Signature by Haines 520R DLX

The well-respected Queensland boat builder's latest interpretation of the good old-fashioned Aussie runabout, the 520R, was released late last year. Since then, it has attracted plenty of attention from family boaties and it's easy to see why. Plenty of interior space, sensible, serviceable comforts and Signature's trademark soft, smooth deep-V ride help to make a day on the water with the 520R fun for all the family.

In fact, the Signature 520R is an ideal choice for the family that wants to do a little bit of everything on the water. There's plenty of fishing room, but the R's just as happy acting as a floating picnic table or towing watertoy-mounted family members.

Its deep aft cockpit and waist high gunwales make it safe for the kids, and equally secure for those with limited experience on the water.

A rather lush padded rear lounge dominates the aft cockpit and stretches almost full width and the remaining side decks are covered with padded vinyl. In typical Haines fashion, there are few hard edges to bump into when moving about the boat. User-friendly is the term that comes to mind.

There's plenty of storage for all the toys as well. A storage locker underneath the lounge is ideal to stow away buoyancy vests or wetsuits. Additional storage is located in deep side pockets and underfloor, with a long narrow skihatch running partway down the deck.

Haines obviously had watersports and swimming in mind when designing the 520R and also offers the option of fitting generous twin stern-mounted boarding platforms. They're fitted just above water level to make the job of getting in and out of the water a lot easier.

If the spirit takes you, you can sit on these boards quite comfortably with legs dangling in the water, a cold drink in your hand and a feed at your side... What a great way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon!

The comforts continue at the helm, with low profile pedestal seats, a comfortable driving position and plenty of room to stretch your legs while cruising along.

Instruments are displayed automotive-style on an optional woodgrain dash and there is enough room above these to mount a small depth sounder.

The passenger's side of the dash includes a large glovebox, which will hold wallets, sunscreen, keys and even a happy snap camera.

The R's 'dash' actually comprises two bowrider-style pods which allow the central section of the windscreen to open. With a matching hinged hatch on the foredeck there's good walk-through access for anchoring duties, or just when boarding from the pointy end.

Up front there's even more storage in what amounts to a low-profile cab. There's no room for sleeping up here - after all, the 520R is a runabout. A raised bulkhead acts as a retainer so life jackets and the like are not sliding and bouncing around as you cruise.

Performance wise, the pairing of the Signature hull and Mercury's three-cylinder 90hp two-stroke outboard is just about spot on.

Topping out at 5400rpm, the 520R is registering around 75kmh. At 4000rpm the rig's cruising at 45kmh.

The 90hp Mercury is a very willing powerplant and though it's not the smoothest powerplant on the water, it's relatively quiet and teams with the 520R very well.

The excellent 'balance' of this rig is demonstrated by its overall manners. As tested, the 520R had a very level transition on to and off the plane. Unlike many runabouts, you can remain seated at the helm and still see clearly, even with weight back on the rear lounge.

Trim the motor in and power away smoothly, then back off a little and simply enjoy the ride - it's as easy as that.

This level attitude holds nicely in tight cornering - beneficial when towing a skier. Even with the motor trimmed half out, there was no cavitation in the turns.

Signature's variable deadrise hull with the planing plank running down the centre is just about perfect in these midrange boats.

The last few that we've tested in the 4.5-5.5m range have all had similar appeal. It's good to see a company putting a lot of work into hull refinements on these 'bread and butter' family boats.

As a package, the 520R includes quite a number of 'comfort' items as standard equipment. As tested, this particular rig included the woodgrain dash, heavy-duty trailer, transom step and canopy.

And at around $26,400 as tested, it's certainly top value.