Fishing Monthly Magazines's video: Tested Edencraft 6 0 Offshore with Twin 140HP SPC Suzukis

When we were driving back from a BARRA event in north Queensland, we passed a convoy of cool looking boats heading north as we were heading south. You get to see them up close, because the Bruce Highway is mostly a single lane death trap where you’re separated from the oncoming B-doubles by a couple of feet of white paint. We didn’t know at the time, but it was Edencraft’s travelling roadshow that visited various places up the east coast with Cairns as the final destination. Just hours later, I got a call from Suzuki marketing boss, Lewis Croft, asking if we wanted to test an Edencraft powered by the twin 140 Suzukis … in Cairns. There was no way I was driving back for a test but Matt Drinkall and I jumped on the big flying kangaroo to go and have a look. This was my first interaction with Edencraft boats, which are made in Geelong and not Eden as I assumed. First impressions are that they are a solidly built, heavy hull that’s designed for tackling rough water and making the ride as smooth as possible. It didn’t take too long to come to this conclusion as he headed out from Trinity Inlet in a standard, stinking northerly. Shallow water and tide versus wind makes for choppy conditions. As with all hulls, there is a comfortable cruising speed and the weight of the Edencraft whole combined with the deadrise made that speed nearly 40 km/h in the prevailing conditions. The test rig was powered by twin 140 hp BG Suzuki outboards. These motors are a 2.0 L block four stroke with an offset drive that brings the centre-of-gravity closer to the transom. They also used Suzuki’s new SPC (Suzuki Precision Controls). Suzuki’s Shane Darlington explained. “These are not only the lightest 140 hp outboards in their class, but they are the smallest with flyby wire technology. You can also get the 115hp with SPC,” he said. Boat owner and Edencraft staffer, Michael Lynch said that these were his third set of Suzukis. “I really like the balance of these outboards and the weight of these 140s make the combination perfect for this boat," he said. Michael has also been instrumental in modernising the 6.0m design. This iteration features a single piece lockable and removable cabin door, flush mounting for MFDs up to 16 inch and a redesigned and indispensable dive door through the starboard gunwale. Edencraft also feature a “wave breaker” t the top of the windshield glass. It’s a strip of stainless steel that directs the waves and slop back downwards when you’re running in nasty conditions. Otherwise, it’s a boat with a big cockpit that offers a lot to an angler. AT the top speed of 74km/h, the engines deliver only 800m per litre of fuel burned, but drop back to 3,500rpm and you get nearly 1.5km per litre combined. That’s acceptable for a rig that’s nearly 2.8t on the trailer. There’s a keel hugging 350L fuel tank which will give this boat a range of nearly 500km at cruising speeds. Less if you’re heavy on the stick. The single-stick driving option was very useful in the rougher water, with the outboard rpm synchronised. If you yearn for a smooth riding and quiet 6 metre boat where the manufacturer isn’t afraid to make a heavy hull, then the Edencraft may well be for you. Package prices (with a 300hp single outboard) start from $145,000. Michael’s rig as testes costs $225,000. Get in touch with Edencraft for more information at www.edencraft.com.au. More outboard info from your nearest Suzuki dealer. Raw outboard running shots are at the end of the video.