552
Boat test courtesy of Sea Angler, Issue 430, 2008

| specification | PLANS |

SIMPLY THE BEST

PLAIN, SIMPLE AND extremely seaworthy – all words which initially sum up the 522 from Arundel-based boat builder Orkney Boats.

And there are some more terms that describe the boat after I tested one inside and outside Chichester harbour on a rather wet, windy and rough day – try roomy, value for money, stable and loads of fun. Those of you, who have been reading the magazine for years know that we have had various Orkney boats for years, build for us in bright yellow – the same colour as the magazine’s masthead. So we know our boats, and we especially know the Orkney range, and this has got to be the best one I have ever driven. I know she was for me the moment I saw her moored alongside the pontoon at the Northshore Yacht yard. Built in standard brilliant white hand lay GRP laced with isophthalic resin, this is a boat you can drive straight from Orkney’s yard with a standard package fit-=out (see the accompanying panel for full details) or customise to suit your own angling and leisure needs.

I would go for the standard boat, add a compass, auxiliary outboard, VHF radio, and fish-fender/GPS system and go fishing. At heart this is a true angling boat, not a tender to a super yacht, so you don’t need the bells and whistles, - and why spend the extra money anyway?

The 522 is plain and simple, but she’s no ugly duckling and sits comfortably between the equally new and bigger 592 and the popular semi-planing hulled 520. I like speed. The feeling of the wind ripping into my face always excites, under the right conditions, and the 522 won’t disappoint here. The boat in the pictures was fitted with a Mercury EFI 50 four-stroke, and what a team the make. Push the engine control forward the power kicks straight in. The boat is away like a hare and – thanks to the boat’s deep forefoot, ‘V’eed sections forward and moderate aft dead rise – she doesn’t take long to be up on the plane and raring to go. With this engine and just two anglers aboard with moderate kit, expect a top speed of 26 knots. Drop engine size to a 40hp unit and you get 20 knots, and if fuel is an issue go for 30hp engine and save money.

This boat is a real smoothie. She not only flies along, but the ride is superb – even without the ballast of anglers, fuel and kit. Outside the restrictions of the harbour I gave the 522 her head and she loved it. Only when we got into a nasty tide and swell caused by a strong tide ripping over the sandbar at the entrance to the harbour did I have to ease off the throttle.

So I like the look of the boat, I appreciated the simplicity, and I like the power, aped and sea-keeping qualities.

“I like speed. The feeling of the wind ripping into my face always excites, and the 522 won't disappoint”

“With a Mercury EFI 50 four-stoke and two anglers aboard with moderate kit, the top speed is 26 knots”

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

If you are going to keep the 522 on a wet mooring or n a marina then the self-draining cockpit will get rid of excess rainwater and spray at sea, and you won’t have to shell out on a cockpit cover.

And if you are safety-conscious – and aren’t we all? – Then the 26in inboard freeboard with inset coamings adds a feeling of safety when you are working the deck, standing at the gunnels fishing or leaning over with net or gaff. The cuddy is a masterpiece of design and it is the attention to detail that makes it all work so well. Take the built-in wiring ducts, for example. I hate to see wiring hanging around the inside of any wheelhouse and you won’t see any on a 522 – it is all fed through ducts and hidden out of the way. The built-in grab handle rail along the front leading edge of the cuddy is handy too. All boats have to work in a turbulent sea and it is handy to have something to grab when a roller passes under the boat.

The classy-looking bonded in windows let maximum light flood into the cuddy, and, of course, because they are inset into the outside of the cuddy, there’s little likelihood of them blowing in. Fed up with the front hatch smacking you on the head while anchoring? It won’t happen in a 522 because a gas strut controls the hatch.

And where have the fuel tanks gone? Despite the boat’s length of 17ft 1in, Orkney has followed the design of the bigger 592 and put them in their own under-deck locker, again fitted with a gas strut, which creates more deck working space. It also means the deck is easier to clean; there are no nooks and crannies for much to gather, or pipes and connectors for lines to snag.

The cuddy is roomy, even for a six-footer like me, and the moulded internal seats both sides are handy places to sit when it is raining heavily. The console positioned to starboard, which has a door giving access to extra stowage, has a large angled surface capable of taking wide range of electronics which can be a clearly seen from the helm. Seat boxes are secured directly to the deck. Fully watertight with flip-over lid, they provide ideal storage for tackle or spare equipment for the boat. You’ll also find stowage bins with hinged lid in the outboard well coamings.

CONSTRUCTION

The hull is stiffened below the waterline by a bonded-in GRP girder frame. Woven rovings and other strengthening materials are used in the high stress areas to boost rigidity. The one-piece deck moulding, which is bonded to the boat, is of sandwich construction using structional foam to stiffen the walking areas.