WINTER 2011
The latest edition of Modern Boating magazine is out now!
The latest edition of Modern Boating magazine is out now!
Modern Boating and Big Hat Productions head out for a glorious day on the water to give the Seawind 1160...
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The best of both worlds
The Cape Island's deck layout is as close to perfect as I've seen?easily the best layout of all the bay boats I looked at when researching on the web. From the transom forward, it starts with the platform over the motor, then an engine well. There are two large storage boxes on either side of the engine well and a deep, oval-shaped livewell in front of it. Beneath the padded bench seat is a huge storage box or kill tank that runs the entire width of the boat and deeper than floor level. The bench seat comes with an optional padded backrest with swivel uprights that allow it to be stored out of the way easily.
Both gunwales are quite wide, allowing an angler to walk along them while fishing. Inside these are lockable dry rod storages. They feature storage for three rods each side with full-length tubes for the tips long enough to accommodate fly rods.
Up forward, there's a large casting deck in between the floor and gunwale height with a huge lid and storage bin below. This deck also has a position for a swivel casting-chair. Forward of that is a large anchor well.
In the cockpit, the console is large and stylish yet leaves a large amount of walking space on either side. On the dash, I have my two I-Command gauges mounted and a Lowrance HDS 7 colour fishfinder/GPS combo unit mounted with a through-the-hull transducer fitted near the transom. On the port side of the console, there's a storage door for access to all the space inside, which is extensive. I'm considering fitting a tackle locker for my Plano 3700 stowaways on the starboard side of the console. The Cape Island comes with an esky and padded seat that can be secured immediately in front of the console, which provides a comfortable seat for two.
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The cockpit deck is self-draining, as are all of the storage areas. They drain through plumbed lines out of the transom. To make cleaning and removing blood easier, I opted for the high-pressure deck-wash.
Pioneer has a reputation in the US for building quality rather than mass-produced boats. They deserve their reputation. All of the fittings are just 316 stainless steel, but are strong and high quality. The cleats are all pop-up and the locking devices won't jam after a month. You won't find any composite plastic/metal fittings on things like storage latches on this boat?all of the fittings on the Pioneer are built to last.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
I love my E-Tecs, so the choice was simple when it came to fitting an outboard to the Pioneer. The Cape Island is rated to 150hp, so that is what we went for. As usual, the motor is really quiet throughout the rev range. The E-Tec starts like a dream first time, every time, and the fuel efficiency is as good as a four-stroke, with loads more power to weight and torque.
I get a top speed of nearly 50 knots and cruise at 35 knots while the revs are 4200 and I'm burning just over 30l an hour?it sucks a frugal 0.7l/hr while idling. The 150 E-Tec gets the hull onto the plane really quickly and the 150 weighs in at 190kg. You could consider the newly released 130hp E-Tec with a weight of 177kg, but I like the 150hp on this boat. It goes like a dream and while I rarely run it flat out, running at less revs helps fuel economy and it's always nice to have speed in reserve.
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Both gunwales are quite wide, allowing an angler to walk along them while fishing. Inside these are lockable dry rod storages. They feature storage for three rods each side with full-length tubes for the tips long enough to accommodate fly rods.
Up forward, there's a large casting deck in between the floor and gunwale height with a huge lid and storage bin below. This deck also has a position for a swivel casting-chair. Forward of that is a large anchor well.
In the cockpit, the console is large and stylish yet leaves a large amount of walking space on either side. On the dash, I have my two I-Command gauges mounted and a Lowrance HDS 7 colour fishfinder/GPS combo unit mounted with a through-the-hull transducer fitted near the transom. On the port side of the console, there's a storage door for access to all the space inside, which is extensive. I'm considering fitting a tackle locker for my Plano 3700 stowaways on the starboard side of the console. The Cape Island comes with an esky and padded seat that can be secured immediately in front of the console, which provides a comfortable seat for two.
read on below advertisement
The cockpit deck is self-draining, as are all of the storage areas. They drain through plumbed lines out of the transom. To make cleaning and removing blood easier, I opted for the high-pressure deck-wash.
Pioneer has a reputation in the US for building quality rather than mass-produced boats. They deserve their reputation. All of the fittings are just 316 stainless steel, but are strong and high quality. The cleats are all pop-up and the locking devices won't jam after a month. You won't find any composite plastic/metal fittings on things like storage latches on this boat?all of the fittings on the Pioneer are built to last.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
I love my E-Tecs, so the choice was simple when it came to fitting an outboard to the Pioneer. The Cape Island is rated to 150hp, so that is what we went for. As usual, the motor is really quiet throughout the rev range. The E-Tec starts like a dream first time, every time, and the fuel efficiency is as good as a four-stroke, with loads more power to weight and torque.
I get a top speed of nearly 50 knots and cruise at 35 knots while the revs are 4200 and I'm burning just over 30l an hour?it sucks a frugal 0.7l/hr while idling. The 150 E-Tec gets the hull onto the plane really quickly and the 150 weighs in at 190kg. You could consider the newly released 130hp E-Tec with a weight of 177kg, but I like the 150hp on this boat. It goes like a dream and while I rarely run it flat out, running at less revs helps fuel economy and it's always nice to have speed in reserve.
next page »
« go back