Hobby boat special: Pegazus 450 - how the assembled boat sails

In this special:

• Pegazus 450 - assemble a boat yourself
• How to position the control stand
• How to install the handrail and railing
• Installing the swim ladder, anchor roller and stowage boxes
• How to route battery cables, shift cables and steering cables
• Install the motor correctly
• This is how the assembled Pegazus 450 rides

If you're a beginner looking for your first new boat, you might not even think to look around a DIY store or boat chandlery. In a comparison carried out by the BOOTE editorial team, we tested not only the assembled Pegazus 450 from Bauhaus but also another console boat - the OceanBay MM-450 - from the now insolvent accessories dealer A.W. Niemeyer. The model (RaJo MM 450 open) is available in an identical design from the dealer RaJo Boote.

Both Bauhaus and dealers have console boats in their range which, with their manageable size but sporty motorisation, are above all one thing: a lot of fun! Reason enough to test them.

The fun starts with the purchase, because both the OceanBay MM-450/RaJo MM 450 open and the Pegazus 450 are more than affordable: the former model is available from dealers for 10995 euros. The standard equipment includes imitation leather upholstery, a stainless steel bathing ladder, cleats and railing. The basic version of the Bauhaus boat costs 4499 euros (as of October 2023), with an optional steering position 1929 euros more. An appealing start for people on a tighter budget, as all other expansion stages (forecastle boxes, railing, cushions, tarpaulin, biminitop, etc.) can be retrofitted at a later date. We have presented the modular design as part of an eight-part series at boote TV on YouTube accompanied.

The new owner also has many options when choosing an engine for both boats, ranging from 15 hp without a licence to a sporty and dynamic 60 hp (Bauhaus), which unleashes the full potential of each boat. The boats are roughly the same length, but the OceanBay/RaJo MM 450 with its self-draining cockpit sits much higher in the water and also appears much more voluminous thanks to its 24 centimetre extra width.

Equipment and processing

Both boats impress with their good manufacturing quality. Even areas that are difficult to see are perfectly sprayed with topcoat. On the Pegazus, even the sawn GRP parts are meticulously sanded and rounded. The installation of the controls and electrics on the Pegazus is the responsibility of the BOOTE crew and can therefore not be assessed. The OceanBay/RaJo was completed in the shipyard and there is little to criticise. At most in the arrangement of some elements: The switch panel is mounted exactly at knee height, and you inevitably operate the toggle switches when sailing. On the Bauhaus boat, the steering wheel and gearstick are easier to grip.

Driving and manoeuvring

Those who, like us, choose the maximum motorisation will not be disappointed in terms of driving pleasure. Thanks to a power-to-weight ratio of twelve (Pegazus) and eleven (OceanBay/RaJo) kilograms per horsepower (with test load), both boats accelerate from a standstill to planing speed within five and seven (OceanBay/RaJo) seconds respectively. The maximum speed of 30 knots is reached the same amount of time later. With the OceanBay, however, a refuelling station should be in sight after 30 nautical miles (plus 15 percent reserve) at full throttle at the latest. The Pegazus manages a full eleven nautical miles on one tank of petrol. However, both boats have the greatest range at a speed of 4000 (Pegazus) and 4500 rpm. The Pegazus can then travel 51 nautical miles at a speed of 17.5 knots, while the OceanBay/RaJo with ten additional horsepower and a slightly faster speed of 21.7 knots can travel 49 nautical miles. Due to the higher weight of the OceanBay/RaJo, both boats have a similar performance, but are completely different in their handling behaviour. This is partly due to the flatter hull shape of the Pegazus and partly to the driver's seating position. On both boats, the driver sits right at the stern - but while on the Pegazus he sits in the rearmost right-hand corner of the cockpit next to the engine and brings the centre of gravity very far back, on the OceanBay/RaJo the driver has the engine and the entire bathing platform a good metre behind him. A distance that makes a big difference when it comes to the swimming position of a boat that is only 4.5 metres long. In addition, the engine is perceived as significantly less disturbing at 79.3 dB compared to 85 dB at full load.

Due to the slight stern-heaviness when sailing alone, the engine must always be trimmed to the stern on the Pegazus at "traffic light start", because otherwise the bow rears up enormously and obscures the driver's view. It can only be raised to cruising trim in good planing speed from around 20 knots. With the OceanBay/RaJo, visibility is not impaired with or without trim. Once a good planing speed has been reached from around 3500 rpm, the wheel can be let go, as the boat is wonderfully stable with a little trim. Throttled down to a fast displacement speed between 1300 and 2500 rpm, the driving pleasure is dampened by strong vibrations of the perspex disc.

Travelling through the waves with the Pegazus 450

In rough water, the Pegazus mutates into a "flying boat" during fast wave crossings (from around 24 knots) and thus lives up to its name (that of the winged horse in Greek mythology). Even the five cm thick seat cushions provide little relief for the spine when the hull is subsequently pushed hard into the water. The OceanBay/RaJo MM 450, on the other hand, rides the waves in a much more controlled and pleasant manner. It also proves its good-naturedness during fast manoeuvres. Even in cruising trim, it can make tight turns up to 4200 rpm without the propeller drawing air, and it can slalom up to 5000 rpm. With the trim down, all manoeuvres are completed without any problems.

The Pegazus performs manoeuvres much more sportily with more heel and only reaches its limits when making very tight starboard turns at full throttle. Otherwise, the handling of the boat can be described as almost perfect. Harbour manoeuvres are a breeze with both boats thanks to very direct steering and tight turning circles.

Safety on board

The largest target group for open console boats are young families who go on short day trips. Safety is therefore an important issue. Not only the safety that is certified by the CE sticker, but above all the perceived safety. Both boats offer a feeling of security thanks to their high side walls, effective anti-slip structure on the cockpit floor and sufficient handholds. They are equally suitable for family use on sheltered inland waters. The Pegazus is a little more fun to drive. In rough water, however, the boat can be a little rough, and if the trim or load is incorrect, the nose will rise higher than a beginner would expect, which requires quick reactions. In this case, sailing on board the OceanBay/RaJo MM 450 probably feels safer for both beginners and young families, as the boat is similarly fast but a little more good-natured.

Technical details

Pegazus 450

• Shipyard: Pegazus Boats/PL
• Type: 450
• CE categoryC/5 persons
• Hull and deck: GRP
• Length over everything: 4,40 m
• Width: 1,95 m
• weight (with 50 hp outboard motor):377 kg
• Depth:0,30 m
• Fuel tank: 25 l
• Sunbeds: 2.35 m x 1.73 m
• Freeboard:0,46 m
• Interior cockpit side height: 0,64 m
• Turning circles (boat lengths): forwards 1.5; backwards 1
• Reversing in reverse direction: Stb. to Bb. 10 sec; Bb. to Stb. 10 sec
• Test loading: 2 persons, full tank
• Test weight: approx. 580 kg
• Motorisation: Outboard 36.8 kW (50 hp)
• Test motorisation:Tohatsu MFS 50A; 36.8 kW (50 hp)
• Price (standard boat with test engine and trailer): 18 990 Euro
• Distribution (test boat): Bauhaus GmbH, Gutenbergstraße 21, 68167 Mannheim
• Further information: www.bauhaus.de

The test engine

• Manufacturer:Tohatsu
• Type:MFS 50A
• Performance: 50 HP
• Full load speed:5000-6000 rpm
• Cylinder: 3 in series
• cubic capacity: 866 cc
• Fuel: Petrol
• Cooling: Single-circuit cooling
• Alternator:12 V, 21 A
• Gearbox: 2,08 : 1
• Test propeller: 11.1 x 14 x 3

OceanBay MM-450

• Shipyard: OceanBay/D
• Type: MM-450 Open
• CE category: C/5 persons
• Hull and deck: GRP
• Length over everything: 4,50 m
• Width: 2,19 m
• weight (with 60 hp outboard motor): 535 kg
• Depth: 0,20 m
• Fuel tank: 25 l
• Sunbeds: 1.40 m x 1.79 m
• Freeboard: 0,72 m
• Interior cockpit side height:0,59 m
• Turning circles (boat lengths):forwards 1.5; backwards 1 1/4
• Reversing in reverse:Stb. to Bb. 4 sec; Bb. to Stb. 4 sec
• Test loading: 100 kg
• Test weight: approx. 645 kg
• Motorisation: Outboard 44.1 kW (60 hp)
• Test motorisation: Honda BF60A; 44.1 kW (60 hp)
• Price (standard boat with test engine and trailer): 20225 euros (as of August 2020) / from 10,995 euros at RaJo Boote
• Distribution (test boat):RaJo Boote, Forster Weg 38, 41849 Wassenberg,
• Further information: www.rajo-boote.com

The test engine

• Manufacturer: Honda
• Type: BF 60A
• Performance:60 HP
• Full load speed:5000-6000 rpm
• Cylinder:3 in series
• cubic capacity:998 cc
• Fuel: Petrol
• Cooling:Single-circuit cooling
• Alternator: 12 V, 22 A
• Gearbox: 2,07 : 1
• Test propeller:11 x 15 x 3

Our test judgement

Pegazus 450

Driving & manoeuvring

• + sporty suit
• + Manoeuvring behaviour
• - Tendency to take off on a wave

Processing & technology

• + Plastics processing
• + Good quality technology
• + Self-assembly possible

Security

• + deep cockpit tray
• + stable railing and grab handles
• - Hand bilge pump missing

Comfort on board

• + comfortable upholstery
• + Sunbathing area possible
• + plenty of storage space
• - Lots of splash water from the side

Ocean Bay MM-450/RaJo MM 450 Open

Driving & manoeuvring

• + Manoeuvring
• + very good-natured
• + High top speed despite suitability for beginners

Processing & technology

• + topcoat
• - Electrical installations somewhat unclean

Security

• + thick body wall thickness creates a feeling of security
• + high railing
• - Hand bilge pump missing

Comfort on board

• + comfortable upholstery
• + huge back box
• + Seating and sunbathing areas on deck
• - Strongly vibrating windscreen during displacement driving

Video

This article is part of the craft boat special. All contents:

• Pegazus 450 - assemble a boat yourself
• How to position the control stand
• How to install the handrail and railing
• Installing the swim ladder, anchor roller and stowage boxes
• How to route battery cables, shift cables and steering cables
• Install the motor correctly
• This is how the assembled Pegazus 450 rides