Boat Test: Haines Signature

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au Whenever John Haines stages a media launch for a new boat, he’s always got this attitude… it’s like, “Check out what WE built. It’s bloody cool, isn’t it?”

Yes. It usually is.

We last saw it at the launch of the sister boat to these hulls, the 640F. A cabin boat with the fittings of a Ferrari but the heritage of an SUV.

The 788, launched a few boat shows ago, was the bucket-list boat of anyone who’s grown up dreaming

Length overall:............................................6.62m Beam:...........................................................2.43m Deadrise:.................................................... 21-33° Fuel:...............................................................300L Maximum hp:..............................................225hp Minimum hp:...............................................150hp Maximum outboard weight:.......................290kg Hull weight:..............................................1,272kg Loaded tow weight:.................................2,399kg BMT Length (trimmed in):.......................... 7.54m Boat/Motor/Trailer Height:.................2.46m (CC) Boat/Motor/Trailer Width:..........................2.45m Capacity:...............................................8 persons Maximum load:........................................1,100kg Main: Don’t stress, this is a digitally manipulated image. It shows the two boats we had access to on the media day – the Haines Signature 640SF in centre console and side console models. They are not about to crash. Above: Signatures come fairly loaded with features that are options in lots of boats, such as the JL Audio system.

Here’s the main difference in layouts. The centre console is fitted with a wide console with grab rails, a fold out console shroud that fits massive electronics and a custom-made helm seat that’s the right height. The side console model features just that, a side console with 19” electronics capacity and hydraulic steering and a gunwale mounted throttle.

This semi-hatch folds down when you want to cast from the back deck and lifts when you need to trim the outboard all the way up.

of throwing lures that are too big at fish that are too big in places you shouldn’t be able to get to. It’s a dead-set weapon of a rig but out of the price range and towing abilities of most that wield a rod.

Their 543SF is an established workhorse of a rig, especially among the crowd that love filming themselves fishing as much as they love fishing. Maybe more.

And the newly released 640SF is what happens when you mate the 543 with the 640F. You get a boat with the fishability of the 543 combined with the offshore capabilities of a much bigger rig.

Like most media launched, you don’t get a lot of time to get up close and personal with this boat. You get to ride in it a little,

film it a little, chat to the designers a little and annoy people with your drone.

If you want to see these boats in action – yes, there were two versions on the test day – make sure you

The 640SF shared a hull with the 640F that was released in 2020. If you’re more an inshore guy, pick the side console; if you’re more an offshore angler, the centre console may be for you.

The lean post is an option that fits just as easily in either of the boat’s front deck. Both have massive amounts of storage under there.

To page ###

scan the QR code hereby. It’ll take you straight to the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube Channel. We have COVID to thank for everyone being able to scan

stuff now, I suppose.

The two builds on show were a side console version, powered by a Suzuki 200hp 4-stroke and a centre console version propelled by Mercury’s V6 225hp. In the time we had, we did get to examine the similarities and differences in the layout of these rigs. Let’s have a look at them. BROAD DIFFERENCES

It’s stating the obvious,

but the base builds of these two models are very similar, apart from the console and seating placement. Broadly, the side console boat is more suitable for calmer, inshore waters. The centre console boat with its wrap around grab bars, is more suitable for those wishing to push the limits offshore.

That’s our opinion, but there’s absolutely no problem reversing the roles. If that’s what you’re comfortable doing.

The centre console is definitely the little brother of the 788. It features the swing-open design from that boat and the 640F, which lets you unclip the top and open the console up to access the internal wiring with ease.

There’s ample room to mount a 19” MFD – or a couple of 12” units side-byside and the rest of the helm holds the gauges, throttle and everything else switching a rig of this calibre needs.

It also has a custom-built seat with a height that suits.

“Most off-the-shelf solutions have a seat that’s too high, so we had to build one that fitted,” said John Haines at the briefing.

Alternatively, the centre console’s helm is a lot simpler and out of the way – opening up more real estate in the boat. It will still handle a massive display as well as the engine gauges,

Although you don’t want your heaviest gear up here, the most for’ard hatches will swallow a large volume of gear.

There’s a bit of gear stowed in the front kill tank, but we’d be using it as just that, a wet storage area. Other hatches are more protected from the elements.

There’s room up here for all your ground gear below, but the anchor lid is definitely designed to be walked on and cast from when the situation arises.

It wasn’t really a fair comparison between motors. The centre console’s Mercury 225 seemed punchier than the 200hp Suzuki, but there was an extra 25hp there. A 225 is the maximum for these hulls.

You can see that the front casting deck is lower than in a boat designed for calmer waters. It’s at just the right height for the areas you’ll be fishing. And of course you can add a lean-post if you want that extra stability.

There’s no wasted space in either of the Haines Signature iterations.

The centre console is a cut down version of the one you’ll find in the 788. It unclips and folds back for easy access and will hold massive electronics. The side console mirrors the one found in the 543, yet still will hold a 19” unit flush mounted.

but its low profile is much more reminiscent of the smaller 543.

Now ignoring the different models, let’s look your quiver.

Luckily, there’s some horizontal rod storage in the side pockets, with tubes running far enough for’ard to hold the longest casting rods you’re likely to use. This is where you will need to store your rigs if you want to use that back deck effectively.

In the engine well, there is access to your pumps and stopcocks.

There’s also a neat product used on the gunwales – Phender Pro. Standard in these boats and also available at the SCB Store, they’re a one-click solution to rope and fender attachment and do it in a way that there’s nothing to catch a line on when the fenders and ropes are stowed.

There’s plenty of boaties that’ll love this piece of kit. Google it.

FLOORS AND STORAGE Haines Signature have definitely taken advantage of the storage options that raised casting decks bring. And the advantage of having glass hatches is that you can keep them pretty dry most of the time. There aren’t many aluminium boats on the market with carpeted lids that can achieve this, and it’s something I like in a

at some of the other features of the 640SF. TRANSOM

AND GUNWALES

“Feedback from our anglers in the field prompted us to make the back deck section more fishable,” said John, “There’s enough width there now to stand up and on without having to feel your way with your feet.”

Indeed, there’s an elevated, if a little narrow, back deck to get up and fish from. It’s helped by a section of deck that bridges the sides of the engine well, giving an even width from gunwale to gunwale.

Under it, there’s inbuilt live bait storage and for’ard on it, there’s some vertical rod storage. We assume that’s for the rods that are in immediate use, because that deck would get pretty small if you’re fishing beside

There’s nothing ground breaking about the side console – apart from its size and ability to swallow a big screen.

No, this isn’t a toilet. It’s a fully plumbed, recirculating live bait tank with a clear front to check on the condition of your livies at a glance.

boat – the ability to keep your tackle/clothing/gear dry and rust-free when needed.

Most of the storage is up front and there’s plenty of it. At the widest part of the deck, there’s a semi-dry area that’d work better as a kill box or an esky that has no seals, but the rest you can fill with the gear that will extend your adventure.

The floors are covered with custom cut X-Deck, SCB’s version of the EVA flooring that’s virtually mandatory on high end glass rigs nowadays. It looks good, feels good underfloor and cleans well. We haven’t heard many negatives about it either, regardless of the brand as uptake has increased.

FRONT DECKS

From an angler’s perspective, there’s nothing like plenty of real estate up front. The front casting deck isn’t gunwale height, but it is raised from the rest of the cockpit floor. You need the room to swing a rod up there and these boats definitely deliver this.

To help with the inevitable instability up there in less than perfect conditions, the optional lean post anchors not only through the deck, but down onto the sub deck underneath it. It means that you don’t need to be gentle with it. It’s a well-made and practical piece of hit that’s probably necessary enough to be a must-have on a boat like this.

There’s also a lid on the anchor well that acts as a further elevated option to cast from. Probably only on the smooth days or in calm water, but the options is there. Height is your friend while trying to spot fish.

There’s a dedicated electric motor pad, too, which deletes the need to bolt through the top deck. I can’t see many of these boats being rigged without one – regardless of the version.

PERFORMANCE

We didn’t get the opportunity to measure the performance figures for this rig, but assuming that the rigs are broadly comparable, the Yamaha guys were able to provide some figures for the Yamaha powered boat (that was absent on the test day).

An F225 cruised most efficiently at 3,500rpm at a speed of 47km/h and an efficiency of 1.65km/L. Match that to the 300L of underfloor fuel (which turned into 318L at the pump, but calculate on 300 for safety) and there’s a theoretical range of just under 500km at cruising speeds.

Sound like you can get to the reef and back on that? Yep!

Top speed is around 80km/h at around a litre per kilometre. SUMMARY

In the short time we had to get to know these boats, it was a bit of information overload and it’s hard to come up with specific things that I’d like to investigate further. Does it ride beautifully and turn heads on the water? Most definitely!

Do the hatches leak? Don’t know.

Does the price tag scare some off? Probably.

Packages start from circa $97,000. For more information, go to www. hainessignature.com.au.

Ultimately, the side console is a great two-man rig, while the centre console may be better for a bigger crew.