BOAT TEST Family Cabin Cruiser

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32216, 7 February 1970, Page 8

BOAT TEST Family Cabin Cruiser

by

A. HOBBS

An excellent family cruiser would best describe the immaculate 18ft 6in cabin cruiser Cresta Caporn manufactured in Christchurch by Cresta Craft, Ltd. I recently tested this boat in choppy conditions on Lyttelton harbour. No matter how harshly I threw the boat into the rough conditions it responded perfectly, giving one a complete feeling of confidence when at the helm. The satisfying knowledge of complete obedience to the helm was there all the time. Pounding and bumping were reduced to a minimum by the cushioning effect of the Australian designed hull. The hull, designed by Mr Clive Caporn, one of Australia's foremost designers and builders of pleasure craft, is fibreglass spray formed and reinforced. The depth of fibreglass on the bottom of the hull is jin and on the sides Jin.

All Cresta hulls are now ultrasonically tested to ensure the required thickness is maintained throughout the construction of the boats. The bottom of the hull is a lapstrake design. This tended to give' excellent directional stability as well as added stiffness. Spray was reduced to a minimum by the high flared bow that tends to throw the spray outwards and down yet still gave an excellent vision of the course ahead. The cockpit of the craft | was arranged with two for-1 ward swivel seats, one for the pilot, and two seats in both rear corners for passen-| gers. All seats were covered; in deep foam. I

The cabin area was also quite spacious with two well laid out bunks and comfortable headroom in a sitting position.

The cabin has a forward locker, and a roomy hatch in the cabin roof giving easy access to mooring ropes or top deck. The deck has obviously been designed to give sure footholds and will take the weight of a person walking on it. The Cresta Caporn is also available with an upper cockpit canopy, moulded in fibreglass, which would give a little more protection to the pilot during rough conditions. It is available as a twin or single outboard, stern drive or jet. The outboard model has a large motor well sufficient to accommodate all makes of outboard motors. The sterndrive and jet models have an after deck.

The Cresta Caporn Vl9 will appeal in particular to the fisherman who wants to “outside” in safety, who likes plenty of cockpit area and who likes the feel of a solid boat under his feet. She will also appeal to the family man who wants to carry up to 10 people in comfort. Performance figures are: 40 h.p. outboard, 22 m.p.h.; 60 h.p. outboard, 28 m.p.h.; 100 h.p. outboard. 36 m.p.h.; 110 stern-drive, 38 m.p.h.; 'l5O h.p. stern-drive, 46 m.p.h. I The length is 18ft 9in with ja beam of 7ft 6in. Weight is I about 12001 b.