Review: Native Watercraft "Slayer 12"

Written by Mark Watanabe

 

While in Virginia Beach, VA for the Columbus Day Boondoggle, I got to meet Woody Callaway from Liquidlogic Kayaks. Strapped to the trailer of the Liquidlogic RV was their newest kayak: the Native Watercraft “Slayer”. I jokingly asked Woody when I would be fishing out of the Slayer, and without hesitation, he said, “Tomorrow!”.

Initial impressions: The Native Watercraft Slayer 12 is clean and uncluttered - everything had its purpose. The overall lines on the kayak are very sleek with everything recessed nicely.

Portability: The Slayer 12 is listed at 70 lbs., but felt lighter. This is probably due to all the handles being solid, allowing you to control the kayak much more easily. All Slayers come equipped with the “Tag Along Wheel”. I tested it at the launch with the kayak fully loaded with gear. The Tag Along Wheel made the move from the car to the launch a breeze. The solid bow handle positioned horizontally made controlling the kayak extremely easy. This was the first stand-out feature of the Slayer that sets it apart from other similar kayaks.

Performance: On the water, you quickly feel like you’re paddling a much skinner kayak. The Slayer handled well in both stand up paddling and standard sitting paddling. The raised seated position felt tippier than the lower seated position, but this is the case with all kayaks.

The second stand out feature was the High Low First Class Seat. Switching between the high and low seated positions was very simple. Native uses bungees to hold the seat in place, so a simple lift and scoot allowed me to move it between positions without having to undo straps or clips. I did initially have concerns over the seat only being secured this way, but Native did a great job of molding the seat pan area to allow a nice, snug fit. The seat never felt loose or unsecure in either position, and was extremely comfortable.

Another positive was an extremely shallow draft. There are several sandbars out at Lynnhaven Bay that were no deeper than 6 inches, and I was able to paddle across them without issue.

Standability: I have yet to stand in a 31” wide kayak that felt this stable. The deck is very flat; I always had a stable position for my feet. The deck is right at or slightly below the waterline, which gives the kayak extra stability. One issue with the deck being this low is with the scupper plugs removed, water does come in slightly. I also feel the Slayer would benefit from adding a strap towards the bow to help in standing from the lower position.

Fishability: The Slayer is equipped with recessed groove tracks on the stern, midship and bow. This made it very easy for me to quickly add a couple of Scotty mounts and my YakAttack “Panfish”. There is also a small console designed to store your battery, and also mount any electronics you like to a groove track. The model I used had the groove track mounted directly to the console but Woody told me that the new models with have the track recessed like all the others.

The foam padding around the cup holder, accessory tray, and rod tip rests is a nice touch. The rod tip rests fit my bait casters, but didn’t fit my spinning rods very well; the larger guides on the spinning rods didn’t allow the rods to rest properly.

While on the water, I didn’t even notice the Plano box storage on the side of the seats. This would have made changing out tackle much easier with my Plano boxes right next to me.

While anchored or staked out, the Slayer would benefit greatly from an anchor trolley. I also noticed the Tag Along Wheel knocking with the side to side movement of the kayak. I mentioned this to Woody, and he said that it was an easy fix. I also missed a paddle keeper, there are no paddle keepers installed by the factory so you will have to add them yourself.

The final stand-out feature is the Slayers stability. I was able to fish all day in the kayak, turn around and grab tackle out of my crate, and access my gear in the bow without issue. When we got back to the launch, several others tried out the Slayer. People who have never stood in a kayak easily stood and paddled the Slayer.

Summary: I believe the Native Watercraft Slayer 12 will be in the running for next year’s KACA’s as Kayak of the Year. It’s stable, tracks well, is quick and nimble for a wider kayak, is easily moved using the Tag Along Wheel, and has a seating system that allows you to move from high to low seating positions with ease. When I’m in the market for a new paddling kayak, I’m almost positive it will be a Slayer!

Boat Specs	Boat Features
Length: 12' Width: 31" Weight: 70 lbs Capacity: 400 lbs	Groove Track High/Low First Class Seat Electronics Console Cup Holder Open Bow Hatch w/ Scuppers Quiet Stable Hull Tag Along Wheel

 

 

 

Full Article: http://www.yakangler.com/fishing-kayak-reviews/

Profile 750 Special Edition

The Profile 750 HW won the award for the Best Aluminium Boat In Show at the Hutchwilco Boat Show in Auckland, and this is the hull that David – an Auckland businessman – decided answered the requirements of his fishing after a bit of investigation. David fishes a lot out of Tairua, where he has a holiday home; he wanted a robust, stable hull that could be beach launched, cope with rough conditions and longer trips, do a bit of overnighting, but still be reasonably towable between Auckland and the Coromandel.

Profile’s 750 hull ticked most of the boxes, with some alterations. David wanted more toe space when leaning on the sides of the boat, and being a fairly tall bloke, he had the gunwale height increased by 70mm.
The result was the Profile 750 Special Edition, which has now been adopted as Profile’s standard 750 model. It is a beamy hull (the same beam as larger brother, the 780) with lots of work space and excellent stability that can handle sloppy conditions in comfort.
As it happened, David had moved his boat to Auckland for a few months during spring to take advantage of the beginning of the Hauraki Gulf snapper schooling season, basing it at Oram Marine’s Westhaven dry-stack for convenience. On one of the first days of November, I met David and mates John and Nigel for a foray out into the Gulf in Tairanui.

Construction

The 750 hull features 6mm bottoms and transom, 3mm pontoons, and 4mm deck and topsides. The deadrise at the transom is 18°.
The hull is supported by the pontoon structure itself, four lengthways bearers and the keel assembly. The bottom plates are butted up at the keel line and fully seam-welded. Above this, a flat plate is welded across the hull, forming a strong triangular section at the keel. An external keel wear cap is optional. Lateral support is provided by five bulkheads and the transom assembly.
Profile’s innovative use of paint colour has been seen before in these pages, and the 750 SE is no exception, being finished in a tasteful mustard green with a Nyalic finish on the raw aluminium surfaces.
After taking delivery, owner David decided to try a product called Pyrotek Soundpaint, which was applied by Ovlov Marine to the inside of the bow section. He reckons this sound-deadening paint has worked well, considerably reducing the usual ‘water meets aluminium’ noise of a travelling alloy boat.
The advantages of a pontoon-hull configuration include high levels of reserve buoyancy and stability. The 750 SE is rated to carry nine adults.

Power and performance

Recommended horsepower for this hull is 200-300, and Tairanui is pushed by one of Yamaha’s new 250hp V6 four-stroke outboards. Fuel is carried in a 240-litre under-floor tank with a fuel port on the outside of the transom.
Although conditions were poor, we achieved 35 knots at 5400rpm travelling into a 15-knot headwind with a full load of fuel and four big blokes on board. David told me that the boat pulled 40 knots on delivery, with a lighter load in better conditions, and that seems about right, indicating a good match of hull and engine. At a more reasonable cruising speed, the big V6 produced 25 knots at 4200rpm.
Spring weather is fickle and unreliable, and as we cruised out of Westhaven Marina past a bunch of mind-blowing super yachts, a stiff and chilly sou’wester of 15 knots was scudding down the harbour. The wind against tide made for sloppy conditions, but the comfortable travelling and shelter in the big Profile tempted us out around 30 nautical miles into the Gulf, hoping to sweeten the boat test by encountering some workups and schooling snapper. However, by the time we decided to head back inshore, the sou’wester was up to 20 knots, gusting 25 – against the tide. The sea was a metre to a metre-and-a-half, steep, close and capping, and as unpleasant a sea as you would want (or rather, not want) to travel in. Certainly, in a lesser boat we would not have been out there.
I am long past the age of travelling at speed for its own sake; these days comfort dictates the use of the throttle. Until the lee of the land and the reducing fetch eased the sea conditions a bit, we were content to travel at about 10 knots into the head sea. The smoothly-operating fly-by-wire Yamaha throttle/shift was much appreciated when it came to throttling off when suddenly confronted by an extra-big hole. (You would think the Supercity could have at least run a grader over it for us!)
The efficient Aei wipers were also a boon (these are fitted with freshwater wash reservoirs), as was the confidence given by the 6mm toughened glass screen and side sliders, when we took it green over the bow. These sorts of sea conditions will find any flaw in construction, but the clever lapped-glass design of the side-sliding windows and the well-made forward hatch didn’t let in so much as a single drip of water. The rubber gasket seals on the protective clear side curtains at the back of the hardtop were likewise appreciated by the crew members sitting in the rear-facing bench seats.
In short, this was a real sea test, and the Profile passed with flying colours. Stable and with no handling vices, it was dry inside the hardtop and, considering the messy state of the sea, the ride was pretty good.

Anchoring

Anchoring duties are handled by a helm-controlled Lewmar chain and warp winch, which feeds into an enclosed anchor locker in the bow. Access to this is through a hatchway in the forward bulkhead. A plough anchor is permanently mounted on a bowsprit and a substantial cast-alloy crucifix bollard welded to a plate on the foredeck.
Except for tying off mooring lines, there is probably little requirement for going out onto the bow, but this is made easy anyway with the flats on the top of the pontoons covered by non-skid panels, further aided by grabrails along the side of the hardtop and substantial bow rails. The hatch in the cabin roof also gives access to the foredeck.

Layout

The forecabin is fully lined with marine carpet and fabric. A cabin light is fitted and there are two narrow side shelves, as well as under-berth space, for stowage. (In this case a toilet has not been fitted, but this is an option.) The berths will sleep two adults, with a third possible if a berth infill is fitted, and there is full-seated head height. A hatch gives access to the wiring etc, inside the back of the console.
Out in the wheelhouse a large dash space with a back lip and passenger grabrail is finished with marine carpet to cut glare on the ‘screen and stop items stored there from sliding around. A Fusion IP600 sound system and waterproof Uniden Solara DSC VHF are mounted overhead; the rest of the main electronics comprise of a Garmin touch-screen GPSmap 5012 plotter and Furuno FCV585 sounder with 1kW transducer.
Stowage space in the wheelhouse comprises of a large ‘glove box’ in front of the passenger, two levels of shelves on each side, and an overhead shelf under the rear of the hardtop. Additionally, the two sealed king-and-queen seat modules have considerable internal room, accessed through side hatches and by lifting the hinged rear bench seats. Owner David adds an Engel fridge, if required, for occasional overnight trips.
Helm seats are upholstered swivelling sliders with fold-up front rolls, which give more space if travelling when standing up, and provide a comfortable backrest into the bargain.
Steering is Teliflex Seastar hydraulic and, as mentioned, the throttle/shift is a Yamaha fly-by-wire unit. Yamaha LCD engine gauges are fitted, as well as a set of Lectrotab trim tabs. I like these last items for their unambiguous switching and indicator lights.
The wheelhouse deck has marine carpet at the front, switching to Tube Mat where the cockpit starts. Grabrails are built onto the trailing edge and sides of the hardtop, as well as two underneath.
Gunwale tops are wide, flat and finished with Deck Tread panels, making them handy places to sit while fishing at anchor.
The sealed decks drain back to a sump under the transom wall, from where water is drained by a 2000gph bilge pump. A flap helps with access to the bilge pump, but it’s still not particularly easy to get at to clear a blockage.
Side pockets run the length of the cockpit, and owner David has added custom pole racks to take boat hooks, gaffs, a cleaning broom and so on. A wash-down hose is also fitted to the transom wall.
Protected up in the transom locker, and accessed by two front-opening hatches, are house and start batteries with isolation/link switching and an electronic battery monitor.
Through the transom step-though, with its aluminium drop-door, is a large chequerplate boarding platform with grab-rails and fold-down ‘T’ ladder. Divers prefer this configuration as they can slide a finned foot in from the side when climbing onto the platform and have the option of taking their fins off after they have got out of the water.
Also fitted to the boarding platform is a lift-up transducer mount, enabling the transducer to be raised up out of harm’s way when beach launching.

Fishability

The beamy, unencumbered cockpit offers a heap of work space, while the excellent stability produced by the combination of pontoon construction and beam – added to good footing provided by Tube Mat on chequerplate – makes for a great fishing platform.
Gunwale faces are flat and provide comfortable support at the top of the thighs and there is plenty of toe-recess room under the side shelves, as per the owner’s requirements.
Fishing fittings include: Oceanblue outrigger bases; an eight-position rocket launcher (plus cockpit floodlight) on the hardtop; six through-gunwale rod holders, along with an additional four on the back of the permanently-mounted bait-station. This last item is pretty substantial, extending across two-thirds of the transom wall, and is big enough to fillet a decent sort of kingfish. It drains through the boarding platform and has fittings to hold a knife and pliers. It does hamper fishing over this section of the transom a little, however; I guess it’s a matter of what your fishing priorities are. A smaller, removable unit is also an option.
A live-bait tank with clear front-viewing panel has been built into the transom step, although the drop-door has to be removed to access the tank. There is also a mount for a davit and electric winch set into the starboard gunwale – useful for hauling hapuku droppers or crayfish pots, with the stability given by the pontoons adding to the safety of this practice.
Although good schooling activity was being reported at the time, the cold sou’wester, rough conditions, wind against tide, and the frowning black fish on my tide calendar all added up to tough fishing. The fish were dispersed and our drift was fast due to the 20-25 knot winds, even when the boat was slowed with a big drogue. Despite all this, in the very sloppy conditions the excellent stability of the big Profile still allowed the four of us to drift-fish in reasonable comfort. It was all we could do to get our 2oz soft-baits and slow-jigs to the bottom for short periods, but we still managed to put a dozen snapper in the 82-litre Icey-Tek bin over a couple of hours. Such was the stability of the hull, that it was only when we pulled the drogue and headed back inshore that we really appreciated just how sloppy the sea conditions had become.

Trailering

The big Profile is carried on a DMW trailer with tandem axles and zinc-protected leaf-spring suspension. Hydraulic brakes act on one axle of the 2550kg rig.
This is a cradle A-frame design with wobble and keel-entry rollers, wind-down jockey wheel, LED submersible lights and dual-ratio manual winch.

All in all

This is a great fish and dive boat that ticks all the basic boxes, offering: safety, stability and a high level of buoyancy, thanks to the pontoon configuration; a practical, comfortable layout; a clean, open cockpit design that is fishing friendly; excellent sea-keeping characteristics; robust construction; a high level of finish; and good looks. Aspects of an owner’s personal fishing and layout preferences are easily accommodated by Profile Boats’ willingness to customise its standard designs, in this case even extending to altering the hull. The Profile 750 Special Edition is a winner.

Specifications

Material aluminium
Configuration pontoon, open-back hardtop
LOA 7.5m (from engine mounts, excluding bow sprit)
Beam 2.60m
Bottom 6mm
Pontoons 3mm
Deck and Topsides 4mm
Transom 6mm
Deadrise 18°
Recommended HP 200-300hp
Test engine Yamaha 250hp V6
Four Stroke
Fuel 240 litres
Trailer DMW tandem
Tow weight 2550kg
Basic key-turn $97,200 (Yamaha 200 2-stk)
Price as tested $163,500*.
*Note that the price as tested does not include items the owner has added after taking delivery. These include the Soundpaint, trim-tabs, canopies and cockpit pole racks.


Source: http://www.fishing.net.nz/index.cfm/pageid/51/view/yes/editorialID/1158
More News: http://gofishtalk.com/forum/topics/profile-750-special-edition