DRAGO 18ft OPEN FISHER | Sea Test Report

The name DRAGO BOATS is well reknown, both abroad and all over Europe. With 2 major European Boat Shows just over in Paris and Athens, DRAGO BOATS are very confident that their market share for 2010 is on the increase. Many attributes that contribute to this growth are: the slow recovery of the economy which is already being felt across Europe, the new DRAGO BOATS Launched which include the DRAFO 545FS Fishing Timonier - Fast Fisher with Cabin and Hard Top, The new DRAGO 610 center Console Boat and the new DRAGO 610SD - a walk around of the above model plus the new 2010 flagship: the all new DRAGO FLY BRIDGE 36 yacht. Quality - Price ratio has been a strong hold for DRAGO BOATS & YACHTS and this is a major factor for their success. Those keeping pace with current boat sales will already be aware of the impact DRAGO BOATS have made throughout Europe and their recent rapid progress in to the UK & French market.

Drago Boats is a family run business working out of Koropi Attikis, Athens, Greece. Established in 1969 the company has expanded rapidly throughout that time building in excess of 23000 craft of various types, with 90% of their product being exported far and wide across Europe. Their annual production is now in the region of 800 individual craft. Drago’s well earned reputation has been based on a hand build policy, with all stainless steel fittings, windscreens and upholstery all done in house to maintain overall standards.

The new DRAGO OLYMPUS 540 - OPEN FISHING - CENTER CONSOLE BOATS

BUILD FEATURES:
Looking at the DRAGO OLYMPUS 540 hull on the trailer I’d classify it as a medium deep V hull. She was married to the new SUZUKI DF50hp Four-Stroke EFI fuel Injection engine. Also, having seen the build construction, the hull is fully reinforced with latitudinal and longituding supports making the DRAGO OLYMPUS 540 a unique boat with a very sturdy build!

Checking the side profile of the boat she’s dart shaped with a neat downward curve at the stern giving the boat a sleek quality that suggests speed. Dressed all in white with grey fendering and a minimal blue stripe set off with the stainless steel fittings it produces a very neat functional looking boat that is easy on the eye.

I also noticed that the navigation lights are neatly built in to the outer gunnel either side of the bow.

The bow carries a solid looking and feeling stainless steel bow roller that runs fully around the bow and back past the console to give good inboard security. Forward fixings include a stainless steel bow roller and two T cleats for tying off, one either side of the bow, plus a roomy anchor locker with a hinged hatch. DRAGO BOATS boast of the largest Stainless Steel workshop in Greece. they in fact manufacture all the stainless steel products used on all of their boats in Marine Grade 316 Stainless Steel and supply many other boat builders all over Greece, Norway and Holland.

The seating runs around the bow’s U shaped inner deck forward of the console. The seats hide one large single storage locker either side, plus another at the bow ideal for carrying spare rope, anchors and fenders. The upholstered seating is comfy and easy to keep clean, and you also have upholstered backs on the inner gunnels sides for additional comfort.

The gap between the forward seats houses a removable table which can be utilised as a sun bathing area with the family aboard, or be removed fully when you’re fishing.

The console sports a tinted top screen bolted in place, with a stainless steel upright grab bar surround. A small shelf at the rear base of the screen has enough room for a Fish Finder and GPS mounted on brackets. There is also room for a VHF with a protective flip up cover to be housed in the forward facing edge of the upper console if, like me, you prefer a fixed set rather than an hand-held for any offshore work.

The port side forward facing edge of the console also offers plenty of space for additional instruments with the switch panel on the starboard side. The wheel is also positioned on the starboard side and is a very grippy but comfy car type. The throttle lever is on the outer starboard side of the console and is easy to operate and comfy positioned just above knee height.

The console also has an in built large storage locker with hinged hatch access, plus you have additional storage via a hatch locker at your feet just rear of the console. The 540 is supplied with two upholstered and very comfy swivel seats with strong backs that are excellent when working a boat in to a good lumpy sea giving you something to brace yourself against.

The gunnels are nice and high, plus have the additional safety rail to work against. Even the rear edges of the gunnel without a safety rail are high enough for good security when working on deck. On the inside edge of each gunnel you have a built in shelf area for carrying smaller items of tackle.

The transom has a full length seat, again upholstered and hiding two large storage lockers for fuel tank, batteries etc. This still leaves plenty of room between the swivel seats and the built in transom seat for two people to fish very comfortably.

The starboard rear gunnel carries a bayonet type plug in socket fitting that carries a Steaming Light set on a 4-foot chrome bar giving the steaming light more height when you need to be seen. You also have T cleats on each stern corner.

The splash well is impressively deep and has dive platforms or step aboard platforms built in to each corner. There is also a dive ladder fitted to the starboard side, though the review boat was straight out of the factory and was awaiting the ladder being fitted. You also have plenty of room to fit an auxiliary engine bracket for the essential second means of propulsion.

I also noticed that the deck was heavily stippled which gave excellent grip on what was a wettish day thanks to a decent sea and wind whipping up lots of spray. The deck is also fully self draining.

Taking the time to have a careful look around the craft the overall finish on the review boat was very good with no obvious mould blemishes and all the fixtures and fittings were well made and securely fixed in place with quality fixings.

There were no rod holders fitted to the review boat, though you have the choice of adding screw on ones to the safety rails, or adding stainless steel rod holders recessed in to the gunnel tops.

TEST FINDINGS
Easing the boat out through the 4-knot inner limit there was a good force 4 to 5 northerly wind blowing with a chill factor that cut you to the bone. It had created a short, confused and in places very bumpy sea as Matt Knowles of SVBC and I pushed her out to open water with the Isle of Wight Ferry just behind us.

Easing the throttles forward gently at first to get the feel of her you see the bows lift quickly as she attempts to find the plane. Add more power and the boat takes off settling down at the bow and skipping across the surface. Increasing power from here on in and the boat instantly reacts leaping forward, and bear in mind this is with just a SUZUKI DF50hp outboard max hp Ce Certified rating is a 90Hp.

Just handling the boat through general manoeuvres I quickly discovered this is one very nimble and predictable boat. What you do at the wheel you instantly get from the boat, and with precision. If you really know your ground she’d be perfect for zipping around shallow reefs after bass when you’re working lures or fly fishing.

Taking a steady run with the waves at speed produces little in the way of hull chatter and you don’t feel wave judder coming back through the hull either, and given the bumpy conditions I was certainly expecting some.

Easing down the power, I brought the bow around, then took off again at speed running across the general wave direction. I was looking for a tendency for the boat to try and either slip sideways as a decent wave pushes on the full length of the hull, or for the boat to lose her balance and try and flip and she rode the sharp angle of the wave as it crests. In reality the DRAGO OLYMPUS 540 held her course well with no sign of sideways slip or unbalance, and only slight wheel correction needed to hold the course across the waves.

It was time to see what the hull could do heading in to the waves, and inevitably in to the wind as well. I was expecting getting soaked frankly. There was a decent wind blowing and sat in a centre console you’re bound to take some water heading in to the sea and weather. Again though, I was pleasantly surprised that even pushing the boat in to the weather harder than I would under normal circumstances there was relatively little wind blown spray reaching us sat back in the seats. I watched water lifted by the wind get mostly pushed out and blown to the side of the hull rather than come showering back on deck. I did get a wash of saltwater on my face a couple of times, but I’ve been far wetter in better weather and sea conditions when working other centre consoles. Easing down on the power to normal speeds and next to nothing got back on deck.

Maintaining a good speed in to the wind and sea the hull proved to have excellent sea keeping. The bow lifts to the wave but does not bounce, it rather finds the top of the wave and cuts through it. This creates a pretty comfy, safe and predictable ride. Even though we were really attacking the waves head on the hull keeps on a true course making the helmsman’s life an easy one.

I turned the boat around in amongst the bumpiest bits of sea with no problems, again a tight turning circle seeing the boat remain stable for the occupants and any gear on deck. The power off and the boat at the mercy of the wind and waves and again the 540 proved very stable under foot, even when you walk about on deck and with two of you biased to one side.

Sat at the helm, you have excellent vision to sea level and the boat rides flat enough to allow you to run at speed and still read the sea in front of you while sat. Some centre console can tend to ride high at the bow and limit forward vision.

I got Matt to reverse the boat in to the waves and the bulb of water created only washes in and back out of the splash well, only the odd drop or two of water splashing high enough to get back on to deck when you challenge a really big wave in reverse.

I’d happily take the 540 a few miles offshore in good seas for a day’s reef pollack fishing with lures, drift fishing over banks for flatties, and general fishing for rays and tope. This boat though, really comes in to it’s own for reef bassing when you need to work several different areas close inshore as the bass adjust to the tide. Its speed and agility, easy launching, plus its design allowing easy movement within the boat for its occupants makes it the ideal craft for short early morning or late evening trips after work. On those oily calm days I’d also work much further offshore for sharks. Fighting a big shark from a centre console is so easy without superstructure to get in the way and allows the use of much lighter tackle.

She’s also versatile enough to mix business with pleasure and take the family out for a day afloat or a spin round the bay with some comfort.

Launching and retrieval was simple and straight forward. Honest I was taking pictures, not shirking, but watched the lads launch the DRAGO OLYMPUS 540 in a matter of seconds, and she came on just as easily and just as quick. You can tow here with a normal family car too.

THINGS I’D CHANGE
The only thing I’d add myself if I bought a 540 would be an additional upright grab rail positioned on the forward facing edge of the console and biased towards the port side. This would allow the seated passenger to grip the upright bar around the console with the left hand and the grab bar with the right hand when the boat is being forced at pace in to rough weather and lumpy seas.

The SUZUKI DF50hp proves a good economical choice. It gives a maximum speed of around 35mph and a fuel consumption figure of about 17-litres per hour. She’ll cruise around 25mph. I think though, a motor in the region of 70hp would be a phenomenal partner for this boat and produce incredible performance. The boat is rated to take a 90hp, but for mainly fishing the 70hp would give stunning performance.

FINAL CONCLUSION
Frankly the DRAGO OLYMPUS 540 would rank as one of the best centre consoles I’ve been in. Very stable when made to work both in to and across a good sea, stable on the drift with people walking about, plus its relatively dry when seated at the helm and working in to a wind.

You’ve good deck space available for two anglers at the bow and room for another two up front for a short session. The upholstery is robust and easy to keep clean, plus you have lots of storage space that is well thought out for convenient access.

What also makes the difference for a lot of small boat owners is that the family can get something from this craft too, away from fishing. Its ideal for those summer jaunts for a picnic at sea, a little sightseeing around the bay, or just plain messing about on boats type fun.

The new DRAGO OLYMPUS 540 (18ft) can be viewed at MECCA MARINE, St Paul's Str., St Paul's Bay. Tel: 21 573278 - 79732783 www.mecca-marine.com