Quintrex 520

We have tested quite a few Quintrex boats over the years and especially the Top Enders. These boats had their heritage in Australia's Top End and were originally designed as barramundi boats for tropical waterways.

They have come a long way since and we were pleasantly surprised at the design and build of the 520 when we tested it on the Gold Coast Seaway.

This boat features the Millennium Hull and its flared bow helps keep occupants dry when wind and chop are prevalent.

In two-metre swell the 520 presented with good stability at various speeds, and seating positions for skipper and rear passenger are set well back from midships. This gives the effect of generating a softer than normal ride for this style of boat when navigating choppy water.

The coamings along the sides and bow of the 520 are quite wide and reduce drastically across the transom bulkhead where it counts, to maximise room behind the two rear seat positions.

TELESCOPIC LADDER
The boarding platform is fitted with a fold-up telescopic ladder which is handy to the grabrail on the back of the bulkhead. A loom coming from the outboard motor traverses the platform and enters the transom bulkhead under the sill of the walkthrough transom opening. It is a pity that this boarding area and door were not on the port side, so that the boarding platform remained clutter–free, something Quintrex could look into.

On entering the transom aperture, the isolator switch is located on the fascia of the bulkhead and the primer bulb on the fuel line lies on the carpeted deck. A couple of further reasons why the boarding area is best shifted portside.

Across the inner beam of the cockpit under the transom bulkhead, a raised platform retains the cranking battery which sits forward of the livebait tank. It is flush mounted in the top of the bulkhead and a small Velcro fitted carpeted hatch allows access to the bilge and its pump.

The basic floatation on the 520 is throughout the bilge, under deck and also behind carpeted vertical panelling forming the cockpit liner. The sidepockets run almost to the deck with enough rebate to get the toes under if standing along the gunwales fishing. The fascias of the pockets are quite high and are made from carpeted aluminium plate with a nice round-rolled sill at the top.

Stowage compartments are all lined and a couple have lift-out bins for cleaning and all may be bunged to retain water or ice.

The anchor well is open at the top, with plenty of length for ample ground tackle and a backup system may be stowed in another compartment hard up against the forward bulkhead.

Aft of this in each side of the raised forward casting platform you will find another two bins which are longer and riveted into the deck frame. Another mid casting deck is reticulated as a livefish well for the catch and there is a seat pole base fixed on this platform as well.

The deck here is constructed of carpeted marine ply with Alleycore hatches which are also carpeted, and the entire deck feels very solid under foot.

LIGHT AND RIGID
The console is fixed to the starboard gunwale and is constructed of a combination of moulded topside and alloy base and strut which has been tastefully perforated. The console, as a whole, looks very light but is as rigid as is required. A framework up from the base surrounds a moulded Perspex wind deflector behind which there is a small rebate in the top to place articles.

You'd be hard pressed to find the space to mount small cabinet marine electronics on the top of this console, but a Lowrance LMS-522C was mounted on a RAM bracket to the portside of the base. These are great accessories with which to mount all sorts of items to boats or cars, from laptops to mobile telephones and hand-held GPS.

This boat was fitted with a four-stroke Yamaha 100hp outboard engine. Steering was manual cable and was quite manageable torque-wise at the helm, at various speeds and trim.

We did note that the draglink, from the end of the cable to the control point on the engine, was discoloured from rust.

Under power, the 520 Top Ender exhibited good holeshot and brilliant acceleration throughout the throttle range. At WOT and 6000rpm, it zipped along at 62kmh and could handle lots of trim up without aeration at the propeller. Back at cruise and 3500rpm, the GPS registered 31kmh; backed off to just on the plane you will be doing 3100rpm and about 22kmh.

As you have read, it can handle plenty of swell and is well behaved in a following sea. To date, this is the best example of a Top Ender that this writer has been in.