PROJECT BOAT REPORT FISHO’S CXC 4.3 & MERCURY 60 FOUR-STROKE^93
fibreglass construction is very strong, you
obviously want to minimise scratches or
scuffing on the hull.
I based my boat on Kris Sweres’ layout. He’d
done a lot of work on creating the ideal
sportfishing design. Try as I might, I couldn’t
come up with anything that improved on Kris’
design. The guys at Enlightened Boating are
happy for customers to come up with their own
layout designs and will work with you to build
exactly what you want. For instance, I could
have opted for side or centre console
configurations, bigger or smaller casting decks,
various rod locker options etc etc. You can
basically customise the hull to suit your needs.
Luckily for me, good old Kris did all the
hard work. The design he came up with, and
which I’ve based my boat on, includes a front
casting deck with anchor well and underf loor
storage. Stepping down from the deck is a
plumbed livewell that extends across the entire
beam of the boat. Along the port side is a rod
locker that safely houses six rods up to seven
feet in length. A rear casting deck extends
across the transom area with a built-in cooler/
storage hatch located portside. A bulkhead
opening amidships allows access to the
portable fuel tank that sits to the starboard
with the bilge and live well pumps portside.
A small splash well is located at the transom.
This well has a fitting for a deck wash (which
is plumbed in with the live well pump).
Having a deck wash in a 4.3m boat is
something of a luxury but it’s proven
extremely handy in regards to cleaning up
slime and muck from the decks.
The one major difference between my boat
and Kris’ is that I opted for pedestal seats
while Kris preferred a more open deck.
Kris went with standard Sea-Dek where
I opted for upgraded Sea-Dek f looring on the
casting decks and rod locker. This tough,
non-slip material is easy to clean and very
comfortable underfoot. The Sea-Dek guys
laser cut a very cool looking Fisho logo on the
casting deck and a handy fish measurer on thelid of the rod locker.
Thanks to Kris’ careful planning and
thought, the boat works extremely well in
regards to fishability and storage. The anchor
well towards the bow has plenty of room for a
standard sand anchor, chain and 50m of 8mm
white rope. The main hatch under the front
casting deck opens to reveal a large watertight
area in which the batteries are located hard
against a rear bulkhead. In front of the
batteries is plenty of room for safety gear,
tackle, tools and anything else that requires
secure storage.
A removable lean seat can be positioned in a
centrally mounted spigot. Two anglers can
easily fish from the front deck while the rear
deck provides fishing room at the transom.
Although three up is no problem, I reckon
this boat works best as a two-man sportfisher- one casting from the front, the other from
the rear or side.
The step down to the live well is a clever
design, allowing easy and safe access from the
MAIN IMAGE: Proof of the
new CXC’s effectiveness
on inland waterways.
LEF T: The small size and
ease of use makes the
CXC a great estuary boat
for chasing shallow water
flatties.
BELOW: The boat’s
stability easily allows two
people to move around
IMAGE: KEN SMITH and fish in comfort.IMAGE: SCOT T THOMAS