Quintrex 455 Escape - a Family Boat with a Friendly Price Gary Howard. IT’S quite appropriate, I feel, that we kick off our first issue of the new millennium with a boat test from a company that has led the aluminium boat market for the past decade. There wouldn’t be too many anglers and boaties that aren’t familiar with the name ‘Quintrex’. In the seventies, their 4.5- and 5-metre flared bow runabouts and centre consoles made major inroads on offshore and sport angling. In the last few years, this company has once again led the field in design and development with the flared bow and hull, Maxi transom and Millennium Hull. The flared bow of their early models took on further development about five years ago, when the Hornet was introduced. The flared bow moved on to the hull of the boat, below the water line, giving it an advantage over the traditional pointy-noised punts. The main advantage was that the flare at the bow took away a lot of that pounding when you punched into a bit of a chop, in addition to diverting a significant amount of spray away from the boat; hence, the boat became a little drier. The improvement in the performance of the Hornet, due to this new hull design, was significant enough for the company to further develop this concept. With the introduction of the bigger and heavier four-stroke outboards, there were a few other problems to contend with as well. As the four-stroke outboards became more and more popular, there were plenty of boats getting about with engines that were just too heavy. This was especially the case in the smaller aluminium boats of four to five and a half metres. Putting it simply, there was just not enough support in the stern of the boat to compensate for the increase in weight. What you ended up with was an engine that bobbed in and out of the water, and a boat that rode high in the bow and was slow out of the water. The half pod set up on many boats was just not good enough. The Maxi transom, in simple terms, is an extension of the hull that covers the full width of the boat. This significantly increases the planing surface of the hull and buoyancy for the heavier outboards. A spin-off from this is the increase in stability and performance of the hull. What we have now is the Millennium Hull, the next generation of the flared bow and hull, with the addition of the Maxi Transom. Each year I jump in about a hundred different boats, and considering I’ve been doing boat reviews for around fifteen years now, I guess I’ve been in around a thousand different boats of all shapes and sizes. Justifiably, I believe I can say that Quintrex’s current Millennium Hull is the most significant development in aluminium boats I’ve encountered. Taking into account the number of families that take to the water in boats these days, that have had no previous boating experience, it is imperative that boats are not only well fitted but that they are able to handle and perform in a variety of situations. This is what Quintrex are now offering. The Millennium Hull is available in all Quintrex boats, from the 455 upwards, as an option. The 455 Escape has a versatile length for working the bays, estuaries and inland waterways, as both a fishing boat and as a pleasure boat for family outings. The fifteen-foot mark is the borderline for a boat that may be used in the open waters of the bay or for heading out to a few of the offshore reefs. Primarily, its use is in partially protected waters, though when conditions permit, I’d have no hesitation in heading out across the bay or offshore to do a spot of reef fishing. The 455 Escape is a good, solid and stable boat. There is a bit of protection up front with the windscreen and canopy and enough room for two, or even three, anglers to fish comfortably out of the back deck. I’ve been in the 455 on a previous occasion, with only a two-stroke fitted to it. Yamaha have just released a few new motors - to which their new three-cylinder 40hp four-stroke (and what a superb engine it is) has been added - which have been placed on various demo boats for short periods of time. The boys from Quintrex were waiting at the ramp for me, with the boats already in the water. I kicked off the shoes and jumped in and started the engine. After a few turns of the key, the engine still hadn’t started. I thought this was a bit strange as they usually start first go. I felt a dill when Ryan had a bit of a chuckle and told me the engine was already running. The engine was sitting there ticking over so quietly I just didn’t hear it running. The three-cylinder 40hp Yamaha is substantially smoother and quieter than its four-cylinder predecessor, and with noticeably more grunt through the rev range. The old 40 four-stroke was basically the same as the 50 four-stroke. The new three-cylinder 40 is an entirely new motor and about twelve-kilo lighter than the 50 four-stroke. I’ve found with a few four-stroke engines that they can be a bit flat in some areas, and although you push the throttle and gain another five hundred revs, the increase in speed is slow or just not there. With the response of the new 40hp four-stroke, there won’t be any problems in this area, and the engine is bound to become quite popular for runabouts and dinghies of this size. It’s nice to be able to cruise along at a comfortable pace without yelling at everyone in the boat in order to be heard. The quietness of the outboard and the performance and stability of the boat will be particularly attractive to families with young kids who can be scared by a noisy, and sometimes fumy, engine and a wobbly surface under their feet. The layout of the 455 Escape sees twin swivel seats at the helm behind the windscreen, in the centre of which is a swing door for walking forward to access the anchor. The canopy, which folds down, is a must these days to keep you out of the sun. As long as there isn’t a strong wind blowing, the cover provided by the small canopy and the windscreen will keep you dry. Should you be caught in a bit of wind and rain, you’ll need to stay head on into it; otherwise, you cop rain and wind-blown spray coming in the sides. The dash has the basic instruments, room for a depth sounder and a lockable glove box on the passenger’s side. At the stern of the boat is an optional fold-down bench seat. It is pretty straightforward and all that is required in a boat this size where space is limited. Storage area is found in the side pockets and under the bow section of the boat, at the feet of those at the helm. Here there is quite a bit of storage room, enabling you to keep the aft deck free of clutter. Having had a 4.5-metre tinny for many years myself, I can vouch for the versatility of such a boat. Day trips are fine, with the option of loading a bit of camping gear and heading off for a couple of days. The 455 Escape we tested had a few options fitted to it, including the four-stroke. The boat has a recommended retail price of $17,500. If you take away the options, Quintrex and Yamaha offer a CV package which starts at $13,500. This package, with the 40hp two-stroke, offers one of the best value aluminium packages of its type around.