POPULAR Queensland boat company Quintrex is the latest manufacturer to include a hard top version in its offshore plate boat range.
The Trident 650 and 690 hard tops were unveiled yesterday at a media conference at the company’s Gold Coast factory. The unveiling also included a tour of the Quintrex boat facility and even a hands-on welding experience…
The full Trident range now includes a 610, 650, and 690 cabin configuration, plus the new hardtop additions in 650 and 690.
While the main attraction were the hard tops, the existing cabin range has also received several additional layout features to match the hard top versions.
The Trident range features Quintrex’s Blade Hull and flared bow, which is designed for smoother riding and good stability. The range features 5mm plate bottoms and 3mm sides and is built using a “milk crate” sub frame structure with longitudinal and latitudinal “gibs”.
What are gibs? Gibs are pre-shaped sub floor struts spaced about 500 mm apart. The 5mm plate aluminium bottom is pressed against these gibs to create the shape and ensure a rigid finished product. This is designed for overall strength and eliminates the “wavy” finish you sometimes see on cheaper aluminium boats. The result is an overall better quality boat and a superior riding hull.
Inside the Quintrex factory where the new Trident range is now under construction.
Fishing World toured the plate boat factory and experienced firsthand the entire process from stretching and shaping the hulls to welding, fit out and painting. While Quintrex is often associated with mass produced tinnies, the manufacturing process for its “plate” range is much more labour intensive with over 60 hours of welding in each boat. The result, according to Quintrex, is a strong hull which should stand up to the abuse dished out by serious offshore fishos.
Fishing friendly featues of the new Tridents include a livebait tank with clear window, larger bait station, Reel Easy folding rocket launcher rod holders, and a 135L kill tank. The kill tank is situated forward between the helm and passenger seat. It’s not an ideal spot for a kill tank, but Quintrex has placed it there for even distribution of weight. The 180 or 200 litre fuel tanks are placed under the main cockpit area for balance. The fuel tank is accessible for repairs via a screwed-down hatch. The floor is tread plate and the cockpit is self draining and raised well above the water line for safety if water does come onboard.
The hard top features a laminated glass windscreen with sliding windows for ventilation and a freshwater wiper. There are two comfy bolster seats and enough real estate on the dash for a 12 inch sounder/GPS screen, plus additional space for marine radios, stereos, guages, etc. Further forward, the bunk area is quite long and provides plenty of space for gear or somewhere to sleep if needed.
The 690 was an impressive performer with a 250hp ETEC HO on the transom.
Unfortunately, no swell and a light offshore breeze meant we didn’t get a real chance to put these boats through their paces. Overall, however, with multiple people on board moving about taking photos, the 690 came across as reasonably stable; with a 20 degree variable deadrise we made short work of the moderate chop experienced returning to the seaway.
The 250 Evinrude E-TEC HO provided plenty of power! With five people on board, WOT was recorded at 46 knots outside the seaway. It’s a powerful package!
Stay tuned to the Fisho website for a video previewing Quintrex’s latest hard top range and find out more about the boats at www.quintrex.com.au.
