2021 Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit review

During the launch of the new and upgraded 2021 Quintrex models a few weeks ago, we sampled the Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit paired with a Mercury 150hp ProXS four-stroke outboard.

Quintrex has made significant upgrades to many of its popular models for the 2021-22 model year.

The Top Ender side consoles, the Fishabout runabouts, Ocean Spirit half cabins, Hornet bass boats and the Cruiseabout bowriders all have had a makeover.

Quintrex treated journalists to a day on the Gold Coast Broadwater for the reveal of the 2021 models featuring three boats from the five revamped Quintrex model lines; a Quintrex 520 Fishabout, a 540 Top Ender, and a 590 Ocean Spirit half cabin.

The latter is the subject of this review.

One of the changes Quintrex has made for the 2021 model year is the way the new models are presented to customers. To make the new boats more affordable, each model starts off with a very basic level of fit-out with relatively few standard features.

A huge range of options and equipment is then available so customers can buy and fit only the gear they want.

Customers also can choose from three different, pre-packaged option bundles that feature a range of the most popular options for that particular model – Comfort, Fishing, and Captain's.

For Quintrex's Ocean Spirit cabin boats, the Comfort Bundle includes an overhead bimini with envelope, sports seats mounted on boxes, and a deluxe rear lounge.

The Fishing Bundle for the Ocean Spirit boats contains a burley bucket, marine radio, transom bait board, LED lighting and LED switching.

The Captain's Bundle includes a Volante sports steering wheel with tilt-adjust hydraulic steering, although hydraulic steering is now standard on Quintrex models above 5.0 metres.

New for the cabin models this year is the option for a Pro model. The Ocean Spirit Pro boats come standard with all the gear contained within each of the above three option bundles.

Our 590 Ocean Spirit test boat did not contain any of the above customer bundles as it was fresh from the factory.

The test rig was fitted with a number of individual options such as the infill cushion for the cabin berths, the folding rear lounge, deluxe helm chairs, a VHF marine radio, tilt steering wheel, and a Lowrance HDS9 fishfinder/chartplotter.

Packaged with a 150hp Mercury ProXS four-stroke outboard engine, and riding on a dual-axle Quintrex trailer with mechanical brakes, our test boat is priced at $71,000 at Brisbane's Karee Marine.

Without the options, and with a smaller, Mercury 135hp four-stroke, extra-longshaft (25-inch) outboard engine, the package price drops to a reasonable $65,000.

For the record, some of the standard Ocean Sport features include the large, open cabin with three-quarter-length vinyl upholstered berths, a large, carpeted rear cockpit with newly designed upholstered side storage pockets, fully welded side decks, white painted hull, two transducer brackets, rear boarding platform with ladder, passenger cup holders, and cockpit scuppers for the water drainage system.

The Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit is a pressed alloy boat with a 4mm Blade hull bottom and transom with smooth, 3mm topsides.

The hull has an overall length of 6.22m, a beam of 2.3m, a hull weight of 765kg, and a highway trailer weight in the 1350-1450kg range.

The Blade hull is renowned for its variable deadrise, concave shape with pronounced flaring in the bottom and topsides to suppress and deflect spray.

Underfloor foam flotation provides sufficient buoyancy for the Ocean Spirit hull to achieve a Basic flotation rating.

Inside, there is a full-length marine plywood floor carpeted for protection and durability.

Of note, all the timber hatch lids in the boat are carpeted front and back to inhibit mould and to reduce damage.

Fittings and fastenings are made from aluminium or stainless steel.

The anchor well and the under-berth and sub-floor storage boxes are made from smart-looking and virtually indestructible roto-moulded plastic.

The Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit is a big, spacious trailer boat with a high, roomy cabin topped with a curved three-piece windscreen.

The 610mm wide vinyl upholstered berth cushions are not full length at 1.45m long, but this bunk space converts into a single large double berth with the optional infill cushion.

Above each berth is a comfortable 850mm of headroom, while further forward there is an acrylic hatch that leads out to the modest-sized, open anchor well.

Cabin storage areas include two under-berth plastic bins along with full length, upholstered side storage pockets.

Elsewhere, the Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit has elevated side storage pockets stretching the length of the cockpit, along with two underfloor storage bins.

A side-shelf is at the helm for phones and car keys, behind a carpet-upholstered side panel.

Opposite is an identical shelf for the co-pilot, but with two cup holders.

The helm, dash and fascia are relatively plain and unadorned. There is ample horizontal dash space for bracket-mounted multifunction displays, but the fascia panel has room only for the steering wheel, engine gauges and switches.

The optional Maritime pedestal seats in the test boat are comfortable, and fitted with flip-up front bolsters so you can adjust the chairs for a comfortable seating or standing position wbhiole driving.

I found the Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit most comfortable to drive while standing, the helm and throttle falling easily to hand.

Seated or standing, the high dash and windscreen provide ample shelter from the wind.

I would be fitting an overhead bimini with a zip-up front drop curtain and side clears For full weather protection.

Behind the helm chairs, the large cockpit stretches 2.2m to the full-height transom and the optional, removable rear lounge.

The flanking side storage pockets are re-designed. They look to be wider and positioned higher up than before, and also now have soft vinyl upholstered exterior panels to match the seating and cabin upholstery.

The side pocket upholstery looks great, but I would be worried about marking/scratching them with fish hooks or a fish thrashing about on the cockpit floor.

Other cockpit features include 285mm wide, fully welded side coamings, stern rails, boarding platform with telescopic ladder, and an enclosed transom battery compartment/bilge.

Notable for being absent from the test boat was a live bait tank. Thankfully, a live well – and plenty of other fishing features – are available as options.

Quintrex's Blade hull has been developed and refined over many years so we were not surprised by its excellent performance during our sea trial.

Accelerating from idle, the Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit rises quickly onto the plane with minimal negative trim required; the hull is buoyant in the stern so it pops easily out of the water.

You can throttle back to an easy cruise once the boat is underway, or stay on the throttle to go quicker and rotate the bow down into the chop to soften up the ride.

The Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit has a natural inclination to run slightly bow down, but it responds well to changes in engine trim so you can adjust the running angle to suit the conditions.

Throughout our water test, the Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit handled well, taking sharp turns easily, riding safely out of wave troughs, and generally behaving very well.

As noted, the Quintrex variable deadrise Blade hull is soft, very stable and dry.

In the 590 model size, the Quintrex Blade hull is rated to a maximum of 150hp, but I do feel it could handle a bit more.

That said, the 41.7 knot top speed we achieved is ample for most boating and fishing activities, with sufficient mid-range grunt for social tow sports applications.

Performance

Range on 95% of the 110L fuel supply at 3000rpm: 136.4nm

The Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit is a terrific half cabin all-rounder. This well made Aussie trailer boat works as a family bay cruiser/fun-boat as well as a coastal fishing platform.

The Quintrex 590 Ocean Spirit has few frills in standard trim, but add one or more of the Quintrex Option Bundles, or pick out just the gear/equipment you actually want, and you can build an affordable boat to perfectly suit your favourite boating activity.

Priced from: $65,150 including a Mercury 135hp extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboard engine and a Quintrex dual-axle trailer.

Price as tested: $71,270 including a Mercury 150hp ProXS extra-longshaft (25") four-stroke outboard; Quintrex tandem axle trailer; Lowrance HDS9 fishfinder/chartplotter; VHF radio; tilt steering wheel; deluxe rear lounge and backrest; bunk infill and cushion.

Supplied by: Karee Marine