the sides of the hardtop, complemented by stiff Reel Rods game
poles. There’s a good-sized live bait tank under the port-side
transom walk-through and a pair of tuna tubes built into the
transom bulkhead on the starboard side. Dead bait storage is
taken care of by a large removeable ice-box or two.
For divers, and to board the boat while it’s on the trailer,
there’s a simple but sturdy aluminium T-type dive ladder on
the port side.
The Game King is a hardtop. Josh considered changing to a
centre-console early in the build process after experiencing the
ride and handling of a smaller centre-console Extreme.
“I really liked all the deck space and it handled beautifully,
but in the end, I decided to stick with the hardtop and I’m now
sure it was the right decision,” said Josh.
As well as better weather protection, and comfy sleeping
accommodation for two, the Game King has a lock-up cabin,
which is a bonus on a road trip when storing a boat-full of
gear overnight. There’s plenty of storage in the cabin, an infill
squab to make a double berth and provision to fit a toilet.
The forward hatch is large, making access to the foredeck and76 Boating New Zealand
Bait Balls has the very latest Raymarine Axiom Pro multi-
function display (MFD). It’s a 12-inch unit flush-mounted
in the dash.
Axiom is an expandable system that supports the
full range of Raymarine accessories: Quantum Radar,
CHIRP sonar, FLIR thermal cameras, auto integration,
instruments, cameras and Evolution autopilot.
Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity are standard, for
seamless integration with smartphones and tablets.
Axiom Pro runs Raymarine’s latest LightHouse 3.2
operating system, which says Josh, is fast and easy
to configure. He also likes the hybrid interface which
combines buttons down one side with the touch-screen
of a standard Axiom display.
On Bait Balls the unit boasts powerful four-
channel sonar and Navionics charting. Raymarine
Wide Spectrum CHIRP sonar transmits on 60 different
frequencies for life-like sonar imagery and precise,
accurate fish targeting.
An upgraded TM265 1000-watt (50/240kHz) deep
water transducer has been fitted, in addition to the
standard all-in-one RealVision 3D transducer which
combines CHIRP Downvision, CHIRP SideVision, high
frequency CHIRP and RealVision 3D capabilities.
Quantum Radar has now been installed and the
autopilot will be fitted before we go to press. Other
accessories can be added later if desired.
A solid week of fishing put the Axiom Pro through its
paces and Josh is impressed: “Its fish-finding capabilities
are awesome, with so many useful tools at your fingertips.”
He also loves the MFD’s ability to display multiple
screens at once.
http://www.lusty-blundell.co.nzRAYMARINE AXIOM