No sooner does Quintrex release a new model than the R&D department gets to work to make it better.
Take the 630 Offshore for example, its powered by a 4.3-litre MerCruiser, 220hp, MPI inboard with an Alpha drive and is designed for fishing wide offshore.
Quintrex has taken the same configuration, refined it and turned it into The Spirit Cruiser. At the moment it’s a semi-prototype that still does the same job as the Offshore for those who want to wander offshore, however, there are a few more refinements for family cruising.
The Spirit Cruiser is set up in the same way as the Freedom Cruiser except it has a cabin. The installation of the inboard allows a 400mm boarding platform with a ladder to be added to the transom, and it’s wide enough to put a ski or wakeboard across to fit before jumping into the water. There’s a couple of grab handles at the back and rubber non-skid on the boarding platform.
A sunlounge and rear seats have also been added and these double as the cover over the engine box. The whole lot lifts up on gas struts for access to the engine and the two batteries housed either side.
The side panels have the usual roto-moulded sections we have come to expect from Quintrex with storage pockets and rod holders, but now the gunwales are padded. There’s storage under the floor and basic floatation is built into the boat
The driver and passenger get a couple of pedestal seats mounted on boxes that lift up for storage underneath. The dash is generic Quintrex with an Auto Technica steering wheel, the speedo, tacho, trim, temperature, oil fuel, hour meter gauges and QL trim tabs, all in a roto-moulded housing. A Lowrance X135 and a GME VHF radio are standard. There’s now a new cover at the back of the dash for easier access to the wiring as well.
The cabin is big enough for two adults to stretch out or sit up using the padded shelf as a backrest, and there is a big hatch for access to the anchor.
The Spirit Cruiser with the inboard is a different boat to the outboard version. It’s smooth, has no vibrations and has enough grip in the water to dump the driver out of the seat in a very tight turn. I was surprised when told that the 19in prop was an ordinary standard black alloy, the boat certainly doesn’t warrant the expense of fitting a stainless steel prop.
The boat was out of the hole in 6.2 seconds and sat on 18.8 knots, and would certainly have no trouble pulling a skier on a single plank out of the water. It will cruise smoothly at 25 knots and top speed at 5000rpm was a surprising 38.6 knots. About a quarter trim was all that was needed on the leg and we didn’t use the QLs at all, and even at top speed it felt safe.
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