Specification:
Length 6.2m
Beam 2.48m
Draught 0.50m
Weight 800Kg
Engine 115hp
Max rated power 115hp
Design Category C
Max load 1000kg
Country of manufacture:
Report by Mike Thrussell
I’d always liked the look of the Quicksilver Pilothouse series of boats having seen a couple moored at various locations on my travels, and I was really looking forward to testing the 620 type in particular. The opportunity came at ABC Power Marine in Beaumaris on Anglesey.
Walking in to the office at ABC I was immediately handed a fax of the latest weather predictions. A thumping great low was bearing down on us with winds forecast to touch Force 9 overnight. It was a steady 5 to 6 already, and even the usually calm Menai Straits looked pretty bumpy with loads of whitecaps.
I also found out the 620 for review was actually a recent customers boat. Added responsibility then, but it’s never a bad thing reviewing a used boat rather than one straight out of the showroom.
STATISTICS
I’d describe the 620 as a real family or small group angling boat. Her length is 6.2 metres long with an overall beam of 2.48 metres. The draft at 0.45 metres makes her ideal for shallow water work, obviously for fishing those less exploited marks where bigger boats can’t get, but especially for accessing difficult shallow moorings such as estuary creek moorings that many boaters have to live with.
She weighs in at 850 kilos, can take 6 people, is registered category C, and can handle outboard motors up to 115HP. The test boat was fitted with a Mercury 115HP 2-stroke outboard.
The fuel tank is built in with the filler cap situated on the starboard quarter. The tank carries 125-litres of fuel, or around 28 good old gallons. At cruising speed that’s at least 6 to 7 hours full running time.
CASTING OFF
Given the rapidly worsening weather I chose to get the test underway asap. Walking down Beaumaris Pier towards the boat she does look extremely smart and is certainly an eye catcher with the sleek bow, neat cabin and large tinted windscreen.
She was fitted with a Mercury 115HP outboard, and heading out in to the Straits just a slight increase in revs gets an instant response from the hull. Adding more power the boat does not really give a noticeable lift at the bow, rather the whole boat sits up in the water to achieve the planing position. It’s all smooth and very much controlled.
There was quite a chop coming at us, nasty short seas with about a 3-foot plus rise to each wave. The modified Deep V hull cuts an oncoming wave cleanly without throwing up much spray on to the screen, and is predictable and comfortable, as she cuts through with a gentle lift not a sudden surge as some hulls do.
Maybe inside the cabin water noise against the hull is a little higher than ideal, possibly due to the large high cabin with minimal upholstery to act as a noise dampener, but not so much as to get on your nerves on a long journey home in bad seas. Chuck in all your gear, clothes and other stuff and probably the noise would lessen a little anyway.
I switched tactics and put the hull through the waves quarter on. Some hulls will slide with the wave even under power but the 620 stays on a true course with no real correction of the wheel needed. Inside the cabin you’re not thrown about during this manoeuvre to give you some indication of how stable she is.
Knocking off the revs to a minimum and turning round inside a wave trough she stays easy to control and responds well to minimum wheel turn. The short waves were ideal for checking her out against a following sea, but as I’d anticipated she holds her course pretty well with just a few corrections on the wheel to maintain a straight course.
I also backed her in to the oncoming swells, but the very deep splash well produces a very safe boat.
I’ve had a couple of e-mails from prospective boat buyers asking why I check boats out at low revs in short seas. Anyone that’s ever had to come home in big seas with a swell pushing you up the backside, and especially when trying to access shallow water estuary bar channels where you’ve got big rollers coming over the sandbars behind you will know that it’s easy to get pushed off course when having to use minimum revs forcing you sideways and in to potential danger of broaching. The better a boat stays on course for minimal steerage by the helmsman at low revs the safer you are.
You also need to consider how a boat responds at low revs regards manoeuvring in to marina berths and pontoons, or when backing out and in to tight spaces.
Finding some calmer water (only just) we drifted. She has relatively little windage off the cabin and drifts quite slowly. Two anglers can stand on the one side with only limited lean of the hull at the gunnel. Scanning my eye over the deck, then there is plenty of room to fish four anglers comfortably, two down each side, with plenty of room left in the centre deck area for landing fish and working, without getting in the way of the anglers on the opposite side. You can also reach the water for landing fish like rays and tope.
Running the boat through slight to moderate, you can expect a steady cruising speed of 25mph, but a flat out speed in ideal conditions gets to 35mph. Fuel consumption with the Mercury 115 will even out at about 4 gallons cruising and 6 gallons at 35mph, and that’s very economical.
DESIGN & FITTINGS
Back on the mooring it was time to check out the build characteristics and the supplied fittings.
The deck area houses a large locker with a hinged access door capable of taking spare anchors, ropes, fenders and additional equipment.
The deck floor has a moulded grip finish in it that we found non-slip on what was a very damp and miserable day.
The gunnels come up to mid thigh height. This makes for comfortable and safe fishing, but I think that the more experienced boater might choose to add a full-length 4-inch high stainless steel safety rail along the gunnel top almost as far as the stern as an additional safety feature. Easily done!
The rear corner of the gunnels carry a top quality T-cleat and flip top rod holder.
The stern section inside the deck has a large and comfortable seat moulded in to each corner. These seats are the access hatches to large storage lockers underneath. There is also an additional bench type seat running between the two locker seats.
The cabin door is wide and easy to access. Coming in to the cabin you have a drop down step on to the inner cabin floor, which is protected with wood panelling. Bunk type seating runs all the way around the bow section allowing up to 5 people to be seated inside with good headroom, or giving sleeping bunks for two people, one down either side. The bunks have cushions on and house large storage lockers underneath. There is also an extra storage locker at the bow end.
The helm seat is on the starboard side with the throttle on the right underneath the window. The throttle is set quite high, not a problem for tall people, but not quite so easy if you’re on the short side and prefer to stand to steer leaning against the seat. The seat itself is comfy if you’re on a long run out. Visibility from the helm seat is excellent looking forward for spotting potential hazards and with full side vision for manoeuvring. There is also a window in the cabin door bulkhead looking back down the deck. All the windscreens are tinted.
To maintain vision in bad conditions the 620 also has a windscreen wiper positioned on the screen immediately in front of the helmsman.
The wheel is a traditional wooden ships spoke wheel. I personally like them as they give ease of movement for positioning the boat in tight spaces. Some anglers prefer a round wheel though and may prefer to change.
The console houses the ignition key in front of you down in the right hand corner, with the accessory switch panel above on the right. In front of you above the wheel is a top console capable of carrying the necessary instruments such as a rev counter, fuel gauge etc.
The console to the left is wide enough to carry sounders and GPS units, but also has moulded in recesses for holding ancillary items. It’s all very well thought out including a sky light vent window in the cabin roof and another vent in the starboard side window of the cabin. Given the damp but warmish conditions during the test there was no sign of condensation inside the cabin or on the windows at all.
Being a customer owned boat the owner had chosen to fit his sounder unit up on the cabin roof in front of the helm seat and just above the windscreen. Plenty of room here if you decide this option is for you. It has its advantages as it helps eliminate light glare on the unit’s screen.
Back out on deck, on the outside top corner of both sides of the cabin are stainless steel grab handles giving security when stepping up on to the bow walkway. The walkway is wide enough to walk along safely. You also have a grab rail on the cabin roof and a stainless steel safety rail rising towards the bow for additional safety when accessing the bow section. The walkway continues uninterrupted right around the bow section and back to the cabin.
At the bow, you have a top quality stainless steel pedestal type mooring post and a bow roller with an anchor locker situated on the bow floor just rear of the bow roller for immediate access. The bow safety rails do not join at the bow, but are split in two to give full and easy access to the rope for hauling.
The cabin roof is also worth a look too. It extends over the deck a short way to give a little shelter to the doorway, and also extends at the front over the windscreen. It is also stepped up at the back making it the ideal platform to mount your VHF aerial, GPS antennae and the all round Nav Light. Navigation lights are obviously fitted as standard on the 620.
The general finish of the boat is to a high standard in all white with blue logo and stripe.
WOULD I CHANGE ANYTHING?
The 620 package tested had a swim ladder fitted. Most anglers would choose to lose this and use the space to fit a drop down bracket for the spare engine. I’d also fit that 4-inch safety rail down the gunnels, just to make 100% sure nobody got flipped over the side in a decent swell.
Another minor job would be to add a few more rod holders along the gunnels.
OVERALL CONCLUSION
This is a top good buy for anglers wanting a weekend boat for general fishing, but also a craft that can work long range to access wrecks and offshore sandbanks. It is a good sea hull well capable of handling big seas when you get caught out, but is forgiving and creates confidence if you’re moving up from a much smaller craft.
The 620 is pretty quiet in the water too, and with the shallow draft would be fine if you regularly troll for bass over shallow reef ground.
She is comfortable to fish from, and uncluttered with plenty of space for four big guys to fish off. Easy to handle too if you moor inside a marina and have a narrow access point or short turnaround area to contend with!
This size and style of 20-foot boats with a cabin will become ever more popular as anglers buy as a three or foursome and elect to work out of a marina. Likewise a family unit that wants a fishing boat, but also a boat to have fun with. The 620 has both speed and economy, and for the money gives excellent value.
CONTACTS
The 620 and the full Quicksilver range are available from ABC Powermarine, Gallows Point, Beaumaris, Anglesey, LL58 8YL. Tel: 01248 811413. Fax: 01248 811412. You can get more information on their web site. To organise a test on any of the range contact Robin Howells at ABC Powermarine.
Disclaimer: Everything written in these reports are based on personal experience and the individual's opinion only. I have tried my best to present the facts correctly, but I/we take no responsibility for any mistakes or omissions.