Quintrex 460 Freedom Sport CV

There's no doubting the practicality of aluminium plate boats. Long gone are the days of a tinny being thought of as a small uncomfortable craft with a rough ride. Over the years their strength has improved immeasurably for a better ride, plus the variation in designs available caters to all tastes at a reasonable price.

The relative light weight of aluminium plate boats is always a bonus when it comes to towing and offers more variety in vehicles available to accomplish the job compared to heavier craft.

The 460 Freedom Sport CV bowrider from Quintrex is a boat that follows a proven formula and suits those looking for a reasonably sized, easy-to-handle craft, primarily used as a family entertainment package, that can double as a fishing craft.

UNIQUE HULL
A big factor in the success of a tinny lies in its hull construction and every manufacturer has their own unique design that they claim offers a premium ride, strength and safety.

The 460 CV has the Quintrex trademark flared bow and Millennium hull that includes v-strake pressings and ribs welded to the keel and chine extensions. Quintrex claims this adds strength and provides a better ride with the deep-v lifting it on the plane quicker.

TrailerBoat gratefully accepted an invite to test this next-to-new craft from its owner, Steve Walker. Steve, who informed us of the craft's many features, was more than happy to see us tow it out of Terrace Boating at Heatherbrae, north of Newcastle, and head to the Hunter River.

The 460CV is the smallest of the six models available in the bowrider range with CV standing for "Customer Value". This package certainly offers that.

CHECK THIS DECK
At just 413kg launching it off the Marlin trailer was a breeze. The Maxi transom allows easy boarding from knee-deep water and there's a two-step telescopic boarding ladder that will be used constantly during the summer. Grab handles run from the pod up to the transom for support when climbing aboard, with enough room either side of the 60hp Yamaha two-stroke engine to also use the pod as a perch for a fish.

There's a fold away upholstered seat at the rear that has plenty of padding at the stern as well as wrapping around the gunwales slightly. Besides helping with ride comfort it also adds a bit of support for your thighs when hauling in a catch or leaning over the stern. A variety of options are available to personalise the spacious transom including bait tanks, ski poles or bait board. The craft has an auto bilge pump with the option of a self draining deck.

The rear gunwales have a cleat and rod holder either side as well as a couple of grab rails at the rear that double as mounting points for the optional bimini.

Biscuits and boards combined with bodies trying to move fore and aft may fight over the floor space if the stern seat wasn't folded away but sitting is what the bowrider is for.

There are two storage racks either side of the deck with plenty of room for fenders, oars or lifejackets. They sit off the deck so there is plenty of space to tuck a ski out of the way. The thigh high freeboard offers plenty of peace of mind for those with young tackers.

UP FRONT
The cockpit is an economical design with two fold down swivel seats and informative Yamaha instrumentation. The left hand dial is the digital tacho with hour meter, trim gauge, oil and temp warning lights, while the speedo beside it also has an incremental fuel gauge and kilometre trip metre with a compass behind the steering wheel. There are also two cup holders and four switches for nav lights and other accessories. This model had a Matrix 17 Fishfinder with GPS in front of the throttle on the gunwale.

The throttle is well positioned and the gunwale offers a convenient arm rest when motoring along and the same can be said for the passenger with a handy grab rail attached to the screen. There is a lockable glove box in front of the passenger and since our test Steve has fitted a CD player below it in the recessed dash.

 For protection there is a three-piece wraparound screen with an opening for access to the bow that includes the screen and a small carpeted door.

There mightn't be an over abundance of room on the rear deck but, the bowrider certainly makes up for it. Unlike the others in the range, the lounge in the 460CV is a $525 option and one the wife would be ensuring you included. It is well padded for extra support and could comfortably seat four adults without too much fuss. There's also heaps of drained storage underneath the seats that could also double as an ice chest.

Demonstrating its practicality, the lounge seats are easily removable and placing the 'Allycore' insert converts the lounge to a spacious fish platform that could handle two anglers throwing a line.

In front of the seating is the anchor well, a cleat and low bow rails that run almost to the screen with nav lights attached. For the amount of space and 'loungeability' Quintrex has concentrated on providing, there is ample storage for a craft of this size to handle a day on the water.

The floor has permanent carpet covering the 70-litre fuel tank - the filler cap is on the left hand gunwale - and the basic underdeck flotation however the baby of the range doesn't possess level flotation like its siblings.

The fiery Yamaha 60hp sparks to life in an instant and gets out of the hole on the plane in just a few seconds. After a short time at the helm I can understand Quintrex's satisfaction with their Millennium Hull as it cuts through the water and lifts higher than other craft in the class.

The craft, which is plated to carry five passengers and is wonderfully balanced when underway, motors up to full speed quickly. As for the ride on the Hunter River I couldn't fault it but I would like to find a wind chopped waterway to put it right to the test. It handles nimbly and confidently without too much hull tilt. The screen offers plenty of protection and unhindered forward vision for those of average height.

 The hull spread any spray well away from the boat and at rest the craft is stable and not unsettled with adults moving about, thanks to its 2.12m beam.

MOTORING ON
On full noise the Yammie ticks over at 5400rpm as the 460 cuts across the water at around 78km/h. For more economical motoring, drop the revs back to around 3800 revs and the digi speedo is showing about 60km/h; more than enough to get around at a reasonable clip.

Like all craft with mechanical steering the trim position is critical for maximum rev performance and straight relaxed steering. It's apparent on the 460 but not as pronounced as some other craft that possess the tendency to steer one way or the other depending on trim position. In a hard high speed turn, if the engine is not trimmed right it will bog down and cavitate slightly but it has to be handled badly for the Freedom Sport to play up.

There are very few gripes to be had about this craft as it's a well finished and practical boat.

It's the little things that make the difference to prospective buyers and pleasingly, with the 460CV there are enough to make the Freedom Sport one of life's big joys in a little package.

HIGHS

LOWS