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A report by Barry Thompson of Propeller Magazine Introducing yet another
aluminum boat to the market may seem somewhat foolhardy, especially when
it's to be pitched into probably the single most popular size range of
around 6m. However
Tough in the Rough Does it ride well? An unequivocal yes! I had the opportunity to give the Extreme 620 a good test in a variety of sea conditions in the Bay of Islands, where the waters changed from mirror calm to a short 1.5m breaking swell. Local dealer Doug Brown of Bay of Islands Marine provided an Extreme 620 Sportz Fisher - the higher spec's version of the base 620 Fisher - complete with a Honda 130 and let us loose to do our worst. According to Brown, this was the best conventional deep vee 6m monohull he had ever driven. The Honda 130 I found a little shy on top end speed, delivering a GPS reading of 42 mph @ 5600 rpm, swinging a stainless 17" Honda prop. The same boat with a Yamaha 115 4-stroke has been clocked, also with a GPS at 44mph. With a recommended rating of 100hp - 225hp, the Extreme 620 would be well matched with 150hp - 175hp and have a predicted top speed in the 48mph - 55mph bracket. It's a boat that loves horsepower! Testing the Extreme 620 around Tapeka Point, just around the corner from Russell, I found myself punching into constant sets of very close together 1.5m swells, with just enough wind to whip the tops off. In the head sea, I started off with the throttle hard down and too much out-trim, which left me pointing skyward. However once I got it settled about midway on the gauge and the speedo on 35mph, I discovered an extremely comfortable, soft riding, 100% dry and quiet boat, that was responsive to the helm and didn't do anything unexpected, although given a little more time I feel I could have had the hull absolutely flat our and riding even better. In the following sea the ride was equally as impressive with the boat barreling down the faces at full throttle and thanks to the full bodied bow sections and the spray chines carried well forward the hull lifted early, never once steering by the nose. With no strakes and a 5mm plate bottom there was virtually no 'tinnie' slap. There is a flooding keel section running almost the entire length of the keel line, which adds to the boat's stability at rest and is quickly expelled when the boat accelerates onto the plane. Playing in the side seas and generally making a huge attempt to get the hull to do something badly wrong also proved fruitless, although I think tabs would be an advantage in the windy conditions, especially if you had a full canopy or hardtop fitted. As for the driving position when standing, I have to be critical, although it is something that could be easily changed. I found the aluminum seat base about 500mm too far forward, which meant when standing to drive I was in danger of losing my family jewels on the steering wheel and my teeth on the aluminum handrail around the inside of the screen. The screen handrail also needs to be cut short on the starboard side as it rubs constantly on your arm. Simply fixed with a repositioning of the seat base and putting the drivers seat on an adjustable slider. Apart from that the driving position when seated was fine with the screen at a good height. On the 620 Fisher the seating arrangement is completely different with two single seats on pyramid type pedestals. Functional Cockpit All instruments are clearly visible on the fibreglass fascia, which has been designed to handle flush mounted electronics. There is also space behind the bracket mounted units in the large parcel tray area. Storage is something that the boat is not short of and even in the base model there is a place to stow just about everything. Two under-floor wet
lockers are ideal for the dive gear, water-skis and wakeboards, or one can
be individually plumbed as a kill tank.
Cosy Cuddy One surprising aspect of the Extreme 620 is that it doesn't have a full size cabin, although from the outside styling you would almost expect to see one. With full aft bulkheads either side you have the option of a fully lockable cabin with the addition of a sliding or drop in door. The design layout provides for a cuddy style with two small triangle shaped cushions and sitting headroom for 2-3 adults. At ?? m long they are still great for the kids, but it would require the bulkheads being moved back if you wanted to accommodate "adult" sized berths. However, being an alloy boat, anything's possible. The area is fully fabric lined, with wide side trays to stow more gear and the whole interior is the best dry locker in the boat. A carpeted centre section extends through to the forward bulkhead, so that all the anchoring chores can be carried out standing in the forward hatch and using a foot or kneepad to operate the anchor winch. The anchor locker is massive and comes with its own curved hatch that also hides away the bollard and the small Sea winch. There is no storage under the squabs as the space is taken up with buoyancy chambers, which extend right through to the stern of the boat either side. Unsinkable perhaps, but I didn't try to find out. Conclusion The Extreme
620 is a boat that is aimed at the day |
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New Models Available Extreme 550 Enduro
Basic Budget Model Enduro 610
Extreme 620 Sportz
Extreme 635 Hardtop available Extreme 690 Hardtop
Extreme Boats are design Scott Robson For more details contact Doug at Bay of Islands Marine &
Outdoor
Power Equipment Phone Fax 64 9 404 0324
Mobile 021 960 688 |
for
Whakatane the number of different boat brands that were
already on the local scene wasn't a consideration, apart from the fact that
he made the obvious scrutiny of what potential owners were looking for in a
boat - what sold, what didn't and what attracted the buyers. The end result
was the release late last year at the Waikato Boat Show of the prototype
Extreme 620. 
A 144-litre fuel
tank takes up the remaining space aft. There is massive space provided for
gear in the seat bases, which are accessed via hinged rear seat bases. An
interesting feature within this area is the dedicated alloy panel to mount
an EPIRB and/or fire extinguisher. There are also a number of side trays and
lockers to tuck away the fishing rods and other associated gear. Across the
transom, So Pac hatches open to give access to the battery locker and
washdown pump. Our test boat was fitted with the optional live bait tank
complete with glass front. If you don't want a livebait tank, then you have
the option of another locker or cutting the area away for a walkthrough
transom arrangement. This is a cockpit that is designed for fishermen, with
its chequerplate alloy floor and big self-draining scuppers. Divers will
like the big drop down T shape ladder that has treads large enough to climb
back aboard with your fins still on. 
fisherman and in no way pretends to be an overnighter. The boat is offered
with loads of options to dress the boat up even more, from a fully carpet
lined cockpit to a rocket launcher and hardtop. The builders have achieved a
nice balance of fishing functionality and stylish flowing lines, taking away
that serious 'blokes' look from what is still a serious fishing boat. The
Extreme 620 has the good looks and style coupled with a practical layout and
bluewater handling. Already a larger 690 has been built and the company has
plans to increase the model range with both bigger and smaller boats. Given
that the boat I tested was one of the very first, it was an extremely good
effort and will take little in the layout to make it an even better boat. As
for the ride, try it for yourself. You will definitely be impressed.
