BAR Crusher is a Melbourne-based manufacturer of quality plate aluminium fishing boats, with a strong reputation among Australian fishos. One of its more popular models, the 670HT, as you’ll see below, is a great example of a well-designed offshore fishing boat with loads of fishing-friendly features and versatility.
I personally own a Bar Crusher – the smaller 535XS – and have fished and tested many boats across the full range. While my own boat makes a versatile boat for estuaries, inshore and family outings, the 670HT is an effective offshore fishing boat capable of handling big seas and travelling miles offshore in search of big game fish.
The 670HT is also no stranger to family outings. During the Sydney International Boat Show earlier this year, Bar Crusher had a 670HT on the water with the latest Seakeeper Ride installed. I was lucky to take the boat for a spin on Sydney Harbour during the show and took my family along. The 670HT was an instant hit! It is easy to see its appeal beyond its intended purpose as a serious fishing boat.
It’s also a safe boat. The big hard top offers the best possible protection against the elements. I’m also a fan of the visibility you get with the big windows, windscreen and spacious hard top. Situational awareness on the water is important and this visibility goes a long way to keeping you and your passengers safe during a day offshore or on the harbour. Whether charging the bar to head offshore chasing marlin and tuna or fishing overnight at anchor for snapper, Bar Crusher’s 670HT has the proven ability to get everyone onboard out there – and home – quickly, safely and in comfort.
ABOVE IMAGE: Luqman “Paccy” Ruba
The Technical Stuff
With its “go anywhere, do anything” capability and quality construction, the 670HT is a serious fishing weapon! Constructed from heavy duty, high-tensile 5mm (bottom sides) and 4mm (top sides) marine grade plate aluminium, the 670HT measures 6.70m LOA with a 2.35m beam. Its high-tech Waveslicer deep-V hull delivers an ultra-smooth ride, the expertly engineered Rigideck sub-floor system ensures maximum hull strength and Bar Crusher’s exclusive Quickflow water ballast technology ensures the boat is extremely stable at rest.
The innovative Quickflow system incorporates a cavity running the full length of the keel that quickly fills with water when the boat is stationary, which lowers the chines into the water for greater stability, and drains in seconds as the boat moves forward to allow it to leap effortlessly onto the plane. The optional Bar Flap system can be used to keep water out, to make the boat lighter in shallow-water applications; or to trap water in, to make the boat heavier when running in extreme rough-water situations. The 670HT’s toughened safety glass windscreen and allweather hard top allows full standing room and an unobstructed 360-degree view from the helm. Deluxe bolster seats at the helm are very comfortable whether standing or seated, while the functional helm allows for installation of the latest large-screen marine electronics.
The spacious cabin and comfortable bunk arrangement provides accommodation for overnight trips, plenty of under-bunk and side-pocket storage for all manner of gear, as well as a place for kids to play or sleep when out on the water as a family. The cabin can be closed-in with an optional canvas screen with zippered entry. Bar Crusher also recently introduced an enclosed cabin version, which has roller door entry to the cabin.
The hard top configuration and fold-away rear bench seat creates a massive cockpit fishing area that’s ready for action – with a generous internal depth with secure toe holds, Game Lock coaming for a comfortable fish-fighting position, step-through transom, marlin board with berley bucket, rod holders, plumbed livebait tank, and large-volume storage pockets which easily accommodate tagpoles, gaffs and other essential equipment. The fully welded checker plate deck is extremely easy to clean after a solid day on the water. Hydraulic steering, a dual battery system and a rocket launcher perfect for storing all your rods are fitted as standard. Bar Crusher also offer an impressive options list for the 670HT which includes deck wash, anchor winch, and more.
Rated to carry up to a 200hp outboard, the 670HT’s superior performance capabilities and 230l fuel capacity really do allow owners to ‘go anywhere and do anything’. Every Bar Crusher boat is factory packaged on a custom-designed trailer (galvanised steel or alloy), which ensures towing, launching and retrieving is a breeze. Self-centering and aligning perfectly every time, Bar Crusher’s innovative Bar Catch system also allows for single-handed launch and retrieve. The driveon, drive-off trailer and Bar Catch system work in tandem to make it all so easy, and it’s one of my favourite features of my own Bar Crusher 535XS. Regardless of wind and current, I’ve found launching and retrieving the boat to be consistently quick and easy.
My personal thoughts about the 670HT
The 670HT is the third largest boat in Bar Crusher’s extensive line up. Personally, I think it hits a sweet spot. It’s easier to manage than the bigger 730HT or 780HT, is comparatively more affordable (depending what electronics package you choose) and easier to tow. I guess if you had to choose between these three it would come down to the number of passengers or crew you intend having onboard and the type of area you intend to fish. Although, after experiencing all these boat boats in action, they’re equally capable of handling some serious sea conditions. If it’s too rough to head offshore in one of these big Bar Crushers, it’s too rough to head out in any trailer boat!
It’s worth mentioning the 670HT is a big boat. It’s over 8m in length on the trailer and requires a height clearance of around 3.3m. Not everyone has storage for such a big boat, which is why Bar Crusher’s folding hard top C series (cuddy cabin) models are also incredibly popular. The 670C is the largest in the cuddy cabin range. I’ve spent countless hours fishing from one of my mate’s 670HTs and the seaworthiness of these boats instills absolute confidence. As all experienced skippers will tell you: have faith in your vessel and drive to the conditions.
From the East Coast
Ben Sandman has driven, fished from and written about more boats than many people are ever likely to set foot in. He’s also Bar Crusher’s Marketing Director, so it should come as no surprise that he owns a Bar Crusher himself! Sandman’s fishing weapon of choice is a 670HT; the second he’s owned in recent years.
“Growing up fly fishing for trout and casting lures in estuaries, and now [where we live] having access to marlin and tuna pretty much in our backyard, it was an easy decision to go for another offshore boat,” says Sandman. “We’ve been caught offshore in some horrendous conditions and the 670HT has handled it all safely and with ease. It’s also very practical as a family boat for cruising around Pittwater and the Hawkesbury, so for me it’s the ultimate all-rounder.”
The marine electronics suite on this fullyloaded fishing weapon deserves special mention. The install includes twin GPSMAP 7410xsv touchscreen multifunction displays (MFDs), GRID remote control keypad, GMR Fantom 18 radar, GHP Reactor autopilot, GHC20 autopilot controller, GMI20 digital gauge, Suzuki digital gauge and Fusion RA70N stereo. All of this is connected via the Garmin Marine Network and FUSION-Link for complete system control using either of the MFDs; using a smartphone; or by a Garmin quatix marine GPS smartwatch via the onboard Wi-Fi network. Integration of marine electronics is next level these days, and this boat is case in point! Equally at home for summer boating with the family, trolling lures around the headlands for kingfish, casting soft plastics over inshore reefs for snapper or searching the blue water for marlin, Sandman’s Bar Crusher 670HT is always ready for action!
From the West Coast
Luqman “Paccy” Ruba is another very experienced boater and angler. From barra fishing to deep dropping to game fishing, he’s done it. After fishing from and owning many boats over the years, he’s now onto his fourth Bar Crusher, a 670HT. “I’m from a small coastal town in the Pilbara region and with most of my fishing over the past 15 years in the remote northwest, I need a boat I can 100 per cent rely on as it’s a long way from anywhere up here,” says Ruba. “I started with smaller Bar Crusher boats and worked my way up to this one, which I now regularly fish from with my son, Kikki. We’re regular visitors to Exmouth and we’re always chasing billfish – from inshore black marlin and sailfish in winter, then blue marlin in summer. We just love this boat.”
Starting out with an early model Bar Crusher 560C, moving into a 535SC, followed by a 615WR, Ruba says he “always wanted to end up in a 670HT” and having a family was the instigator for the recent upgrade. “I’ve always stuck with Bar Crusher because of the ride and the quality,” he says. “Being a welder myself, I know these boats are engineered and built to the highest standard. Everything works in these boats … they’re easy to launch and retrieve, easy to handle, and very capable in open offshore waters where they make easy work of the swell and chop. When we’re not fishing, we’re enjoying the boat as a family and everyone feels very safe in our Bar Crusher. We plan to keep it for many years!” Ruba’s 670HT is also loaded with the latest Garmin technology, along with an electric downrigger, electric teaser reels, and plenty of other gadgets.
Originally published in the Nautilus Marine Magazine. More info at www.nautilusinsurance.com.au/lifestyle/magazine/
