Haines Signature 602F EHT

And this recent trend is only just beginning to materialise with a couple of the major players in the sub-seven-metre trailerboat market unveiling their offerings at the recent Brisbane Boat Show.

The Haines Group of Companies is one of those players entering the market of smaller hard-top trailer boats and one that is well known for producing a number of brand names including the one we see here, the Haines Signature.

Hard top boats until recently were the realm of the seven metre plus trailer boat which inevitably wound the scales off the clock at the weighbridge as they were often well over three tonnes and outside of the towing capacity of most vehicles.

So the arrival of the 602F Enclosed Hard Top turned more than a few heads when it made its recent debut.

Based on their popular 602F platform the hard top is the most visual of the changes but there has also been a make-over with the topside liner which is now a single piece from bow to stern and gunwale to gunwale.

Our test rig came with a lovely Suzuki 175hp outboard. Standard for this boat is a 115hp.

This rig fully optioned from the factory has a price tag of $93,990 including the  Dunbier trailer and on-water costs.

The options list is quite extensive and includes the bait rigging station and cabin door as well as clip-in cockpit carpet and of course the enclosed hard top.

The boarding ladder, internal lighting, live-bait tank and deck wash are optional as well as the upgraded seating, trim tabs, two tone colour on the deck and hull and, of course the, trailer. The long list of electronics includes a GME radio, instrumentation that interfaces with the Suzuki outboard and combination chart plotter/depth sounder.

A standard 602F Enclosed Hard Top with a DF115ATX Suzuki and trailer will kick off at $65,110.

These skeletal frames allow boxes and other luggage including ice boxes to be stowed and secured underneath for travel on and off the water.

Seated at the helm station, the skipper is faced with a compact console of instruments in a contoured panel. The instruments can be accessed from the cabin should any maintenance be required, or the panel can be unclipped and folded aft on hinges. The panel has an upholstered brow at its top which to some extent will shade the screens from direct sunlight but is really cosmetic.

The main flat fascia in the panel was fitted with a recessed Garmin 5008 combination chart plotter/depth sounder which is an eight-inch screen unit. For those who like big screens, one of 15 inches will fit here nicely.

Two of Garmin’s GM120 units are installed here and interfaced with the Suzuki outboard. Each can perform 50 functions and with what we saw, impressively so. The trim tilt levels of the engine pop up for a predetermined time each time the trim button is actuated and everything else regarding engine functionality is catered for. Smart stuff indeed!

The rest of the helm station bulkhead is contoured to include a rebated section on which other electronics might be mounted. There’s also a sealed hatch which contains a 12-volt power supply for charging mobile telephones which finished off a practical navigation station.

The cabin has a bi-fold lockable door which will be handy for those who prefer to leave their gear on board at the end of a trip. The door can also be lifted off its separating hinges and removed from the boat when not required.

Inside, we found a chemical portable toilet under a bi-fold lid and storage areas under the bunk cushions. The usual surrounding pockets are featured and access may be gained to the anchor well through the side opening hatch.

The anchor well is ‘electric winch ready’.

Above the helm station, the hard top cuts a nice line and apparently weighs in at only 40kg. The front windscreen panes are nicely curved and separated centrally with a support post. The rear of the hard top is supported by stainless-steel posts and the sliding glass window each side opens wide to allow plenty of flow-through ventilation.

There’s a moulded step to assist with access onto the gunwales and a long rail on the hard top to provide a safety hold.

Aft of the hard top, the coamings narrow dramatically offering more cockpit space to the crew when moving around inside.

The side pockets are two tier with the top set up for rigged rods. Counting the rod holders on the aft of the hard top and those in the gunwales, at least another 11 outfits could be stored upright.

The transom features a half walk-through with door portside while the live-bait tank is fitted in the starboard corner.

In between, there is a lounge and a central back rest cushion that folds into the cockpit to allow large outboard engines to be tilted without the cowl contacting the coamings.

Add to this the innovative bait-rigging station that unpins and folds inwards for the same reason and you have got plenty of dexterity when it comes to fitting various brand engines to the transom of this boat.

Over the back there are two swim platforms with the one on the port side sporting a telescopic boarding ladder.

The build consists of a Ruply timber transom fully encapsulated in fibreglass which has been an inclusion in Signature boats for 16 years and the stringer system consists of solid fibreglass.

The 270-litre fuel tank is manufactured from poly material and is encased in a drainable fibreglass shell.

As mentioned, the top liner is one piece and is what The Haines Group refer to as their ‘full nexus technology’ whereby the top liner and the hull are joined with a special adhesive and the voids filled with high density waterproof buoyancy foam which reduces a lot of ambient noise coming through the hull.

This foam inclusion creates effective iceboxes due to the insulating effect so the 180 litre kill tank in the deck could be used for a number of purposes.

Interestingly, the hard top and toughened glassware have had no detrimental effect to the balance and stability of this hull, either on the plane or dead in the water. We could not discern a difference between this hull and that of old and, if anything, it was quieter under the hardtop than under the older-style canvas and steel framed bimini.

Running the boat at pelagic trolling speed of six knots and 1950rpm the Suzi was consuming 6.3 litres per hour and she slipped onto the plane at 11.2 knots, 2900rpm and 13.7 litres per hour.

Finding that sweet cruise spot at 4100 rpm, we were slipping along at 25.5 knots and using 24.7 litres of fuel per hour, and wide-open throttle realised 5950rpm and 61.9 lph pushing 38.2 knots.

The minimum power for this rig is 115hp and the maximum is 200. At 175 we found a good match and unless you were in the habit of carrying big payloads, the 175 will do all you want whether you are fishing or cruising.

It had good hole-shot and torque throughout the throttle range and performed perfectly during various manoeuvres over what boat and ferry wash we could find.

For the divers, this boat might also fit the bill as there is an option of a side door, and for those who wish only to have a mid-size 4WD or a large family sedan in their driveway, the 602F Enclosed Hard Top is still in the ball park.

As the hard top trend intensifies, don’t be surprised to see smaller boats than this sporting glass tops instead of canvas.