Southern Boats` XP856 is a big, offshore

Boat review Southern XP856
Southern Boats' XP856 is a big, offshore-capable, aluminium powerboat that continues
S
tunning in black, the new
Southern Boats XP856
making a statement
on Pauanui Waterways
is the first of a newly
vamped line-up, following
Southern Boats' change of ownership
last year. Matched with Yamaha V8
outboard power, the XP856 goes as
well as it looks.
16
Boating New Zealand February 2014
Peter Carlson has owned Family
Boats in Auckland since 1992. Family
Boats is New Zealand’s largest dealer
of the Southern Boats range, so when
Carlson and a partner purchased
Southern Boats’ Dunedin-based
factory last year, he was already
familiar with the brand. He and his
partner also knew how to make a
good range of aluminium boats into
an even better one. The all-black
XP856 featured here is an example
of the new breed. It reflects several
tweaks to the hull and a 2.8m beam.
Turn up the volume
The Southern XP856 is a huge boat
inside, especially configured with an
open-backed hardtop. The massive
chequerplate-decked cockpit, high
gunwales, heaps of freeboard and
a remarkable stability at rest make
the boat well suited to offshore
fishing; the capable, soft riding hull is
designed for bluewater use.
“Southerns have always been
good performers,” Carlson says, “but
since taking over the company we’ve
made many small changes to some
models. These include widening the
black
Words by John Eichelsheim Photos by Bryce Taylor
panther
“
Heaps of freeboard and
a remarkable stability at
rest make the boat well
suited to offshore fishing
”
a tradition of soft-riding hulls but benefits from new tooling and design improvements.
chine flats, making the hull entry a
bit fuller, adding planing strakes and
redesigning the fibreglass hardtops,
which now come out of new moulds,
to make them even lighter.”
The XP856 benefits from these
developments, among others. The
strakes were subject to testing to
get them just right, but on the new
XP856 they work well, providing
a little extra lift to the bows, but
without noticeably hardening up
the ride. A slightly fuller entry,
compared to earlier Southern
models, and changes to the
reverse chines have resulted in a
stable boat, no doubt aided by its
considerable beam.
Enclosed hardtops are an
option with this model, but this
boat is configured for day trips; it
is without doors across the back, a
sink, fridge or cooker, all of which
are options. There is an electric
toilet in the forward cabin under
the squabs, with privacy provided
by a moulded fibreglass, sliding
cavity door in the cabin bulkhead,
lockable for security. There is also a
freshwater cockpit shower with an
owner-specified, 90-litre freshwater
tank under the floor.
Although overnighting probably
won’t feature in this boat’s
programme, the macrosuede
vee-berths in the well-lit, fully lined
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17
forward cabin are a good size. They
convert to a generous double berth
when the infill squabs are inserted. An
acrylic hatch in the cabin offers easy
access to the capstan, while a So-Pac
hatch in the collision bulkhead opens
into the anchor locker. Anchoring
is operated remotely from the helm
station; a Maxwell rope-chain capstan
raises and lowers a Rocna anchor
which stows snugged up against
the fairlead.
Drop covers close the hardtop
when required, which is likely when
the owners leave their waterfront
holiday home to return to Hamilton.
This particular boat has no trailer
because its owners don’t require
one, but a superbly built factory
aluminium trailer is an option. The
boat sits permanently on a Jet Dock
drive-on, drive-off floating dock in
front of the house – see sidebar.
Brilliant in black
There’s no denying the XP856 looks
stunning in black. It’s painted
Jet Dock docking systems
F
amily Boats is the New Zealand
agent for Jet Dock docking
systems, a modular drive-on,
drive-off boat storage system for
boats and personal watercraft.
Constructed from UV-stabilised
PVC, the dock system uses
interlocking blocks to build an
infinitely expandable platform with
cradles that will accept outboard and
sterndrive boats up to 50ft long. For
larger craft weighing more than 2.5
tonnes, Jet Dock adds adjustable air
assist to supplement the platform’s
natural buoyancy. A winch and pulley
system secures boats and watercraft
in their cradles.
Driving on is easy – simply slot
the bow into the plastic vee of the
cradle, apply some throttle and the
vessel will slide up onto the cradle
until the engine leg comes up against
the base of the platform, then secure
the vessel with the winch cable. To
drive off, lower the outboard/leg until
18
Boating New Zealand February 2014
the cavitation plate is in the water,
start the engine, release the winch
cable and back off.
Jet Dock offers the convenience
of stepping on and off your boat
or PWC with dry feet. Once on the
dock, boats can be washed inside
and out and it’s an easy matter to
supply electrical power. The ability
to add sections makes it simple
to expand the size of the dock
to accommodate a second boat,
a personal watercraft or floating
lounging area.
Unlike most other floating dock
systems, Jet Dock can rest on the
hard when the tide goes out without
damaging either the dock or the boat.
Jet Dock has minimal moving
parts, is expandable and its rugged
PVC construction is virtually
indestructible.
Family Boats, www.familyboats.
co.nz, [email protected],
Phone 09 274 0511
The well finished interior looks and feels
spacious. Comforts include a plumbed
toilet and a freshwater shower. The boat's
vast cockpit is large enough for a game of
tennis, but it's uncluttered layout and high
gunwales are ideal for offshore fishing.
The carpet is easily removed for cleaning
in high-gloss, midnight black
above the chines with its black
fibreglass hardtop incorporating a
metallic fleck. It looks really good,
accentuating the boat’s graceful but
purposeful lines, and the paint’s
mirror finish is highly reflective. On
this boat the railings, rocket launcher
and dive ladder are also black rather
than polished aluminium – even the
VHF aerial and spotlight are black.
If there’s a downside, black paint
shows dirt, sea spray and the inevitable
dings and scratches but other colours
are available. This boat had already
clocked up 30 hours in just over a
month, much of that time chasing fish
out of Tairua Harbour, so there was
the odd blemish, fish scale and some
021486
Southern Boats pride themselves on presenting you with one of the finest
handcrafted Alloy boats available today. The team of skilled boat builders,
upholsterers and painters based at Southern’s Dunedin manufacturing facility
have spent thousands of hours perfecting their craft to bring you a boat with
proven performance, handsome good looks and heavy duty durability. Contact
us or drop into your local dealer and start making your dream a reality today.
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19
bait residue, but the boat still looks
great inside and out. Fit and finish has
always been good on Southerns and
this boat ups the ante still further with
its careful attention to detail.
Removable grey and black striped
marine carpets offer bare feet some
relief from the chequerplate decks
while grey cockpit lining and grey
and black upholstery ensure the
boat’s interior isn’t too sombre. Grey
neoprene is used to good effect
on the swim steps and coamings,
breaking up the black and adding
warmth and comfort.
“The XP856 could
be a serious offshore
weapon if that's your
thing… but it's also
a big, comfortable
family cruiser…”
With so much cockpit space, it’s
easy to fill this boat with whatever you
like. The owners have taken advantage
of its generous storage to stow fishing
tackle, including a longline and other
gear that stays on the boat semipermanently. We combined reviewing
the Southern with photographing
and reviewing a Brig RIB sport boat,
which will appear in a subsequent
The remotely controlled spotlight comes in handy when negotiating the channel to Pauanui waterways
in the dark. A Rocna anchor and Maxwell capstan take care of anchoring duties. Yamaha V8 power
delivers snappy performance, as well as an appealing soundtrack
20
Boating New Zealand February 2014
The XP856 could be a serious offshore
weapon, if that’s your thing. It has all
the credentials for serious fishing and
diving, including gamefish trolling,
but it’s also a big, comfortable family
cruiser that should keep everyone
safe and dry if things cut up offshore.
From Tairua, day trips to Mayor
Island or the Mercury Islands are
easily achievable, and there are lovely
secluded bays and beaches where
you can go ashore or anchor off to
spend time with the family.
This boat is not specifically set up
for game fishing, though the owners
are keen on fishing, using the boat for
shorter trips to the Aldermen Islands
and other locations. Tairua-Pauanui
is close to a multitude of exceptional
fishing and diving venues.
Equipped with a well angled rocket
launcher with integrated grab rails,
six through-gunwale aluminium rod
holders and a removable bait board
“
“
Sealegs has been the answer to our dreams for our
island beach-house. We need no trailer, no winch or
moorings and don’t need to worry about coming into
a wharf. We drive up and down the beach at any tide
and park on the front lawn.
-Brett Lornie, NZ
I spent 25 years of my life looking for good financial
investments and now after buying a Sealegs boat I am
going to spend the next 25 years of my life enjoying
one of the best lifestyle investments I’ve made
so far.
-Phil Briggs, NZ
New Zealand
International
Sealegs International Ltd
Sealegs International Ltd
Ted Dixon
Ph: +64 9 414 3086
Damon Jolliffe
Ph: +64 9 414 3084
www.sealegs.com
021457
Fishing, diving and family
with additional rod holders, there’s no
shortage of fishing rod storage. Fulllength, triple-tier side pockets provide
still more stowage for long items and
they’re wide enough for dive bottles
too. Pipe tie-downs below the side
pockets are a useful feature.
The transom features a couple
of lockers for dry stowage, a goodsized live bait tank to port and a
step-through transom with pull-out
door to starboard. The T-bar dive
ladder, also black, is mounted on
the starboard side too, where it’s
easily seen from the helm. Batteries,
switches, pumps, filters and
associated wiring and plumbing are
tidily installed under the transom
lockers behind an aluminium door
for protection. Access is good.
The cockpit drains to a sump,
pumped out by a 1250gph bilge
pump, there’s a saltwater washdown
on the starboard side and room for
fish bins, tackle boxes and other
large items on the floor under the
bait tank and transom step-through.
Normally an underfloor wet locker
is standard, but on this boat an
extra-large 450-litre fuel tank, plus
the water tank, leaves no room for
a wet locker. The fuel tank reduces
the frequency of refuelling, which
has to be done using drums or a
trailer-borne fuel tanker. A new
marina under construction at Tairua
will include refuelling facilities for
“
“
issue of Boating NZ. We filled the
XP856’s cockpit with props for the
shoot: paddleboards, a kneeboard,
fishing rods and tackle boxes, beach
umbrellas and a picnic set, two full sets
of scuba gear and our photographic
and personal gear. The boat cockpit
and cabin easily swallowed all of this
with acres of space left over. Carlson’s
11-year-old daughter Charlie also
joined us for the day.
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21
petrol boats, but it’s still six months
off completion.
V8 grunt
With a shallow harbour bar to
traverse, getting in and out of Tairua
Harbour can be challenging at times,
but the big Southern is as safe a
boat as you could wish for. Plenty
Pivoting
pedestal winch
Makes pulling and
launching your craft easy
of power, predictable handling and
an amazingly soft and level re-entry
should you become airborne take
a lot of the anxiety out of heading
through the bar.
We headed back and forth through
the harbour entrance several times
for the camera, Charlie squealing with
delight whenever the boat leapt over
the waves. Conditions were quite safe,
but even on a nice day the bar can
break, especially at low tide.
What was immediately evident
is the amount of available torque
from the big Yamaha four-stroke.
The XP856 slides onto the plane
with minimal throttle, the 350hp V8
holding it there right down to 11 or 12
knots. Put the hammer down and the
2.5-tonne boat, full of gear and fuel,
leaps forward, the engine growling
authoritatively, if remarkably quietly.
The engine note is quite distinctive
but never intrusive. There’s plenty of
power on tap: top speed is around
41 knots at 5000rpm and a cruise
speed in excess of 30 knots is easily
Winch-assisted launch system.
Z - Pulley design pulls craft
backward for launching
Bunk System
Cradles your craft
like a boat trailer
Fasteners
Create a strong,
stable platform
KDS System
Aluminum Structural Beam
Lifts the keel during
drive on
For strength and rigidity across
the dock, reducing friction and
stress points on your craft
Hull Track
Cleats
Recessed area guides
and straightens your craft
on the dock
Easy tie-off points
249 Ti Rakau Drive, Pakuranga, Auckland, N Z. PO Box 51340 Pakuranga.
Ph: 09 274 0511 Fx: 09 274 0108 [email protected] www.familyboats.co.nz
22
Boating New Zealand February 2014
021486
Provides lateral support
and extra lift when needed
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Imagery for illustrative purposes only.
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23
S
maintained provided sea conditions
are reasonable. They were pleasant
for our review.
On the four-hour delivery voyage
from Auckland across the Hauraki
Gulf, through Colville Channel, past
the Mercury Islands to Pauanui, the
V8’s fuel consumption averaged 25
litres per hour. A V6 300hp would
be adequate, according to Carlson,
or you could fit a pair of V6 200hp
outboards, taking things out to the
XP856’s maximum power rating.
Diesel sterndrives are also an option.
The XP859 is strongly built. The hull
features 6mm bottom plates, seam
welded on both sides, with a 6mm
keel strip providing extra protection
along the keel line. The boat’s sides
are 4mm aluminium with the decks
and superstructure a mixture of 3mm
and 4mm sheet metal. Longitudinal
beams, cross members and stringers
support the hull and decks and the
sealed decks are pressure-tested in
the factory, which offers a six-year hull
structural warranty.
24
Boating New Zealand February 2014
The comfortable ride comes
from the boat’s variable deadrise
hull that tapers back to 20 degrees
at the transom. Its handling is
equally pleasant: in sharp turns the
amount of heel is nicely controlled,
and for a big boat it feels nimble
and responsive to the helm. Trim
tabs were fitted but not used in the
conditions and there was little need
to adjust engine trim attitude most
of the time. All in all the XP856 feels
safe, fast and capable.
Helming the boat was a pleasure.
Visibility is excellent thanks to
narrow window mullions and the
newly designed pedestal seats
provide comfort and support for
the driver and passenger. A single
wiper keeps the screen clear of spray
on the driver’s side. The moulded
fibreglass dash console can take a
flush-mounted 12-inch display – this
boat had a Lowrance HDS10, but
there was room left over – along
with the usual electronic engine
gauges, anchor and trim tab controls,
switches, VHF radio, Fusion stereo
head unit and the latest iPod dock
without looking overcrowded. It’s
a big, tall boat and I couldn’t reach
the footrest seated at the helm, but
it’s positioned to suit the owner’s
driving position, not mine. Sliding
side windows were appreciated on
a sunny day – it was quite hot inside
the hardtop despite its open back.
Fibreglass seat bases provide lots
of stowage. They’re a new design
using fresh moulds. With two
pedestals and two aft-facing seats
there’s fixed seating for four, but
a pair of padded and upholstered
insulated ice boxes provide additional
seating if required. We left one of the
bins on the dock.
Conclusion
The fast and capable Southern
Alloy Boats XP856 is strongly
built and well finished. It’s a good
example of the current breed of
large aluminium craft, most of them
trailerable, now filling the niche once
occupied in New Zealand by small
motor launches. That said, boats
of this size and quality command
launch-like prices, and while this
XP856 is not set up for launch-style
stay-away boating, Southern’s option
list is vast and includes enclosed
heads/showers, galley and bi-fold
wheelhouse doors.
Configured as a large day boat,
the Southern XP586 still has a lot of
appeal. The ability to berth it clear of
the water on the Jet Dock offers all
the convenience of a marina berth
without the expense of antifouling
and marina fees. From its Pauanui
base, the boat’s owners are within an
hour or two of virtually anywhere in
the western Bay of Plenty, and with a
boat of this size, they can also explore
further afield if they wish.
Southern XP856
➤ loa 8.6m
➤ beam 2.8m
➤ draft approx 0.5m
➤ weight 2750kg (dry)
➤ construction aluminium
➤ engine Yamaha four-stroke V8 350hp
➤ propeller 19-in SST
➤ deadrise 20° at transom
➤ fuel 450 litres
➤ water 90 litres
➤ cruising speed 30 knots
➤ max speed 41 knots
➤ price as tested $239,000
➤ Manufactured by Southern Boats, www.southernboats.co.nz
➤ supplied by owner and Family Boats, www.familyboats.co.nz email [email protected]
phone 09 274 0511