Sailors, start your dreaming
It's midweek on Sydney Harbour as the latest European trailerboat saunters into view, kissing the sand before my feet like a breath of fresh air.
The boat has a rounded and graceful entry, and a cabin that's sleek rather than bulbous, while abundant use of faux (vinyl) timber trim softens the white fibreglass finishes.
But the cockpit is the biggest departure. The focus is on family flings and feasting. As such you need to think of the Quicksilver 645 Cabin as a destination rather than a conduit for some other activity. There's a ski pole for two sports and great access to the beach for picnics; however, the seating encourages you to park yourself and stay put.
Rather than a fold-down rear lounge or quarter seats - de rigueur on mainstream trailerboats - the cockpit is dominated by a U-shaped seating module that converts to a lunch setting with the supplied drop-in teak table, then a sun pad/day bed for apres-lunch snoozing.
This convertible cockpit-seating arrangement won the Quicksilver 645 Cabin a motor boat of the year 2012 award in a so-called Starterboat category. Priced from $58,200 with a 115hp Optimax direct-injection two-stroke outboard, our demonstrator cost $68,771 with the latest and greatest Mercury 150hp four-stroke engine outboard and factory options that create a luxury cabin cruiser.
With a modest hull measuring 6.33 metres, built of impervious vinyl ester resin, boasting self-draining decks and an outboard-engine leg and prop that tilt clear of the water, the Quicksilver 645 Cabin is promoted as an ideal mooring proposition. A dual-axle Dunbier trailer with breakaway brakes adds about $11,000 to the bottom line. Still, when you look at the inclusions and top finish, the 645 Cabin represents good buying.
Our test boat had a factory-fitted Sports Package with dark hull, freshwater tank and transom shower, and Sony stereo with MP3 jack. There were a Lowrance HD55 depth sounder/GPS fitted; an optional folding bimini, for shade, concealed in a rear-deck recess (canopy to be modified for local conditions in future); and an optional pullout 12V fridge underfloor in another dedicated storage compartment.
With fuel, family and fodder, you're set to go. But unlike such structured weekend family-boating sorties, we boarded with no real plans at all. Blue skies, light winds and a high tide on a sunny Wednesday were all the impetus we needed to zoom about the harbour with abandon and sample some cabin cruising Euro-style.
Within minutes, we were anchored at Reef Beach in North Harbour. Once the preserve of naturists, today it is home to just a few sunbaking backpackers who may well have come from Holland. The limpid water dotted with rocky outcrops and sand patches beckoned a swim. We found the swim ladder, transom storage that drains your wet gear, and the optional deck shower linked to 45 litres of water.
But without the togs, we weighed anchor. This was made easy by the moulded steps in the dash, the opening centre-windscreen pane, and the non-skid on the foredeck beside faux-timber treads ranging to the bow anchor locker. The split bow rail facilitates beach access, as was proven at Manly.
Performance-wise, the 645 Cabin owes a lot to the latest Mercury 150hp four-stroke outboard bolted on its tail. Claiming to be lightest in its class, but with the biggest displacement, the new 150 uses a big 3.0-litre block to generate a heap of torque for tow sports and, moreover, shunting crew.
Indeed, the new Mercury 150hp and Quicksilver 645 were doing it easy as we cruised the cliffs to Dobroyd Point and ducked into Crater Cove, home to a bunch of remarkable humpies built in the Depression era from sandstone. We gave Gowland Bombora, deemed one of the most dangerous spots on Sydney Harbour, a wide berth before heading to Grotto Point Lighthouse.
At 4350rpm and 27.1 knots, using 28.9 litres an hour for five hours or a 135-nautical-mile-plus range, the Quicksilver 645 Cabin is true to name, running swiftly to your lunch digs or preferred bolt-hole before diving in for dessert. Top speed en route to Manly was more than 34 knots and the ride remains smooth, dry and dignified.
Ironically, Quicksilver is owned by American marine multinational Brunswick Corporation, but built by its European division.
More from Collins Marine: see quicksilver-boats.com.au.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The Quicksilver 645 Cabin is priced from about $58,200 with a 115hp Optimax direct‑injection two‑stroke outboard. A demonstrator fitted with the newer Mercury 150hp four‑stroke and factory options cost $68,771 in the review, and a dual‑axle Dunbier trailer with breakaway brakes adds roughly $11,000 to the total.
Quicksilver is owned by the American marine multinational Brunswick Corporation, but the 645 Cabin reviewed is built by Quicksilver’s European division.
The 645 Cabin is offered with engines such as a 115hp Optimax direct‑injection two‑stroke and the newer Mercury 150hp four‑stroke. The Mercury 150 uses a 3.0‑litre block to deliver strong torque. In the review it cruised at 27.1 knots (4,350 rpm) using about 28.9 litres/hour and achieved a top speed above 34 knots.
On test the 645 Cabin consumed about 28.9 litres per hour at 4,350 rpm and 27.1 knots. That burn rate gave a practical cruising range of roughly 135+ nautical miles over five hours (as reported in the review).
Notable features include a U‑shaped convertible cockpit seating that becomes a lunch table or sun pad/day bed, faux timber trim, a hull built from vinyl ester resin, self‑draining decks, swim ladder, transom storage and shower, a 45‑litre freshwater tank, Sony stereo with MP3 jack, Lowrance HD55 depth sounder/GPS, optional folding bimini and an optional pull‑out 12V underfloor fridge.
The 645 Cabin won the award largely because of its innovative convertible cockpit seating arrangement — a U‑shaped module that converts to a dining table or sun pad — which positions the boat as a destination for family entertaining rather than just a passage vessel.
Yes. The 645 Cabin is trailerable (the review used a dual‑axle Dunbier trailer with breakaway brakes) and includes beach‑friendly features such as a swim ladder, draining transom storage, moulded dash steps, an opening centre windscreen pane and a split bow rail for easier beach access — making it well suited to family outings.
The review mentions the Quicksilver brand itself (owned by Brunswick Corporation), Mercury outboards (the 150hp four‑stroke), the 115hp Optimax two‑stroke option, Dunbier dual‑axle trailers, Sony stereo equipment, and a Lowrance HD55 depth sounder/GPS. The review also references Collins Marine for more information.
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