AN article by Fisho writer Kris Sweres
published in the October 2013 edition got me
thinking about a new estuary/inshore boat.
Sweresy had just got himself a 4.3m CXC
from Queensland-based Enlightened Boating.
His article and images revealed this vessel to
be a sweet little sportfisher with some
interesting and unique design features.
Many emails and conversations with Kris
about his new boat, plus feedback from other
CXC owners, including well-known anglerSteve Starling, who’s been running a 4.8m
CXC for several years, resulted in me
becoming more and more interested in
owning one of these neat little boats.
Long story short, mid last year I ordered a
4.3m tiller steer model from John Hall,
Enlightened Boating’s affable and laidback
MD. Some months later I drove up to
Enlightened’s HQ at Caboolture, north of
Brisbane, and took delivery.
Now, after about 20 hours of on water use,I can make an initial report on the boat’s
performance and features.
The first thing to note about CXC boats is
that they feature a unique resin infused foam
construction. This technology is common
with high performance race yachts and is also
being used to build warships. In simple terms,
high density Diab foam is “sandwiched”
between gelcoat and fibreglass inner and outer
layers and is then infused with resin under
vacuum. This creates a very strong yet
extremely light hull.
The infused foam construction is also
much thicker and more solid than you’d find
in an equivalent alloy or fibreglass hull. For
example, the transom on my CXC is 55mm
thick, the hull is 20mm and the internal
bulwarks are 28mm. This provides for a very
quiet and soft riding hull.
A replaceable keel guard is an optional
feature on CXC hulls. This allows peace of
mind when pulling up on gravelly beaches or
concrete boat ramps. Although the foam/A new boat is a beautiful thing. Jim Harnwell provides
an overview of Fisho’s latest project, a slick CXC 4.3.
A Little Ripper!
(^92) FEBRUARY 2015