to stop fraying and some headliner panels weren't lining up perfectly. But I'm not picky.

EXTENSIONS, RESOURCES, APPLIANCES
The companionway leading down from the galley and dinette area to the accommodation has seven steps. En route, there is a flush-mounted fridge/freezer and storage locker. Together, they make full use of the space under the brow. The fridge has elements on the seals so the doors don't drip when opened.

On a raised floor section opposite the galley is a feature dinette. Four people can sit on coffee-coloured novasuede lounges around a stunning birch table. Seating exists for dining with up to 10 on the boat when you add the lounge and loose chairs in the saloon.

Alongside is an entertainment system to die for with plug-ins for your laptop and Powerpoint presentation. Len Wallis Audio at Lane Cove provided the CD stacker, DVD, VCR, amp and tuner. The NEC Plasma screen, which can also display the boat's chartplotter and engine gauges, swings out on a special bracket mounted on a cabinet holding CDs, DVDs and a fold-up table for alfresco lunches on deck.

Anglers who fancy their culinary skills, not to mention those ubiquitous caterers, should be happy with the big, U-shaped galley. Stainless facias are used for a Miele dishwasher, oven/grill and two more fridge/freezers.

There's also a two-burner Miele cooktop and a Miele flush-mount health grill or barby. The convection microwave is from AEG. There is a powerful extractor fan.

Oak cupboards and drawers, shelves for sauces and condiments, and glass racks form the joinery upon which black marble bench tops are fixed. The sink is an oversized number, so you can leave the plates for someone else to wash up. It's the kind of boat which comes with a human dishwasher.

OUTDOOR DECKS
Miramar has four outdoor decks: foredeck, mezzanine level outside the saloon, cockpit and flybridge overhang. All but the foredeck is lined with Dutch cork that is impervious to water, oil, diesel and fish blood. The cork has a memory, so it bounces back from hard knocks.

The mezzanine level, immediately outside the saloon doors, has a fridge, icemaker, glass locker, servery (or bait-rigging area), sink and hot and cold water, and a two-person lounge from which you can monitor the lures.

Access around the sidedeck is easy thanks to high rails and handholds.

The outriggers can be set by one person, while the RIB is an easy launch thanks to a 450kg Davco davit. Other features include manual controls for the Muir windlass, liferafts, an intercom system, huge spotlight, attachment for a Gerni and a plug for the hand-held remote helm control.

A stylish ladder leads up top from the mezzanine level. The fully-enclosed bridge has a hatch and airconditioning (six Crusair AC units service the boat), a lounge for five people, a charting area, night-driving lights, big picture windows, striplighting and twin KAB816 pneumatic helmchairs.

Storage is abundant and cupboards are given over to gauges for the boat's tanks, the fire-extinguisher system, a full set of manuals, computer drives and a security system. There's even a television, though the best entertainment is the electronic systems.

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
Miramar has dual redundant systems so if one goes there is a backup. These control all engine, navigation, monitoring and fishfinding operations. The system given over to engine management includes closed-circuit television in the engineroom and cockpit. The other system has backup Tsunamis chartplotting and boat alarms.

Both these systems relay their information to two Sharp 38cm colour touch screens. In between them is a Simrad CA50 colour screen with chartplotter, 48nm radar, and sounder. There is a Robertson SP20 pilot interphased to the Tsunamis charts, along with a KVH gyro compass and Simrad wind indicator.

Collectively, the three screens display everything - including VDO computer-generated analog engine gauges just like a simulated racecar - that is needed to drive Miramar. Operations are simplified and the dash isn't cluttered (though I can't imagine what's involved in installing the equipment).

The multifunction screens leave room for a small switchpanel for trim tabs, wipers and so on, plus a Kenwood sound system, an audio line for intercom and phone, and controls for the 25hp Weisner bow thruster. Three marine radio bands are covered and there is also CDMA communications.

The skipper of Miramar customised the display screens for day, dusk and night driving. He can choose between different display pages on the Simrad screen that show various combinations of GPS data, depth sounder, radar and chartplotter, with either north or head up.

I noted the C-Map charts even showed tidal information. You can therefore plan routes and know exactly what depth of water will be running across the bar when you get there. Steering is effected via a sexy black wheel and the shifts are Twin Disc, with a useful amount of detent and twin idle modes plus trolling valves.

On the aft bridge overhang is a lounge, a rocket launcher for 10 outfits and a remote helm control. The remote controller lets you drive Miramar from the aft bridge or even up on the foredeck. Good as it is - and even though you can glimpse the transom from the internal helm - serious gamefishers will want a permanent aft helmstation. The view of the cockpit from the bridge overhang is just too good to ignore.

Back down on the mezzanine level is a hatch leading to the engineroom.

Since there are V-eights inside, there is a surfeit of space for servicing the boat's appliances, engineering equipment and tankage. Twin Onan gensets (16 and 7.5kVa) and a Mastervolt inverter and charger look after onboard power needs.

The main fueltank holding 2400lt sits between the motors, with 1800lt in the lazarette and two 860lt cruise tanks located port and starboard, explained the skipper. The tanks ride on top of a solid-glass hull - 33mm thick in parts - which, in traditional AMDAC fashion, has a dead-wood keel and foam-cored decks.

FISHING CENTRE
The decor, engineering and electronics are all well and good, but at the end of the day the cockpit is the heart of a gameboat. Miramar is well-equipped in this respect. Alas, its cockpit is 5.3m wide, fully moulded, with nice wide coamings and cut-outs for your feet.

An amenities centre runs across the back of the cockpit which includes a big freezer/fridge, sink with hot and cold water, two-burner gas barbecue and storage in four lockers. There are no provisions for gaffs as the owner prefers to tag and release. But there is a heavy-duty Reelax gamechair, five rodholders, Reelax poles and an oversized marlin door and boarding platform.

I didn't get to go fishing on Miramar. We dashed outside the Heads, ran this way and that, before clipping-on a fire bucket and sending it over the side. Fire buckets pull quite hard on 80.

All the time the boat seemed agile as we backed up into the swell.

Miramar was built to voyage along the Eastern Seaboard, fish a few local tournaments and host top-shelf charters in between. The boat embraces the three Cs: comfort, cruising and corporate work. Given the chance it could also take out Champion Boat.