Haines Traveler 200CT

The Haines family company manufactures up to 60 different hulls at any one time, ranging in size from small dories to 60ft catamarans. The philosophy behind this is to supply the right boat to suit the various segments of the fishing and family boat market.

The Traveler series of boats is aimed squarely at the budget buyer who does not want to sacrifice quality, but is more willing to compromise on some of the additional bells and whistles in order to keep the bank manager (and the wife) happy.

It is a roomy, made-for-the-angling-family boat with a spacious, open format and a wide entry into the cabin area. The helm bulkhead is cut short and supported on a stainless steel pipe frame. This is typical of the reduction in fibreglass material used in parts of this boat, which drastically reduces the overall weight (and price) without adversely affecting its strength.

At 7m in length with a healthy beam of 2.5m, this is not a small boat. It is perhaps suited to the smaller tinny owner who is looking for a boat with a good, soft ride, heaps of room for family and friends and something which can be run all weekend without mortgaging the house to pay the fuel bill. The Haines Traveler 200CT is a well-built, practical and manageable offering delivering a whole lot of bang for your buck.

HOME FROM HOME
The cabin is large enough to duck into to escape a shower of rain, and the bunks are just the place for a nap during the heat of the day. Headroom is adequate for a boat of this size, with a 190cm person able to sit on the bunks without crouching.

There is plenty of dry storage found under bunk cushions with the middle section of the forward V-berth housing a marine toilet under a bi-fold door, which can be accessed without having to tear the place to pieces.

Four people could comfortably sit inside, and a couple of adults could overnight without any dramas.

A generous-sized shelf encircles the cabin - the perfect place to stow personal items that need to be kept dry.

The walkway around the edge of the cabin is of a reasonable size with a heavy-duty stainless steel bowrail offering additional security. If the weather is too rough to negotiate this pathway, the cabin roof hatch may also be used to access the forward deck area and anchor locker. The hatch is wide enough to lean or even climb out of.

ROOM TO MOVE
The helm area features Seastar hydraulic steering with neatly laid-out instrumentation for the 130hp Honda four-stroke bolted on the back. A Lowrance X91 sounder and Navman 5500 chartplotter were flush-mounted and were clearly visible from the driver's seat. There was enough room left on the dash to flush fit a larger sounder or plotter if need be. The skipper's seat swivelled and had forward and aft adjustment, and proved to be comfortable with good forward vision.

The passenger seat module, on the other hand, was built on its own fibreglass storage module and had one forward-facing and one rear-facing padded seat. The front-facing seat tilted forward on hinges to grant access to a quite massive storage area. It would be a great place to fit an insulated icebox for drinks and food. Depending on the liner thickness, you would end up with about 150lt of ice storage. Otherwise, this hungry locker could swallow a stack of gear like clothes, safety gear and so on.

The cockpit sideliner was fitted with plenty of secure shelf space for a boat hook, gaffs and fishing gear. A moulded step up onto the gunwale allowed access onto the walkway around the sides of the cabin, with the stainless steel rocket launcher providing a sturdy handhold.

A livebait tank was installed in the transom bulkhead, but in this case was not plumbed. Less serious anglers could use this space for cold storage. The tank is centrally located with seat cushions on either side in the corners. These lift out to allow better access to the stern area - just what an angler needs in a boat, especially when bottom bashing offshore.

FRUGAL ON FUEL
Running along the Gold Coast's Broadwater, the Honda wound out to 5650rpm pushing the TC200 to 70kmh. Fuel consumption at this point was 55.0lt/h. Backing off to a comfortable 3500rpm cruise, the GPS reported a modest 32.7kmh with fuel consumption just 20.15lt/h. That sort of economy delivers a considerable range, which means more time on the water and less at the fuel bowser.

Heading out through the Seaway, we encountered solid 2m swells jacking up in the entrance, which calmed to a more comfortable 1.5m outside. The boat handled well in all aspects and proved very dry, with no spray coming onto the screen during our run offshore. It ran straight and true with no evidence of flightiness while surfing down swells and along the crests of the waves. This sort of predictability is what to look for in a sea boat.

Throttle response was excellent, and the 130hp four-stroke engine delivers almost anything that the average person could ask from this style of boat. Keen skiers might consider an upgrade to a 150hp engine although the maximum recommended 175hp would be overkill unless the boat is loaded to the gunwales with gear and people.

This is another practical, stylish boat from the Haines Traveler stable. The base boat is a little basic, but you get a lot of hull for your dollar. An extensive options list allows the owner to select the options they want without spending a fortune on equipment that they do not need. The 200CT is an honest, practical and seaworthy boat for the family that enjoys doing a bit of everything while out on the water.