Noble Supervee 7.5 Lifestyle Review
Noble's SuperVee 7.5 Lifestyle joins the ranks of big trailerable boats that are targeting a cross section of the market looking for the best of both worlds.
Its full-size cabin features a V-berth with a polished timber table pedestal mounted in the leg well which collapses to form a double bed infill. Without the table deployed as a bed base, there is ample room for two to sleep on the bunks which cover stowage areas below.
On the starboard aft end of the cabin, a walk-in head and shower is constructed against the dashboard bulkhead. The inside wall of this compartment features a large vertical hatch that allows access to the rear of the electronics installed at the helm.
The hot water in the shower emanates from a 12V heater installed below deck, while the head is emptied via a pump that takes the waste to a cartridge system that is accessed near the leg room for the skipper. This is ideal as it negates any odour within the cabin when being removed for emptying. This cartridge may also be connected to a waste station pump for draining while securely installed. Toilet paper is stowed on a roller behind a spray proof hatch with the shower rose and taps behind another. Privacy to this compartment is afforded by a sliding shutter style door that optimises space both inside and out in the companionway, while looking very neat.
The fascias of the galley and opposing helm seat base were finished in light coloured polished timber. The helm seat is a double with a short back rest for the skipper while a seated passenger next to that position has a flat cushioned base to sit on.
The dash layout consisted of a raised brow well back against the screen which held Evinrude instrumentation and a large flat area between the wheel. The brow might be used for low profile stowage perhaps but inclusion of gimbal mounted electronics here would block the view of some of the instrumentation.
WEATHER PROTECTION
Generally in plate boats of this size, we see full wheelhouse structures but in this case, the Lifestyle may be open air at the helm with the rolling up and/or removal of the clears suspended from the hardtop on sail track. Use of this type of fixture lends towards a much dryer experience in big seas and heavy rain than with the zipper top type, which can leak and allow water onto the helm station. This style of open air layout would be welcomed in the tropics.
The helm seat module has a multi-drawer tackle rack flush mounted above a padded seat which is hinged and when opened, reveals the engine oil bottle for the Evinrude E-TEC. Oil bottles for the E-TEC engines come in two sizes and above 150hp, the larger version is supplied. This compartment has enough room for a spare 4lt oil bottle and then some for maintenance tools. As an observer seat, it is ideal if you have a skier in tow or watching a spread of lures out the back, though it did lack a padded backrest which is easily remedied.
Snug against the aft end of the galley module, a mirrored seat compartment holds the gas bottle for the cooktop. Due to there being no lip on the entry to the cabin which is required for holding back settling gas from a leak; this compartment is vented to the transom via a pipe which tracks along the deck under the portside cockpit pocket. It does not interfere with the feet when standing against the gunwales.
The hardtop is well constructed with a large amount of semi-flat space to use for a small inflatable dinghy or stowage of long haul gear such as extra fuel, crab pots and the like. There are plenty of strong handrails all round on this boat and those up here will allow for ample tiedown points.
Fitted to the aft end of the hardtop is a semi permanent extension of aluminium and canvas for extra shade in the cockpit. Due to the beam of this boat, one has to stand on the gunwale and reach a long way toward the centre of the boat to access rods stowed near the centre of the rocket launcher due to this awning. A zip open panel in the centre of it would alleviate the need to stand on the gunwale in big seas.
The deckwash is installed in the portside aft pocket and plumbed through the transom bulkhead. In this bulkhead, a livebait tank is installed and over the back, above the marlin board, an auxiliary engine bracket is installed for when carrying a small tender on the hardtop.
In the starboard corner of the bulkhead, a large walkthrough aperture is manufactured and features a nylon panel safety door.
Refuelling is done through the filler in the top of the portside gunwale with the plumbing secreted behind a compartment running to the deck.
The gunwales on the Lifestyle are very wide; about 250mm plus the inner thigh padding, so there is heaps of room for top mounted outrigger poles and downrigger bases.
QUALITY FINISH
The finish on the Noble is of high quality with plenty of attention to minute detail. Of interest is the small nylon cupped washers under each stainless steel screw, designed by Noble Engineering to retard corrosion between dissimilar metals. Nice addition!
Manoeuvrability of this big rig is easy at the helm. It has plenty of holeshot power with the 250hp E-TEC on the transom and it can manoeuvre tightly at speed with no sideslip or aeration at the prop. This match of boat and motor is ideal, and even with a full load you won't need to look for more power. It has plenty of torque right through the throttle range and ambient noise in the cockpit is about on par with a four-stroke of the same horsepower.
Top speed was around 70kmh, while a comfortable cruise had the boat loafing along at around 40kmh.
While these Evinrudes come with their own fuel flow information digitised on the gauges, unfortunately it was not calibrated at the time so we cannot comment on consumption at those speeds.
Stability wise, it will be ideally suited for long stints aboard due to its very wide ribbed chines which stop a lot of the side-to-side rock and roll. The sharper entry at the forefoot of the bow and very deep V between those wide chines at the stern are what makes up the registered design of Noble SuperVee.
We tested the boat on northern Moreton Bay with 15 to 20kts of wind pushing chop to about 0.75m. The boat exhibits a dry ride and soft to boot running into/and at an angle to wind and waves.
This rig has been designed as a floating caravan and is destined to be towed around Australia behind a Nissan twin cab utility next year. It belongs to the boss of Noble Engineering and has had a lot of feminine input into the layout of the internals to make for a comfortable liveaboard over extended periods.
This writer has spent three years bussing and fishing around this country, and has been investigating this type of amphibious craft for another trip in the future. The Lifestyle might well fill the bill for many looking for a rig for this purpose or just one to cruise the bays and coastlines as a weekender.
WHAT WE LIKED
Attention to small detail, such as corrosion protection on all screws
Excellent stability at rest
Soft ride in chop while dry on the screen
Open air helm ideal for the hot tropics
NOT SO MUCH
Difficult to access rods in hardtop rodholder
Specifications: Noble Supervee 7.5 Lifestyle
HOW MUCH?
Price as tested: $152,000
Options fitted: Radio, spotlights, rear lounge/icebox, livebait tank, deckwash, head, transom door, winch, extended duckboards, and GPS/combo depth sounder
Priced from: $130,000
GENERAL
Material: Plate aluminium
Length overall: 7.8m
Beam: 2.5m
Weight: 2.5t
CAPACITIES
Fuel: 240lt
Freshwater: 90lt
Rec/max HP: 300
Max transom weight: 390kg
People berthed: 2
People day: 7 (open waters), 9 (protected waters)
ENGINE
Make/model Evinrude E-TEC E250DPXSUA
Type: Direct fuel injected two-stroke
Weight: 238kg
Rated HP: 250
Displacement: 3279cc
Gearbox ratio: 1.85:1
Propeller: 19-inch Rebel
VELS rating: 3-star
SUPPLIED BY
Noble Boats,
19 Brewer Street,
Clontarf, Qld, 4019
Phone: (07) 3283 7061
Fax: (07) 3283 6731
Email: enquiries@nobleengineering.com.au
Website: www.nobleboats.com.au
Originally published in TrailerBoat #224
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