2019 Haines Hunter 445R Centre Console conversion review

It now has a few hours clocked up , allowing me to enjoy the fruits of the hard work and lessons learnt along the way. That said, I won’t be rushing to do another rebuild anytime soon – although a Bertam V15 sits idle in a paddock at my father’s property. Let’s see if the changes we’ve made stack up on the water.

This boat started life as a 445R hull fitted with a 2013 60HP Mercury four-stroke outboard, costing $6900. The motor was quite new with low hours, which meant the hull and its single-axle trailer were effectively free.

Our rebuild included a new foam-filled floor and stringers, a new flat-back transom with live bait tanks, a casting deck with forward storage hatches, a large kill tank, a completely new top deck, a hull extension, underfloor fuel tank, and a custom-made centre console. Accessories added were a custom stainless folding T-Top, snapper racks, Lonestar winch, bow rail and all new plumbing, fuel and electrical system.

The boat is optimised for estuary or inshore fishing. The bilge has two pumps – manual and automatic – recessed under the transom. Three live bait tanks plumbed into the rebuilt transom can all run simultaneously or independently as required, allowing multiple live bait species to be separated. The fit-out includes an automatic aerator timer installed as a failsafe to ensure bait condition.

The boat also features a fully removable snapper rack system wrapping around the transom and incorporating a bait station, with a 12-rod spread.

Deck Armour marine flooring runs throughout from bow to stern in two tones, light grey and charcoal, with fully customised, retro-styled Haines Hunter shield the centrepiece. A customised Deck Armour ruler strips run the length of both of the side pockets that were refurbished and glassed back in as storage for gaffs, boat hooks and other hardware.

Gunnel heights exceed the original design, with the new top deck’s 650mm freeboard increasing the feeling of safety and giving the boat a much bigger feel.

The fishing area runs full length via the centre console conversion, and the floor was lifted 50-80mm to increase the usable deck area by removing the chine curve in the old floor. The console was installed slightly forward, placing the driver’s standing position slightly aft of true midship, with the underfloor tank is directly underneath.

Weight distribution factored in more storage, the driving position, and weight movement such as live well water capacity, fuel, deck hardware and battery placement. The original hull weighed a touch more than 300kg, with the finished version tipping the scales at 590kg. Add the hardware, and the boat hits 960kg on the water.

The broad console features a 10-inch Garmin flush-mounted chartplotter and sonar, Mercury’s Vessel View, and switches within easy reach. Switchgear gives control over everything from bilge pumps to winches and lighting, the driving position is ergonomically easy with the top mounted binnacle controls and tilted raised steering wheel.

Inside the console, the space is sealed with separate storage compartments accessed by two large secure lockers. The floor compartment houses two batteries stowed off the deck in raised foot beds, with enough room for safety equipment

A shelf above provides isolator switch, USB charging outlets and access to the fuse panel, and decent storage for other accessories. Small boats, especially centre consoles, tend to lack storage, but this one locates it all in one central site.

The T-top frame folds down and removes completely if needed. It means the Haines Hunter 445 will slot into a standard garage with 2.0m of height. The VHF aerial and wiring is separate to the T-top, which is a smart design feature.

A sizeable, stepped casting deck up front adds to the 360-degree access around the boat, which is particularly useful when a fish changes direction unexpectedly or anglers want space flicking lures. There is provision for an electric motor installation, with wiring and a switch at the bow.

Two more storage hatches are built into the bow and run the full width.

Across the casting deck is a large insulated kill tank for snapper or kingfish. It can transform into a fourth livewell if ever needed.

The Haines Hunter 445’s hull has two red and white LED strip lights under the gunnel, as well as LED spreaders mounted front and back to help with navigating in the dark or fishing at night.

A hull wrap modernises the tired, blue faded colour of the mid-1990s hull. This also saved on respray costs.

Stringers, the floor and the transom were all replaced and a new top deck built to account for its new internal configuration.

A hull extension increased the boat’s waterline to around 4.85m, improving performance. Buoyancy is also improved, with the entire underfloor space foam-filled for positive flotation.

A new trailer originally set up for an aluminium hull was adapted for a fibreglass boat, and features a drive on system and an uprated 1500kg load rating.

The Haines Hunter 445 was a popular boat in its time. About 3000 of the 146/445 series hulls in C (cabin), R (runabout) and F (Console) versions left the family factories in the 1970s to ’80s. The F hulls lived on with altered configurations under the hands of privateers.

Original hulls are still popular and are typically rebuilt heavier and with larger engines with increased fuel capacity to add more range.

In this instance, the 445’s original 60hp four-stroke was traded and swapped out to a Mercury SeaPro 90hp for what is essentially a 15ft hull. The bigger powerplant allows the modified 445 to have similar performance and handling to other larger fibreglass hulls.

In challenging conditions, the improvements to the ride and handling equate to exceptional seaworthiness.

Throw the throttle down and the SeaPro, swinging a 17 inch Vengeance stainless prop, lifts the hull onto the plane inside 5.0 seconds. Hole shot performance is excellent, and WOT delivers 36 knots at 5650rpm.

The fuel economy sweet spot is 3500rpm giving range of 100 nautical miles on a 95 per cent fuel margin at just less than 20 knots.

Going up in prop a size or two would get some increased top-end speed, but I’m happy with the boat’s performance as it is.

Performance

Maximum cruising range based on 95% of 50L fuel tank: 135nm @ 3500rpm

I couldn’t be happier. The rebuild was challenging and time consuming, but in the end we have what I believe is a great result.

What have I learned? Do your homework. Look for near original hulls with minimal alterations so you don’t hve to fix other people’s mistakes. Buy the project boat cheaply, and be prepared to replace the lot, from the engine to the trailer.

Unless you are confident in fibreglass work, have a shipwright do the job and estimate your budget carefully to not over-capitalise.

Set out exact requirements to the marine tradesmen you engage, speak with others and heed from their experience. This will help you avoid the mistakes of others, leading to cost blow-outs and set-backs that will drag out the project timeline.

My boat was transformed to suit my conditions, whether at home in Victoria’s Port Philip Bay, venturing out to Bass Straight in the right conditions, or off exploring the estuary systems of Gippsland Lakes and Mallacoota in the state’s east.

Dan would like to give a big shout-out to the late David Lockwood, the former boatsales.com.au editor who was instrumental in his support of this project.

Specifications
Model: Circa 1985 Haines Hunter 445R conversion to a centre console
Length: 4.85m
Length on trailer: 6.5m
Beam: 2.06m
Weight: 590kg (hull only) BMT weight: 1260kg
Bridge clearance (on water): 2.5m
Bridge clearance (on trailer): 3.15m
Garage clearance (T-top folded down): 2.0m
Engine: 60hp (min); 115hp (max)
Engine as tested: Mercury Sea Pro 90HP four-stroke
Deadrise: 20 degrees
Fuel Capacity: 90L (underfloor)
Passengers: 5

Price as tested: Undisclosed, including Haines Hunter 445R hull, 90hp Mercury SeaPro four-stroke, Telwater T-Alloy trailer,  Garmin 7410xsv Sounder/GPS combo, GT51 (600W) Transducer, VHF radio, AM/FM radio, Lonestar GX1 electric winch, 3M marine hull wrap, automatic bilge, bait tank auto aerator timer, dual batteries, three live bait tanks, Deck Armour marine flooring, casting deck, custom centre console, stainless T-top, snapper rack system, bait-board and premium full travel cover.

Priced from: Priceless