Have you ever thought about what boat you would buy if time and money were of little consequence? I know I have. In fact every Saturday night when the lottery numbers are about to be drawn I start thinking about who I'm going to call on Monday morning to start construction of my 'perfect' sportsfishing boat.

Lets face it, if time and money weren't an issue then you would definitely build a custom boat. Why should you buy something off the shelf when you can build the boat of your dreams?

One man who has just taken delivery of the boat of his dreams is Gary Paykel of Fisher & Paykel whitegoods fame. While Gary most likely has the means to purchase a sportsfishing vessel from any manufacturer in the world - production or custom - he chose Brisbane-based custom boatbuilder Assegai Marine to build his new pride and joy.

Assegai Marine principal Barry Martin has 35 years in the trade and is extremely well respected in boatbuilding circles. Indeed, many consider him to be one of the finest custom boatbuilders not only in Australia, but also the world.

Martin's speciality is purpose-built custom sportsfishers built to survey standards in strip-plank cedar and epoxy resin.

The list of his builds isn't particularly long, but is very, very distinguished. Boats such as Assegai, Aquila (now Mauna Kea), Azzura, The Force and Amokura have all been built under the watchful eye of Barry Martin.

A longtime boatie and keen gamefisherman, Paykel had inspected many of the 40-odd-foot production sportsfishers and was heading down that track until he saw Amokura.

Sure, he wasn't looking for a 57-footer - but the seaworthiness, attention to detail and quality of workmanship of Amokura is what attracted Paykel to Assegai.

Martin already had drawings for a 40-footer, but once Paykel had supplied his list of requirements, including Cummins QSM11 powerplants and Twin Disc Quickshift gearboxes, it was agreed that a 44-footer would provide the ideal match.

Just over a year later the new Assegai 44 Levante was launched, and you couldn't meet a happier man than the Gary Paykel we met when we arrived at the Assegai factory to begin this boat review. Gary's absolute satisfaction is clearly an indication of the difference between buying custom over production, and is a credit to Martin and his team.

Levante is actually only the second sportsfishing boat designed and built by Barry Martin (the first being The Force). The other Assegai Marine-built boats were designed by the likes of Roger Simpson and David Pleysier, although obviously Martin's valued opinions were also sought in the design process.

GOOD AS A HOLIDAY?
Many consider the Pleysier-designed, Assegai-built Mauna Kea (ex Aquila), the best 44-foot purpose-built gameboat ever built - so some may question Martin's theories behind changing the hull shape when designing Levante.

The changes are subtle, however, with the most noticeable being the sharper entry - which, according to Martin, will provide Levante with a superior ride over Mauna Kea in a headsea. Of course Levante still features a sharp 21° deadrise and plenty of flare in the bow.

The forward cabin on Levante features quite a unique arrangement. There is the usual queen-sized island berth located centrally, but there are also raised single bunks on either side of the cabin. This arrangement will obviously work well in charter mode when extra berths are required. Alternatively, the bunks provide a good place to store bags when no one's sleeping on them.

Plenty of storage is provided in the forward cabin, with big drawers under the island bed, large hanging lockers and numerous compartments under each single. Ventilation is provided via a large escape hatch over the island berth and two porthole-style hatches over each single. As Levante is heading to New Zealand, Paykel opted not to fit air conditioning.

Aft of the forward cabin on the port side is the head, which features a Jabsco 24V toilet, separate shower stall and a vanity finished in varnished teak. The removable slatted teak flooring is a smart inclusion and an overhead hatch provides natural light and good ventilation.

Opposite the head on the starboard side is the guest or crew cabin. It features two large single bunks with the area beneath the lower bunk left free to store baggage and the like. Cabin and reading lights are appropriately positioned, while ventilation hatches are fitted with removable mosquito screens. Two hanging lockers and small dressers provide sufficient storage space.

At the aft end of the companionway is the pump room, which can be accessed by lifting the stairs that lead to the galley, or lifting the hatches in the galley floor. The pump room houses all the deckwash pumps, refrigeration condenser units (both engine driven and 240V), a 24V 60lt/h Sea Recovery water maker, hotwater system, inverter, 1000lt secondary fuel tank and a built-in, high-pressure washdown system with outlets in the cockpit and in the chain locker.

PRACTICALLY PERFECT
The galley on Levante is at saloon level with good vision through the side windows and out to the cockpit. It is divided into two U-shaped sections on either side of the boat - refrigeration on the starboard side and appliances to port. In my opinion, this is a much more practical galley layout than many boats you see with the galley at mezzanine level.

Stainless-steel benchtops throughout the galley really provide a clean and modern look. Separate custom-built eutectic fridge and freezer are located below bench height and feature smart foot-operated latches custom built by Assegai. An icemaker is also located under this benchspace.

Above the refrigeration on the forward bulkhead is the boat's entertainment centre, which features a plasma TV, DVD, CD and MP3 all from Panasonic. The TV is mounted on stainless-steel slides, which allow it to be put away when not in use.

The galley on the port side features a small stove with four-burner gas cooktop and a dishwasher drawer. Not surprisingly, the appliances are all from Fisher & Paykel. Other features include a good-sized pot drawer, microwave oven and an overhead cupboard with plate and cup racks.

Circuitbreaker panels (24V DC and 240V AC) are separately installed and conveniently located behind Perspex doors on the end on each galley bench. Flooring throughout the boat is teak and silver ash, although the saloon, companionway and cabins also feature a removable carpet. The teak and silver as flooring is visible in the galley, though, and clear non-skid strips have been applied to ensure grip in the potentially wet area.

The saloon features a nice, long settee on the starboard side, which incorporates heavy-tackle rod storage behind the backrest. Opposite the settee is a U-shaped dinette with island table finished in high-gloss teak.

Both the dinette and the settee are completely modular, so the saloon can be emptied in a matter of minutes to provide incredibly good access to the engineroom. This is indeed a boat that any mechanic would be more than happy to work on. 

ENGINEROOM ENGINEERING
The big centre door leading to the cockpit at the aft end of the saloon also means that getting an engine out and back in is a relatively simple exercise.

Day access to the engineroom is via a hatch on the raised step at the forward end of the cockpit. Even without the saloon floor removed, access around the twin 635hp Cummins is still very good.

That's the beauty of having a separate pump room - it means the engineroom can remain clean and uncluttered. It also lessens the likelihood of water in the engineroom due to unforeseen pump failure, thanks to watertight bulkheads on each end of the engineroom.

The engineroom on Levante really is quite spectacular, and many a production boatbuilder could learn a lot from inspecting an engineroom like this one. Highlights include an oil-changing system with 120lt reservoir, dorade boxes with removable deflector panels and overboard drains, fire-fighting system, twin high-volume bilge pumps and high-water alarm, Racor fuel filters, 800lt freshwater tank and 7.5kVa Onan genset.

Take a wander around any Assegai-built cockpit and you know you are standing on a serious fishing machine. Levante is no exception. Assegai is one of the few boatbuilders that has actually devised a scupper system that works. Most scupper systems let just as much water in than out, but the one on Levante is a cracker.

There are no scupper flaps on the transom above the waterline. Instead, there are large rubber flaps below the water that close when backing up so theoretically water can only enter the cockpit by coming over the transom. Any water that enters the cockpit quickly drains away thanks to a cambered cockpit sole and large grates in the aft corners that drain into the scupper boxes.

At the forward end of the cockpit on the port side is a bait-prep area that incorporates a sink with freshwater faucet and tackle drawers below. There is also a downstairs Furuno Navnet sounder and a lower control station with Twin Disc electronic controls. This is a great idea for short-handed crews, and I'm surprised it's not fitted to more boats in Australia.

On the starboard side below the flybridge ladder is a big freezer that would easily hold a season's worth of scad. The steps aft of the freezer and the bait-prep station not only provide access to the sidedecks, but also house the fuel-filler pipes. This is another clever idea that ensures no fuel spillage ever makes it onto the deck.

IT'S A LOCK
Lockers on either side of the cockpit run forward into the engineroom, which allows storage of long items such as gaffs and tagpoles. This locker also houses the high-pressure washdown hose. The other good thing about the locker is that it doesn't protrude too far into the cockpit and get in the way if a crewman wants to wire a fish up the side of the boat.

A Reelax 130lb-class gamechair takes centre stage and the teak cockpit sole and solid teak covering boards really look the goods. It's worth noting the high-quality and extra-strong deck fittings such as cleats hawsepipes and the like. The large outward-opening transom door also features a custom stainless-steel latch that definitely won't come undone unless you want it to.

The livewell setup in the transom is another ripper. Its huge volume and oval shape will no doubt keep dozens of baits alive, and the addition of two screw-in tuna tubes provides a new dimension to traditional livewells.

Access to the flybridge is via a traditional flybridge ladder rather than stepping over the freezer. The ladder is custom built and features heavy-duty solid teak treads.

The flybridge is quite spacious for a 44-footer and there is plenty of passenger seating provided via an L-shaped lounge in front of the helm console and a long settee that runs along the starboard side and also features rod storage below.

Helmsman and co-pilot are treated with a pair of magnificent Navigator helmchairs. These chairs really do make those rough days that much more bearable. Vision to all corners of the boat from the helm was excellent, and even when seated you could easily see the bow thanks to a low-profile helm console.

The console featured a custom varnished teak Palm Beach-style nav pod with custom teak steering wheel that sat nicely under your bum, and Twin Disc single lever controls that fell precisely to hand when in fish-chasing mode.

The console also houses two Furuno Navnet displays that run the sounder, chartplotter, radar and weatherfax. There is a Simrad autopilot, Furuno temperature gauge, trim tab indicators and switch panel, and radios include an Icom HF, two VHFs and a Panasonic CD tuner.

The hardtop features an overhead hatch, which provides access to the various antennas and also pushes a nice breeze into the helm area while underway. The only thing I didn't like about the flybridge setup was the location of the liferaft behind the helmchair. If the helmsman was at the wheel, the co-pilot would have to climb over the liferaft to get to his or her seat.

The quality of the stainless work was a standout. The bowrail, handrails, ladder, rocket launcher and so on were all produced by Paul Selby from Black Marlin Towers. Paul is better known for his anodised aluminium work these days, but he obviously hasn't forgotten how to weld stainless. 

SMOOTH SEAS, ROUGH LUCK
Unfortunately it wasn't a particularly rough day for our test so I'll have refrain from passing comment on Levante's sea-keeping ability. That said, if previous Assegai-built boats are anything to go by, then Levante should also be an awesome seaboat.

I was a little surprised, however, at how trim-sensitive the boat seemed to be as we blasted our way across Moreton Bay at 26kt. We seemed to have to correct the trim quite often, although having several rather large blokes wandering around downstairs didn't help.

The only comparison I can make is that Mauna Kea doesn't even have trim tabs, and on the several occasions I have travelled on it I have never thought it needed them.

We hope to fish on Levante in New Zealand in the near future and will no doubt have a better idea of how it handles the rough after that - so stay tuned for a follow-up report.

Top speed at 2330rpm was 32.3kt and at 1800rpm cruise revs the boat sat beautifully at 24kt. With two-metre shaft centres and spinning five-blade Teinbridge props, I couldn't believe how manoeuvrable Levante was. It spun on its own length and the Twin Disc Quickshift gearboxes are absolutely awesome. Being able throw the gear lever from full forward to full reverse without stopping is a gameboat skipper's dream - and if building a new sportsfishing machine, you wouldn't even consider fitting anything else.

The difference between custom and production that kept shining through while carrying out this review was the attention to detail. When you dug deep and took a close look at the plumbing and electrical work, you knew that the job was done properly, regardless of how long it took.

So is this the 'perfect' sportsfishing boat? In Gary Paykel's eyes it is. I'd probably change the odd thing, and so would you. But that's the beauty of a custom-built boat - what you want is what you get.