80 Boating New Zealand
Access to the transom and swim platform is via moulded
steps on the starboard side; the telescoping boarding ladder is
recessed into the right side of the platform and opens to that
side of the boat rather than over the back.
Monterey has designed this boat for a variety of roles. There’s
a ski pole for water-skiers, low-set tow-points for water toys and
a wide swim platform over the sterndrive unit. There’s no tower
and no ballast, so the boat’s not ideal for wake surfing or wake
boarding, and you’d want to add a rear-view mirror if you did a
lot of skiing, but it’s a great set-up for a fun day on the water.
There are quite a few fishing-specific features. These include
a removable swivel seat and pull-out casting platform in the
bows, a Motorguide electric motor, also mounted in the bows,
rod racks under the gunnels, and a plumbed transom live well.
Like most bowriders, the pointy end is accessed via a fold-
back split screen and walk-through between the boat’s dual
consoles. There are three cleats per side, but no fairlead, and
the anchor is housed under the bow cushion. A heavy-duty
bow cover is available, which is handy for winter boating,
complementing the canvas bimini top we left folded for our run
in the boat.DRIVING THE MONTURA
The Monterey is a straight-forward drive. The blower operates
automatically when you turn the key, to ensure there are
no dangerous petrol fumes for a stray spark to ignite, and
the Mercruiser Alpha One leg tilts and trims much like an
outboard. No trim tabs were fitted.
The engine installation is tidy. The gas-stayed engine cover
is hinged to the rear and allows comprehensive access to the
engine’s service points and the fuel system. The starting battery
is in a separate locker and bilge pumps (two, one positioned aft
under the engine and one amidships) empty any water that finds
its way onto the decks. Fuel capacity is 121 litres.
In Kinloch Marina the boat proved easy to manage and quite
manoeuvrable; once out in open water beyond the five-knot
buoys, it leapt onto the plane as throttle was applied, settling
down to a nicely level riding attitude. As you would expect,
trimming the leg allowed a little bow up or bow down trim, but
the usable trim range is fairly narrow.
The boat hangs on nicely in the turns, not heeling over
excessively nor sliding a great deal. The lake was calm but
performing doughnuts soon threw up enough wake to prove
the boat isn’t easily thrown off line and cuts nicely through a
chop. It’s a fun boat to drive enthusiastically with ample power
for skiing and a relatively quiet runner too, even at full throttle.
The big V6 Merc gave an indicated top speed of 50mph
(43.5 knots) at 5,100rpm during our play with the boat. The
gauges are analogue, set into a moulded dash console with an
attractive brushed aluminium and black leather-look wheel.
There’s no dashboard space for flush-mounted electronics,
which would have to be bracket-mounted or positioned away
from the helm. A VHF radio would have to be mounted under
the fascia perhaps, or somewhere on the other console.