Procraft 620 Walkaround Hardtop

The Procraft 620 Walkaround offers exceptional value in an Australian-made fibreglass half cabin. Available in soft or hardtop versions, this well equipped trailerable cruiser has a proven deep-vee hull – and is backed by one of our biggest local manufacturers.

OVERVIEW
- Quality, Aussie-made budget boats
Procraft is a brand of Australian-made aluminium and fibreglass trailerboats launched by Tweed Heads boat dealer, Coastal Powerboats.

Some two years ago, Coastal's Kieran Harland saw an opening in the market for a value-orientated range of boats to sell alongside his mainstream models. He subsequently commissioned the production of a range of alloy boats from a leading national manufacturer. Each boat was ordered to bare aluminium specification to be custom outfitted by the Coastal Powerboats team and then sold as a low-0cost, high-value boat package.

For Coastal Powerboats, the Procraft venture has proven very successful. The brand has been widely accepted and the 'no-frills' style boats are popular with first-time boaters – and those on a budget.

The success of the aluminum Procraft models has led to Procraft dealers being established interstate and to the introduction of a fibreglass boat range – using the same philosophy of offering customers a quality, Australian-made product for an entry-level price.

In the Procraft fibreglass range there are five models. The subject of this test report is the flagship 620 Walkaround Hardtop. Others include the standard 620 Walkaround, 620 Weekender, 580 Coastal and the entry 530 cuddy cabin.

All models are manufactured to bare fibreglass shell stage by the Haines Group in Brisbane – and are actually based on the Haines Traveller series boats that were produced alongside the Signature and Seafarer brands for many years.

In light of the above, customers can be assured of a quality built product, and one that is backed with a five year Haines Group warranty on the hull and deck.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Low price plus lots of gear makes for great value
On paper, the first thing about the Procraft 620 that grabs your attention is the price. Standard boats, without a hardtop but including a four-stroke Suzuki 140hp outboard (in 25 inch extra-longshaft configuration no less) and Dunbier tandem-axle trailer, start at just $55,990. This is an exceptional price for what is also a very well outfitted craft built by a name-brand Australian boat builder.

The Procraft 620 Walkaround is fitted with plenty of gear that others would list as options too – including Sea Star hydraulic steering, VHF radio, bimini top, live-bait tank (not plumbed) transom door, telescopic boarding ladder, moulded fibreglass non-slip cockpit floor, fore and aft sliders on both helm seats, fold-down rear bench seat, foam filled hull (to Basic Flotation standard), and even a standard Lowrance fish finder.

The stuff you would expect to see standard is there too – such as the 200-litre underfloor fuel tank, bilge pump, LED navigation lights, four stainless-steel rod holders, two drink holders, cabin and cockpit side pockets, an underfloor fish/storage box, safety gear and boat and trailer registrations.

There aren't that many options for the big Procraft because most gear is standard. The chief and most expensive option is the impressive fibreglass hardtop with surrounding toughened glass windscreen, sliding side windows, electronics box and stainless-steel rocket launcher.

The cost? Well, the inclusion of the hardtop and associated features lifts the price for the standard boat to $64,490 – which is still a relative bargain compared with many other Aussie-built boats in this size range.

The test boat was packaged with several other options such as the cockpit bait board with (rod rack) gelcoat colour stripe, Raymarine C127 12-inch GPS chart plotter/fish finder, Fusion stereo – and a motor upgrade to a 150hp Suzuki in-line four-cylinder, four-stroke outboard.

The final price (as tested with all options) is $73,460. For a ready-to-fish and cruise 6.2m boat a price of less than $75k is exceptional value.

INTERIOR LAYOUT
- Nothing fancy but it's all there
The Procraft 620 Walkaround is a good-looking boat with smooth lines and a flowing, low-profile cabin design. The exterior is modern, the interior functional, if typical of a big Aussie-made half-cabin boat.

Beneath the low-slung deck is a surprisingly spacious cabin with two 2.0m berths in the conventional vee shape. To reduce costs, the cabin ceiling and surrounds has a GRP fleck pattern instead of carpet lining – but the berths are upholstered using a neat cloth material and a vinyl clip-on cover hides the wiring behind the dash.

There is provision for a chemical toilet to be placed in a locker under the centre berth cushion, along with moulded storage bins under the port and starboard berths.

Vinyl upholstered back-rests surround the berths so you can sit comfortably in the cabin. Behind these are very wide side pockets which can easily accommodate life jackets, towels, clothing, etc.

A shallow storage locker is located between the berths, under a false floor.

A wide fibreglass hatch in the forepeak provides access to the foredeck and the decent-sized anchor locker.

You can climb around the outside of the cabin easily enough as well, as there is sufficient recessed foot space in the side walkway and the hardtop has a well placed stainless steel grab rail to hold onto.

Up on the bow of the Procraft you'll find plenty of quality stainless steel deck hardware – including the bow rail, bow roller, drop-down boarding ladder, bollard – and two side bow cleats. Only the boarding ladder is an option.

Back at the helm, the skipper and co-pilot are looked after with a pair of swiveling and sliding bucket helm chairs mounted on pedestals. The seats are not the most comfortable we have experienced (front bolster is a bit hard) but they do the job.

The helm chair is positioned a little too far aft to comfortably reach the steering wheel and throttle while seated (even with the slider) – but the standing helm position is excellent and the view forward and to the sides of the boat is clear and unrestricted.

We were concerned the enclosed hardtop might make the helm area feel a bit hot and stuffy but opening the sliding side windows lets plenty of cool air into the saloon area.

An unexpected issue with the tall glass windscreen and hardtop configuration was the amount of glare that reflected off the dash during our test. The very bright, midday sun bouncing off the white dash made it difficult to see forward at certain angles – though we suspect a dark matt placed over the dash would solve this problem.

The dash and fascia is large enough to accommodate all manner of electronics gear and engine gauges. The test rig had a massive 12-inch Raymarine chart plotter/fish finder combination planted in the centre of the fascia with digital engine gauges above it and the switch panel beneath.

A Fusion stereo and GME VHF radio were flush-fitted into the electronics box overhead, under the hardtop.

There was also plenty of flat dash space for any bracket-mounted electronics you may wish to install – along with a glove box on the port side.

The rear cockpit in the Procraft is well designed for both fishing and family boating. The fold-down rear bench seat (with padded back-rest) works very well and the port-side transom door and boarding ladder makes it easy to climb into the boat from the beach or trailer.

The cockpit has a moulded floor with non-slip surface and a fish locker underneath – between the helm chairs. The overall cockpit length is 2.55m. The fishing space between the helm chairs and the rear transom wall is a handy 1.9m x 1.94m wide.

Padded, above-floor side pockets stretch the full cockpit length and will cater for deck lines, fishing gear, etc.

The outboard well in the Procraft is compact and the transom designed with a hinged centre-piece which folds forward to make space for the powerhead when the outboard is fully tilted for trailering.

An optional bait board also swivels forward to keep it out of the way of the engine when it is tilted up.

Other cockpit and stern features of note include the four standard rod holders, starboard-side live-bait tank, recessed stern cleats, and automatic bilge pump.

The battery resides on the floor in the transom corner. It is not elevated on a shelf or platform but it is contained in a water tight battery box.

ON THE WATER
- Proven hull shape delivers excellent performance
The Procraft 620 Walkaround is a big, moderately-heavy boat with a 22.5 degree deadrise, and sharp forward entry shape so you would expect it to ride pretty well through a chop – and it does. It has a proven hull, one that offers a comfortable, dry ride with surprisingly good stability at rest.

Underway the Procraft test rig felt very solid, cruiser-like, yet it had the grunt behind it to accelerate strongly and to achieve a handy top speed of 35 knots.

The extra-long-shaft 150hp Suzuki four-stroke was ideally matched to the big Procraft and is probably the best size engine for this boat. That said, you could easily fit a smaller, cheaper 140hp Suzuki and still have sufficient power to achieve low 30-knot performance with gear and a family of four onboard.

At sea, the Procraft works best when set to run at a cruise of around 17 to 18 knots with the engine ticking over nicely at 3500rpm, and the hull riding the waves cleanly, comfortably and quietly.

About the only thing we missed when running the Procraft offshore was a good set of trim tabs. Like most deep vee cruisers (especially those with a hardtop) the Procraft will lean into a cross wind. Trim tabs would improve the handling of the boat by making it possible to stabilise the hull in windy conditions.

VERDICT
- An affordable family fishing cruiser with pedigree
The Procraft 620 Walkaround is a low-priced, remarkably well-equipped trailerable cruiser. It is versatile in design and layout and comes with the backing of one of our biggest local boat builders.

If you're shopping for a 6.0m plus trailerable all-rounder, the Procraft Walkaround should be on your short list. Don't think of it as a boat just for those on a tight budget. Why pay more for a name brand if you don't have to?

The Procraft 620 Walkaround should be judged on its own merits, and compared directly with the big brand boats from the likes of Haines Hunter, Seafarer, Cruise Craft, Signature, etc. It may not have some of the very latest design features, but it has a great hull, decent fit-out, and lots of standard inclusions.

LIKES
>> Great value
>> Soft riding deep vee hull
>> Haines Group 5-year fibreglass warranty
>> Shelter from hardtop
>> Fold-away rear seating
>> Ample side pocket storage space
>> Provision for chemical toilet in cabin

NOT SO MUCH
>> Glare off windscreen in bright sunshine
>> Hardtop is a costly option
>> Trim tabs would improve handling
>> Helm seats not the most comfortable

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.7/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.7/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.8/5.0
On the water performance: 4.7/5.0
Value for money: 4.9/5.0
X-factor: 4.5/5.0

PERFORMANCE
5.7kts (11km/h) @ 1500rpm
6.7kts (12km/h) @ 2000rpm
7.8kts (14km/h) @ 2500rpm
11.7kts (22km/h) @ 3000rpm
17.6kts (33km/h) @ 3500rpm
21.8kts (40km/h) @ 4000rpm
25.9kts (48km/h) @ 4500rpm
28.8kts (53km/h) @ 5000rpm
32.1kts (59km/h) @ 5500rpm
35.4kts (65km/h) @ 6000rpm (WOT)

Specifications:
Price: $73,460 including Suzuki 150hp extra-longshaft (25in) in-line four-cylinder, four-stroke outboard, hardtop with rocket launcher, toughened glass windscreen, sliding side windows, and overhead electronics box, Raymarine C127 GPS/fish finder, Fusion stereo, VHF marine radio, bow ladder, deluxe bait board, gelcoat stripe to hull, hydraulic steering, inshore safety gear for six adults and boat and trailer registrations.  

Priced from: $55,990 with 140hp Suzuki four-stroke, Dunbier tandem axle multi-roller braked trailer, bimini soft-top, boat and trailer registrations, hydraulic steering, VHF marine radio, and an inshore safety kit for six people.
Hardtop version from: $64,490 with rocket launcher, toughened glass windscreen, sliding side windows and overhead electronics box.
Length overall: 7.0m
Hull length: 6.2m
Beam: 2.5m
Hull weight: Approx: 850kg
Towing weight: Approx 1900kg
Deadrise: 22.5 degrees
Maximum power: 175hp
Engine as tested: Suzuki 150hp four-stroke
Fuel: 200 litres
Maximum Persons: Seven

Supplied by:
Coastal Powerboats
Phone: (07) 5523 0072.
Email: info@coastalpowerboats.com.au
Website: www.coastalpowerboats.com.au