Coraline Oceanrunner 620 Boat Review

Boat Review Date: August 2014
Author: Mike Brown

Overview

Coraline builds such a huge range of hulls in a variety of styles that every one of them delivered is virtually a custom boat. The review Coraline, an Oceanrunner 620, is no exception.

The 6.2 metre hull length is one of Coraline’s more popular, probably due to its spaciousness coupled with moderate towing weight. The cabin is for shelter, storage and possibly for children sleeping, so takes up only a small share of those metres. What’s left is a wide open fishing area, which is exactly what the buyer of this boat wanted.

Although he also wanted some versatility for family and friends days, which needed extra seats. Coraline obliged with jump seats on the rear of the driver’s and navigator’s armchairs. A table drops into the deck between the jumps and the rear settee to make the space family friendly. Seats for seven usually means a cluttered cockpit, but apart from the armchairs everything folds or can be left at home so the purity of the fishing space is maintained.

The photographs give a clue to the owner’s dedication to fishing: a pair of RELAX outriggers mounted on the side decks. Other items in the fishing kit include a battery of rocket launchers, a removable bait table, a deck wash and a large catch tank; large enough for scuba gear instead of fish. A section of the cockpit’s carpet lifts to give access to the tank’s lid. Or you could unclip the whole carpet and leave it at home with the table on serious days.

The 620’s style is open hardtop using clears instead of a full height windscreen, a set up that makes sense for the WA climate. The hardtop itself covers a substantial area – including a sun visor effect forward – and a push-in fabric extension carries the shade over most of the cockpit. The hardtop is lined, and carries the radio console. Both VHF and 27MHz sets are installed, alongside the Fusion 200 stereo.

The driving position was designed to be equally comfortable standing and sitting. In either position steering is a delight even by hydraulic standards; the lightest of fingertip effort does the trick. The dash is well laid out including a neat switch panel and the always welcome 12 Volt outlet. The electronic combo is an up market Furuno GP1870F with a 1kW transducer; definitely a component of the fishing fit out. An ancillary control on the dash is the switch for the anchor’s power windlass. It’s the kind of fitting that strikes a lot of people as overkill – until they get to use one and are instantly hooked.

Having one means one less reason to go to the foredeck, but on the 620 that would have been simple to do. The side decks are wide enough for feet to do their thing; the side rails and, especially, the grab rails along the hardtop make it a safe operation. For the less adventurous of course an alternative route is via the cabin and the large clear fore hatch.

The cabin is rigged with a zippered soft door. This provides privacy for the optional chemical toilet, is lightweight and does not rattle, so has all the important features needed in a sea going door.

The chosen motor was a 150hp Yamaha four-stroke. The hull could handle more but this proved a good match. Top speed was high 30s, and at this speed the hull demonstrated the benefits of refinements over recent years. Deadrise is a respectable 18 degrees balanced by broad reversed chines. The ride was good and spray was thrown horizontally. Stationary the 620, with its 2.5 metre beam and well immersed chines, was a model of stability.

It would be a fussy fisherman who was not happy with the Coraline 620.

Lowdown

Price from                  AUD $80,000

Price as reviewed    AUD $96,345

Length overall           6.8m

Hull length                6.2m

Beam                          2.5m

Fuel capacity            240L

Motor fitted                150hp Yamaha four-stroke