CSB Huntsman Explorer 7000 hardtop

The flagship model in the New Zealand made CSB Huntsman range is the impressive Explorer 7000 hardtop. This svelte looking low profile half cabin offers Aussie buyers a fine quality craft with plenty of features and equipment. We tested this deep vee cruiser recently with ample power from a Mercury Verado 225hp supercharged four-stroke outboard.

OVERVIEW
- A well crafted, good looking range of family boats
CSB Huntsman is a premier New Zealand brand of fibreglass trailerboat. Established in Christchurch back in 1992, the brand was originally known as Canterbury Superior Boats (CSB), but was later re-named CSB Huntsman.

The CSB Huntsman range is popular in New Zealand and gaining a footing here in Australia. The boats are soundly built and offer excellent handling and performance.

In the CSB Huntsman range there are about half a dozen models built around five different hull bottoms. All are deep vees and all boats have a low profile cabin configuration.

The subject of this test is the flagship, the Explorer 7000 Hardtop – powered by a 225hp Mercury Verado supercharged four-stroke outboard.

The 7000 series hull is also available as a sterndrive, with the virtually identical CSB Huntsman SD7.

Other models include the Crusader 7000 soft-top, Series 6000, Sotalia 585, Dorado 550 and La Plata 500.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- A competitive base price with plenty of features and options
The Explorer 7000 comes from the factory very well equipped. The key feature is obviously the cleverly designed hardtop – which has an opening centre windscreen pane with steps in the cabin door beneath so you can climb up and through to the foredeck. This does make forward access very easy and convenient – though it is intended for use only in calm weather. If there is any kind of a sea running, you are safer to reach the bow area via the clear forward cabin hatch.

The hardtop also has sliding side windows for ventilation and is high enough at 1.88m for most adults to stand comfortably beneath it.

The Explorer has plenty of seating with removable padded rear box seats at the transom, along with a back-to-back seat/storage unit for the co-pilot. The skipper gets a high-quality pedestal helm chair that is height adjustable, swivels 360 degrees and slides fore and aft.

In the cabin you’ll find fabric covered berth cushions with a tasteful design, along with carpet lining the ceiling and surrounds.

Standard in-fill cushions convert the two single berths into a large double.

There is no provision for a toilet, which is more than a little surprising given the Explorer is pitched as a family cruiser. Likewise, there is no option for a sink or other galley facilities.

Aside from these omissions, there is plenty of standard gear – including marine carpet throughout, hydraulic steering, underfloor storage locker/fish box, Portofino style transom with boarding platforms and ladder, 150-litre underfloor fuel tank (which is a bit small for 200hp plus outboards), bilge pump, navigation lights, battery isolation switch, drink holders, glove box, upholstered two-level cockpit side storage shelves, bow rail, deck bollard and stern cleats and a five year structural hull warranty.

Packaged with the ultra impressive Mercury Verado 225hp extra longshaft (25”) supercharged four-stroke outboard with Mercury digital throttle and shift, VesselView4 Smartcraft engine display, electric hydraulic steering, the Explorer hardtop is price from $90,566.

This price does not include a trailer as Nitro Marine sell quite a few models to people with canal front homes – and boaters whom prefer to keep their craft in a dry storage rack. The additional of a quality Dunbier Glider Series tandem axle steel trailer with electric/hydraulic brakes will add $10,500 to the bottom line.

As you might expect, the test boat was fitted with a range of options, accessories and electronics. The latter included a Simrad NSS7 Evo2 depth sounder/GPS plotter with base map (no cartography) and 50/200 kHz transom transducer, Lowrance SonicHub stereo and audio server with Bluetooth, True Marine 6” two-way loudspeaker, and Lowrance Link8 VHF radio.

Other additions included foam flotation to achieve a positive or Level Flotation standard, black gelcoat hull, removable ski pole, ski hooks, dual batteries, Maxwell RC6 vertical anchor winch and capstan plate, trim tabs, upgrade to stainless steel cup holders, cabin and cockpit lights, rear bait tank, shower kit and holding tank, and a stainless steel anchor.

The package is certainly complete with the above kit, and in this form the CSB Huntsman 7000 is priced at $113,104 –  and this price includes the Dunbier tandem axle trailer.

INTERIOR LAYOUT
- Hardtop shelter with a versatile seating layout
The Explorer 7000 is designed as a family boat, and this is reflected in the interior layout. With its removable rear seating and optional, albeit small bait tank you could sportfish from this boat – but there are much better boats for that purpose.

The boat is versatile enough to use as a casual fisher, but its forte will be family day boating, cruising about the harbour, anchored up a quiet beach, etc.

The cabin is also big enough for a couple to sleep aboard overnight – though the absence of a toilet will prove an issue. The 2.0m plus single berths are certainly big enough however – and they easily convert into a large double berth with two infill cushion.

There is ventilation from the overhead hatch and light from the clear hatch and side windows.

All helm wiring is hidden behind a removable, carpeted covered hatch so that it blends with the rest of the cabin.

There is no storage space under the berths (as this space is filled with foam) but the side pockets are broad and there is ample stowage space beneath the back-to-back co-pilot seat out in the cockpit.

A full bulkhead separates the cabin from the helm area, and there is a sliding door to enclose the cabin completely. The door is not lockable as standard – but it would not be hard to rig up a patio-bolt style lock system if needed.

Moving above decks, the helm and dash layout is modern looking with lots of space for flush fitted electronics – along with the usual array of engine instrumentation.

The test rig had the electronics neatly arrayed. The Simrad depth sounder/GPS was built into the top part of the fascia, beneath a clever vinyl hood or brow that helps to remove glare. Beneath it was the Lowrance VHF and Mercury VesselView digital engine display unit.

The steering wheel and throttle were well placed and the visibility from the helm was excellent through the tall forward windscreen panes and surrounding sliding glass windows which open for ventilation.

The helm seat is a beauty. It is height adjustable, swivels and can be moved fore and aft for maximum seated comfort.

As noted earlier, a back-to-back style storage seat lies opposite the helm chair and this is a good option for this boat. It provides much need storage space as well as comfortable seating for two people.

On the subject of storage, there are two levels of side storage pockets. The bottom level pockets extend the full length of the cockpit, while the top level is shorter, covering the helm area only.

In the floor between the seats is a flow-coated storage locker that can also double as a fish box.

More storage is provided in the box style removable stern seats – which are surprisingly comfortable to sit on.

The rear cockpit may not be big enough to satisfy some anglers, but there is around 1.75m of space between the helm chair and the transom wall (with the rear seats removed) while the overall length from the cabin bulkhead to the transom measures approximately 2.75m.

As noted previously, the side coamings are narrow (just 110mm wide) but they are quite high off the cockpit floor giving an average freeboard measurement of 665mm.

The minimum freeboard of 460mm is at the boarding step on the port side of the transom.

In the test boat the batteries were fitted on a tray on the floor behind the starboard corner box seat – under the transom corner. They were positioned here because the boat was optioned with a small live bait tank. Standard models have a single battery in a compartment above the floor.

The Explorer is fitted with a bilge pump as standard, but it looks to be difficult to access, as it lies in a compartment right back under the transom.

Other features in the stern of the boat include optional (removable) mesh rubber cockpit flooring, optional freshwater shower (with holding tank) two rod holders, grab handles, wide boarding platforms and a telescopic boarding ladder.

The upholstered and carpet lined side storage pockets also have a horizontal rod rack for two rods each side.

Still on the fishing side of things, the optional ski-pole can also be swapped out for a bait board.

POWER AND PERFORMANCE
- Blistering quick hole-shots from supercharged Mercury
The Mercury Verado 225hp four-stroke outboard proved a revelation during our CSB Huntsman test. 225hp is, admittedly, the maximum power for the Explorer, but boy did the big Mercury deliver. Hole-shots were lighting fast and the engine piled on the acceleration all the way through the rpm range to wide open throttle.

The tops speed we recorded was a tad under 43 knots, but it was the low and mid range acceleration in combination with the digital throttle and shift which proved so remarkable.

The throttle actually took a few minutes to adjust to as it was so sensitive that a very small throttle movement would cause the boat to leap forward unexpectedly – at least initially. Once we grew accustomed to the fine touch required, the throttle was excellent to use.

Having noted the above, with this boat/engine combination you will need to warn passengers to sit down before taking off quickly as the response from the Verado 225 is instant and abrupt – quite unlike a four-stroke actually.

The power steering was also sublime, with fingertip control helping to display the CSB Huntsman’s excellent handling.

ON THE WATER
- A comfortable ride with stability and easy handling
We took the CSB Huntsman Explorer offshore from the Gold Coast’s Broadwater on a beautiful weekday morning. The sea was calm but there was enough wave action at the entrance to the Seaway to put the Explorer 7000 though its paces.

We expected a fair bit from the CSB Huntsman’s time proven 21-degree deep vee hull and we were not disappointed. Through choppy water the ride is comfortable, stable and very dry – the latter being the stand-out feature.

You may be able to find a softer riding boat on the market, but you will have to search high and low to find a boat that is drier, or one that has a better balance of ride comfort vs stability vs low planing efficiency.

Though fitted with the optional trim tabs, we found we did not need them on the day as the hull proved stable under way and there was little or no wind list from the cabin super-structure during out test in admittedly mild conditions.

The hardtop proved to be a sturdy and well designed structure. There was no rattle or shake and we had a very clear view through the forward and side windows.

Overall we were very impressed with the handling of the CSB Huntsman as it was manoeuvrable at speed and easily controlled in a following sea.

VERDICT
- A big, practical cruiser for family boaters
For family boating, casual fishing, social skiing and overnight cruising, the CSB Huntsman Explorer Hardtop is a fine craft. The lack of a chemical toilet is an issue for us but the boat is well built, nicely finished and offers scintillating performance with the maximum power Mercury 225hp Verado four-stroke outboard.

The Explorer 7000 also has the all-weather protection of a well designed hardtop, comfortable, luxuriously appointed forward cabin and the seating and storage to accommodate family and friends.

LIKES
>> Solid performance
>> Brilliant hydraulic steering
>> Sturdy hardtop with sliding windows for ventilation
>> Massive grunt from 225hp Mercury Verado
>> Soft-touch cabin appointments
>> Height adjustable helm seat
>> Step-through windscreen access to foredeck
>> Optioned to Level Flotation standard

NOT SO MUCH
>> No provision for a toilet
>> No underberth storage due to foam flotation
>> Difficult access to bilge
>> Narrow side coamings
>> Modest sized fuel tank

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.68/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.7/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.6/5.0
On the water performance: 4.7/5.0
Value for money: 4.6/5.0
X-factor: 4.8/5.0

PERFORMANCE
5.3kts (10km/h) @ 1000rpm
7.0kts (13km/h) @ 1500rpm
8.0kts (15km/h) @ 2000rpm
13.0kts (24km/h) @ 2500rpm
17.8kts (33km/h) @ 3000rpm
22.4kts (41km/h) @ 3500rpm
26.6kts (49km/h) @ 4000rpm
32.2kts (60km/h) @ 4500rpm
35.7kts (66km/h) @ 5000rpm
38.2kts (70km/h) @ 5500rpm
42.6kts (79km/h) @ 6000rpm (WOT)

Specifications:
Price as tested: $113,104 including a Mercury Verado 225hp extra-longshaft (25”) four-stroke outboard (with electric hydraulic steering, VesselView4 Smartcraft engine display, digital throttle and shift), tandem axle Dunbier galvanised steel trailer with electric/hydraulic break-away brakes, Simrad NSS7 Evo2 depth sounder/GPS plotter with base map (no cartography) and 50/200 kHz transom transducer, Lowrance SonicHub stereo and audio server with Bluetooth, NMEA 2000 networking, True Marine 6” two-way loudspeaker, Lowrance Link8 VHF radio, black gelcoat hull, flotation to Level Standard, removable ski pole, ski hooks, Maxwell RC6 vertical anchor winch and capstan plate, trim tabs, upgrade to stainless steel cup holders, cabin and cockpit lights, rear bait tank, shower kit and holding tank, stainless steel anchor, dual batteries, inshore safety gear kit for five persons, boat and trailer registrations.

Priced from: $90,566 (no trailer) including a Mercury Verado 225hp extra-longshaft (25”) four-stroke outboard with electric hydraulic steering, VesselView4 Smartcraft engine display, digital throttle and shift, inshore safety gear kit for five persons, boat registration. Add $10,500 for a Dunbier tandem axle galvanized steel trailer with electric/hydraulic break-away brakes.

Length overall: 7.0m
Beam: 2.4m
Hull weight: 1,225kg
Towing weight: Approx 2,200kg
Deadrise: 21 degrees
Maximum power: 225hp
Engine as tested: Mercury Verado 225hp four-stroke outboard
Fuel: 150 litres
Freshwater: 45 litres
Maximum Persons: Seven

Supplied by:
Nitro Marine
Phone: (07) 5532 5812
Email: sales@nitromarine.com.au
Website: www.nitromarine.com.au