front deck while providing for one of the
biggest live wells I’ve seen on a boat of this
size. It will house a metre-sized jew, cod or
barra and easily holds as many bream, f latties
and bass as I’m likely to catch and release.
Fresh water is supplied via a 690lph pump;
a pick up at the stern augments this when on
the plane. Cleverly, the live well features twin
waterproof LED lights – a boon when
livebaiting at night.
And if I’m fishing for a feed, a bag or two of
ice will transform the live well into a built-in
cooler. The insulating properties of the
resin-impregnated foam means the boat is
basically a f loating esky ...
The removable pedestal seats are located in a
square shaped section of open deck between the
front and rear casting decks. The CXC’s hull
design means this deck area is quite deep,
providing for extra stability and a sense of
security in choppy conditions. A lot of small
boats feel very low to the water, especially when
you’re standing up and casting. Personallyspeaking, I like to feel in a boat, not on it.
Just forward of my seat is a curved side
mounted console housing the switch panel,
a 12-volt plug and a seven-inch Raymarine
a-Series sounder/plotter. The Raymarine is
mounted on a R AM mount, allowing me to
easily move it around for the best viewing
position. This sounder is networked to a
5.7-inch Raymarine a-Series MFD on another
R AM mount at the bow. The Merc 60 has a
“gateway” connection with the Raymarines
allowing engine data to be displayed.
LED strip lights have been positioned under
the gunwales around the entire boat – perfect
for night fishing or when getting the boat
ready prior to a pre-dawn start. LED nav and
anchor lights complement the waterproof
LEDs in the livewell.
All the wiring work is neat, unobtrusive and
nicely finished. While we’re on the subject, all
the stainless screws securing hatches and so on
are perfectly lined up and aligned. To me, this
signals an admirable attention to detail andindicates Enlightened’s crew of boat builders
are focused on quality and high standards of
workmanship.
The hull itself is finished with glistening
white gelcoat complemented by red and yellow
Fisho logo and CXC graphics. Together with the
black Mercury four-stroke and custom-built
CNC alloy trailer, the rig looks fantastic on and
off the water. I’ve had plenty of people come up
to me at ramps and tell me how cool the boat
looks. That’s always good to hear!Performance
I plan to follow this initial write-up with a
detailed rundown on the boat’s performance
and fishability. My work in it so far reveals it’s
stable at rest, dry and soft riding even in
sizeable chop and very stealthy due to a
noticeable lack of “hull slap”, especially in
shallow water.
The Mercury 60hp four-stroke is the max
HP for the hull. I opted for a tiller steer modelCrossXCountry 4.3m
Length: 4.3m
Beam: 1.8m
Hull weight: 165kg (std. boat)
Towing weight: 4 34kg (std. boat)
Maximum Power: 60hp
Engine as tested: Mercury 60hp four-stroke
Maximum persons: 6
Price: Basic packages start around $ 21,550.
Contact: Enlightened Boating on 07 5499 3155,
[email protected] or via
Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
enlightenedboating.(^94) FEBRUARY 2015
IMAGE
: MICK FLE TORIDIS
IMAGE
: MICK FLE TORIDIS
IMAGE: KEN SMITH