Haines Hunter 680SF Encore

Since its release in 1992, the 680SF Encore has gained an enviable reputation, not only thanks to its handling of offshore conditions but also due to its fishability and user-friendly layout. A consequent upside of this boat's reputation is quite amazing resale value - certainly a point worth keeping in mind.

The first and foremost factor in the 680SF success story is the upper hull design. Very deep with high sides, the 680 is a big lump of a boat that offers its occupants a very secure and, above all, dry offshore experience despite sea conditions.

The full-height transom (which requires an extra long leg outboard to be fitted) means there are no problems of backwash or following seas dumping water into the cockpit. And high cockpit sides (they come well above the knees and are closer to waist height) certainly give stand-up anglers a secure position from which to play trophy-size fish - even in rough seas.

Of course, if you need to leave the cockpit to chase that recalcitrant circling mako or just do a bit of casting for ocean-roaming pelagics, the centre-cab layout of 680SF Encore makes things easy. Just remember, once you leave the aft cockpit the gunwales are not as high so you will have to watch your balance in a rolling sea.

Back at the blunt end, a port side transom door makes 'on-trailer' and on-water entry to the high-sider easy via the wide extended transom.

While the 680SF's cockpit isn't overly large, built-in features mean there's not a heap of unstowed gear to clutter the space or restrict movement.

The transom features a compact work station with rod holders, cutting board, knife holders, deck wash hose. The cutting board hinges to reveal a shallow sink which is a perfect place for bait needles, pliers, twine, etc. The board is also split so that you don't have to take everything off to get at what is below.

On the starboard quarter is a huge plumbed livebait tank. The tank has that much room for the baits to swim around in that you need a net to catch the critters!

Haines has taken advantage of the high cockpit sides to provide deep side pockets. One side also features a couple of tackle hatches with small tackle box trays that slide out.

While there is no underfloor storage (the underfloor fuel tank precludes any deep centreline fishboxes or the like) all in all it is a quiet, complete work area.

The 680SF's centre-cab is spacious with comfortable seating for two and enough cover under the extended targa top for two to three crew to stand out of the weather.

The area of the centre-cab is raised a little from that of the aft self-draining area. This enables you to hose the deck down and keep it clean while fishing and not have to worry about the 'comfort' area of the helm and cabin becoming wet and smelly.

The helm itself has been catered to the needs of offshore anglers, with a full instrument display right in front of the wheel and a large dash to mount electronics. The large face of this area is ideal for flush-mount units where they are literally at your fingertips.

Second to the layout and hull design of the boat is the amount of room available within the centre-cab. The big deep hull allows good headroom within the sleeping area of the centre-cab - in fact, it's far from a small closed-in area.

Twin V-berths allow you to lie fully stretched out, the floor and walls are carpeted and useful side pockets are padded and covered with marine-grade cloth. Under the bunks is more storage room and provision for a head.

The combination of room below, option of a toilet and the comfort does help the keen angler tempt the rest of the family into the boat for pleasure trips.

Around the boat there is a truck load of additional standard features and options that space precludes us from listing here.

However, all these items wouldn't be much good if the 680SF performed like a dog. It doesn't - offering a soft ride that handles a variety of sea conditions.

With 200kg-odd of outboard and a claimed 1250kg of hull, it's easy to see why the 22° deadrise deep-V hull sits well in the water and eats up the chop.

The Encore is no lightweight and isn't easily pushed around by sea conditions and the deep-V and generous full-length planing strakes come into their own when it comes to driving up and down the face of ocean swells.

Fitted with Seastar hydraulic steering, a child can steer this rig. It's a joy to operate, even in larger seas.

And unless you jump overboard or go mad with the deck hose, you can forget about getting wet.

The test-rig's gutsy V-six Evinrude OceanPro 200 has enough grunt to pull the boat quickly up onto the plane and hold it there at slower speeds when the conditions are rough.

You can trim the outboard pretty well all the way out in good conditions to register 5800rpm and close to 43kts. Don't expect good fuel consumption at this speed though.

More economical speeds around 30kts can be achieved in the vicinity of 4000rpm depending on sea conditions. With an optioned-up fuel capacity of 350lt (270lt standard), most offshore fishing options will be covered.

As a top-seller, the 680SF has been popular with Haines Hunter dealers around the country. Many include a host of options in their standard 680-based packages. Our test boat from Sundown Marine was option-laden, but still sells for under $60,000. It's a lot of boat for your money.

Checking the towing laws in your state because while the 680SF is still trailerable, you are likely to need a hefty vehicle to do so legally.

The test boat came on a Tinka tandem trailer with brakes. Although it is a big rig, today's multi-rollered trailers make it pretty easy to drive the boat up onto the trailer with only a little practise.

Great stuff, Haines Hunter...