Spotlight: Quintrex Fishabout Pro

The seven-model Quintrex Fishabout alloy boat range was significantly updated in 2019 to make them more roomy inside. It also added the “Pro” to the end of its model name, which is something of a misnomer given that the range-wide update made these boats even easier to live with.

The biggest changes included widening the internal beam of the boat by making the sides more vertical, and increasing the room down the back of the boat by placing the outboard engine inside a pod rather than using the whole transom.

One small change – dividing the dash so you can easily lean forward through the centre-opening windscreen to set or retrieve the anchor – has also made a big difference to the Quintrex Fishabout Pro range’s ease of use.

Underneath, the boats all ride on the time-proven Quintrex Blade hull that helps the boat onto the plane and provides great stability at rest or at speed.

The Quintrex Fishabout Pro range starts with the 4.49-metre Quintrex 430 Fishabout Pro. featuring a wrap-around windscreen with the central bow access panel, a carpeted plywood floor, side pockets running down the length of the hull, and Quintrex’s “Maxi Bracket” that can be used for everything from a boarding ladder to a burley bucket or even a “kicker” auxiliary outboard engine mount.

The dashboard in front of the skipper is simple and deliberately car-like in its layout to make the boat familiar and easy to use, even for absolute beginners.

The Quintrex 430 Fishabout Pro includes seats for both the skipper and crew, with a hand rail around the top of the windscreen, and a folding rear lounge for two more passengers.

It even has a pole mount if you ever want to use the boat for water skiing or towing the kids around on a sea biscuit.

The Quintrex 430 Fishabout Pro is small enough to pull behind a normal family car.

At the top end of the Fishabout Pro range is the Quintrex 610 Fishabout Pro. Measuring 6.22 metres long, this boat is still light enough to pull behind a family car.

The larger boat has more room, so if you’re as keen about fishing as you are about taking the family out for an experience there’s room to add more fishing features such as a live bait tank.

 There’s also the option of adding a transom door; a handy feature if you’re doing lots of watersports, swimming, or even anchoring up at a beach.

The bigger boat uses a more powerful outboard engine than the smaller 430, so it also upgrades to hydraulic, rather than cable, steering.

The boats are sold as a boat, motor and trailer package, with prices for the Quintrex 430 Fishabout Pro starting from around $27,000 on boatsales.com.au when fitted with a 60hp four-stroke outboard engine and sitting on an unbraked Quintrex trailer.

In contrast, the range-topping Quintrex 610 Fishabout Pro starts from around $60,000.