HAINES HUNTER PROJECT BOAT (PT 1): A 445R runabout conversion to a centre console

Boat restorations are exploding on various social media sites with hordes of do-it-yourself (DIY) ‘boat builders’ posting their projects for avid enthusiasts to see and admire. But just what’s involved and is it worth it? Here’s the first of a 10-part series on the transformation of a bargain old-school Haines Hunter 445R into a centre console for better fishing. Come along for the ride…

After stumbling across the Old School Haines Hunter group on the infamous Facebook around the middle of 2016, I read with interest the many projects people had embarked on to rejuvenate old favourites.

Using timeless hulls, they either restored them to their original state or remodelled them to improve the layout on the great riding boats designed and built decades ago.

Fair to say, some resembled abominations yet several others were professionally rebirthed masterpieces. There is a cult following on such groups and there is a lot to read and learn, as I was to discover with this Haines Hunter 445R conversion to a centre console.

PART 1: THE REBUILD PLAN
- The plan, the search and the purchase
Seeing all the rebirthed hulls and modern ideas imposed on the older models got me thinking about an old favourite hull that I had for many years wanted for myself. I’d always admired the Haines Hunter 445F (centre console) and read articles with interest accounts of past owners who missed them since passing them on, as well as current owners who constantly marvelled at their ability to punch above their weight in bays and inshore fishing conditions. (ED: As in the 445F photo in the gallery above, I ran one for some years too .)

While (the hull) has been copied many times with several derivatives spawned and built by various manufacturers even today, I wasn’t keen on forking out the new retail price tag. As I already owned a larger boat, a second boat needed to be cost effective to warrant the luxury of it potentially sitting around.

Another thing I gleaned from some of the projects that l had read about were the big dollars spent on converting the old to the new, which arguably exceeded buying new! Sometimes it was a fanatical passion driving the spend by the owner. But others had not planned a budget and the projects had got away to end up in the “endless pit” territory.  

AN OLD 445R MIGHT DO
- Transforming a runabout into a cool centre console
I made the decision to look for an old hull and to then assess it being rebuilt, albeit with my own added modifications to suit what I wanted.

The used-boat market threw up 445Fs from time to time. Researching magazines, scouring listings on boatsales.com.au, and the other usual internet pages, revealed rigs which were either too tired, too expensive, poorly set up, in need of costly repowers… or simply too far away to make it viable.

It also dawned on me from reading experiences from others that buying the runabout version of the 445 was an option for creating a centre console, as both the 445R and 445F share the same hull.

My end goal was to have a centre console with adequate dry storage, that suited fishing one up (solo) or with one extra passenger on board. I wanted to install a T-top for shade with some weather protection via a set of clears. I also wanted a basic casting deck up front, and a kill tank and live bait well.

But I was surprised that these original lightweight hulls were being re-glassed with considerable more weight and then more horsepower added. These boats were originally powered with 35-55hp — ED: we ran a 70hp Johno — but 90-115hp engines were pushing modernised equivalents.

So there was some thinking required in the engine department.

IT NEED TO BE A BARGAIN
- Don’t pay a premium for a project boat
In August 2016, scanning boating classified pages and other social media websites, I got a feel as to what was available or, more to the point, what wasn’t available.

The first real prospect was a Haines Hunter 146R, which was a predecessor to the 445R. I found one locally via boatsales.com.au.

However this boat’s asking price was higher than my planned spend. It was listed at $4850 and rightly so, as it was in great order and was pretty original with the 75hp Mercury brown-band outboard, just a few scuff marks on the bow, but otherwise clean condition.

The owner was a true gentleman and wanted it moved and so negotiation was possible on the advertised price. He reduced it a decent value, but after fibreglass contact inspected it in the days following it proved too expensive to buy to just chop and rebuild.

I needed a cheaper project boat, so it was back to the search for me, with some lessons and perspective gained. The target price thereafter was reassessed as being in the $1k-$2.5k (tops) range.

Moving on with my somewhat more educated mindset, I web-surfed nightly on my smartphone and became joined at the hip in evenings after work, much to my wife’s annoyance.

REBUILD COSTS
- What to expect with an old Haines Hunter rebuild
The initial plan, while still essentially unchanged, also had a few new dimensions and it kept evolving. The main one was rebuild costs correlating to hull condition.

The advice was to “expect to replace everything” and to “not buy a hull hoping it’s better than it looks.” So effectively a new transom and floor was probably the minimum. Worst case, add replacement stringers, too!

The estimated rebuild quotes ranged $7k-$15k without the discussion of repainting or a repower. So I needed to find a cheaper hull and probably also a builder whom could align with my objective.

GET A 'GLASSER
- From the outset I knew this was never going to be an owner’s rebuild
I was realistic to know my own limitations with fibreglass and knowledge of resins and structural integrities, but adding to this was the major fact that I’m also “time poor.”

Therefore, I knew I had to be very clear about what I wanted to ensure the builder and I had a “meeting of the minds,” so expectations were clear from the outset.

I had read and heard too many stories of projects starting out and never finishing. And others where the owner switches and changes direction during the build adding to time and cost.

INSURANCE CONSIDERATIONS
- You need to think about insurance, too
The other aspect was the need for a build by a qualified shipwright — there’s no point spending money and not being able to insure the boat! A trap I suspect many have already fallen into or are yet to realise if and when the dreaded insurance claim is ever made then rejected.

The initial builder I had in mind was highly skilled from all accounts and his reputation and volume of boats waiting for his services attested to this. His estimate was in the ballpark, the discussions I had with him were pragmatic, he knew the hull I was interested in and understood my goal.

I called a shipwright sourced again through social media pages, we had a detailed discussion and he gave me a ballpark range, which was half the estimates I had received from others.

He was open about his experience and formal credentials and was generous with his advice and comments supplementing my goals.

 He also had many customers who he referred to which was easy for me to reference check. Importantly he also seemed “old school” despite not being older (if that makes sense).

We talked about the critical basics. Things like weight distribution, how I can save costs, and not over complicating things.

Our conversation ended with an agreement that I would call him once I found the boat. This was great, because we were able to communicate via messages or phone calls, share pictures, and this assisted in the purchase.

SEARCHING LOCALLY
- In my search, I discounted anything I couldn’t inspect
That ruled out interstate advertised hulls (although irony would follow). Weeks passed with nothing new surfacing and I had begun to use all kinds of search words in looking for hulls.

Come late November 2016, a prospect presented using nothing more than “15ft runabout” as the search words.  Bang! It was a Haines Hunter hull. The decals had faded, but it was clearly a 146 or 445R model.

There are appeared to be a new looking Mercury 60hp four-stroke outboard.

The asking price was higher than planned, but a near-new donk was part of the package and this was looking like a real chance.

HAINES HUNTER FOR SALE
- Full value not realised in the generic boat ad
The boat had been for sale for a couple months, according to the ad’s history, and the count read 100+ odd visits from the website data.

The owners were not passionate Haines Hunter people, so the value was perhaps lost on them, as reflected by the ad’s basic description.

The seller’s wife was great at providing more pictures sent via SMS while hubby was away travelling with work in remote places.

As the ad had expired and disappeared from mainstream view, this lessoned the chance of other buyers.

A few weeks later I made an offer. It was much less than the cost of the actual engine, with the hull and trailer thrown in.

Bargain! It was accepted. A deposit cleared just on Christmas eve.

Freight quotes ranged from $1100 to $1400 (Melbourne), so as soon as Christmas festivities concluded with family, I was on the road December 29 at 4am to Port Stephens, NSW, to collect the boat, saving $1000 in the process.

TOWING THE BOAT HOME
- The plan to drive up and back for a 2200km round trip the next day
Friends living locally in this fishing Mecca had actually picked the boat up for me and had ran an eye over it days earlier. The trailer was old but reasonable.

But the engine started first attempt and the water tail was strong. Cosmetically, the engine was perfect and brand new under cowling – ODO read 12 hours!

Overall, boat was in good condition  — importantly, the boat was solid, which gave me some confidence that the stringers were probably okay — and the big bonus was the engine effectively in showroom condition.  

There were a few packing preparations for the drive home the next day. The bearings and tyres were assessed for the 1100km-plus drive, as I didn’t want things to go wrong.

The risks can be mitigated for towing second-hand trailers by carrying spares, inspecting all the usual aspects that can cause problems, carrying a grease gun, and by monitoring bearings by stopping at intervals along the way.

The drive back the next day with a friend as a passenger resulted in no hiccups, arriving home safe and sound some 13 hours later.

I was home just in time for New Year’s Eve the following day.

Finally, I had found that boat I had been looking for and things were about to get real!

NEXT: Part 2 in the fortnightly series — OLD SCHOOL HAINES HUNTER Haines 445 Runabout conversion to a Centre Console — sees Dan design the layout and configuration for his 445, outline the key new and old features of this classic Haines Hunter model, and start locking in his rebuild budget.

Meantime, you can check out some 300 Haines Hunter boats listed for sale on our sites with this Haines Hunter search.
If you want to sell an old rig, ads for boats up to $7500 are free on our sites.