THE BERMUDA 460 MANGROVE DLX - NOT JUST A POINTY-NOSED PUNT Gary Howard LAST year there were some major shake-ups in the aluminium boat market, with a few of the bigger names in the business being bought out by other sectors of the marine industry, some boat manufacturers and some not. While on surface it may look like the range of boats available may become limited, or there may be too much control over the market in some areas, the long and short term benefits of research and development will bring some of the boats that have changed little in the past - and really did need upgrades to their hull design - up to speed. I don't feel it is any big secret that Quintrex Boats now build Quintrex, Bermuda and Stacer aluminium boats. The resources and determination that this company has to improve and expand the range of aluminium boats is immense. One of the latest releases in the Bermuda range is a typical example of how different two similar-looking boats can be. The Quintrex Hornet series is one that has had a major impact on its section of the market over the last few years. So, why would the same company build another series to go up against a big seller of its own? Quintrex is continually working on research and development. Instead of adding another model which has slightly different performance characteristics to the Quintrex range, Quintrex decided to use the sister brand range, in this case Bermuda. The Bermuda Mangrove Deluxe is to all intents and purposes a pointy-nosed punt. Of course, these days the majority of boats that fit this bill are much more than this basic shape. LAYOUT The first thing you will notice on the Mangrove is how broad and open it is. The beauty of this, of course, is it gives the anglers on board a superb area to move around in, with plenty of space to drop the odd esky and tackle box and not trip over them. When you sit down and have a look at the format of the boat, as well as the design of the hull, you soon see many other differences, perhaps justifying the use of a different brand name. The beam of the boat continues well forward to the bow, and combined with a width of 1.96m, gives you the big deck area. Any boat directly targeting the freshwater and estuary scene these days comes with a casting platform. This raised section of deck is primarily located at the bow, giving the angler the height advantage and clear deck from which to cast lures, fly or bait. This raised casting platform doesn't come with a seat, opting for a clear area with a simple hatch lid to enter the storage area below. With Mangrove's big beam, you end up with a top casting deck and more than adequate storage room beneath. The standard anchor well is located in the bow itself. It is easy to lean forward and to access the anchor from the casting platform. The front swivel seat is located on the main deck and has two forward positions. To adjust, the pedestal is lifted up and then dropped into the other base in the floor. The rear seating arrangement works in the same manner, with one position behind the side console and the option to drop the seat into another hole on the passenger side. All up, you have four positions for the seats and you can sit on the casting platform as you would a bench seat. In this style of boat I feel the side console is the way to go for positioning the steering helm. Aside from the obvious benefits of having a dry storage area inside the console and being able to see the instruments and electronics, the driver has the advantage of being seated where he can fish. There is no need to move the seat to another position and the rest of the deck remains clear - except for the other seat. The nature of the hull, with its shallow deadrise and modest beam, delivers an extremely stable platform, even if you decide to have two anglers seated on the same side. We found the stability to be superb no matter where you were on the boat. Where it can be a bit dodgy on some similar-sized boats to have a couple of anglers on the forward casting platform - both stability and room wise - it is not the case here. And don't think for one moment the boat is just suited to lure- and fly-fishing. It is easy to picture the open deck with a pile of crab pots, waiting to be slipped in, or two anglers sitting comfortably with the seats in the rear position and lines over, waiting for that school of whiting or bream to pass by. The versatility of these larger-sized, over four-metre 'punts' is what makes them so attractive. Estuary, river, freshwater, tropical and even sheltered bays are well within the handling capability of this rig. The transom area features a little motor well, with the area either side built in to form a storage area, a live bait tank on one side and a battery box on the other. With the top section carpeted, this smaller aft section could also be used as a casting area. THE RIDE The Mangrove rides noticeably different to the Hornet. Owning a Hornet myself, the difference was easy to pick. The Mangrove is a 'beamier' boat to start with, and while it has the trade mark flare at the bow, the tunnel formed as the flare moves down the length of the hull is not nearly as significant, with a very shallow deadrise at the transom. The concave shape of the forward and centre hull disappears before it gets to the transom, giving a greater planing surface and enabling the boat to get quickly onto the plane, without requiring a lot of horse power. Once the boat is on its way, there is no trouble holding slower planing speeds, and when it comes to trolling, the ride is nice and level - the transom of the boat doesn't bog down in the water. With a shallower deadrise you feel the bumps a bit more, although most of the impact is dispersed in the bow by the flare and deeper dead rise. The sixty-horsepower fitted to this boat was more than ample, and better suited to those who might regularly have a few anglers on board or be travelling longer distances. A fifty would be fine and even a few of the forty-horsepower engines would do the job. The Bermuda 460 Mangrove Deluxe comes painted, with a fully-carpeted floor, and bow and side rails; also included are a 50-litre underfloor fuel tank, live bait tank, navigation lights, rod holders, dash switches, two swivel seats, bilge pump, drink holders, anchor well and bollard. For more information contact your nearest Bermuda dealer.