Jeanneau Cap Camarat 5.5 CC

Au contraire Down Under. 

Here we use our centre consoles not so much as lifestyle conveyances as for the express purpose of catching fish. You’ll find them packed to the rafters or rocket launchers with fishing gear and bounding into the deep blue, ranging across our gulfs, harbours and bays.

So the question is: can this centre console bridge the cultural divide and woo mostly just pleasure boaters to the French fold?

Certainly, you are backing a juggernaut when you invest in a Jeanneau. As part of the Beneteau Group, the yacht and powerboat builder enjoys immense economies of scale.

As such, the yard can build boats for 30 per cent less than other mainstream marques, we have been told. Indeed, it’s all about production efficiencies, buying power and ultimately volume for this big boat builder.

But while the Jeanneau brand is well known for its yachts, and has established a toehold in the cruiser market, it hasn’t gained much, if any, traction in the local trailerboat market. That’s after 50 years of building production boats.

The subject of this test, the Cap Camarat 5.5 CC attempts to reverse those fortunes. We went into this test assuming the boat must be doing something right, because the Cap Camarat range has been established for more than 30 years in Europe.

As for the 5.5 CC, it’s the second-smallest centre console in the Cap Camarat range, which spans five models from 5.1 to 8.5 metres in length (overall). The Cap Camarats also come in interesting walkaround and day cruiser (runabout with cabin) guises that include bunks on the bigger models.

Specifically, our demonstrator had trim level Premiere 2012 for $1505.89 including front and rear cockpit cushions and cockpit table. This added to the lifestyle bent of our little boat, but you could just as easily leave the trim at home and go blood-and-guts fishing instead.

There was a Lowrance combo HDS-5 sounder/GPS, plus mooring awning or storm cover, and an upgraded stainless-framed bimini in place of the aluminium factory option.

Meantime, our research reveals a fair bit of competition in the $50K multi-purpose trailerboat market.

For example, you can buy a new Chaparral H20 19 Ski/Fish bowrider with MerCruiser 4.3MPI 220hp inboard on dual-axle trailer for $45,000 drive away. That boat’s got greater comforts.

If you wanted something that leans more towards fishing, Sea-Fox’s 180XT is selling for $39,950 with 115hp Mercury four-stroke outboard, while the 200XT is bundled for $53,900 with 150hp Mercury four-stroke outboard.

These are just a few examples of the kinds of boats that the Cap Camarat 5.5 CC is up against.

The 'cabin' contains two moulded seats, a footwell (no drain) in which one could lie down if they had to, and small concealed storage bins.

As there are no side pockets -- the deck is a very simple moulding -- the ‘cabin’ will be used for much-needed storage. Its forward section extends far enough that you can feed in a jumble of rods without breaking their tips or stash your speargun and dive gear before playing Jacques Cousteau.

The ‘cabin’ will also need to store the lifejackets, paddle, bucket and other mandatory safety gear. So the savvy owner might add side storage nets and tubs that fit in the footwell. You’re going to need some kind of storage system to maintain order down there.

A cover was provided over the helm wiring and the lock-up sliding access door is quite wide to facilitate good access and exit.

Back on deck, the rounded bow with big flare and high freeboard points to a centre console that can carry quite a bit of weight forward.

This augers well if you are sitting on the vee-shaped seats around the optional drop-in table and doing lunch. A supplied short pedestal and infill cushion turn this area into a sun pad.

There is also a forward facing ‘mother-in-law’ seat in the front of the centre console. But as the sobriquet suggests, this seat isn’t especially comfortable underway. Also, grab rails were noticeable by their absence, though the stanchions for the bow rail are close at hand when sitting in the bow.

However, at rest there is room for four to sit in the bow around the plastic or Kingboard table. Just find a quiet anchorage if you plan to lunch here. No point spilling the drinks with every passing boat wake. All seat cushions are held down with straps in place of press-studs, so they remain in place when underway.

Meantime, we celebrated finding a moulded anchor locker under the forward seat cushion, where many American boats have none. It drains back inboard, but as the hull is self draining that’s not an issue. Slosh a bucket of water over the deck if its muddy and you’re done. There is a small bow roller and moulded rebate to accommodate the rode.

The split bow rail facilitates access from a beach or jetty, but there is no non-skid deck to step off. But remove the cushions from the bow seats and, while you won't find storage, there is non-skid on their moulded base. Thus, you could use this area as a quasi casting platform when chasing surface fish or fly fishing.

Pop-up cleats dot the fore and aft areas, with two small-diameter rod holders flush mounted in the narrow gunwales. These gunwales widen near the helm station, where there integrated grab rails, and you could fit a couple more rod holders. If not flush-mount, rail-mount or even screw-on types.

The transom has quarter seats whose bases are held in place with barrel bolts. These join a centre lounge section with a back rest that tilts inboard on gas struts to facilitate full tilt of the outboard.

Otherwise, with the seats in place, you can carry three on the aft lounge. The effects trim and hole shot of such aft passenger weight remain to be seen.

But with the cushions removed you do have a good rear fishing station. The local Sant bimini can be folded forward so it won’t impede on fishing room and the deck space behind the centre console will allow a couple of anglers to stand and fish with doing the tango or Java.

A fixed swim ladder is provided for kids and divers.

A Racor fuel filter is provided and I could reach the fuel sender should it need changing in future. There was an inline fuel primer and the boat was also fitted with a blower. The oil reservoir was immediately accessible, too.

The underfloor battery is in a box and it comes with a shut-off switch. The broad gutters around the hatch will direct deck water back into the scuppers. It remains to be seen how watertight this space is with a lot of water sloshing about the cockpit. But the liner in the engineering space will aid spotting leaks and keeping this space clean.

Bilge access is one of our bugbears and this boat is a case in point. While it is a self-draining hull, water will invariably find its way underfloor. But the bilge pump is very hard to reach and virtually inaccessible at sea because you need to remove a spin-off inspection hatch in the engine splash well.

Now, we’re just not alone in questioning the logic behind spin-offs hatches in areas so close to the waterline. The South Australian government issued a warning to check these fittings for cracks and leaks after a boat sank earlier this year for this very reason.

Also the pump appears to be mounted on its side so if this boat’s antifouled and left in the water there’s likely to be dregs sloshing around inside 24/7. The bilge set-up needs a rethink.

The carbon dash panel has twin multifunction engine gauges with digital windows relaying speed, fuel consumption and suchlike. There was a separate fuel gauge -- or run a visual of the tank through the underfloor hatch -- plus compass and moulding for holding personal effects.

With the 115 V4 Evinrude E-TEC (25in shaft) spinning a three-blade 17 x 13 7/8 stainless-steel Viper prop, our boat reached 5800rpm wide-open throttle for 36-38 knots (67-70km/h) top speed.

Fast cruise of 5000rpm returns 32 knots (60 km/h), while the economical 4000rpm smooth-cruise throttle setting saw a very comfortable 23.75 knots (44mph) on our test.

At exactly the 4000rpm setting, the computer brains on our E-TEC seemed to alter the direct-injection fuel rate in such a way that there was a perceptible boost in power, almost turbo-like. It was an interesting sensation and added to what was a sporty drive of a very good hull.

As a crossover boat in the $50K league it’s up against some stiff competition, with plenty of offerings for boats that are yet more comfortable or better equipped for Australia’s favourite pastime of, what else, fishing. American boats chasing either pursuit tend to have a lot more bling.

While the boat has a canopy for shade over the centre console, you won’t derive any shade sitting around the table up front. Which raises another bit of local lore: the best place to do lunch on a trailerboat is, well, in the shade of a tree on the beach.

That said, the 5.5 CC did travel very impressively. The hull is the French powerboat builder’s real achievement. It is nimble, dry and just a fun thing to drive. And the boat would make a decent commuter craft and restaurant runner, as well as fulfilling its all-purpose role.

Ultimately, the Australian public will be the judge. But the price is on the high side for what is a basic rig without quite the application of some of its competitors.