Freedom 1750 Escape

At 5.3m and around 1100kg all up, the boat is well within the towing capabilities of most six-cylinder cars and is easy to handle at the boat ramp when it's just mum, dad and the kids.

The thought of having to handle a big boat can put off a lot of new chums. But give them a smaller, more manageable boat and those first days on the water with the family become pleasant memories - not ones that you'd rather try and forget.

One of the first considerations for a family boat is shade, particularly with a young family. You need a place where the kids can rest when the excitement gets too much - and tight, sweat-box cabins with no ventilation are not on.

The Freedom design incorporates an open area between the helm position and the bunks. Open the front hatch (that also provides access to the anchor well) and you'll enjoy good flow-through ventilation, while keeping an eye on the kids as they catch a few zees on the V-berth bunks.

Should you ever want to enclose this area for a little privacy, then a clip-in curtain would not pose a problem for any good marine trimmer.

Shade at the helm is supplied by the ubiquitous canopy. In the case of the testboat, its centre front section unzipped above the windscreen. With this open, the helmsman is comfortable, whether seated or standing.

The helm seats themselves are positioned on moulded fibreglass supports. These rounded supports have internal storage for tools, towels, safety gear or even toys! A conventional box-section support does have a little more storage space, but the advantage of the 1750 Escape's set-up is that there are no square edges to bump into. This is a plus with children and novice adults onboard, especially when it's a bit choppy and the crew are still getting their sea legs.

The Freedom's aft deck is standard cuddy cabin fare with sidepockets running down each side of the boat. Compared to many trailerboat layouts, the 1750 Escape is quite innovative, with a rear cross-transom lounge which also incorporates mobile storage units.

The lounge is made up of two upholstered hinged lid GRP boxes which are perfect storage bins or iceboxes.

A padded transom forms the backrest, creating quite a comfortable rear lounge, but the real advantage of this space-saving set-up is the ability to remove one or both of the boxes.

If one box is on esky duty, it can be lifted out and onto the beach for the day, while the other can swallow all the kids' buckets, spades, plastic boats and rubber duckies!

The boxes slot into position and are well secured, yet they are easily removed with no fuss. They are a real bonus in this craft.

The theme of the family boat continues, with some rather smart moulding work in the transom area, which forms integrated steps which are also big enough to be used as a seat.

We all know how kids love to jump in and out of the water from boats. This set-up gives them a clear area to play in with no worries about protruding objects getting in the way or hurting them.

Just above water level and with generous handrails, you'll find it very easy to get in and out of the boat when it's in the water or on the trailer.

While the dash of the boat has not been designed for fishermen, it does have a flat area in front of the passengers' seat that is suitable for electronics - though I dare say Glen had a picture of vegemite sandwiches and half-eaten biscuits spread across it, rather than electronics.

There's also enough room above the steering wheel to flush-mount a sounder if you wish.

The instruments provided are the basic essentials, including trim gauge, speedo, tacho, fuel gauge and compass along with the switchgear for lights, radio and bilge pump.

When you look at the performance of a family boat such as the Freedom, there are a few important considerations. First and foremost, the boat must be safe and easy to drive, but it should also have a hull that is good enough to handle a bit of rough going in inexperienced hands.

There is no question that the Freedom is an easy boat to drive. In fact, light steering, good vision and a well-matched outboard make it, literally, child's play.

The fibreglass hull maintains a good low-speed planing, which is a big plus.

You can easily picture the reverse - mum or dad behind the wheel, not game to go very fast, with the boat riding high in the bow, making for difficult driving and control of the boat.

The hull itself has a moderate 18° deadrise at the transom and offers a reasonably soft ride at speed, while still retaining good stability at rest. Planing strakes run virtually from the bow to the stern, though there is a flat section towards the transom. The strakes and chines at the bow turn down a fair amount of spray and certainly help the boat track in the water.

As far as handling rough water, a run or two across the Noosa River bar on an average day was enough to get a good feel of the boat and, in turn, feel comfortable with its handling in such situations.

Outboard size can be of some concern with this style of boat - some dealerships go for low price and minimum horsepower, while others go overboard with big engines.

In the case of the 1750 Escape, Honda's 90hp four-stroke is as close to a perfect match as you can hope for.

The ease of starting, the quiet running and the fuel savings make days on the water much more enjoyable. There are no fumes to worry about and the only screaming coming from the back of this boat is from the kids.

Top speed is getting up towards 65kmh. It's not exactly eye-watering, but ample for this family outfit and fast enough for 'fun' skiing or wakeboarding.

In summary, there are several appealing aspects to the Freedom 1750 Escape. This is a user-friendly craft that delivers ease of handling, an open uncluttered layout and with the excellent Honda 90hp powerplant engine, economical running.

And it doesn't cost the earth, either. At $24,995 (including trailer, canopy and Lowrance X28 depth sounder) the Freedom 1750 Escape is excellent value.

HONDA MAKES AN IMPACT

Honda's four-strokes have made inroads into the established outboard market over the past few years. Initially, sales were slow but as the company's dealer network expanded and the Honda promotional machine started rolling, more and more of the silver four-strokes entered the marketplace.

Today, it is not at all unusual to spot a number of these engines on a day out on the water - big and small, the Honda four-strokes have won a strong following.

Honda's 90hp had one of the largest impacts on the market as the horsepower rating suited a large slice of the trailerboat market - the 4.5 to 5.5m family boats. Some of the bigger plate alloy manufacturers also started to use twin 90hp Honda four-strokes on their boats.

A water-cooled SOHC inline four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 1590cc (75 x 90mm bore and stroke), the 90 (and its 75hp stablemate) is based on the powerplant that graces the maker's entry-level Civic automobile.

Of some note are the powerplant's three-valve per cylinder (two inlet, one exhaust) combustion chambers. This is a design which Honda says maximises torque while still allowing the motor to breathe as the revs rise.

This aside, the long-stroke powerplant is a conventional design featuring carburettors, rather than fuel-injection. Like the majority of outboards there's CDI ignition for easy starts.

Apart from the reduced emission levels, two of the big attractions of the big Honda engines are the fuel savings and reduced noise levels. Depending on the boat and, of course, how you drive it, fuel savings of 30% have been regularly touted.

Emissions of hydrocarbons and engine smoke have been reduced by as much as 94%, claims Honda, as well as a considerable drop in noise levels.

On the downside, not every boat can handle the added weight of the 90hp four-stroke (up to 25kg heavier than comparable two-strokes). Smaller tinnies, in particular, can end up rather bow-high due to the extra mass on the transom.

From experience, I've found that the Honda four-stroke doesn't quite have the acceleration of the two-strokes, though this did not prove a problem on the 1750 Escape.