Sea Jay 460 Velocity Sports review

THE old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, could definitely be applied to the Samurai Hull that now adorns a number of Sea Jay boats. One model that  uses this hull is the Sea Jay Velocity, which was initially released in 4.9m, 5.2m and 5.5m lengths and either side or centre console layout.

However, due to popular demand at boat shows and after dealer feedback, an even larger 5.9m model was developed to allow boaties and fishos to venture further afield and travel greater distances to more remote locations. More recently, there has been a calling for a smaller model that has all the features of the bigger boats but is just smaller in stature.

Hence the release of the all-new Sea Jay 460 Velocity. I recently had the chance to take this boat for a run in Moreton Bay to see how it performed. The Velocity Sports (Sports meaning side console) package was fitted with a Mercury 75hp four-stroke, which is the maximum horsepower allowable on this model. Performance wise, the 75hp was ample one, two and even three-up.

There was plenty of poke through the whole rev range, with the boat cruising nicely at 3000-4000rpm. A squirt of the throttle with three people on board soon saw the speedo tick over to 58km/h at 5600rpm. You could easily get away with a 60hp on this hull if you wanted to save a few dollars and were planning to use it only one or two-up, but it is always nice to have the extra horsepower and not need to use all of it.

It is worth noting this boat had been set up to take an electric motor and additional battery in the large front hatch but they weren’t fitted during testing, so the nose popped up a little on take-off. However, it wasn’t a major concern and it was good to see the boat had been set up to take the additional weight in the bow. Not all manufacturers take this into consideration, but it is important to know how the end user is going to be using the boat so it will perform at its optimum once all the gear and accessories have been fitted.

While not technically a plate boat by Sea Jay standards, you could be forgiven for thinking it is with a solid 4mm bottom, 3mm flat sides and fully welded top decks.
Combined with the proven Samurai Hull, you enjoy a solid and smooth ride irrespective of the conditions. In fact, the harder I drove it, the better it went, especially as we travelled through the average section of Moreton Bay between Cleveland Point and Peel Island where we remained basically dry, which was impressive for an open boat of this size and considering the conditions.

Although it is badged 460, the overall length of this Velocity Sports is 4.8m, and combined with a 2.3m beam, you actually end up with a pretty big small boat. I know that is an oxymoron, but I think it is a good way to describe this vessel. It performs well above its size and has all the features of its bigger brothers but is still very easy to handle by yourself and easy to store, which is a consideration for many people.

In terms of finish, all Sea Jay team members pride themselves on delivering top-quality boats, and this is evident in the finished product. The fully welded top decks, large grab rails, precisely cut flooring, large console, solid boarding ladder and large anchor well are just some features that go towards making this a practical and well thought-out boat.

As for the large side console, it provided protection from the elements, heaps of room for modern-day electronics and I could even stand up and drive easily, which again gave it that big boat feeling. This feeling is further enhanced by the upswept bow that not only looks aggressive but gives extra freeboard on the casting deck, which is an advantage when fishing in less than ideal conditions.