North Queensland built Hooker boats have earnt a solid reputation as quality offshore fibreglass craft. Sami Omari finds out why.
A rubber stamp from the commercial fishing sector is indicative of a sound, secure and sturdy hull – the pros dish out more punishment in a season of hard fishing than most weekend warriors will encounter in a lifetime. If a boat is good enough for the pros then chances are it will be bulletproof in the hands of you and I. Hooker boats are one such hull with a history of boat building for the commercial sector spilling over to a range of vessels aimed at the recreation fisherman wanting a serious fishing rig.
My introduction to the Hooker boats came on a glorious day in sunny Sydney heading out with Jon Wilshire from Northern Beaches Marine. Jon arrived at the boat ramp towing a 6.7m centre console model sporting a 200 hp Suzuki on the back and from first glance it appeared as a no nonsense fishing rig. The commercial pedigree is apparent with the hull built to survey standards being manufactured from hand laid glass with self draining decks and is fully foam filled for positive flotation. The closed cell foam also insulates the hull against noise and vibration, enhancing the ride characteristics and there is no timber used in the construction of Hooker range ensuring the transom, deck and stringers remain rot free for life.
Walking around the hull highlights a set of chines that span the length of the hull with the chines meeting the transom pod seamlessly. The deep vee hull features a 22 degree deadrise at the transom with a planing plank running along the keel to optimise lift and planing performance. Hopping inside the boat was a breeze from dry land thanks to the transom mounted ladder and transom door. Stepping through the transom you pass a small live well and are met with a non slip and uncluttered deck. Internally the hull features a 2.45m beam and spacious layout with ample room to easily walk around the centre console.
On the water
After passing underneath the Spit Bridge and clearing the speed limited zones, the throttle was opened up and the 200hp Suzuki unleashed. Traversing the mixed chop around North Head saw the hull make short work out of the confused sea while the chines and flare in the bow did their job of deflecting water away from the hull. The behaved sea conditions inshore didn’t really push the boat to its limits however the hull was sound and provided a soft dry ride when driven into the wind and chop at all angles. Drifting near the cliffs at the entrance to the Harbour I walked around the hull to get a sense for fishabillity and stability. The wide beam and large chines provide more than adequate lateral stability with the hull thoughtfully designed out to cater for the serious fisho. One of the critical elements from my perspective for any off shore hull is decent support while fishing in rough seas. The Hooker deserves full marks for the well thought under-side pocket cavity with non slip trim for tucking your feet in underneath. The other nice touch was the concealed hand rails which fall to hand nicely while bracing against the gunwales – with 700mm of free board, I could easily see myself fishing an angry marlin or jigging kings from the either side in most sea conditions with ease.
Design & layout
There’s no need to place an esky on the deck of the Hooker with no less than 4 insulated storage compartments that can either be used for dry storage or as insulated iceboxes including the helm seat box, a forward seat box, a cavity beneath the forward casting deck and a rear underfloor kill tank – all of which are large enough to house a stack of gear or a significant number of hefty table fish. The high bow rails ensure a decent hand hold when standing on the cast deck or bow section of the hull. The live bait tank in the model on test was if a modest size with later production models rumoured to be sporting a larger version – in any case, the rear flooding kill tank can also double as a cavernous live well if scores of large baits are required for any long range trips. Talking about long range trips, the boat features a massive 400 litre fuel tank with dual side by side fuel fillers to allow rapid fuelling and venting – vapour lock or waiting for a small breather tube to vent isn’t going to be an issue on this hull at the petrol pump!
The transom features a sturdy fibreglass cutting table above the engine well while four stainless steel rod holders are flush mounted along the gunwales. The stainless targa has an additional four rod holders to keep outfits out of the way while travelling.
The console is large enough for two or three people to obtain some weather protection; a full set of clears would obviously enhance the wet weather protection but were not present in the hull on test. The helm was neat with controls positioned comfortably while the was plenty of space for switch panels, electronics, gauges and radios – a 10 inch sounder was neatly flush mounted to the hull on test with the overall console layout appearing very neat and practical. A cavity beneath the helm allows for further dry storage of items that need to be readily accessible such as life jackets and the like.
The dry weight of the 6.7m centre console comes in at approximately 1100kg with the hull rated to a maximum of 225hp. The boat on test felt perfectly matched to the 3.6 litre V6 DOHC Suzuki having ample acceleration to rapidly propel the hull onto the plane along with delivering solid performance throughout the rev range and at wide open throttle.
Coupled with a hydraulically braked Redco trailer, the drive away price as tested was $90,990, which includes a number of extras including all registrations, safety gear, a 10 inch Lowrance HDS10 sonar and gps combo, freshwater tank and shower head plus LED deck lighting. Overall the 6.7m Hooker Pro Fisherman offers a serious offshore vessel that is built like the proverbial brick outhouse which will appeal to hardcore fisherman and those looking for the peace of mind in having a capable, safe, soft riding offshore that hull built to commercial survey standards.
SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 6.7m
Beam: 2.45m
Deadrise: 22 degrees
Weight: 1100 kg (hull only)
Fuel: 400 litres
Power: Max. 225 hp
Price: As reviewed $90,990
Contact: Northern Beaches Marine (02) 9905 2117; www.nbmarine.com.au.
