by Steve Morgan •
One of the most popular boat tests we’ve completed in Fishing Monthly recently was the simple and effective Sea Jay Ranger 460 – an unpainted, tiller steer open boat with the Samurai hull. That hull – powered by a 70hp tiller Yamaha – struck a chord with anglers Australia-wide.
This iteration of the same hull is painted, has a plywood, carpeted floor and a giant console. Enter the Vision 460.
And we finally got a nice, rough day to take the test boat for a spin – 15-20 knots from the southeast with a big tide is a pretty standard nasty-day-on-the-bay.
Meeting Sea Jay’s Garry Fitzgerald at the ramp, we went over the setup and quickly deduced that this rig was for anglers who wanted the versatility to fish anywhere from a tidal river to offshore.
With a massive 2.3m beam, this 4.6m long boat holds a console that would be at home in a hull much longer. Well designed, with a grab bar all the way around the windscreen, there’s ample room for a mountain of big screen electronics and a dry storage shelf underneath.
The front casting deck is elevated from the main floor, but not so high that it’s unfishable in a bit of a sea. Underneath the floor is some gear storage and a compartment that’s ideal for the batteries for the bow mounted trolling motor.
On the water, we had plenty of opportunity to see how this boat performed in a variety of conditions. In the lee of the wind and chop behind the headland, the Vision jumped up and onto the plane with the 1.8L 75hp Yamaha showing the benefit of its displacement.
Around the corner where the waves and wind met current you needed to match the trim and speed of the boat to conditions. Get it right and the Vision lands gently, with the bow cutting the water. Try to traverse the chop too fast and you’ll land the boat on the belly of the hull and wear the bang to match.
Same as most boats? Yep, and once you learn the limits of the hull, you’ll comfortably traverse water that’s too uncomfortable to fish in.
High gunwales make this rig comfortable to fish in, especially from the cockpit.
Wound out to 5900rpm, the Yamaha pushed the Vision along at 63.5km/h, but the most economical speed was at 4000rpm, there the Vision delivered 40km/h at a frugal 3.3km/L.
Cradled on a Sea Jay aluminium I-beam framed trailer (manufactured by Dunbier), the Vision isn’t so heavy that you’ll need a specialised 4WD to tow it. Like the rest of the boats in the Sea Jay range, the warranty is effectively doubled with the purchase of the factory-matched trailer. It’s good value in our eyes.
The single axle setup is achievable with a half-ton hull weight and allows you to manoeuvre the boat in tight garage situations.
Overall, the 4.6m Vision would suit an angler that wants the best of all worlds, with a bent more towards bay and inshore fishing than estuary work.
For more information, visit www.seajayboats.com.au or like Sea Jay’s Facebook page (Sea Jay Boats) for updated or new models.
SPECIFICATIONS
Length overall 4.74m
Bottom 4mm
Sides 3mm
Beam 2.3m
Depth 1.24m
Floor ribs 11
Capacity Five persons
Hull weight 495kg
Max hp 75
Max motor weight 175kg
PERFORMANCE
• Top speed 63.5km/h at 5900 rpm
• Best economy at 4000rpm of 3.3km/L