David Lockwood•8 Jan 2016

REVIEW

2016 Haines Hunter 585R review

Name: 2016 Haines Hunter 585R review
Brand: HAINES HUNTER

Haines Hunter, Mercury and EasyTow create an affordable bluewater BMT

BMTs or boat/motor/trailer rigs are nothing new, but it’s good to see Haines Hunter teaming up with Mercury and EasyTow trailers to create some affordable rigs with genuine offshore credentials. The 585R ‘Ultimate Package’ answers the call for a sub-$80K Haines Hunter with serious rough-water performance.

Overview

Haines Hunter has always had a great run with its 580s and 585s. I spent too much time on these boats, as crew aboard a neighbour’s rig, as a boat owner of a 585SF for many footloose years fishing the Eastern Seaboard, sometimes spending whole weekends aboard, well before Facebook and GoPros hit the scene.

The “R” designation stands for reduced cabin superstructure rather than just a runabout. You get the attributes of a cuddy cabin but with more useable cockpit space. We think that’s a good thing for the majority of Haines Hunter buyers who are going to fish from their 585s.

The low-profile boat will fit into the standard 2.2-metre high garage while the sporty lines mean it can cut it in at least the occasional tow-sports department. Certainly, the 150hp Mercury FourStroke is known for its torque. The big displacement 3.0-litre outboard is, however, at the bottom end of the recommended horsepower pairing.

Luckily, we had some pretty wild weather to run this rig out of Sydney via Matt Willett Marine (MWM) at The Spit. Matt basically lobbed us the keys and said it’s all yours. We came back a few hours later with this report.

Price and equipment

The Ultimate Package has some discounts built into it thanks largely to dealer rebates from Mercury. The usual full retail for the base 585R BMT rig is $87,198.59. But as a promotional package the price was reduced to $76,790 at the time of testing.

Although the Ultimate Package deal officially isn’t still running, the Haines Hunter dealers we spoke with said buyers could probably still score the same pricing (January 2016). So we are running this test with that in mind.

MWM improved on the basic rig by adding a live-bait tank, full clears for weather protection, Fusion stereo, even an electric loo. These niceties brought the package up about $86,500. With the Simrad nav screen and cork flooring we’re looking at about $90K.

That’s still excellent value for a boat of this calibre with true bluewater fishing form. There’s not much else you need but tackle and mates to go catch a marlin, big tuna, some kings or snapper.

With the EasyTow trailer with 13in wheels, you can follow the fish up and down the coast, while the comforts and seating is there to take the family boating in comfort.

Deck and layout

There are some things about Haines Hunters that just make sense. The hull layup is very solid, the stainless steel deck fittings and rocket launcher are exceptional, and functionality and fishability is in focus. While you can blur the family and fishing lines, this boat doesn't compromise either role.

Other than that, the boat offers a terrific fishing platform, with centre cutting board, rod holders, toe-under and thigh support, split-level full-length side pockets, raw-water washdown, live-bait and dead-bait tanks, and that nice cork flooring.

The seat boxes had tackle trays and storage, there is a large under-floor fish-storage tank or space for water toys, and there is a clever concealed and fold-away transom lounge for social boating and, perhaps, crew on those runs to and from the grounds on calm days.

The helm and co-pilot pedestal bucket seats are comfortable, but the bit we like is the quality and sturdiness of the stainless-steel rocket launcher with six holders. They are strong enough to run 24kg trolling lines.

There are small moulded raised cockpit coamings to help shed water, which make sitting on the gunwales less comfortable, but from here you can walk around to the foredeck with relative safety thanks also to the rocket-launcher grab rails.

Despite its “R” designation, the cabin has decent seated headroom, space to catnap while curled up, and the upgraded electric toilet will be welcomed by family boaters. There’s dry storage, a simple headliner carpeted finish, and neat vinyl upholstery,

If you need internal bow access, a small deck hatch leads to the foredeck and drum winch, backed by a very deep anchor-rope locker. But it’s the big cockpit on this boat that calls. That’s where you will spend 95 per cent of your time.

Hull and construction

Built in Melbourne, Haines Hunter subscribes to the more-is-better principle. Its boats are heavy, but weight is an asset when you are offshore. The solid GRP hull has a serious lamination spec, with beefed-up transom and an integral glassed-matrix stringer system. Sub floor voids are foam filled.

The 2.40m beam means you don't need a permit or whacking great truck to tow the 1900kg on-road rig with 150hp (2000kg rig with bigger engine). The 25in transom height and deep splash well allow for the bigger engine installations while also keeping the water at bay.

The boat has plenty of inherent buoyancy for a 200hp and 230hp in the 585R Limited guise with beefed-up build. You can even fit twins on this transom, but that’s probably overkill.

With an underfloor 210-litre fuel tank (230-litre as per specs), you will certainly get a lot of fishing range from this frugal 150hp Mercury FourStroke outboard.

All told, the boat has a real feeling of solidity. There are better-finished boats out there, but the appeal of this 585R runs a lot deeper.

On the water

With the full clear enclosure, we were cosy on our test. It was a day of cutting wind, so the clears were welcome. The leading edge of the low-profile windscreen is otherwise below your seated line of vision. With upgraded hydraulic steering and comfy wheel, the boat offers a sporty drive and rips around the corners nicely.

But it's the smoothness of the ride with nigh a thump or thud that blows you away on the 585R. I came to this test with expectations, but these were surpassed by the great rough-water performance.

Fact is, with the 150hp you’re not getting a rocketship. If high-speed Haines Hunter big bay and offshore boating a la Vic style is what you’re after, do yourself a favour, cut to the chase, and go with a 200hp.

But for my style of fishing, this 150hp worked surprisingly well. The muscly 3.0-litre block of the Mercury 150hp FourStroke is a torquey beast. The engine is one of the company’s greatest success stories in recent years. You can read a whole lot more about it from our previous review here.

That smooth long-range cruise of 4000rpm returned 24-25 knots. Having spent a good portion of my life at sea, this is just a nice speed. You won’t get hammered, you don’t need to hold on for dear life, and the boat won’t get too airborne thanks to its sharp entry, deadrise and weight.

Fast cruise was clocked at 5000rpm and 32-33 knots, while top speed of 37.2 knots was recorded at 5500rpm, which is in the middle of the Merc’s preferred 5000-5800rpm operating range. Some boats this length are cracking 40 knots, but they’re considerably lighter.

The combination of weight, deep-vee, a solid hull structure, low vibration and little engine noise and 3.0-litres of torque made this 585R a joy to drive on a wind-swept day. It’s a benchmark boat in its class, without any shadow of a doubt.

Verdict

I’d take a 580 over a 560 any day, yet the 560R is outselling this boat because it’s a newer model and about $15k less. At the other end of the spectrum, the big Haines Hunter Hardtops like the 675HT are proving hot property thanks to hardcore anglers wanting more waterline and grunt.

The 585R is just a really sweet size, I will forever attest, jumping up to serious offshore fishing class yet still with a toe in the water of no-hassle boating. Get the bigger engine and you probably won’t ever need to buy anything else. Unless you want to get into outright sport and game fishing. For that, you’ll need more bills, a keen crew and a Haines Hunter Hard Top…

RATINGS

Overall rating: 4.65/5.0

Mechanical/equipment: 4.6/5.0

Packaging and practicality: 4.7/5.0

On the water Performance: 4.8/5.0

Value for money: 4.6/5.0

X-factor: 4.5/5.0

Specifications

Model: Haines Hunter 585R

Price as tested: About $90k as an Ultimate Package with Mercury 150hp FourStroke, EasyTow trailer with mechanical brakes, including rocket launcher, seat box, reinforced bulkhead, drum winch with rope and chain, boarding ladder, VesselView 4, and hull colour. To this, the Sydney-based Haines Hunter dealer, Matt Willett Marine, added live-bait tank, full clears for weather protection, Fusion stereo, electric loo, Simrad nav screen and cork flooring and more.

Priced from: $76,790 as an Ultimate Package with 150hp Mercury FourStroke and EasyTow trailer

LOA: 6.00m

Beam: 2.40m

Weight (boat only): 950kg

Fuel Capacity: 200-230 litres

Engine: Mercury 150hp FourStroke 25in shaft

Maximum HP: 200-230hp

Supplied by:

Matt Willett Marine

D'Albora Marina,

The Spit, The Spit Road, Mosman NSW 2088

Phone:(02) 9930 0000

See http://www.mwmarine.com.au, http://www.haineshunter.com.au

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