Japanese boat to highlight stern drive

Yanmar has imported a Hunt 24, a striking 7.17 metre fibreglass fishing boat built for the domestic Japanese market, to provide a mobile demonstration platform for its new ZT350 stern drive package.

The Hunt 24, which features a walk-around cabin and a gunwale line similar to that on classic game fishing boats, is one of the range of vessels manufactured by Yanmar Marine Systems in Japan.

Yanmar recently released its in-house designed and built ZT350 stern dive unit that can be mated with its line-up of diesel engines ranging from 150hp to 315hp and claims it represents a new era in stern drives.

Michael Blair, Yanmar's national marine sales manager, says the dreaded clunk of cone clutches is gone forever from stern drives. He says the ZT350, which shifts gear via a multi-plate hydraulic clutch, is more like the automatic transmission on a car.

"The Hunt 24 is to be used by our engineering and training department people to train our own staff and dealer personnel in the installation and rigging of the Yanmar ZT350," Blair says.

When the boat is fully operational the boat will be used as a promotional vessel for prospective clients. It will be taken to key game fishing tournaments and the major boat shows around Australia next year.