Makaira claims world first with alloy plate Carolina flare
New Makaira Gen3 800 features a heavily flared bow once thought too hard to makeNew Zealand alloy boat-maker Makaira Boats has revealed what it claims is the first plate boat to replicate a Carolina flare in aluminium plate.
The Carolina flare is traditionally a feature of fibreglass boats and has proven to be quite difficult to replicate in aluminium.
However, after 10 years of perfecting the process, North Island-based sports fishing specialist Makaira claims to have found a way of introducing the flare to the hull’s 8.0mm thick aluminium plate – a feature a lot of other boat-builders have written off as impossible.
Fibreglass boats use the Carolina flare – an exaggerated high bow that flares aggressively, and usually includes sheer line that drops down as it moves aft, creating the classic side profile.
Boat-makers like the flare because it allows the boat to have a deeper vee entry, yet the shape of the bow is good at deflecting spray. It also allows the boat’s hull to more easily transition from the deep vee up front to a planing hull aft.
The first boat to feature the new flared hull, called the Gen3, currently sits below an 8.0-metre Makaira 800, and is on show in the US. The first boat, fitted with twin 200hp Mercury outboard engines that give it a top speed of 44 knots and Optimus joystick control, was built for a Brisbane-based owner.
Even though the boat’s beam is an overwidth 2.73 metres, at around 3100kg on a trailer the Makaira 800 is still light enough to pull behind a 3.5-tonne rated trade ute, meaning it can easily be stored out of the water at a marina hardstand.
The new-look Makaira 800 – it alone took two years of development – includes an 80L live bait tank with radius corners built into the transom, bait board with a removable cutting board, two-seat dinette with drop-down table and under-seat tacklebox storage, a king-queen helm seat with storage below, 80L Dometic fridge, and a single-piece windscreen wrapping around the split console.
Based on customer demand, a toilet located in the cuddy cabin is also standard.
Specifications
Model: Makaira Gen3 800
Length: 8.00m
Beam: 2.73m
Weight on trailer: 3100kg
Engines: 2x200hp Mercury FourStroke/300hp Mercury Verado
Fuel: 470L
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
