Pod drives are the perfect package for Jared
Superior performance was the key determining factor for Newcastle, Australia’s Jared Banek when he was upgrading to his current Riviera 50 Enclosed Flybridge, Carolyn Jean.
A devoted deep-sea fisherman who moors his yacht in Port Stephens, NSW, Jared measures performance on a number of levels, among them fuel economy, bluewater cruising capabilities and, importantly, easy handling when the hunt is on.
“I guess you could say I’m a big fan of pod-drives,” says Jared. “I find the way they stir the water when you are trolling a lure actually helps to attract fish.
“Pod-drives are also a lot more functional – I can pull a live bait at 1.5 knots without a worry in the world – shaft boats would go to great effort to do that, switching in and out of gear all the time.”
Jared purchased his latest 50 Enclosed Flybridge some 18 months ago and she is his third Riviera. Named after his mother, Carolyn Jean carries the same cognomen as his previous two Rivs – a 38 Open Flybridge and then a 50 Enclosed with a Cummins pod-drive package.
“I find the Volvo Penta D11-IPS950 package is great for what I want to do,” he said. “We regularly make the 32 nautical mile run out to the Continental Shelf to target a mixed bag of species … blue marlin, snapper, jewfish.
“The fuel economy is really impressive. On a good day we will run out there at 26 knots and burn less than 185 litres an hour … with a north-easter behind us on the return trip, it’s even better.”
At trolling speed – eight knots – Carolyn Jean consumes only 28 litres an hour.
“The Dynamic Positioning System is also really handy,” said Jared. “When we are chasing schools of snapper or jew, we can very easily hold station over the fish.”
However, easy handling also enhances the enjoyment when his family – wife Alison and boys Tye (9), Logan (7) and Cody (3) – are aboard.
“We have a young family and it’s important to keep a close eye on them so IPS makes the boat very easy to handle almost on my own without it being a headache.
“She’s also really roomy – the ideal boat for us and I’m very happy with her.”
Jared says he is also happy with the premium service he receives as a member of the Riviera boating family.
“I purchased my latest Riviera through Gary Lee of R Marine Port Stephens and I’m really happy with the way he looks after me with support and service – I’m really appreciative of that and the fact he’s always right there when I need him,” he said.
“I bought my first two Rivieras through Pete Devery at R Marine Sydney and he also always went above and beyond. You really do get great service by R Marine when you own a Riviera.”
As for what’s next for Jared and Carolyn Jean, he says he will soon get together with long-term deckie Adam Hardie and target a few fishing tournaments, namely the Billfish Shootout being run out of Port Stephens in February.
“They’ve just announced the dates and we’re really looking forward to giving that a go,” said Jared.
