The Extreme 650 Game King
Is the current fuel price putting a damper on your boating? Is it just too expensive to get out fishing? Then consider switching to a hyper-economical boat like the Extreme 650 Game King with FNM 170hp supercharged diesel.
Lees Delta Marine in Papakura are the New Zealand distributors for the Italian-made FNM range of marine diesel engines. These compact and efficient power plants are miserly in their fuel consumption yet provide excellent power output and reliability. Thanks to the ever-rising price of fuel they are increasingly finding favour in small and medium trailer boats. The price of these engines is also extremely competitive, making the decision between a petrol-powered outboard or a diesel-powered inboard less about the upfront cost and more about the running costs.
And make no mistake, modern common-rail diesel engines, with turbocharger (or supercharger in the case of FNM) and running through a stern leg, are extremely economical to run. We tested the Extreme 650 King cab fitted with the FMN HPEP 170hp model, and at the cruising speed of 22 knots (3000rpm) it was using just 7 litres of diesel per hour. That is a phenomenal 0.3 litres per nautical mile.
To put this in perspective, a return trip from Westhaven Marina to Tryphena Harbour on Great Barrier Island (a round trip of about 96nm) would use as little as 29 litres of diesel, or $51 at the price at time of writing ($1.78 per litre) There is no outboard engine on the market which could come close to matching this economy, especially at the respectable cruising speed of 22 knots.
The test boat is a collaboration between Lees Delta Marine and Extreme Boats, based in Thornton just outside Whakatane. Extreme started producing boats in 1998, in small runs, but now produce over 70 boats each year. Their boats are all based on hulls designed by Scott Robson, and they specialise in fitting these out as pure fishing machines.
These guys are passionate about what they do, and it shows in the awards they have collected. For the past two years they have won both the “Aluminium fishing boat under 6 meter” and the “Aluminium fishing boat 6-7 meter” categories at the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat show in Auckland. So they were keen to work with Lees Delta Marine to develop a concept that would take their passion to a new level.
The boat chosen for this project is another of their prize winners, the Extreme 650 Game King. This boat took out the “Boat of the Show” award in 2007 and is the smaller brother of this year’s category winner, the 700 Game King. While giving little away in terms of usable space to its bigger brother, the 650 is an extremely fisher-friendly boat with space for up to 6 adults. With an overall length of 6.65m and a beam of 2.40 m, it provides a large fishing cockpit, a hardtop cabin area to provide excellent shelter from the elements and two full-length bunks in the forward cabin.
The cabin is carpet-lined for noise reduction and warmth, and the centre squab is removable to allow the fitting of an optional flush toilet. The under-seat spaces are sealed, together with similar sealed spaces under the cockpit floor. These provide the ‘unsinkable’ buoyancy required for CPC rating, which every boat carries as standard.
The hull thickness of 5mm further enhances the ruggedness of the boat, while the transom is extra-sturdy 6mm. A deadrise of 20 degrees give a soft ride while under way, while a flooding keel enables the boat to sink down slightly for additional stability at rest.
FNM specialise in marine diesel engines for the trailer boat market, and have a range of models from 60 to 250hp. The HPEP 170 model was chosen as the perfect match for this hull which has a recommended power rating of 115 – 200hp. The engine is a 4-cylinder model of just 1910cc capacity which thanks to its common-rail technology and supercharger delivers 125kw (170hp) at the crankshaft.
All this in a package that weighs just 240kg. Even when the extra 59kg of the Mercruiser Bravo One stern leg is added, this is only about 100kg more than a four-stroke outboard of similar power output. The excellent fuel economy plus the fact that the engine conforms to the strict EU 2006 emissions regulations makes this one of the ‘greenest’ engines around.
We launched at Westhaven on a calm winter’s day and the benefit of the inboard motor was immediately apparent when the boat got underway. The weight is located considerably more forward than for an outboard, resulting in the boat ‘squatting’ less at rest and when power is applied. The boat remains relatively level at most power levels, whether on the plane or at displacement speeds.
Once clear of the inner harbour speed restriction we opened up and easily reached over 30 knots. Although fuel consumption climbs steeply once the 3000 rpm optimum is exceeded, it is still a fairly respectable amount at the higher speeds. The motor and gearbox is controlled by an electronic ‘fly by wire’ linkage which takes a little getting used to initially.
The advantage of this technology is soon apparent, though, as acceleration is ultra smooth. You can push the throttles wide open as hard as you like, knowing the electronic controller will accelerate as fast as it can without wasting fuel or damaging the engine. It is also possible to slam it from full ahead to full reverse, with the electronics taking care of the throttling down, changing gear to reverse then throttling back up again.
Of course inboard diesels are not without a few disadvantages, and the noise is the main issue. The test boat was not yet fully soundproofed and the roar of the diesel at full throttle made conversation all but impossible. This is bound to be improved as the final interior trimming of the boat is completed, but don’t expect the quiet purr that four-stroke owners have come to expect. On the other hand the sound of the supercharger ‘singing’ at over 3000rpm is music to the ears of who enjoy the sound of a perfectly-tuned engine.
The boat handled extremely well, although conditions were not particularly testing. Pushing the boat through wakes saw the hull landing fairly softly with no crashing, thanks to the smooth hull. A single chine, normally above water level, turns the spray down and away from the boat and we had an extremely dry ride. The boat is fitted with Lectrotab electric trim tabs, although we did not need to make use of these during our test.
The boat is extremely well set up for fishing, with 6 rod holders in a sturdy rocket-launcher, and a further 6 spread over the gunwales and transom. The engine cover over the inboard is relatively unobtrusive, and Extreme has made a custom baitboard to fit over this and turn it into usable area.
The transom features a walk-thru on the port side with a drop-in gate. Hidden under the step of the walk-thru is a fully plumbed livebait tank with a hinged lid. The boarding platform is extremely generous and forms a very usable fishing area when the conditions allow it. A folding boarding ladder on the means that this boat is equally as well set up for diving as it is for fishing.
Under the checkerplate deck are a couple of underfloor storage areas for wet gear. The whole cockpit drains into a bilge area services by two bilge pumps. A wash down hose and pump makes keeping the boat extremely easy. The boat has painted sides with a nyalic top, to ensure it stays looking good for years to come.
Up forward the anchor area is protected by a welded allow bow rail. Hanging off the welded alloy bowsprit was a Manson “Supreme” anchor, and the hard work is taken care of by a 500w winch. Access to the self-draining anchor well is through the large forward hatch. Alternatively it is possible to safely walk around the cabin thanks to a generous non-slip tread area and handholds on the cabin top.
The boat comes standard with a 170 litre underfloor fuel tank, which at its cruising speed of 22 knots gives a maximum range of over 560 nautical miles. Since this equates to 24 hours continuous running that should satisfy even the most die-hard fishing enthusiast.
The boat is supplied on a custom-built galvanised braked tandem trailer also made by Extreme. This is fitted with rollers and the new submersible LED lights for ease of use and low maintenance. The towing weight of the whole package is about 2040 kg, well within the capacity of most moderate tow vehicles.
For more details of the boat contact Extreme Boats at www.extremeboats.co.nz. For details of the engine, or to look at upgrading your own boat to a FNM diesel, go to Lees Delta Marine at www.leesgroup.com.
Specifications at a glance:
Boat: Extreme 650 Game King
Engine: FNM HPEP 170 inboard supercharged common-rail diesel
Stern leg: Mercruiser Brave One
LOA: 6.65 meter
Beam: 2.40 meter
Construction: Marine-grade alloy.
Hull bottom: 5mm, side and deck 4mm, transom 6mm
Anchor Winch: 500w
Trailer: Galvanised tandem braked trailer
Electronics fitted: Raymarine A65 chartplotter / sounder
VDO instrumentation
VHF radio
Price as tested: $93,000