Haines Hunter has a reputation for making very well-sorted fishing and family boats. They also have a reputation for being affordable and easy to manage. Go to any ramp on a sunny Saturday and you’ll see many varieties of Haines Hunters being dropped into the drink off the trailer towed by the family sedan for a day of family fun or serious fishing.

The usual Haines Hunter is half-cabin or caddy-cabin boat with a single engine. They have become, over the company’s 50 years of building boats, a veritable icon of the Aussie family trailerable fibreglass boat.

Imagine our surprise when Haines Hunter boss John Haber turned up at the big Altona ramp with a truck, yes a truck, towing his latest creation, the Haines Hunter 760R Limited -- a big, beamy monohull sporting two monstrous 225hp Yammie four-stroke motors.

The Patriot range is quoted by the manufacturer as being "built by fishermen for fishermen". And the result is an offshore boat that will get you to the fishing ground fast and dry.

The 760 is the big brother to the well-proven 680 which has gained an enviable reputation as a strong, long-distance fishing machine.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Plenty of extras for the ardent fisho
The 760R Limited can come in range of configurations with either single or twin outboards in a variety of sizes. As mentioned, our test boat was fitted with a pair of the lovely 225 Yamaha outboards. Probably tending a little toward overkill, this is the top of the horsepower range for the 760 and will propel the big Haines to around 95 km/h (60mph).

The boat comes loaded with goodies and ready for some serious fishing. Price starts from around $140,000 which, for what you get, is pretty good value.

The first thing to notice is the huge, uncluttered cockpit. With four or more aboard, you can fish easily without getting in each other’s way. We had three on board for our little expedition on Port Phillip Bay and we had stacks of room. The boat was loaded with all we needed for day’s fishing. we had a dozen rods, bait, esky, and tackle and we had room for at least three more guys and their gear..

I noticed some really nice standard items on the boat including a fresh-water washdown hose, electric windlass on the bow, walk-around decks, massive kill tanks and plumbed live bait tanks.

Other thoughtful touches included the recessed stowage for the fenders, and plenty of rod holders.

Not mention the side cockpit door which you could use for either getting in and out of the boat at the dock, diving or bringing in the big ones out in the ocean. A really nice touch.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- A real overnighter
As mentioned, this is a big boat. With an overall length of 8.2 metres and a beam of 2.5 metres it’s the biggie of the Haines Hunter range.
The freeboard is high and the coamings are also, making this a dray and safe vessel at sea.

The big cabin can be used as a twin-bunk cabin or, with its infill, a queen-size berth. There is stacks of storage in the cabin and it’s obvious that this boat has certainly been designed as an overnighter.

The cabin is lined, has lighting and electrics. It can be optioned with a porta-potti and it has handy rod holders to keep all your gear safe. Of course, the door is lockable. This boat was fitted with an obscene stereo system with two amplifiers and a retail value, we were told, of around five grand!

Standard equipment is two comfortable helm chairs but our test boat only has one as it’s John Haber’s personal boat and that’s the way he likes it.

The helm station itself is a beauty. It’s ergonomically designed for comfort and ease of use. The switch gear is easily accessible and well laid out. The fascia has plenty of room for navigation aids and screens and, as can be seen in the accompanying photos, John’s boat was fitted with two big screens, the Yamaha engine management systems, an auto pilot, windlass control, VHF radio, marine compass, and there was still room for more.

ONE THE WATER
- Fast, stable and dry
There is an old saying in boating -- if it looks like it’ll go well, it probably will. And that certainly applies to the Haines Hunter 760R Limited. This a damn good-looking boat and it has the performance and handling to match.

Obviously, with 450 ponies hanging off the back it’s not going to be a slouch. But the acceleration of this boat has to be experienced to be believed! John jammed down the throttles and we rocketed out of the hole and up to around 50 km/h in no time. We cruised along at 3300 rpm doing 52km/h and burning 50 litres per hour. It was a really comfortable cruise with the engine noise hardly audible. We were able to chat with no problem at all.

If you want to conserve a bit fuel to get the most out of the 500-litre underfloor tank, then back it off to 2700rpm and you’ll be doing around 36km/h and burning 40 litres per hour.

Slam the throttles forward and at 5500rpm you’ll be ripping out to your favourite snapper spot (as we did) at 95km/h burning 154 litres per hour.

Although this is a big, heavy boat weighing in at around 3300kg fully rigged, it is surprisingly nimble. The hydraulic steering is light and the hull dynamics allow the boat to be thrown around like a dinghy -- albeit with a slightly larger turning circle.

As mentioned, it’s a very dry boat and with a 21-degree deadrise, it’ll cut through chop with ease. And when I hit the swells from a loaded container ship doing 20 knots, I found the flared bow deflected the spray with aplomb.

Haines Hunter boss, John Haber is a keen fisherman, and our evaluation boat was his personal 760 that he uses regularly with mates or with the Haines Hunter club on fishing and cruising excursions. So once we’d done our photography, it was off to one of his favourite spots to wet a line.

Down went the anchor and we soon had four lines out and a sandwich in hand. I noted here that the 760 is a very stable boat at rest. Even with three big blokes on one side, it was safe as houses.

One thing I did note was the slapping noise made by the scuppers at the rear. This might become annoying at night but would be an easy fix. Perhaps some flexible flaps on the exterior would calm it down.

Overall, I found the 760 to be an extremely good boat in virtually every regard. It’s built to last and has a very good finish. In fact, Haines Hunter backs the boat with a seven-year structural warranty.

It goes and handles well and will get you out to where the big ones are biting quickly and safely. It’s interesting to note that John informed us that with just one 225hp Yammie, the 760 will still do 72km/h.|

Personally, I think that two correctly-propped 150s might be the go, but now we’re getting into technicalities...

The list of optional extras is enormous, Haines Hunter can spec the boat up ex-factory to your requirments and with some personalisation, I reckon the 760R Limited could be the boat that suits many offshore fishermen to a tee.

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.8/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.9/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.8/5.0
On the water Performance: 4./5.0
Value for money: 4.8/5.0
X-factor: 4.8/5.0
 
Specifications:
Price: From $140,000
price as tested: 180,000
Material: Fibreglass
Length Overall: 8.2m
Beam: 2.5m
Draft: 1.05m
Weight: 3300kgkg
CAPACITIES
Berths: 2 doubles
Fuel: 500 litres
Water: 65litres (Opt 100 litres)

ENGINE
Make/model: 2 x Yamaha 225
Type: V6 4.2-litre four-stroke
Rated hp: 225hp (each)
Props: 19”

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