No title - Hell`s Bay Boatworks

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Boat Profile
]
Hell’s Bay Neptune
W
hile some boatbuilders
have scaled back newmodel introductions in
recent months, Hell’s Bay Boatworks
recently unveiled its latest creation, the
Neptune. Te skiff ranks as the largest built to date by Hell’s Bay, and it
rounds out a full complement of 10
shallow-water offerings now available
from the company.
Te Neptune is a big-water flats boat
designed for serious fishing. It stretches
to 18 feet, 8 inches in length and has a
78-inch beam. Yet even with a 150-HO
hp Evinrude E-Tech outboard and a
full tank of gas, it draws only 10 inches
of water on the flats.
Design and Construction
Hell’s Bay’s lead designer and sales
director Tom Gordon has been working on the Neptune for 2½ years and
says the boat should prove popular
among a number of anglers, including
hardcore tarpon fishermen and tournament anglers competing in the big
redfish events. “It’s the first Hell’s Bay
designed around speed,” Gordon says.
Indeed, this boat will move. Featuring vacuum-bagged Core-Cell construction, along with a carbon-fiber
66
stringer system and vinylester resins,
the Neptune’s hull checks in at only
795 pounds. When matched with
either a 115 or 150 hp outboard, that
means only one thing: serious mph.
Rigged and wired to ABYC standards,
the Neptune is available in a wide variety of hull and deck colors and features
carpeted sides, rod racks and Lenco trim
tabs. Also standard is an easy-clean,
nonskid deck, heavy-duty rub rails and
a custom aluminum trailer with a spare
tire, LED lights and a 12-inch-wide
custom walk board.
Inside, the boat provides anglers tons
of dry storage as well, with all hatches
equipped with rubber gaskets and
spring-loaded Moonlite springs.
SPecificationS
LOA:
18'8”
Beam:
Draft:
6'8"
10" (w/ fuel and 150 hp OB)
Weight:
Fuel:
795 lbs. (dry)
38 gals.
Max HP:
MSRP:
150 hp OB
$53,000
(w/ Evinrude 150-HO E-Tech OB)
Hell’s Bay Boatworks
Titusville, Florida
321-383-8223
www.hellsbayboatworks.com
Running and Fishing
But how does the boat run and fish?
As with any Hell’s Bay, it’ll stack up
well against any competitor. And with
a 38-gallon aluminum-baffled powdercoated gas tank, it has the ability to
take on large expanses of water.
Te Neptune’s spray rails are incorporated directly into the hull, which
helps generate a smooth ride even in
rough conditions while being pushed
at high levels of speed by the powerful
outboard options. Yet maneuver this
boat onto the flats, and it turns into a
nimble fishing machine.
Equipped with Stiffy push-pole
holders, the Neptune also features
under-gunwale rod tubes capable of
holding 10 fly rods. An anodized polling platform with SeaDek coating
offers great traction and stability for
slinking around in the shallows, and
anglers on the bow will appreciate its
wide beam and walkaround gunwales.
Te Neptune even has a 30-gallon
livewell plumbed with two pumps that
cycle 800 gallons of water per hour.
Tis boat is built for serious inshore
anglers. It’s certainly big and fast —
but it’s also quiet and discreet. Tat’s a
tough combination to beat.
January / February 2010
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