PROCRAFT 6.2 WEEKENDER REVIEW

Queensland’s Procraft Boats treads a mainstream path focusing on hulls and layouts that each cover a multitude of uses rather than pigeonholing itself as yet another fishing boat brand.

If the lines seem familiar, it’s because they’re inspired by the proven Haines Traveller series. The fibreglass hulls are manufactured by the Haines Group after which Procraft fits out and trims them to its own specifications, endowing each rig with a unique identity. As such, owners are assured a quality finish and dependable five year hull warranty.

The Procraft 6.2 Weekender is by no means a small boat. Sharing its basic hull architecture with the Procraft 6.2 Walkaround and Walkaround Hardtop, it’s really spacious and easily capable of handling the family and a few mates on board. It also looks pretty flash and seems a bargain at its starting price of around $55K. Not bad at all considering the boat’s size and standard 140hp Suzuki four-stroke as part of the package.

In most cases you’d be surprised to receive more than a bare shell and plenty of cut corners to achieve such a low price entry point. But you’d be wrong.

Sure, there are concessions such as the lack of full bulkheads to the cabin or moulded cockpit side panels, but neither of these detracts from the overall functionality of the 6.2 Weekender.  Reasonably sized rear quarter seats are incorporated into the false transom each side of a good size central livewell. There’s carpeted decks, full length side-pockets with bolstered padding and toe-locks.

LAYOUT

Like the smaller Procraft 5.3 Cuddy we tested recently the inner sections of the pockets have a speckled flow coat finish rather than being a one piece moulded component. I don’t mind it as it’s harder to scratch, has minimal glare and is relatively easy to keep clean.

The helm console is another spacious area that seats three – the skipper is treated to an adjustable swivel pedestal and the passengers gain a comfortable back-to-back seating arrangement. The passenger seat is hinged and folds backwards to reveal a cavernous storage area below.

Vision through the wraparound screen is unobstructed when seated. For those who prefer standing and driving, the view is over the screen and through the clears fitted to the test boat. A zip-out panel would be a welcome option to allow the breeze to flow and to peer through while travelling at night.

ENGINE

At 6.2m in length – in fact 7m overall – the Weekender has generous internal volume aided by its substantial 2.5m beam. It weighs around 800kg dry, so fully loaded and kitted-out you could be looking at a weight of around 1500kg. Was the compact 140hp Suzuki on the back going to cut it? I crossed my fingers and shunted the throttle forward.

The Suzuki 140hp produced a sharp holeshot on the Weekender, pumping out 30-32kts at wide open throttle. This engine is the minimum recommended horsepower for the 6.2 Weekender and gives a good account of itself.  If speed’s not your thing and the budget is a bit tight then the 140 is perfect. However, if you’re after the ultimate expression of what this hull is capable of, a big bore 150 or 175 could be the ticket, albeit for a premium.

HANDLING AND RIDE

When knocking down the hammer the Weekender planes quite quickly without any real bow rise. It has a larger than usual cabin for a boat of this size which will add a bit of weight over the nose. This keeps the bow down when accelerating and once up on the plane you can adjust trim to suit. Once up and running, transition to WOT is at a medium pace but is adequate.

With both seats up front occupied, the ride was level with good lateral stability. Shifting weight while underway does induce a bit of hull list but that’s to be expected when considering the rakish hull design and 22.5° deadrise. A sharper deadrise will permit a softer ride but the trade-off is often stability. In this case I felt that the 6.2 has a pretty good balance all things considered.

The best way to punt this rig is to set the trim correctly and climb on top of the chop. The sharp beamy hull produces a nice comfortable ride at all speeds and I particularly enjoyed being able to cruise at around 25 knots with the revs sitting on 4500rpm – good cruise speed and good low revs for economy. The Procraft 6.2 Weekender loves chop and can be driven quite hard into the slop. In fact, the more gas you give it, the better it performs.

THE VERDICT

Lots of boat, a decent ride, good build quality, smart looks and a fair amount of standard accessories is what you are going to find on the Procraft 6.2 Weekender. For me it’s a classic family boat just as it is, and by simply removing the rear extended bimini you would end up with a decent rear unobstructed deck to fish from or socialise on. The high gunwales and toe-locks are safe and reassuring and the boat’s solid performance characteristics leave me in no doubt that it can handle offshore conditions with ease. Supplied as is in family boat trim, the 6.2 suits all applications although it wouldn’t be hard to add a few fishing essentials without breaking the bank, if that’s your passion.

PROCRAFT 6.2 WEEKENDER SPECIFICATIONS

PRICE AS TESTED

$60,655

OPTIONS

Hull striping, deluxe trim, rear extension, clears, stereo upgrade, privacy screen.

PRICED FROM

$55,990 (BMT) including Suzuki 140hp four-stroke

GENERAL

Type Family fishing

Material GRP

Length 6.2m (7m LOA)

Beam 2.5m

Weight 800 dry

Deadrise 22.5°

CAPACITIES

People 7 adults

Berths 2

Rec. HP 140

Max. HP 175

Fuel 200L

ENGINE

Make/model Suzuki DF140A

Type Four-stroke DOHC 16-valve

Weight 184kg

Displacement 2044cm³

Gear ratio 2.591

Propeller 3 blade 14”x19”

MANUFACTURED BY

Procraft Boats

Burleigh, Qld

Web procraftboats.com.au

SUPPLIED BY

Coastal Powerboats

2 Junction Road, Burleigh Queensland

Phone 07 5568 0906

Web coastalpowerboats.com.au