Precision 65

Picture the skipper perching on his plush leather helmchair inside the air-conditioned flybridge, a cluster of high-tech electronics, including autopilot, GPS chartplotter, and radar relaying vital data and steering the boat on a direct course to Cairns. On the screen, in the middle, linked to the inhouse entertainment system, the closing overs of a tightly contested cricket test match are being played out.

Picture the anglers inside the sumptuous saloon, lounging on a baby-blue upholstered leather settee before a giant picture window looking back down the wake, watching the lures and baits as Warnie bowls his overs. Should a fish not pounce, no worries; the cricket has come down to the wire.

Picture this and you have some idea of what it is like to fish on the latest Precision 65, Brilliant Company. Three-years in the making, this flash liveaboard boat offers all the technological marvels of the latest and greatest gameboats, teamed with some good old-fashioned seaworthiness, courtesy of a deep-vee hull.

The owner of Brilliant Company, who came from a Southern Cross 44, set about creating a boat that would satisfy everyone, from skipper to mate. But with a penchant for heavy-tackle marlin fishing, his 65-footer had to be good at chasing fish. And not just around one bit of ocean, but from one hotspot to the next.

An owner's boat, Brilliant Company has a bit more gloss than a working boat. As Capt Simon Carosi points out: "the heavy-tackle marlin season is just eight weeks of the year... The owners didn't want rods hanging off the saloon ceiling."

Having said that, the 65-footer is equipped with 38ft triple-spreader Rupp riggers, a terrific Black Marlin alloy tower, a $12,000 Peter Anderson Bristow Fighting Chair, a sub-floor aquarium for pitchbaiting, and a dedicated rigging centre, with a big bait freezer.

The boat doesn't sell itself short on serious engineering and long-range cruising amenities, either. The owners plan to visit places as far afield as Princess Charlotte Bay, Haggerstone Island and other remote parts of the Great Barrier Reef, in due course, hopefully with both the big fish and the cricket playing...

LAUNCHING AN ASSAULT
Launched on September 15 in Port Stephens, Brilliant Company underwent three weeks of intensive seatrials. Capt Carosi left Port Stephens on October 3, bound for the Gold Coast. He then worked his way north to the boat's new home at Hamilton Island, in the fabulous Whitsunday group.

From Surfers Paradise to Hamilton Island, he cruised at 10kt for a day and ran for 15hr at 21kt.

With 6000lt of fuel, the Precision 65 has a comfortable cruising range of 900nm at 10kt. At 20kt, the engines consume around 250lt/hr for a 432nm range.

In the true Precision spirit, this 65-footer has a lot of grunt. If you want to wow the gallery, the boat can turn in a speedy 32kt WFO at 2300rpm. The twin engines, with electronic controls, consume 550lt/hr of diesel at top revs, but, with new props, top speed should be more like 35kt.

With plenty of vee in the hull, the Precision 65 likes to be driven hard. It has a fine entry for splitting the waves and a three-quarter keel for directional stability downsea.

Into a headsea, there is no pounding, assures Capt Carosi, having covered more sea miles in the last few weeks than most of us do in a year.

The enclosed bridge ensures you remain protected from the water displaced by the bow at less than fast-running speeds. Windscreen wipers and freshwater flushes keep the screen clear of salt, while a second aft driving station, on the flybridge overhang, as well as a third station in the tower, provide superior views when fishing.

Construction is all solid glass below the waterline and foam sandwich above it. Transverse and longitudinal frames, along with foam-cored bulkheads, give the hull rigidity. Unladen, the 65-footer tips the scales to 34,000kg, but there is a good reason for the weight.

Whereas, one sistership had twin 760hp MTUs, this Precision has almost twice the power. The twin 1400hp Caterpillar V-12 diesel engines are stellar examples of the latest high-tech diesel motors, linked to touch-screen monitors that give feedback on everything, from engine history to operational hiccups.

Though the engines blow a touch of smoke when cold, the emissions of the 24lt blocks are IMO-compliant.

Linked to Twin Disk Power Commander throttles, requiring fingertip pressure to shift, the big boat is surprisingly responsive.

The gearbox shifts have a 0.5sec delay, which is superior to many gameboats, which have electronic shifts with lag periods of up to three seconds. Trolling valves halve idle speed from 8.5kt to 4kt or so.

ENGINEERING MARVEL
The new Precision organisation has no links to the now-defunct AMDAC concern. However, it has taken over the company's NSW Central Coast facility, from which a number of craft were launched over the past few years.

In keeping with the previous 50, 60, 65 and 75s, which came out of the Tomago works, where 45 workers now make Precision boats, Brilliant Company has superb engineering. And the engineroom, accessed via a hatch in the raised deck before you step into the cockpit, is also very well insulated.

All sub-floor compartments are fitted with bilge pumps linked to an alarm panel, which also speaks to smoke alarms, and everything is built to survey. There is no separate engineering space, but plenty of room around the V-12 Cats for ancillary gear.

Bulk AC power is on tap, thanks to twin 22kVa Onans and a 5kVa inverter, while water is limitless, due to a Waterwitch 2lt/min desalinator. I also found four air-conditioning units, an intelligent sullage water system, a fuel system that spans four separate tanks, and an auto oil change system.

A nice touch are the engine gauge panels alongside the big Cats, so you can run and monitor them from the engineroom.

Naturally, the boat has an impressive electrical system, with a 12/24V DC panel with beakers, colour-coded wiring looms, and access to all connections.

Underwater, giant 36-inch Henley five-blade props, and a 25hp Wesmar bowthruster, make this 65-footer very manoeuvrable. The big wheels and short throttle delay allow Capt Carosi to drive the big boat more like a 40-footer.

In fishing terms, Brilliant Company has proven very effective. In fact, if you take the word of the crew, the 65-footer is a fleet-footed wonder, which runs down fish as fast as any anglers can crank the handle. A comment that is based on its fishing successes.

FISHING STATIONS
The crew loaded up with scad between Townsville and Cairns, then, on November 8, the boat's first serious day on the marlin grounds, they had four bites, including one from the biggest fish Capt Carosi has ever seen. Not a bad start to a fishing career - and thoroughly in keeping with what has been an amazing Cairns heavy-tackle season.

On the second day, Brilliant Company attracted another four bites and was, in fact, christened with an 800-pounder that ate a 4kg dogtooth tuna. The crew also released a 200-pounder.

As an aside, this was also the first bait rigged onboard Brilliant Company by deckie, Glen Booth. Boothy recently relinquished his hold on the reigns of one of Oz's national fishing magazines and is now working for a living.

So, on just its second day, the crew released 1000lb of black marlin off Cairns. Ensuing days brought more marlin, including another 800-pounder, a wahoo or two, dolphin fish and yellowfin tuna - only on one day thus far have they missed out on catching a billfish.

The huge cockpit is teak-laid, with white caulking, and is surrounded by lots of thick stainless rails and solid deck fittings. An amenities centre, between the cockpit and raised rear deck, hosts tackle drawers, a bait-rigging centre and big bait freezer.

A storage hatch nearby leads to the fuel shut-offs and separate fuel gauges. Underfloor there is a kill tank, with macerator, and there is also the facility to fit tuna tubes. Two hatches reach into the lazarette, with sidepockets for tag poles, nice coaming mouldings, and a boarding platform, with teak slats.

Access to the foredeck is as good as you would expect on a big boat. A crane makes for easy launching of the jet-powered centre-console RIB tender, which will be swapped for a tinnie when Brilliant Company and its company are in barra fishing mode.

On account of the owner's wishes, all the marlin are released on Brilliant Company.

The boat's finish is something special. Superyacht Solutions professionally covered the sleek hull with one-pack Alpha Romeo metallic blue paint, topped with numerous clear coats. On the azure waters off Cairns, Brilliant Company sparkled like a 65-foot sapphire GTV.

FIVE STAR
Inside, the boat mixes contemporary finishes with a layout that is beautifully open-plan. Indeed, without dark timber, Brilliant Company feels bright, airy, uncluttered and lively inside. Matching baby-blue leather lounges and deep-pile polypropylene carpet (in need of overlocking), soft-touch white vinyl liners, and judicious silver ash and rock maple joinery give a beachy feel.

The benchtops are a chic, gold-backed wave-glass; another feature is the downlighting in the shape of the Southern Cross.

Like a big sunroom, the saloon is surrounded by plenty of glass for huge views and lots of natural light. There are two loose lounge chairs, a designer coffee table, a generous, six-person L-shaped lounge to port, and an entertainment system, with NEC Plasma flatscreen television, DVD and Sony Mini Disk system, flanked by a wet bar, including bottle storage, but minus icemaker.

Roman blinds give privacy, as does tinted glass, including the saloon door set in a solid-stainless frame. Just outside the door, you can pop loose chairs under the bridge overhang to create a balcony effect, with shade and a grandstand outlook.

Back inside, three steps up from the saloon, is the raised galley and dining area. Five people can sit around the feature gold wave-glass table at meal time.

In liveaboard mode, at the reef with a sundowner in hand, deck barbies are more popular.

The galley is U-shaped to port and homelike. There is a dishwasher, Liebherr fridge and three-drawer freezer, Miele convection microwave, four-burner hob, with extractor fan (but no fiddle rail), and a sink tucked in the corner, with a trendy faucet. There are dedicated drawers for appliances, cutlery and crockery, and timber floors, too.

When you head down below, the feeling is more like a five-star motel. For example, there are one-piece, jade-coloured wave-glass bathroom sinks, gold-plated fittings and tap roses that spurt water in a wide stream, like a fountain.

Marlin and sailfish rugs are scattered about the interior to remind you that this is a fishing boat.

THREE CABS AND THREE HEADS
Brilliant Company is well endowed with accommodation, offering sleeping for seven plus room for one more in the bridge. The master cabin is back aft, roughly amidships, away from the slap of water on the chines and in the most stable part of the boat.

The owners are treated to a generously proportioned island double, with inner spring mattress, topped with a tropical blue-green-gold spread, fronting a DVD and TV/VCR recessed into the wall. Mirrored walls, white mouldings and hatches add to the sense of space.

Storage comes via hanging lockers, low boys and drawers under the bed. The contemporary ensuite has a full shower stall, of course, and terracotta-tiled flooring, which is raised to keep the water in and the cabin carpet dry.

En route to the master cabin, you pass a Miele Novotronic washer/dryer, with a 5kg capacity, and an interesting emergency cabin, with a sliding door. One person can sleep here. (It would be perfect for a young child). In fishing mode, it is likely to be used for storing soft bags, etc.

The real crew cabin is a generous room to port, with twin single beds and a DVD/TV/VCR. The bunks appear a reasonable size, if a tad narrow, and they were topped with a flash gold bedspread. A lowboy was between the bunks, while the hanging locker was used for rod storage.

The best shower in the boat hides in the dayhead, off the companionway. It has a Dr Who-style sliding door on rollers, heaps of water pressure, and lots of floor space to dry yourself, not to mention electric flushing loos and the wave-glass sinks and benchtops.

Guests are spoilt in the for'ard cabin by an island double berth, his and her hanging spaces for the Sunday bests, and plenty of drawers for personals. There is, of course, an ensuite, with a separate shower stall.

The boat's water tanks carry 1000lt and with the desalinator on hand, there is no reason not to end your day's fishing with a long, long, long shower.

BACK TO THE BRIDGE
You get the impression Capt Carosi enjoys driving this boat. Very much. He talks enthusiastically about the station outside on the bridge overhang, where there is an Edson wheel that matches the Black Marlin anodised alloy tower, from which he can mow down the fish - Brilliant Company is a frisky 65-footer.

But it is inside that one finds the perfect passagemaking 'pilothouse.' Air-conditioning keeps you cool, leather helm and copilot seats, on Tailored Marine bases, nurture your butt, and there is a U-shaped leather lounge to port for guests.

There is a dedicated chart table and fridge, terrific access to the all the wiring looms, a chic stainless control panel, and a locker with a library of manuals. This is all good stuff, but not a patch on the electronics.

The rock maple dash harbours three bands of marine radio, a separate CD player for Capt "I don't like classical music" Carosi, a Furuno FCV292 50/200kHz sounder, a Samsung Syncmaster flatscreen, linked to three engineroom cameras, and Caterpillar Engine Visions touch-screen gauges and motor monitors.

A Wesmar HD800 Series sonar gives 360? scans around the boat, revealing everything from rock walls to bait schools. There is also a CDMA phone, windlass, autopilot and spotlights, plus Raytheon 72nm radar and a chartplotter taking care of primary navigation.

Other details include Bennet trim tabs and big wipers, repeaters in the tower and an intercom system, plus a video mode with a hidden camera that, with the press of a button, lets you record the fishing action down below.

Did I mention the cricket playing?

Brilliant Company is primed for long distance passagemaking, for angling adventures and exploring new frontiers. It proves that you can do these things without having to sleep in cramped sea berths, deal with noisy generators, and live like a rough old shellback.

From inside the flybridge, you couldn't tell there was 20kt of trade wind blowing as the boat left the marina. Brilliant Company roared along the Coral Sea to Double Island off Palm Cove, as wet-season clouds began building on the Atherton Ranges. It looked pretty as a picture.

Brilliant Company is indicative of the five-star fishing boats the well-heeled demand these days. It has all the comforts of home, and then some. Something big is needed to drag you away.

For me, it was the promise of a plate of famous baby calamari at Yorkeys Knob Marina. For the crew, it was the end of a successful heavy-tackle season off Cairns and tickets to the cricket at the MCG on Boxing Day...