South Australian Angler – June 2018

HAINES HUNT ER 565 OFFSHORE

T

here are few names in Australian

boat building as distinguished as

Haines Hunter. The company has been

designing and manufacturing quality

products since 1946, and is still right up

there with the market leaders today.

There are now more than two dozen

trailerable models in the Haines Hunter

range, among which is the extremely

popular Offshore series.

There are six Offshore models to

choose from and, as the name suggests,

each is designed for blue water fishing.

Recently I tested the smallest member

of this series, the 565, which has steadily

built a reputation as a great all-round

fishing machine for SA. Despite being the

‘little brother’ in this range, the 565 is a

very handy size for many locations and

applications here. It has become very

popular with keen anglers who regularly

run out wide to chase Gulf snapper or

Victor Harbor tuna, but also fits the bill

nicely for a family day on the local whiting.

I like the ratio of cockpit space to

cabin in the 565, and also the fact

that the Offshore provides more cabin

headroom than the ‘R’ version of this

hull. It’s quite comfortable up front

and, with the inclusion of an optional

bunk in-fill, would make a reasonable

overnighter for two people. There’s

a heap of dry storage space in the

cabin, both beneath the berths and

in upholstered shelves. Although not

as significant these days when drum

winches are all but a standard fitting,

the cabin hatch is big enough to work

through if required.

This boat has one of the neatest,

most economical helm/dash layouts

you’ll find. A full bulkhead with cabin

entry cut-out improves structural

Mercury’s Pro XS series packs plenty of punch

uoS
th^ A

ustralian (^) An
(^82) rleg http://www.saangler.com.au