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• Boat Reviews

Spencer 70 – Boat Review

• By Sam White
• Updated: February 9, 2017

I’ve always been fascinated with the back stories behind some of the incredible sport-fishing boats on the water today, especially the custom builds. Most are built for specific purposes: to travel and fish distant locations, or compete at the highest level in tournaments. Bid Time, the new 70-footer from Spencer Yachts, is something completely different.

Her owners, twin ­brothers in the paving business, enjoy a wide variety of activities on the water. They’re passionate fishermen, and although they may fish only a few tournaments each year, they target nearly everything that swims. A typical season may find them chasing tuna or fishing for sails off Florida or in Mexico. Bottomfishing for big grouper and snapper? Check. Scuba and freediving? They love it. Just hanging out with their families and kids on the hook in the Bahamas? Yep, that’s on the books too. So when they were looking to upgrade from their current boat, they went right back to Paul Spencer (this is their fourth from the popular North Carolina boatbuilder).

I had a chance to check out Bid Time in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on a blustery day in early December. Welcoming me aboard was Capt. Mark Rogers and mate Austin Spitz.

As we started going over the boat’s cockpit layout, several interesting features quickly caught my eye, starting with a 1,000-pound-per-day Eskimo ice maker and the huge dump bin that spans both the upper and lower levels of the mezzanine on the port side. “The owners love to tuna fish,” Rogers says, “so we wanted to make sure we always have plenty of ice.” The next two boxes were set up to be used as either refrigerated or freezer space, with the lower one serving as storage for rigged baits, eliminating the need for an on-deck bait cooler. Moving starboard is the engine room access hatch. On the starboard-side of the salon doorway, a Kenyon grill is housed in the top of the box while tackle storage drawers are in the front and side. The side drawers are configured to hold a huge supply of lead weights for bottomfishing, a nice custom touch. Below in the mezzanine deck is a 70-gallon livewell. And while the owners don’t do a ton of live-baiting, there’s also a secondary fitting under the gunwale that can supply seawater to either an on-deck livewell or tuna tubes. Nice.

A fully insulated Carolina-style fish box occupies the transom, along with full-teak covering boards. The rest of the gingerbread though, from the transom to the bulkhead and even the toe rail around the bow, is faux teak, a painted finish that is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. “Not only does it save a ton on maintenance, it’s also considerably lighter than real wood,” Rogers says. And it can also be easily touched up in the field.

One other notable feature was the lack of fish boxes or any other hatches in the cockpit sole. No matter how waterproof a builder makes them, any hatch will eventually leak water down into the lazarette below. Bid Time had a Pompanette rocket launcher in place for sailfish season, although it’s easily swapped out for a full-size Pompanette fighting chair when chasing blue marlin.

Engine Room

Most boat reviews begin in the engine room for practical reasons: It gets darn hot down there after running the engines through performance testing, so it’s usually best to head below early.

Bid Time features a pair of 1,925 hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines. These are the new Tier 3-compliant engines: powerful and fuel efficient. A pair of Cat 29 kW generators provide house power; Bid Time can run on just one generator if needed, but having a second backup helps when traveling to remote locations.

Forward of the engines are the filters for the Dometic Spot Zero system. This is an especially nice touch since Bid Time’s hull is swathed in a beautiful dark Corinthian blue color that would easily show hardwater spots.

There’s a Fireboy fire-fighting system and an AC/DC fuel transfer pump; even in the remote chance of both generators failing, the captain can use battery power to transfer fuel between the boat’s main tank, which holds 1,600 gallons aft and 500 gallons in the forward tank. Bid Time also holds 500 gallons of fresh water.

Living Areas

Stepping inside the salon is reminiscent of entering an upscale English pub, with its dark satin-finished walnut wood complete with crown molding throughout, an unusual touch that looks terrific. A wraparound settee to port and matching couch to starboard further lend appeal to the interior.

Each of the doors and the companionway entrance overhead are inlaid with a wood burl for a unique accent. The master suite is forward, and the VIP stateroom is to port; there’s an additional guest berth to port with over/under bunks, and a crew quarters to starboard with another set of over/under bunks. Each of the four staterooms and three heads is accented in different soft goods and furnishings, giving each one an individual look and feel.

Rather than the usual washer-and-dryer setup that’s found on many boats, the team at Spencer Yachts converted that space into a tackle locker on Bid Time. This easily holds four 80s, six 50s and six more 30s, with rods and butts broken down and locked into place — there’s additional rod storage on the bridge for nine more outfits.

The galley is another area that received quite a bit of custom attention. The countertops are made of natural granite that’s been cored to save weight, with four-drawer refrigeration, a cooktop and convection microwave oven. There are plenty of additional storage drawers that line the back of the galley, with pullouts for a Keurig coffee maker above and a custom bar setup below. The television swings out on hidden brackets to reveal an Xbox (a must-have for kids on board) as well as a full-size printer, an invaluable piece of gear when traveling to foreign destinations, which often request multiple paper copies of passports, cruising permits and other boat paperwork.

The helm is dominated by a pair of 22-inch Garmin multifunction displays, surrounded by carbon fiber in the electronics compartment. The teak helm pod holds the Cat engine displays, while the VHF radios, controls for the Seakeeper gyrostabilizer, trim tabs and other accessories are mounted in pods flanking the helm. A cool feature: In the overhead looking forward is a recessed display for the Furuno backup nav system and radar. When chasing yellowfin tuna under birds, the captain can just glance up to check the radar while looking ahead.

Two sets of teaser reels occupy the overhead: Miya Epoch US-9s offer the option of pulling dredges, while Precision Auto Reels have the speed to quickly retrieve squid chains or lure-style teasers, even from a hot blue marlin. The full Pipewelders tower looks beautiful and complements the Pipewelders hydraulic outriggers. Up top in the tuna tower, there’s another 12-inch Garmin display, engine and bow-thruster controls, and a remote for the Miya Epoch teaser reels, so it’s fully functional. On the bow, there’s a Delta anchor with low-profile chute, which offers the flexibility to anchor out in destinations that are well off the beaten path.

Construction

Spencer Yachts builds its boats with an eye on speed and fuel efficiency, so that means an extensive amount of cored materials in their construction. A cold-molded boat, Bid Time tips the scales at around 83,500 pounds, despite being 70 feet in length. Carbon fiber was used throughout the boat for its strength, rigidity and very light weight. She’s both tough and beautiful.

Performance

Our test conditions were pretty sporty outside Ponce Inlet, with 20-knot winds and white-capping 5- and 6-footers. Rogers pointed Bid Time up the beach, dropped the tabs a bit and eased up the throttles. In a few seconds, we were up on top of the seas, and soon we were cruising at 33 knots without any spray hitting the bridge curtains. Rogers says that at 70 percent load, the boat is cruising at 34 knots while turning 1,850 rpm and burning 130 gph. Bump that up to 80 percent load, and she’s making 36.5 knots at 140 gph. That’s full of fuel and against a hard outgoing tide too. Wide-open throttles yield a top-end speed of 43 knots and 200 gph. The boat also backs down at over 7 knots without taking water over the transom, and is more than a match for any billfish in terms of maneuverability.

Far from a one-trick pony, Bid Time was built to handle many different assignments with style, from tournaments and fun fishing to travel and even diving and island hopping with the kids. Whether at home in Florida or far afield in a foreign destination, Bid Time can handle anything that’s thrown her way. She’s another winner from Spencer Yachts

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BAR South Fishing Team

About the Boat…

2006 Spencer Yachts Custom Carolina – “BAR South”

Powered with CAT C-32 engines, a three stateroom, three head layout with cockpit mezzanine – this beautiful sportfish is laid out for entertaining, as well as, a great Carolina ride to offshore fishing hotspots.  Upgraded in 2009-10 with features including a new carbon fiber PipeWelders tower, all new electronics (including cameras and all the works) and an entire makeover.  She’s a fast 47 knot ride!

Recent upgrades August 2012 including having the cockpit painted, the front brow painted, the bridge deck painted, new TV’s, new VC offshore bottom paint, new cooktop, new A/C’s, new Ocean LED underwater lights, prop speed on running gear, Eskimo ice maker and watermaker serviced.

Manufacturer: Custom Carolina Model: Spencer Yachts Sportfish Year Built: 2006 Engine Manufacturer: Caterpillar No. of Engines: 2 Engine hours: 3060 HP: 1650 Fuel: Diesel

224 St Charles Way | Suite 290 York, PA 17402

[email protected]

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Spencer Yachts For Sale

Spencer Yachts are among the elite when it comes to custom, tournament-ready sportfishing boats that need to perform under an extreme competitive atmoshpere. Known for excellent performance, beautiful lines, and all of the customization options owners want today, every vessel produced is a work of art. United Yacht Sales is experienced in the building and sale of custom sportfishing boats and can assist you in your search for the right Spencer.

Learn More About Spencer And Find Your Next Boat

Founded in 1996 by Paul Spencer, on a rich heritage of Carolina boatbuilding including his father-in-law, charter captain and boatbuilder Sheldon Midgett, who had encouraged Paul to build sportfishing boats after 20 years as a successful charter captain. Paul Spencer, who grew up in the sportfishing hub of Oregon Inlet near the Outer Banks of North Carolina, began working as a deck mate while in his teens and obtained his captain’s license at age 19. His love for fishing and the sea, along with years of charter and tournament fishing, served to inform his design and construction of the elegantly functional custom Spencer sport fishing yachts, ranging from 37 ft to 87 ft in length—lean, fast, with a great ride. Though each boat is a custom handcrafted build, the distinct Spencer signature, a blend of Carolina flare and the sleek Florida style is uniquely recognizable and a source of Spencer Yachts and owners’ pride. Paul Spencer is joined in the business by 3 of his five children; Cliff Spencer is construction foreman of the entire company and enjoys tournament fishing as captain, mate or angler. Daniel Spencer, who also has a passion for fishing and obtained his captain’s license at age 21 has already won numerous tournaments; he represents Spencer Yachts in fishing tournaments and as spokesman, and customer liaison.

United Yacht Sales has a team of expert brokers that have decades of experience with custom sportfish . From winning tournaments as captains, to working with the builders on behalf of a client, to selling them on the brokerage market for top dollar, our team at UYS has the expertise you need. Whether looking to custom builder a Spencer or sell your existing one, contact us today to speak with one of our custom boat specialists.

List Of Spencer Yachts On The Brokerage Market

• Page 1 of 1

Spencer Yachts hulls are handcrafted using the cold-molded method, using modern composites in the Manns Harbor, NC facility that was built in 1996, and then transported to the Wanchese, NC facility that includes an in-house paint shop, metal machine shop (marine welding, fuel tanks, specialty shafts), and a carpenter’s shop for completion of each custom vessel. Spencer Yachts strives to utilize new ideas and exceed previous innovations for continuous improvement to deliver unsurpassed world class fishing yachts.

These progressively innovative, masterfully crafted, tournament-winning sports fishing yachts are what Spencer Yachts is renowned for.

The ever-increasing demand for speed and performance has led to use of lighter, stronger composite materials such as Divinycell and carbon fiber, and the Volvo IPS power system with joystick controls. There are several significant advantages to the Volvo IPS system first utilized in a 43 ft Spencer in 2004. Greater speed, maneuverability, and efficiency; performance is enhanced as the longitudinal center of gravity is moved back, and engine room size is reduced, allowing more living and storage space, and the smaller props create a smaller wake closer to the boat’s centerline.

Another nice feature is the switch-operated low-speed bypass to send exhaust above waterline (no bubbles below) or underwater to eliminate exhaust fumes on pleasure cruises. Spencer still builds most yachts with conventional power plants, according to a customer’s preferences and usage plans. Spencer Yachts departs from most custom yachts and production brands with a narrower flybridge in keeping with its signature sleek lines; Spencer Yachts are built with fishing in mind and must perform, spin, turn, and handle well, besides its stunning beauty and luxurious comfort for overnight or long-distance offshore destinations.

In addition to the ultimate in fishing equipment and navigation electronics, the interiors are beautifully elegant with hand-selected wood veneers, natural stones, and other high-end materials, along with the accommodations, appliances, entertainment electronics—customized to the owner’s wishes and style. Comfortable for long distance fishing trips or a family offshore fishing vacation.

Jet propulsion is another advanced technology being utilized for sport fishing vessels, with its benefits of shallow draft, increased speed, greater maneuverability, and “clean” trolling water. Combined with new composites, laminates, and post-curing methods to reduce hull weight and increase performance, Spencer Yachts has managed to hit the 50-knot mark with small 6-cylinder engines and jet-propulsion! Another advance in Spencer’s ever-developing quest to deliver the ultimate sport fishing experience for their customers. And with over 100 handcrafted yachts in marinas and marlin destinations all over the world, Spencer Yachts, has become a legend in its own right.

For those serious fishermen who want to get on a Spencer Yacht now, some brokerage yachts are currently available, ranging in price from just over $1,000,000 for a 2012 Spencer 45 Express Sportfish to about $7,500,000 for a 2014 Spencer Custom Carolina 87ft Sportfish. Model years range from a 2009 Spencer 59ft Sportfish listed at about $3,500,000 to a 2021 Spencer Custom Carolina 48ft Sportfish Express listed at $2,600,000.

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Kye Rowles invaluable as Socceroos defeat Lebanon 2-0 in World Cup qualifier

Makeshift left-back Kye Rowles is shaping as a crucial part of the Socceroos' hopes of securing a spot in the final round of World Cup qualification, as Graham Arnold waits to learn the results of Jordy Bos's knee scan.

Owing to his late arrival in Australia, Arnold started Bos on the bench in Thursday night's 2-0 win over Lebanon in Sydney , with Rowles — who is a centre-back — forced to play on the left side of a back four.

But Arnold's plans were thrown into chaos when Bos came on for Riley McGree, who had a foot injury, in the first half, only to succumb to knee trouble himself.

The pair will be sent for scans, with Arnold hinting Middlesbrough midfielder McGree and Belgian-based Bos would be unavailable for Tuesday's trip to Canberra where the Socceroos play Lebanon again.

With regular left-back Aziz Behich unavailable and Bos likely sidelined, there is additional emphasis on the importance of Rowles, who netted his first senior international goal in Thursday's win.

"We're very comfortable with each other playing at the back," Rowles said.

"Whoever's in there, we know what role they're going to do and we have full belief and trust in each other.

"It's different [at left-back] going forward, but defensively it's all the same to me.

"I'm just happy to be out there and do the job needed for the team just like all the boys in the squad.

"I'm just going to give it my all no matter what and where I am.

"I'm playing on the wide left of a back three anyway at my club [Hearts] so it's not that big of a transition."

Despite not conceding a goal, Arnold felt there were unconvincing moments from the Socceroos that would have been punished by superior opposition.

"There was a bit of sloppiness and the pitch wasn't easy to play on," Arnold said.

"We have to be better than that and towards the back of the game we gave Lebanon a bit more confidence.

"We've got to rebuild and I said that before the Asian Cup but the most important thing is we got the three points and we move forward."

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