Quintrex 510 Fishabout

This new Fishbaout will be seen and accepted in exactly that same way.

Its bones are bare but the boat has the key attributes of -- stability at rest, comfort on the plane, excellent manoeuvrability and room to move when fishing. 

Oh, we forgot to mention an economic powerplant that won’t have you shuddering at the fuel pump!

The steering is mechanical cable non return with a 4:1 ratio, but if you're fussed about that you can always upgrade to hydraulic steering. Fitted Lowrance electronics, cargo storage nets, live-bait tank, berley bucket, cutting board, ski pole, swim ladder and second battery are other options worthy of consideration and deending on your boating style and budget.

LAYOUT

The companionway between the helm station and the passenger dash is raised to give more leverage when retrieving the anchor and ground tackle when the windscreen is opened and the covering hatch is swung to one side.

The anchor well is open, without a lid, and features a deep rotomoulded bin to keep chain rattle noise at bay. The bow section is covered with convex formed sheeting, which will shed water easily, and the foredeck gunwales are traced by a short rail.

Back behind the windscreen, each side of the central opening pane is supported by a strut, as per usual, while the Perspex windscreen curves and runs well aft for spray protection for the seated occupants.

The modules in front of the two seats are angular and run toward the companionway. The passenger gets a high fascia with open-fronted stowage and, below that, a hatch that will keep moisture away from items stowed therein. 

The skipper's dash is fitted with the Evinrude ETEC instrumentation with enough flat area in front of the wheel to mount a small depth sounder.

The list of options for this boat includes a Lowrance Mark-5X Pro fishfinder as an extra. In all likelihood one would be hard pressed to get a larger display screen to fit here. 

But with such wide coamings and a wide-fit windscreen there is some area outboard of the dash on which other electronics might be fitted with the use of RAM mounts. A rebate in the fascia also provides a place to flush mount a radio.

Under each dash module is a raised deck which is the continuation of the companionway, providing a good place to stash life jackets and rest the feet when seated. A cargo net is an option that would help retain the luggage.

The cockpit side pockets are three-quarter length, running from the swivel chairs and stopping under the transom. On the back of these pockets a bracket accepts the hinge pole of the rear lounge which is retained by a pin.

With the rear lounge stowed, the pole frame and strut legs face into the cockpit and would be annoying to those standing and fishing over the transom. But it has been manufactured so that it might fit in the brackets in reverse, in which case the base cushion faces into the cockpit providing a comfortable ‘support’ for people to lean against.

When the lounge is removed, easy access is gained to the cranking battery under the starboard corner of the bulkhead, where the isolation switch and fuel filter are mounted. This section under the full beam of the transom is raised providing dry conditions for these components. 

The opposing port corner is vacant and a second battery might be installed there. However, if you tick the box for the optional live-bait tank, this area would be used for that installation.

Central in against the transom splash well is a pole mount socket in which an optional stainless steel ski pole may be installed and no doubt other aftermarket items such as rod holders or a bait-rigging table.

At the stern, the boarding platform is full beam with checker-plate topside, while the aft port corner is fitted with Quintrex’s Maxi Bracket to which an optional boarding ladder or berley bucket may be added.

Due to the way the floatation is calculated and installed, no auxiliary motor bracket or bow-mount electric motor-base plate is available on this model.

The bottom sides and the transom are constructed from 3.00mm aluminium while the topsides are from 2.0mm.

Transducer brackets are installed on the transom both port and starboard side of the keel line.

At 3500rpm, our GPS told us we were cruising at 18.25 knots and at WOT of 5400rpm we skipped along at 30.4 knots. Manoeuvrability was good at speed and, for a light alloy boat, it handled the bumpy chop comfortably enough.

It is the stability at rest that the family fisher will appreciate with people able to walk around without unduly rocking the boat.

The Evinrude ETEC 90hp fitted the bill nicely and we doubt you would need the maximum of 100hp. Having said that, the recommended horsepower was only 60, which would take a lot of the shine off this boat’s performance.

As tested, it was very snappy getting onto the plane and had typically good ‘ETEC’ torque throughout the throttle range.

Overall, the 510 Fishabout is not a boat that will turn all heads, but those on a budget will be all over this one in the coming months.

Specifications:

Price as tested: $35,245 via Caloundra Marine with optional bimini and envelope, two-tone paint job, direct-injection Evinrude ETEC 90hp two-stroke outboard and single-axle trailer and registrations