Coraline 670SF Boat Review

Boat Review Date: April 2012
Author: Mike Brown

Overview

The Coraline 670SF is at an interesting mid-point between centre cabin and centre console. There is no pretence of accommodation, but the level of shelter is infinitely better than a centre console normally provides.

The console is large, fitted with several doors to allow gear to be easily retrieved from within it. It forms the front of a virtual wheelhouse. The rear is a permanent double seat whose back makes a half bulkhead. From front and rear, heavy duty pipe work supports a lined hardtop, and, from this, clears unroll to close off the sides and back. The blustery day encouraged us to unfurl them, and the enclosure they made had plenty of room for two.

Unlike many imports WA-built Coralines always refer to hull length in their names, so this 6.7m boat has a sizeable presence and a lot of deck area. A pair of shallow steps at the forward edge of the console raises the foredeck, allowing it to pick up area within the flared sides. It also increases the volume beneath it, and a lid gives access to a large storage compartment.

The 670 makes a feature of storage. The rear deck has another compartment below it, useable as catch tank or dry stowage; the driver’s seat houses a roomy locker with an external door; there are two lockers in the transom; and side pockets extend half length. For major expeditions the hardtop could come into play, providing a roof rack for surfboards or other awkward items.

A rear lounge is completely removable and, should you decide to leave it at home, abundant handholds are laid on for standing passengers. They include one across the width of the seat back, exactly where most people would choose to stand. The first class seats are just that, far more spacious and comfortable than the typical centre console’s.

The driver faces a dash with an extensive area available for extra electronics. The as-reviewed price of AUD $87,806 includes an allowance for a plotter-sounder but, sensibly, the exact model is up to the buyer – views on the merits of different sounders vary as passionately as those on brands of beer. If a buyer chooses to raid the bank account and fit a large screen model, there will be room for it.

The view ahead from the seat is unusually clear because the two-piece windscreen has no centre mullion or support. From a strength point of view it has no need for one, and the joining of the glass panels is handled by the same material that glues the panels to the frame. This is the same stuff that holds Perth’s buses together and fixes the interiors of Austal ferries to their hulls. The principle of gluing glass to the surface of frames rather than securing it within recesses is very sound: it just about removes any chance of frame corrosion.

A 150hp Yamaha four-stroke powered our 670 and, although we never quite opened the throttle all the way, it was clear that any more horses would be little more than decorative: this boat moves.

The 670 has the new generation Coraline bottom profile and it works extremely well, the lumpy sea giving it every chance to prove itself. We frequently lifted most of the boat’s length clear of the water but suffered no pain from the landings. This was from a combination of hull shape and the location of the driving position – further aft than that of a cuddy or runabout.

Out of gear the Coraline continued to behave well. Its bulk, and the influence of the broad reversed chines, glued it to the water making a steady fishing platform. Other features to please fishermen include extra shade from a fabric extension to the hardtop and a drop-in bait board.

A package that only needs a tank of fuel to complete it.

Lowdown

Price as reviewed    AUD $87,806

Length overall          7.2m

Hull length                6.7m

Beam                       2.5m

Fuel capacity             225L

Motor fitted               150hp Yamaha four-stroke