Innovision’s new Explorer 707 incorporates a radical split chine that eliminates chine slap. Customers for the 707 and the 757 models can option these boats with the new chines or without.
When Innovision Boats introduced their plumb-bow aluminium boats to the New Zealand market in 2012, they were innovative and radical. As a result, they found a ready market, and plumb bows and matching fine-entry hulls have now entered the mainstream of boat design. Innovision’s latest enhancement of the Explorer 707 hull introduces a new design aspect that is more subtle, but no less innovative.
Simon Minoprio, owner and chief designer of Innovision Boats, says that they “try to push the boundaries of design to create perfection” in all their boats. This means continual improvement, even if that adds complexity to the build. The new split chine feature on this boat is a great example of this design ethos. Anyone who has overnighted on a boat knows the problem of ‘chine slap,’ which afflicts all boat types with a hard chine design.
This enhancement to the hull design has enabled Innovision to eliminate the point where the chine crosses the waterline, thereby removing the source of the noise rather than trying to deal with it afterwards. By splitting the chine into two parts – one that runs above the waterline, and one below; the new design eliminates the primary source of this slapping sound.
The above-water chine comes into play in rougher water, providing lift and improving handling at speed as well as reducing spray. At the same time, the below-waterline chine runs into a planing strake towards the stern, providing stability and enhanced ride quality. And the end result is a quieter hull, both at speed and at rest, with improved performance and smoother handling, including in a beam sea.
Minoprio admits this has added complexity to the build, since the hull panel now has multiple complex curves, and no one wants to see fairing on the hull. The split-chine is therefore available as an option on their Explorer 707 and 757 models, and will also be offered on other models in the future. The plumb bow, fine entry, and longer waterline length remain unchanged, retaining the fuel efficiency and performance of the original Explorer 707.
The rest of the boat also retains all the aspects that have gained Innovision a reputation as a premier brand. Each boat is customised to suit the purchaser’s requirements, and our review boat is destined for a Brisbane-based fisherman. Hence, the boarding platform has a high rail around it, creating a secure fishing platform on both sides of the powerful Yamaha F350 4.3L V6 outboard with electric steering. This compact, modern powerplant has no hydraulic rams or cables sticking out the sides of the motor, and the fishing platform benefits from the extra space available. One section of the safety rail unclips and swings down to form an integrated boarding ladder.
In the cockpit, a huge bait board also hides a drawer for tackle and other items. A live-bait tank sits under the port-side step-through, and fishing rod racks are hidden under the gunwales. Of course, rod holders are located all around the boat, including eight on the rocket launcher and five along the bait board. Another Innovision feature is found on the port side – an outward-facing saltwater jet, allowing hands to be washed without getting muck or water inside the boat. Tubes tucked under the transom corners cleverly provide a place to stow the fenders when not in use. The cockpit is lined with premium grey EVA foam decking from BoatDek, for soft, secure footing in all conditions. The gunwales and even the boarding platform are similarly topped with this material.
The main cockpit seating can be customised, and the review boat had premium helm and passenger seats that could be rotated fully around to face the stern. A fold-away foot pedestal meant the skipper could be comfortable either seated or standing. Facing the cockpit was a second padded seat that creates a space underneath perfect for stowing a chilly bin. Three flat-pane front windows, one with a wiper, ensure there is no distortion that sometimes occurs with curved windscreens. And the side windows have large sliding openings to allow fresh air in as required.
The helm instrumentation set into the carbon fibre-faced dash was superb. A large Garmin touchscreen multifunction display provides chart plotter and fish-finder features, while a Yamaha colour display gives engine parameters. A panel for the Zipwake interceptors provides dynamic trim control, although there is almost no reason not to leave these on automatic. Innovision-branded touch switches control various accessories such as the lights, wiper, and pumps. The digital controls for the Yamaha outboard are set into a recess to the skipper’s right, which also provides a handy location for keys, a cell phone, and the like.
The fully lined forward cabin is generously sized, with well-cushioned squabs, and an infill that turns the two single bunks into a huge double. Although the review boat did not have a plumbed toilet, there is provision for one under the central squab. A hatch provides light and an emergency exit to the foredeck.
Access to the bow area is easiest by walking around the hardtop. The soft EVA deck covering and grab handles along the side of the hardtop make this easy. Given the intended use in Australia, where casting lures from the foredeck is common, the front deck area has the same grey EVA deck covering for comfortable barefoot use. A robust mounting plate for a trolling motor has been fitted to the port side of the bowsprit, although the electric will be installed by the customer after delivery. A Maxwell windlass is installed, and the bowsprit is set flush with the deck. This ensures there are no protruding edges to stub your toe against, in keeping with the intent to allow fishing from the foredeck.
We launched the boat at the Outboard Boating Club on Auckland’s Tamaki Drive and headed out. The electric steering and digital throttle make the boat a pleasure to drive, and of course that latest-generation Yamaha is super-quiet, even at high revs. We were soon out of the inner harbour and could open her up. With three people on board, we were cruising at 27.6 knots while the engine was humming along at a mere 4,000rpm. At this speed, fuel consumption was a very respectable 1.6 litres per nautical mile.
The motor can run considerably harder than this, but the conditions on the day were perfect for a boat review – quite choppy, with sizeable swells. This meant we could get a good feel for the boat’s handling in the conditions, as well as capture some dramatic photos. However, we could not really test top speed, but this should easily be in excess of 40 knots.
Speaking of handling, it was standard Innovision – in other words, very, very good indeed. She handled the big swells with absolute ease, and although we took some spray on the windscreen, that was due primarily to the wind. We punched through some massive water and executed tight turns without feeling in any way concerned. Cutting through large swells and a big ferry wake was dramatic but completely comfortable – and surprisingly quiet. The handling when the waves were beam-on was smooth, with the boat easily dealing with the conditions.
We also stopped in more sheltered water to do the video interviews and were able to test the effectiveness of the split-chine hull. If you listen to the audio of that video interview (scan the QR code), you will get an idea of how much chine slap there was – virtually none! In conditions where most hulls would produce a constant bang-bang against the sides, the Explorer 707 was almost silent. In my opinion, the new design is a winner, and as a light sleeper, I would certainly want this feature on any boat I planned to overnight on.
Heading back into the harbour was undramatic, and we were comfortably able to maintain a speed that most other runabouts on the harbour that day chose not to match. Once back at the ramp, we pulled the boat onto her custom tandem-axle braked aluminium trailer, which is also made by Innovision. The design features continue on the trailer, with a sturdy step along either side that can be stood on or even used to climb aboard from the raised mudguard area. A walkway down the centre of the trailer overcomes that age-old problem of how to walk down a slippery boat ramp to attach the winch cable to the bow when retrieving the boat.
Overall, this boat is another example of the high standard that Innovision holds itself to. It bristles with innovation and striking design features, such as the use of rounded rectangular rails rather than the more usual round tube. The grab rails along the foredeck are also custom-made with the same chunky rectangular profile. Together with the steeply raked windscreen and dramatic black-and-white color scheme, the overall package says this is a boat that clearly means business. The finish is impeccable, with almost every surface lined or painted to a very high standard, and we could not find fault with any aspect of the presentation.
