Newcomer Making A Name
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday March 6, 1993
Excel, as a brand name, may not yet stand as tall as, say, Haines Hunter or Signature, but it boasts impeccable ancestry. Boats bearing the name are designed and built at the Florida plant of the giant of the US boating industry, Wellcraft Marine.
Indeed, Excels come from the same operation as the renowned Wellcraft Scarabs, runabouts, cruisers and fishing boats, and have quickly found a market niche, not only in the US but here in Australia.
The local agent, Chapman Marine at Birkenhead Point, has had the delightful experience of seeing every Excel go out the door almost as quickly as it comes in.
The Excel breed came into being less than two years ago, in late 1991. The first prototypes were unveiled at the famed Chicago International Marine Trades Exhibit and Convention (IMTEC) that year, and US dealers placed orders worth more than $US40 million, which is a fair indication of the craft's instant appeal.
At present there are nine different models utilising four hulls in the Excel range, and a larger, model - a 7.92-metre boat - is on the way.
Chapman Marine's sales successes to date have centred on Excel's bow rider runabouts, but Mark Chapman recently landed his first cruiser-style boat from the line-up, a remarkably stylish seven-metre boat known as the 23SE Mid Cabin.
This particular Excels is a perfect example of that particular American knack of making maximum use of the space available on board. Its interior is more spacious than really should be allowed on any seven-metre boat.
What's more, the comforts of home go boating when you do: a totally separate double berth, a main saloon featuring opposite facing sofas which transform into a roomy double berth, a practical galley, a stereo system and a fully enclosed head.
Topside, there is a delightful cockpit area for entertaining and relaxing. The skipper is well catered for, with a starboard side helm seat giving comfort, vision and control over the boat from the fully adjustable swivel.
Opposite, there's a vast L-shaped lounge, beautifully upholstered, with ample stowage for life jackets and other boating gear. Behind the helm and lounge, there's an aft lounge against the transom, with a gate offset to port giving easy access to the moulded swim platform and boarding ladder.
Below-deck access is via a plexiglass door on the centreline, while light and air is provided by a big hatch in the foredeck, sleek windows both sides of the cabin top and another large window/hatch which looks out into the cockpit from the mid cabin.
There is only minimal sidedeck space - certainly no walk-around. Access to work the foredeck and use the ground tackle - which is housed in the forward anchor locker, complete with stylish moulded bowsprit - is easily made through the opening panel in the centre of the windscreen.
Although the Excel Mid Cabin is only 2.59 metres in the beam, it is easy to get the impression below decks of a much larger craft, thanks to clever design making use of all available space. What you miss out on by not having walk-around decks, you make up for by having an impressively roomy interior.
Chapman Marine has been bringing the outboard-powered Excels in without power and installing the engines here. However, the larger Excels are imported complete and ready to go. This particular rig was powered by a Volvo Penta V6 stern drive delivering 180hp at the propeller.
Based on a General Motors 4.3-litre (262 cu in) block, the engine is essentially the same as that used by GM in Buick cars. It has a 1.6:11 gear ratio and produces its maximum power at 4,800rpm. The power is delivered to the water via a single-propeller Volvo Penta drive unit spinning a 19-inch alloy wheel.
Options from Volvo Penta are available on order, including a 5.7-litre V8 and the AD31 2.4-litre diesel. It's hard to imagine anyone would really want the big grunt of a V8. The Excel 23SE performed superbly with the V6, showing tremendous acceleration and more than adequate top-end speed. And, of course, it can do this far more economically than the big thumper.
Driving this Excel is quite delightful. It is not a big boat by any means, but you sit quite high, lording it over smaller boats as you glide by. The instrument cluster is well-placed in front of you, dials comprising tacho, speedo, temperature, oil pressure, voltmeter and fuel gauge all laid out in easy sight.
Only true finger tip control is needed to handle the silky smooth power steering. This must surely be one of the easiest-to-drive boats I've been aboard.
While the complete package offered is sure to impress buyers, what I found to be a real eye-opener was the level of equipment fitted as standard: snap-in carpets, water resistant stereo speakers, a depth sounder, an automatic bilge pump with almost 7,000 litres-an-hour capacity, privacy curtains, gas-operated engine hatch, mirrored head, courtesy lights throughout and international standard navigation lights. And everything done so well.
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 7.01 metres (23ft).
Beam: 2.59 metres (8ft 6in).
Weight: 1,588kg.
Deadrise: 20 degrees.
Fuel capacity: 231 litres.
Water capacity: 45 litres.
Price: As tested, $62,995.
For further information, contact Chapman Marine on (02) 719 8094.
© 1993 Sydney Morning Herald