Quintrex 510 Escape

A runabout in the true sense, seating is well forward opening up more space in the cockpit for fishing and play.

Evinrude’s 90hp ETEC two stroke outboard is fitted, attached to Teleflex Non Return 4:1 ratio mechanical cable steering.

One gets to the ground tackle via the opening centre windscreen and opening the hatch that covers in the rebate when underway. Stepping up onto a platform built as part of the deck puts one directly over the anchor well for good leverage.

This rebate cover feels quite flimsy when opened being pressed from lightweight alloy sheet but when locked down forms a rigid cover. The metal tongue which the latch locks onto protrudes out of the side of the rebate and may cause abrasions to those standing there working the ground tackle in rough weather.

As with most Telwater boats of which there are something like 80 different models of various brand names, there is a heavy accent on the use of rotaform mouldings.

The anchor hatch is fitted with one of these mouldings which makes operation of the chain and anchor less noisy if chasing spooky fish but also allows the area to age better than painted aluminium that will get knocked about with use when in contact with the ground tackle.

The dash is primarily a rotaform mould topside exhibiting angular profiles with one either side of the companionway to the bow mounted on an alloy substructure. There is ample room on the flat top in front of the skipper to mount an electronics cabinet with an eight-inch screen while that in front of the passenger features a compartment with a tinted acrylic hatch and a sheltered ledge for odds and ends.

There is ample room under these two consoles for safety gear to be stowed. The deck to which the skipper and passenger swivel seats are attached sits about 120mm above that in which those occupant’s legs sit; basically it has a foot well.

These Quintrex hulls are fisher friendly in that typically they have overly wide coamings on which all manner of accessories may be installed and it is a comfortable place to sit and fish when on calm water.

Across the transom bulkhead is no different with large flat areas in the port and aft corners in which livebait tanks may be fitted. As well, downrigger bases could be attached here with the inclusion of a strengthening plate underneath. A pole base is mounted on the transom where an optional bait rigging station may be installed or the optional ski pole for some family fun on toys and boards.

The fuel filler hose comes down through the starboard coaming, through the bottom of the long side pocket and through the deck. A rotomold fitting shrouds its entry through the deck so sharp objects do not penetrate the hose.

The rear lounge is quickly removable from its sockets by unlocking a clip at each end. When lifted out, there is access to the bilge pump under a small hatch and the battery and isolation switch.

The fuel filter is installed directly above the battery box and tilted on an angle. It is a blank bottom screw-on cartridge type that does not have a drain tap. When the filter is removed for replacement a fuel spill over the battery box is inevitable. It is not a good place for a fuel filter in any case being so close to the battery and isolation switch but even installed level rather than tilted would be advantageous to what we saw on the review boat.

Over the transom, there are two short boarding platforms and the one on the portside is fitted with Quintrex’s Maxi Bracket. This device is a base to which all manner of accessories may be attached. A couple of those that are optional are the boarding ladder and the burley munching pot but you could also stick an auxiliary motor mount bracket on it.

The weight of the hull only is 450kg and the maximum transom weight for a motor is 203kg. The boat is rated to a maximum basic load of 653kg.

Unless you are carrying a full complement of adults (five) 90hp is ample. It had good hole-shot and snappy acceleration throughout the throttle range. It is also a quiet-running engine with the only distraction being the noisy rattles of the rear lounge locking clips when the motor was idling in gear; easy fixed though.

The hull performs well over small chop and big boat wakes which is the roughest water we could find during our sea trial.

It was sharp on the turns with no side slip at speed though the stiffness of the mechanical non-return steering was disappointing. It took more than the normal amount of effort to manoeuvre the boat and it might well be an installation issue that is the cause; perhaps a sharp bend being put in the cable during the fit-up.

Previous testing of this boat revealed a top GPS speed of 63.24 km/h at 5500rpm with fuel consumption running at 33.1 litres per hour. Cruising at 4000rpm the speed is 45.86km/h with fuel consumption being a miserly 16.5 litres per hour. That equates to a cruising time of around five and a half hours on the 95-litre underfloor tank and a range of approximately 250km.

The 510 Escape presented as a basic boat at a basic price. It is as simple as that! You get what you pay for but with this boat there is plenty of room to improve its comfort levels. The main thing one needs is a good foundation to build on and with this rig you will have it.