What can you do with the top-of-the-line Haines Hunter 675 Enclosed Limited Edition? We borrowed Haines CEO John Haber’s boat to have a look.
Well, when I say ‘we’, I mean the team at Port Phillip Boating Centre and me. They are a decades-long Haines Hunter and Yamaha dealer at Point Cook - just down the road from the Haines Hunter factory. Phil Pierias is the captain of the team there and just loves what he sells.
“When I started the dealership I wanted to sell gear that I was passionate about and that I believed in, and for me that was Haines Hunter and Yamaha, and I still sell both of those brands 20 years later,” he said.
In fact, they’re the only ones he sells. Yamaha and Haines Hunter. That’s words backed up by actions right there.
The rig showed up on the back of what looked like a diminutive VW, but with the fancy EasyTow aluminium trailer, the BMT package weighed in at well under 3,000kg.
“The alloy trailer saves hundreds of kilograms,” Phil said, “and the roller and bunk combination is really easy to use and provides great support for the hull.”
The Limited Edition Haines Hunter hulls have a increased power rating with a beefed up transom and more glass in the layup, so John’s rig was matched with a white, 300HP Digital Electric Steer (DES), which natively fits the entire HelmMaster system. Of course, the LE had full HelmMaster autopilot and joystick.
On the water, the steering was smooth and consistent throughout the rev range and noticeably more quiet then the electric/hyrdaulic versions on offer. As usual, the autopilot in one-touch and the joysick so easy to use, a child could do it. Of course, you have to remember the single engine joystick doesn’t do the sideways movements like twin-rig joystick can.
Other features of an LE build over the standard build include upgraded helm seating and custom synthetic flooring throughout the boat. Matched with the custom colours of the LE, it sure was a rig that’d turn heads at the local boat ramp.
We liked the helm layout - a couple of big MFDs were able to be flush mounted and the space above the lockable cabin entry is great for this. And even with two screens, all the rest of the switches and gauges looked uncluttered and ergonomically functional.
Back to Haines Hunter basics and the Enclosed model means that windscreens run all of the way up to the hard top and there’s no clears in between. The view is pretty seamless and you’ll stay dry when it gets nasty.
The cabin is spacious and there’s room for a couple of adults to get some rest. Being lockable, it’s great for road trips where you can lock up the fishing gear inside it for peace of mind.
fishing room is limited to the rear cockpit and there’s plenty of space there for you and your mates to wet a line. A slide-out dive door also allows easy egress from the water or to boat the fish that’s bigger than expected.
John had rigged the boat with game fishing accessories - like outriggers, as well as inshore rod holder gear. He can swap these out as the fishing situation dictates.
Performance wise, this boat has a 270L underfloor fuel tank and at peak economy you get around 400km of theoretical range - that’s doing around 45km at 3,500 RPM. Drop the hammers and your economy slides to 800m per litre, but you do shoot along at nearly 80km/h. It was running a 15.5 x 17” Yamaha Saltwater Series stainless steel propeller on the test day.
“I always like to rig boats with the motors a little deeper and the props an inch smaller than if I was setting them up for top-speed-only,” Phil said, “it makes them perform better in the conditions we are usually out in.”
As tested, you could buy a rig exactly the same as John’s boat for $263,000, but boat/motor/trailer packages start at $190,550 and you can add the fruit as you see you need it. And if you want to talk seriously to someone who knows these boats inside and out, Phil is definitely your man! You can reach him at Port Phillip Boating Centre on (03) 9369 0099.

SPECIFICATIONS

Length 6.75m
Beam 2.43m
Height 2.3m
Hull Weight 1300kg
Fuel 270L
MaxHP 300

PERFORMANCE

RPM Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L)
600 5 2.0
1000 9 1.8
2000 15 1.0
3000 26 1.1
3500 45 1.5
4000 52 1.2
4500 59 1.0
5000 67 0.9
5800 79 0.8

Propeller: 15.5 x 17” Yamaha Saltwater Series SS.

Pricing:

Haines Hunter 675 Enclosed Limited.
Base price. Boat, Yamaha F300XCB, Mackay Alloy trailer.. $190,550 inc GST
Boat package as tested.. $263,000 inc GST

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