The intention was to put as much into the Legacy Profish 30 without cluttering the design, yet maintain walk-around facilities and a cockpit close to 3m in length. Based on a proven 8.53m GRP hull extended to 9.3m - the Profish is intended to be affordable, allow one man operation, yet is able to accomodate up to 6 large adults in comfort.

To achieve this a clever two level layout was arrived at, featuring a sports bridge with a separate accomodation level below it. To ensure the maximum utilisation of space, virtually every component in the boat - hardtop, shower liner, bunk modules, bait stations, hatches, locker doors, trims and even the bases for the rolled upholstery that detail the bunk fronts - is made in its own dedicated mould. The result is a superb fit, with few if any jutting edges. The interior looks great and also helps maintain the vessel's integrity and strength, but is also very easy to clean - a prime requirement for a boat that's intended for sports fishing or hard work.

Detailed fit-out. The on-board detailing is extensive, with a futuristic, yet clean, practical feel. The hull strength is exceptional - a contracted naval architect detailed the hull and suggested it was possible to remove some of the bulkheads as there are twice as many as required for survey, yet they were retained. The intention is to operate the boat off-shore and the aim is to have it "withstand anything that's thrown at it..."

Unusual but practical layout. The deep walk-around is deceptive in that it makes the narrow cabin and sportsbridge look taller than it is. Actually it's not much higher than a similar sized craft with a flybridge. Roger Barnes, CEO of Legacy Boats remarked on this feature:

"After years of deep sea fishing I learned that the fly bridge can be a lonely place - especially at the end of the day when everyone retires inside to have a beer and to boast about their catches. Sure it's nice to have a high lookout position, but I figured I could arrive at a compromise with a sportsbridge structure. In the Profish 30 this works exceptionally well, with all vital points of the vessel visible. It also allows the skipper to quickly hand over to another crew member, move around the boat easily and eliminates climbing up and down - something to consider as age takes its toll on knee joints and sinews!"

Accomodation. This is where the Profish 30 is deceptive. From the outside one is decieved into thinking that there's little space inside. But accessed via doors set in a landing, two steps down from the cockpit level the companionway opens into an accomodation area that rivals many pleasure boats.

Large quarter berths with ample headroom are on each side of the companionway, each about a metre wide by 2.2 metres long. The galley and shower /toilet are amidships to starboard and port. The galley and shower are both lit by a Sandbrook sliding window that opens onto the walk-around area.

The galley is set up with a sink unit and a two burner gas stove (the gas bottle is in the portofino stern). Three cutlery/utility cupboards and drawers are built into the galley cabinets and a 120-litre refrigerator is fitted along with a microwave - both forward of the sink and stove area.

The shower and head is constructed from a separate liner that incorporates bulkheads that brace the boat in two planes. The toilet is mounted at the front of the shower space and is positioned under the passenger's seat in the sportsbridge above. This clever use of space still allows a 1.85 metre man to stand without hitting his head. There is plenty of head room elsewhere in the shower unit and an external vent provides permanents ventilation to the head.

V-berths are forward of the galley and shower units. These are 2m long with plenty of space so two big men can can sleep comfortably. There's plenty of headroom in this area as the space under the dash in the sportsbridge above is given over to the interior cabin.

Two Weaver hatches set into the front of the cabin, provide ample lighting and ventilation. One is a 500mm square escape hatch, required by survey and both are rated for offshore work.

The area inside the sportsbridge is comfortable and well laid out. A considerable amount of spatial overlap is designed into the bridge and accomodation areas. There is about 2.1m headroom when standing at the dash in the footwells and 1.65m in the centre walkway.

The sportsbridge has a large opening in the back. The lures, boarding platform, bait station and cockpit can be seen from the lounger in the rear of the sportsbridge. Entry into the bridge is through a hinged half-door that sits against coves on both sides and has draining space underneath. Any water that gets into the rear of sportsbridge drains back out into the walkaround, in fact great attention has been paid to drainage throughout the boat and this makes it a very dry ship even in the heaviest of seas.

In the cockpit, the fish bin in the bait station also doubles as a live bait tank if the optional pumps are installed. The bait station also carries a sink unit and the rod holders are designed to carry a barbeque. The locker in front of the bait station was designed to store a small outboard motor, but a front loading freezer can be fitted as an option.

The stern doors either side of the bait station are two piece mouldings built with E-Glass, supported on a cove either side and at the base. There are no direct water paths because of the overlaps and the more the water pushes against the doors when reversing, the tighter the seals. Both doors have large scuppers to discharge any water or spray that may come into the cockpit via the walk-around in heavy conditions.

In summary, the Legacy Profish 30 is a very well thought out and engineered sports fishing boat, incorporating the combined wisdom of an experienced design team who've worked hard to produce a vessel that will prove popular with the sports fishing fraternity. Its uses however, aren't limited to fishing. Such is the strength and integrity of the design and the quality of the build, that it will find a market in many other areas. Legacy Boats are very flexible in their approach to customisation and potential owners looking at redeveloping some of the boat's features are encouraged to contact the company.