Since 1989, Sea Jay, have been building quality aluminium boats based upon the principles of strength, workmanship and customisation. This year, 2019, Sea Jay celebrates an impressive milestone. 30 years of boat building, innovation and refining their craft. The Sea Jay Plate Xtreme range of boats are sold factory direct. Embodied within each Sea Jay Plate Xtreme boat is 30 years of learning and innovation. Centred around boat design, stability, style, safety and finally confidence. I would argue that if you wish to know what Sea Jay have learnt in 30 years of aluminium boat building. Look no further than at their Plate Xtreme range of boats.
Tough Boats
I am going to go out on a limb and assume that many of our readers also enjoy watching fishing and boating TV shows. If you are a fan of ‘All 4 Adventure’ you will have noticed Jase and Simon towing, launching, using and retrieving several Sea Jay boats over the years. Including the huge 7.2m Pursuit GS. Those boys give their boats and trailers absolute hell, as they access some of the harshest environments in the country. Without fail the boats and trailers continue to perform, a massive tribute to the design and strength of Sea Jay boats.
Now, it is about here that I could stop writing. I mean, you could just go and watch a few episodes of ‘All 4 Adventure’, witness what Jase and Simon put their Sea Jay boats through. Then turn your TV off, log into your computer, head over to the Sea Jay website – http://www.seajayboats.com.au/ – and place your order.
It is that impressive!!
However, in the interest of keeping our editor happy, I will keep writing and hope that I can do justice to what I regard as one of the most impressive aluminium plate boats in the country.
The Review
Within a few minutes of arriving in Bundaberg, I found myself standing in front of the home of Sea Jay boats. Perched on a dual axle Xtreme alloy trailer was our test boat for the day. A brand-new Sea Jay 770 Pursuit GS Plate Xtreme.
With 5mm bottoms, 4mm sides, 5mm transom, a beam of 2.49m and overall length of 7.9m, fitted with twin 150hp Yamaha’s. This is a mighty rig which oozes strength. I generally start any review of a boat, by getting underneath it, to inspect the hull. With aluminium boats I like to inspect the welds inside and out as these provide an indication of the workmanship involved in building a boat.
As I settled under the Sea Jay 770 Pursuit GS, I could see long lines of perfectly formed welds. Reinforcing, once again, my positive opinion of the quality of workmanship that goes into making these boats. My eye also caught a glimpse of something new. Something I had not seen before, and it took me a while to get myself into a position to finally understand what I was looking at.
Customisation
The buyer of this boat had requested through hull transducers to be fitted. To meet this need, Sea Jay had machined a huge piece of aluminium block to accommodate the transducers. This fairing block was then fitted tapered along the keel of the boat towards the transom. The result is very neat and did not appear to influence the performance of the boat while on the water in any noticeable way.
Before I go any further, in my usual fashion, I am going to skip over quite a few of the standard inclusions for this boat. The list of standard inclusions is extremely long. Instead I will concentrate on the practical aspects of this boat. If you would like to read all the techs and specs of the boat, along with standard inclusions and optional extras, simply visit the Sea Jay website – http://www.seajayboats.com.au/ -.
Onboard Layout
After inspecting the hull, I made my way into the boat by climbing the fitted heavy duty ladder. Stepped across the non-skid transom boarding platform and through the large dive door. Getting in and out of this boat is extremely easy. Regardless if it is sitting on the trailer in your shed or if you are boarding it while anchored at the beach. Something, my knees are very thankful for.
Once onboard, I was greeted with what felt like acres of room. If you think these boats look big from the outside, just wait till you step inside. There is plenty of space to move around in, surrounded by nice high and padded gunnels. A must for families with small children or for those of us who like to do battle with beasts of the deep who seem determined to pull us overboard.
Functionality
Side pockets run either side, the length of the rear deck offering plenty of storage space for a net, gaffs and rope. With a total of 6 alloy rod holders placed in the wide side decks. The transom is simple yet highly effective in design. With a huge alloy bait board with 4 extra rod holders sitting proud and centre. Directly below this is the plumbed live bait tank and below this a series of hatches which provide access to all the boat’s electrical fittings and batteries. Battery isolation switches are neatly tucked away to one side.
A deck wash sits near the dual fuel filters which brings me to an important safety feature of this boat. The dual motors are treated as two separate systems. I.e. each motor has its own battery, fuel line, filter and tank. Meaning if, for some reason you experience mechanical issues with one motor, fuel contamination in one tank or another fault, perhaps electrical. You can isolate one system and still manage to get home on one motor. Regardless of if you are out with your family, maybe your mates or even by yourself. This feature really does provide an extra layer of confidence to tackle those long-range adventures.
Moving Forward
Moving forward into the hardtop area and there are simply too many features to cover in this article. What I will say however, is that the helm area is not cluttered. Everything has a place and sits in the obvious location. From grab rails, to feet rests, open pockets along the side of the passenger and skippers’ seats for storage. To the generous space provided for your electronics. Everything has a home. Going back to the first paragraph of this review. I really feel like the folks at Sea Jay have learnt an awful lot over the last 30 years of boat building. And this is reflected in the quality layout of the boat.
Of note however, is the passenger’s seat box. Fitted with a forward facing DLX bolster seat. The seat box also features a rear cushion for an extra passenger and underneath this is a slide to suit a 110ltr EvaKool icebox. The hood within the hardtop and cabin areas are lined. Helping reduce noise and improve comfort. Lighting is more than adequate. Again improving functionality and safety while onboard overnight.
Why The GS ?
The GS mentioned in the boat’s name refers to the large glass windscreen. Which comes in 3 pieces, with 2 x glass sliding windows down the sides. These provide excellent visibility for the skipper and great protection from the elements.
Moving further forward past the rolled-up privacy screen and into the forward cabin. The 4” cabin bunk cushions looked very comfortable and inviting. There is plenty of room to stretch out and to store items under the bunks. A family of four or just a couple of mates sharing this space will be very comfortable. The test boat was also fitted with a plumbed toilet an appealing option for those long-range trips.
Perhaps the most noticeable feature about the cabin for myself, is the size of the forward hatch. Providing access to the anchor winch and forward deck. The hatch itself is huge, which is great news for those of us a little rounder in the belly than others. It means getting forward and then back into the cabin is very easy, safe and comfortable.
On Water
Launching the Sea Jay 770 Pursuit GS was a simple affair. Manageable on your own, but much easier with two people. Once on the water, the boat, as expected felt stable at rest. Again there was plenty of room to move around and get organised for your fishing adventure.
The pursuit hulls feature a reverse chine. Thanks to the design features which incorporate excellent weight distribution, the boat rides very well, and is surprisingly quiet. For the testing day we tried very hard to find some decent swell out the front of the Burnett River. While we could not find any large rolling white caps to break through. We did have a constant and decent sized sloppy rolling swell. Which allowed us to really witness the stability of the 770 Pursuit GS at rest, while travelling at cruising speed and at full noise.
Where and Why ?
Practically the Sea Jay 770 Pursuit GS is not a creek bashing boat; it is designed to head long distances offshore for days at a time. However, while testing the boat we did pull into a small protected area of beach. The boat was easy to handle and manoeuvre, meaning it is more versatile than just being viewed as an offshore fishing platform. Families seeking a boat capable of shorter day trips to an isolated stretch of beach will also find this boat extremely appealing.
Booking.comMy Final Thoughts
My final thoughts on the Sea Jay 770 Pursuit GS. If you are considering a new boat that is capable inshore and offshore. That is built extremely well, is comfortable, safe and very well designed. Then you must organise a test run in one of the Sea Jay pursuit range of boats. Then, contact the Sea Jay factory and talk through options for fit out.
Remember, customisation plays a big part in Sea Jay’s boat building philosophy.