The brand Kingcraft is synonymous with recreational boating in WA, making its presence widely visible on the water about 40 years ago. As BARRY WISEMAN discovered, this iconic hull is now back in production.

THE flared bow, full length strakes, acute chines, and planked keel made the Kingcraft a popular purchase back in the days when marine identity Brian Saggers and Hayway Marine were household names in the West.

In the late 1990s the Saggers family acquired Kingcraft Boats which specialised in manufacturing high spec fibreglass vessels ranging in size from 4.8-5.7m.

Other opportunities came along and sadly the name slipped from the new boat listings at our boat shows.

Now the moulds of the Kingcraft Classique 21 have been dusted off by Andrew Wright and his team of engineers and shipwrights at ShockWave Marine in Bibra Lake and are being marketed by Seasport Marine of Kelmscott, with former WAngler columnist Ryan Augustin at the helm.

The Kingcraft hull was always a great mover and shaker, remarkably dry thanks to the flared bow, plus its agility came largely from its planked keel at the transom.

I boarded many earlier Kingcraft vessels when they sold through Hayway Marine on Great Eastern Highway, Belmont, around 25 years ago and while skimming across Cockburn Sound in the new Classique 21 my mind flashed back to those days.

With its sharp entry, we were on the plane in no time, the wash under the bow vanished from view just forward of the curved windscreen, and the stability at speed plus effortless turning power came from the planked keel design below the water.

The flat bottom at the transom means there’s no resistance when turning the steering wheel.

The strakes and chines give this vessel the ‘hugging’ power to manage tight turns.

We left the ramp soon after 10.30am on the promise from the weather bureau that the stiff north-easterly wind would drop soon.

If anything, it increased as we sped towards Garden Island.

The wind was a good 23 knots, but with the Honda 225hp V6 on the transom, the Kingcraft Classique 21 ate it up.

Not a hint of spray across the screen as we twisted and turned.

With no instrumentation fitted, a deliberate move by Seasport Marine, Ryan tapped into his mobile phone app to record our on-water performance.

Seasport Marine is marketing this Kingcraft Classique 21 as a basic boat/motor/trailer package aimed at making it more attractive for buyers.

“The theory behind this vessel is to keep it a blank canvas to keep the price down,” Ryan explained.

“To keep it simple, so people can decide on a fibreglass or soft top, select whatever navigation instruments they require, and fit it out over time if they want.

“About every boat these days is sold with all the frills and electronics included and it’s an extremely expensive exercise.

“I wanted to go back to the old days when you could buy a boat, select the size motor you’re happy with, plus a decent trailer. All within the size of your budget.

“As it comes now, this is a very safe, capable offshore rig at an attractive price.

“You could argue the 225hp Honda is too big, and the vessel would be just as happy with a 150hp motor.

“I deliberately put the 225hp on to evaluate the new V6 from Honda.

“It’s more than enough for this vessel and customers can always downsize.

“The same goes for the electronics.

“The vessel has a large dash that can accommodate the biggest 16-inch flush mounted monitor.

“We have left it bare so people can choose their preferred unit on the initial purchase or can fit one later down the track, according to how much they want to spend.

“The same goes for the targa and bimini.”

Many boaters these days like a project.

They choose to set up the vessel themselves, or with family members and mates over time, and according to the size of their wallet.

There’s much satisfaction doing it yourself, plus saving dollars.

When you start using your boat, you discover additional features you would like to suit your needs for fishing expeditions or family outings to Rottnest Island.

“By presenting the Kingcraft Classique 21 as a bare boat with motor of choice plus alloy trailer, boaters can build their dream,” said Ryan.

“Our main aim is to save people money.

“Most vessels at the recent Perth Boat Show were presented as complete packages but they are very costly.

“We had a lot of interest in the Kingcraft, and many people liked the idea of completing the fit out themselves.

“We can always add optional extras of course, but there are those who want to complete the job themselves when they have the funding.”

The Classique 21 has a superior fibreglass finish in white, a spacious and light cabin with twin bunks, plus infill cushion converting the sleeping arrangements to a double.

Although not fitted, a plumbed toilet can be installed.

A hatch in the roof provides ventilation and access to the anchor well on the bow.

Two portholes port and starboard fill the cabin with natural light, plus the open doorway gives plenty of ventilation on a warm night.

A roll-up soft canvas cover would give privacy.

As mentioned, the helm station is spacious.

All that was fitted this day was the engine management unit for the Honda V6 on the transom, a switch panel, plus the ignition.

The passenger dash has a large bin-like moulding for a glove box, wide and deep.

It is capable of holding binoculars, EPIRB, vehicle keys and so on.

The skipper has a stainless-steel cool drink holder built into the dash moulding.

The cabin walls come with double shelfing which extend both side of the vessel to the transom.

You can never have enough shelves and storage for ropes, gaffs, and boat hooks.

Immediately behind the twin deluxe swivel seats, are single seat boxes with cushions, providing dedicated seating for four.

These double as a step when getting into the vessel.

The swivel seats come with bolster cushions, giving support to the lower back when standing at the helm, and the seat boxes below have storage hatches built in for tackle boxes, etc.

Footrests for the skipper and co-pilot are moulded into the forward bulkhead.

Below the self-draining deck and between the seats, there’s a large, insulated kill tank come storage hold when making long-distance road trips.

A wide beam means plenty of rear deck space, with fishing room for four or space to carry three or four rock lobster pots offshore.

The double side pockets run either side to the transom, where on the port side there is a lift-out panel door with the same dimensions as the transom.

It’s a tight fit, sealing the aft section as it slots into place.

Removing the door leads to the marlin board and stainless-steel folding ladder.

The Kingcraft Classique 21 features that flared bow and high shoulder just forward of the helm, resulting in deflecting the water away from the boat.

Heading astern, the side walls gradually reduce in height and turn into a swallow tail design at the transom, making for ease of boarding at the jetty.

A safety factor when children are onboard, the interior height from deck to gunwale is 800mm.

With no sign of the north-easterly dropping we headed west towards Garden Island.

With the wind behind us, we were soon on the plane.

With little effort we reached 3500rpm doing a speed of 24 knots, burning 17 litres of fuel an hour.

Trimming the motor, we were then doing 28 knots at 3800rpm, still using the same amount of fuel.

Dropping back to 23 knots, Ryan turned the wheel 180 degrees and back into the stiff wind, an exercise that produced no spray whatsoever on the five-piece curved windscreen.

Trimming the nose right down, he poured on the power in a choppy sea.

It was very impressive, and we were doing almost 40 knots in no time.

The same agility and turning power is still there in this later Kingcraft hull.

Previous boat tests had produced a top speed of 45 knots, a target we did not consider due to weather conditions.

Again, Ryan pointed out the Honda 225hp was an overkill.

The only reason it was installed was to evaluate the performance of this new V6 engine from Honda Marine Australia.

The Classique would be just as happy with the 150hp Honda on the back, which is $13,000 cheaper.

ShockWave Marine is a local producer of power catamarans – the recreational Breaksea series in 10m or 13m models, plus the Reliance series in 9m and 13m and designed for professional use, including sea rescue authorities.

Cockburn Marine Rescue operated such a craft out of its Woodman Point headquarters.

The same design and production techniques used to manufacture the powercats have gone into this re-born Kingcraft.

ShockWave’s parent company is Stem 2 Stern Marine and director Andrew Wright points out the review boat did not include optional extras such as ice boxes and a freshwater tank.

The Classique 21 is made on order and not a mass-produced product.

It’s modern, stylish, and built locally to suit WA conditions.

It doubles as a safe, capable family boat with overnight options, or it can be a workable fishing platform, well capable of handling west coast offshore conditions.

The review boat offered people the option of a DIY fit-out according to their budget or having the work completed in-house.

Whichever way people go, it’s good to see the resurrection of a locally produced recreational family boat that has a proven record and is built for our conditions.

Being able to discuss the build with a local shipwright is worth its weight in gold.

Often local builders are happy for you to visit the factory, plus if you need structural repairs down the track, they know the design and layout which saves time and money.

The Kingcraft Classique 21 is well worth checking out at Seasport Marine at Kelmscott.

It comes mounted on a tandem I-beam alloy trailer which is manufactured by MOVE, an Australian product and part of the Telwater company on the Gold Coast.

NUTS & BOLTS

MODEL: Kingcraft Classique 21

LENGTH: 6.5m

BEAM: 2m

HULL WEIGHT: 800kg approx.

HP: Honda 225hp V6 (Max. Suited to 150hp)

FUEL: 200 litres

MAX SPEED: 45 knots

TRAILER: MOVE Boat Trailers; Gold Coast, Queensland

MANUFACTURER: ShockWave Marine; 53 Bushland Ridge, Bibra Lake

AGENT: Seasport Marine; 19 Brant Road, Kelmscott; (08) 9498 1799; www.seasport.com.au

PRICING: $120,990 as tested

PROS & CONS

PROS

• Great to see another locally built fibreglass vessel on the market.
• Catered for the DIY option or full fit out in-house.
• Tested and proven performer.
• Quality workmanship.
• Miserly on fuel, even with 225hp.
• Just as happy with a Honda 150hp on the transom.
• Light, airy cabin for sleeping.
• Room for family outings and fishing expeditions offshore.

CONS

The review vessel was deliberately fitted out as a simple boat/motor/trailer package with the aim of saving the purchaser money.

It is a project for the DIY person who gets enjoyment from completing the installation of extras that work for them and to meet their boating and fishing requirements.

It’s refreshing to meet a dealer such as Ryan Augustin at Seasport Marine who is happy to present a rig with DIY in mind.

The initial purchase is cheaper, plus you can complete the job in your own time and when you have the funds.

Alternatively, their technicians can complete the fit out for you.