THE beginning of a new year is always exciting in the boating and fishing industry, with most of the manufacturers and dealers pushing out new or upgraded products. This year was no different, with Yamaha getting us to again review the Seacat CC (Centre Console) now that she’s undergone a few changes — all for the better. Well, it took the better part of two months to synchronise dates and times and to get the natural elements to work in our favour for the tests. Eventually we got it right and arrived at the Durban Ski-Boat Club for the test on the day in question.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
The Yamaha team of Shaun Lavery and Anthony Daniels arrived at DSBC with the Seacat CC in tow. The first time I’d seen this craft was a few years back at the factory, and what immediately struck me then was the modern, almost foreign look about her — notably curvy lines, wider beam and higher gunnels — which I immediately liked.

These Seacats looked well-proportioned for their size, and judging by their looks, I was pretty sure that they would ride well too.

CONDITIONS
The launch was calm and the ocean was average, with the leftover chop and swell from a north-easter making it ideal for a true boat test.

LAUNCHING AND TRAILERING
The Seacat CC comes on a decent galvanised breakneck trailer that is easy to operate and can handle some of our poorly-kept roads. Launching the Seacat CC was a simple task off the beach — she slid off the trailer with ease and her shallow draught made it easy enough to turn her into the shorebreak and push out.

After finishing with the test it was also a simple task to get her back on the trailer. These boats are relatively light, so they can be hand-winched onto the trailers.

MOTORS AND CONTROLS
As tested, the Seacat CC was running two 50hp Yamaha trim-and-tilt 2-strokes. Many boat buyers fit the minimum horse power requirements, like 40hp motors, for example, mostly due to budgetary constraints. My preference is definitely the 50hp motors, though, because the bottom- and top-end power is more than ample on the Sea Cat. At the end of the day this reduces fuel consumption and general wear and tear on the motors.

This boat was fitted with cable steering, but I believe hydraulic steering is the way to go to achieve added control and comfort.

PERFORMANCE
The first thing I noticed on the Seacat CC was how stable she was in the rough conditions considering her size. Acceleration with the 2-strokes was fast, and within a short time of setting the trims I had her riding extremely comfortably. Out-of-the-hole she climbed onto the plane fast, and from a stationary position, in full lock to port and starboard, she spun on less than a ticky with no cavitation when I worked the throttles.

Heading into the now messed-up ocean, I could maintain a good, soft, comfortable ride at speed without working the throttles. Running her side-on and with the swell and chop, the Seacat CC handled really well, again showing good stability. By tweaking the bow up, I kept the ride reasonably dry considering the conditions. Even when pushing into the troughs at speed she showed no tendency to plough or broach, which automatically gives you confidence in the boat’s handling capabilities.

This model actually seemed to perform better when I worked the throttles at speed, which is not usually the case on smaller craft. The wider beam seemed to give the craft really good stability at all angles. Sure, the spray was a bit more evident, but in those conditions most small boats are wet, so it was definitely nothing to cry about.

Personally, I enjoy open boats like this model and found the performance perfectly suited to my preferences.

FISHABILITY
Being a centre console model, the boat automatically has plenty of space for walking around while flyfishing — the wider beam and high gunnels adding to this. This model is suitable for the general offshore fisherman and is a definite win for the avid deep sea or estuary flyfisherman. The bow section is slightly raised and is perfect for balancing against when casting flies or plugs. The anchor hatch area could also be used as a casting platform since it has a non-slip coating.

At high and low troll speeds, maintaining a constant speed was simple, as it was when running side-on and with the swell. In each direction the stability and comfort was really good for a boat of this size in the rough conditions we were experiencing. When sitting stationary on the drift, I still felt comfortable while balancing against the gunnels and moving around, and I didn’t feel any major roll on the hull.

LAYOUT
The Seacat Centre Console’s transom area was compact and neat, and is fitted with dual roll bars and a new livebait well. The deck area is spacious and uncluttered with a large petrol hatch (holds six jerry cans) which also serves as comfortable seating behind the main console. Two decent sized fish hatches are flush-mounted into the deck.

The console itself is large, has plenty of dry stowage space and is fitted with stainless-steel grab rails and a wraparound windscreen. Although the console is large, there is still plenty of space to get past it to the bow area. The bow section has two forward entrance hatches, dual anchor hatches that are easily accessible and full bow rails to complement it.

FINISH
Although the Seacat CC does not have all the bells and whistles that the forward console model boasts, she still has the same modern look with a nice finish to her, and is well suited to offshore flyfishing. Being the standard entry-level craft in this range, you can still add on the trinkets when the budget allows.

CONCLUSION
Although she’s classed as an entry-level craft, the Seacat Centre Console still boasts many more features than other entry-level craft. The Seacat CC is really practical, is simple to handle in all areas, is ideal for two to three anglers and is a nice size to tow, which facilitates quick flyfishing getaways.

If you’re in the market for a boat of this size, you definitely ought to test one of these craft.