4 photo(s) available - click on photo to enlarge

Quintrex introduced its Blade Runner hull style across all its bigger boats this summer, and results are pretty impressive judging by the all new Quintrex 610 Spirit.

The 610 Spirit has been a popular model for Quintrex because it’s the right-size for offshore fishing and roomy for family boating. However, now it becomes sensational with the new Blade Runner bottom.

This new hull form provides better ride, less bow spray and also makes the boat look sportier and more modern.

As we found out during a recent Gold Coast test the Blade Runner does deliver on the promise of softer ride and better handling in bumpy water. However, that’s only part of the story because the 610 Spirit also improves fuel-economy through its more level-running attitude.

On top of that you get a huge interior space, self-draining cockpit and a comfy cabin with bunks big enough to let you sleep over.

And the pricing is keen too. As tested the boat cost $56,750 including an OptiMax 175hp outboard, dual-axle braked trailer, bimini, rear door and Maxi bracket. That’s pretty sharp pricing and means you’re not paying a fortune.

Quintrex has been able to drive down pricing through its mass production capacity in its huge factory. However despite many cost-saving measures you’ll find all the new offshore models meet the level-flotation test under the APB (Australian Builders Plate). All boat buyers will appreciate this safety feature because, when combined with self-draining cockpit it allows crews to stay inside the boat if the boat is flooded.

The cuddy is also another attraction feature because it offers good weather protection on cold and rainy days, plus gives you a place to catch a nap, get out of weather and enjoy a hot cuppa in comfort.

You’ll notice the cuddy is pushed well for’ard to free up plenty of cockpit fishing or family boating.

Notice also the pedestal seat boxes have a pair of ‘strike’ seats to keep an eye on troll lures. This gives you total of up to seven seats in the cockpit.

 DESIGN

The new Quintrex 610 Spirit is quite an impressive package on the trailer measuring some 6.1m overall including the bowsprit roller and maxi-pod M3 transom. Beam is 2.4m and hull depth a generous 140cm.

Looking good in bright, postbox red our test boat was quite an eye-catcher on the ramp, or the water.

You notice that the bows of the Blade Runner hull are more raked and this gives the boat a much sportier appearance. There is also a more modern soft-edge clinker pattern in the alloy topsides that gives the boat a more contemporary appearance.

Other points of interest include the wedge-style cabin that matches the modern style of the hull. You also notice the large rear landing decks and the way the boat comes standard with a folding boarding ladder.

You also get a walk-through transom door to allow you to walk aboard from the dock or the boat ramp. This is another strong selling point with this new Quintrex and one that will strike a chord with mums as well as fishermen. After all, you appreciate easy access if you are trying to carry an arm full of rods, or tackle boxes aboard!

On deck you also notice various Quintrex innovations you don’t tend to see on Aussie built boats like composite honey-comb alloy hatches and moulded plastic side panels. The latter are a brilliant feature and incorporate side stowage pockets, drink holders and rod stowage plus cockpit courtesy lights.

The spacious interior can carry up to eight people on inshore trips or six people offshore. The latter simply means the level-flotation is rated to only support six people.

I might mention the 610 Spirit still incorporates the famous Millennium flared-bow feature that helps soften the ride in choppy water.

And there’s no worry about the boat’s strength. In keeping with Quintrex offshore models there’s 4mm gauge bottom and 3mm topsides. The transom is also 4mm gauge to cope with bigger size motors like the OptiMax 175hp used on our test.

The topsides are painted but the bottom is kept unpainted as a practical precaution against the inevitable bumps and scratches you get while trailer boating.

The 610 Spirit also carries a small external keel plus small chine edges that help deflect bow spray. The hull is further strengthened by internal framing, plus welded side deck and an internal floor grid. Quintrex backs all its boat with a three year hull warranty. And if you buy the factory package you get an overall warranty on the BMT (boat, motor, trailer) package.

Hull weight comes in around 760kg ex-factory. This translates to a road weight around 1500- 1600kg loaded with fuel and fishing gear aboard. That’s lighter than most 6m fibreglass boats and allows the Spirit to be towed by larger cars like the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Toyota Aurion. Or popular mid-sized SUVs like the Holden Captiva that families tend to use for transport these days.

Only real drawback with the 610 Spirit is the addition height of the cabin structure. However, if you do fit the optional rocket-launcher it can be folded to help you get the boat under the carport roof.

 PERFORMANCE

In contrast to the terrible weather Queensland coped earlier our test was done in fine, sunny weather on the Gold Coast. It was a beautiful day to be alive and we took the opportunity to take a spin outside as well to see how the Spirit handed in open waters.

As the photos reveal the new 610 Spirit sits pretty as a picture at speed and runs in a very level fashion. This is a direct result of the new bottom shape the chine edges being pulled in a bit further.

One of the benefits of this new shape is the spray deflects off the hull further back, thereby making for a drier ride.

I immediately liked the feel of the Spirit once I took the helm. The driving position feels very comfortable and the steering very light but positive due to the hydraulic steering being standard. Underway the 610 Spirit seems to slice through small wave chop easily and also rides in level, controlled manner in offshore waves.

While not being a heavy boat we also liked the way the 610 Spirit feels very steady in the water and quite stable at rest. Even with a few people on one side it stays steady in the water.

There was certainly plenty of spirit in the performance as I hit the throttle and gave the big red boat full revs. The big OptiMax 175hp outboard literally blew us out of the hole and got the boat running fast in no time at all.

The boat is quick with level of power as shown by the following impressive GPS speeds:

3500rpm           23 knots

4500rpm           31 knots

5500rpm           38 knots

We were actually hitting just on 40 knots at full bore and trim. However, while most fishos don’t need this level of speed it’s nice to have this level of power up your sleeve. What it means is that boat has plenty of grunt to support big loads of passengers, or fight adverse tides and winds on a long trip home.

Meanwhile the steering position is quite comfortable and comes with a padded bucket seat with adjust slide, footrest and comfortable grip steering wheel. The dash console is not that large but provides easy-to-view instrument cluster and room to mount a sounder on the top of the dash.

In short, this boat should be suitable for moderate range offshore fishing trips. It handles well in open water and rides quite softly for a boat that really is not a deep Vee.

 POWER

The Quintrex 610 Spirit is rated for single motors of 115hp -175hp but as you might have gathered by now I prefer the maximum power. This is because it can handle this level of power. Not only that the Spirit can save fuel because the big 175hp size motor won’t work as hard.

Having said that, I think the 610 Spirit would work quite nicely with a 150hp or 140hp size motor. These size motors will still deliver speeds in the 32 – 35 knot range and suit offshore trips.

However, going down to 115hp motor would be pushing your luck because the motor would be working too hard. Especially when you’ve got a whole gang of people aboard the motor will be drinking like a drunk at Christmas time!

Talking of power the Spirit gets a 120-litre under-floor fuel tank with sender kit and deck filler. This should be suitable for most day trips, however might fall short on really long trips offshore. This is why Quintrex offers the option of a second fuel tank of 42-litre capacity to boost the fuel range.

Our test boat also came with a fuel line water filter, master switch and second battery for the electronics. It also comes with navigation light and cockpit lights – the latter being most helpful if you go fishing at night, or early morning.

 INTERIOR

Spirit is well kited for coastal boating and fishing. Up front there’s a welded bow anchor roller and split bow rails designed to help feed the anchor line to the correct spot.

In the bows there’s also a self-draining anchor well incorporated into the cabin apex that has a roto-moulded plastic liner to reduce chain rattle and anchor noise.

The cabin has a walk-through passage way, which lets you walk from the cockpit to the bow anchor point. This is a great feature of the 610 Spirit and will be very useful whether you’re fishing or family boating. The space here is even big enough to let you caste a line, thereby creating a ‘third’ spot to fish.

While the cabin sides are pushed well out there’s also a small deck edge so you could at a pinch walk around the outside. Not that you’d bother because the cabin walk-through makes it so easy to reach the anchor.

Moving further back you find a curved windscreen with opening centre panel and separate port and starboard LCD navigation lights. There are also tinted cabin ports and attractive swirl graphics on the cabin to dress up the boat’s looks.

Back behind the windscreen you find comfortable pedestal seats for driver and passenger. You also get a smartly sports steering wheel, with 6-ganger switch panel and VHF radio alongside. There’s also a slim-line throttle box and stowage pocket off to the side of the helm.

On the passenger side you get a moulded plastic glovebox and another comfortable rotating seat for fishing, or socializing. With the strike seats behind you have seat for four people just here.

Then there’s a folding rear lounge at the stern with capacity to seat two to three seven people.

The cabin could separately seat four people comfortably. This open-back cabin is not large but provides a very comfortable spot to get out of the weather and sun. There is also heaps of stowage here with a backrest shelf and under-bunk lockers.

Within the cockpit you find raised side pockets for personal or fishing gear.  The space is quite roomy with the lounge folded and on really serious fishing trips you’d take the lounge all together and just use the backrest as a leaning pad.

The standard boat provides a carpeted cockpit floor, however as an option you can have a checker-plate floor finish that is hard-wearing and better suited to hard core fishing.

And talking of fishing the 610 Spirit comes standard with rod holder on each stern quarter and side rod racks and Lowrance sounder. However, to really get totally into the fishing mode you need to add the factory extras of overhead rocket launcher (rod rack) transom live bait tank and cutting board. You may also want to order a pair of extra rod holders and upgrade the sounder to a bigger, better chartplotter model with larger size screen.

Note that cockpit depth is quite suitable for offshore work despite the Spirit having a self-draining cockpit floor. You also get hand rails at the cockpit sides plus aft for boarding.

The boat also comes with a transducer mount Maxi transom bracket. The latter is designed to take the optional factory-made berley bucket. You can also order the Spirit with an auxiliary motor mount for a small ‘kicker’ motor.

SUMMARY

Times are still pretty tough out there for working families but here’s a boat that will deliver value in terms of being able to take all the family cruising, or fishing. This is a boat big enough to also go away on family camping holidays so saving you money.

The 610 Spirit is a great all-rounder too in that you can gear her up for really serious fishing level, or dress it down for simple family cruising. There’s room for both in this boat and that’s it basic appeal for the family boatie.

And here’s a thought if your budget doesn’t quite run to this dollar level. Go half-partners with another family on the purchase and share the expenses. Partnerships are a great way afford a trailer boat and can be quite successful. The key is to do a signed agreement and have clear rules on times of use, maintenance and when the partners sell the boat.

That’s my though for today – if you’re read this far perhaps the next step is to give your nearest Quintrex dealer a call and check the boat out for yourself.