Most marine dealerships offer far more in their fishing boat packages than they do with their pleasure boats.

As a keen fisherman, I'm pleased that I have plenty of options nowadays. However, as a family man, I'm conscious of the fact that until recently this was at the expense of average family boaties who simply want a good allrounder.

There have been recent moves in the industry to address this problem, and while it's still nowhere near a fifty-fifty balance, family packages are moving back onto the marketplace - albeit with a few fishing features slipped into the layout...

A FAMILY CLASSIC
Haines Hunter has recently released the 530 Classic, which is somewhat of a re-release of a boat it campaigned successfully a few years back, the V17L.

Of course, the new unit has a whole swag of updates and benefits from Haines Hunter's many years of boat-building experience.

As the name implies, this rig offers the classic all-round package. It's suitable for day trips with the family, skiing, fishing and even some two-up overnighting.

As is becoming more commonplace in today's market, the package leaves Haines Hunter's Yatala (Qld) factory pre-rigged and ready to go. It also benefits from an impressive list of standard features.

So what's so appealing about the 530C, apart from its ready-to-roll sub-$30,000 pricetag?

For a start, the 530 is the right size for all-round appeal. It's big enough to head offshore, has enough power to tow a couple of skiers and most importantly, it's designed to comfortably handle a party of four onboard.

Many families with very limited boating experience are likely to jump in a rig like this, which is one of the reasons for its comprehensive pre-rigging. The Haines Hunter crew wants to put first-time boaties into a rig that handles well, is easy to drive and is comfortable for the whole family.

The boat even comes with a multi-roller trailer which has been set up for easy launching and retrieval. And to add weight to the argument (excuse the pun), the average six-cylinder car is up to the task of towing the rig.

HULL OF A GOOD TIME
The 530's hull has a deadrise of 21° to deliver the comfort that is required when encountering a bit of a chop. At 2.2m the beam is not the widest in its class, and though the boat remains commendably stable on the move, at rest you may notice a touch of tenderness.

With a bit of experience you will know where to place the load and your regular passengers will gain confidence in walking around.

As you would hope to find on a boat targeting first-timers and families, the 530 comes with standard non-return steering, which makes driving the boat much easier and something the whole family can do (with proper supervision). In fact, the skipper's likely to find himself nudged out of the helm seat regularly, as this craft really is a joy to handle.

The 90hp V-four Evinrude fitted with the standard rig provides a top speed of almost 60kmh and cruises comfortably around 40kmh at 4200rpm.

Drop the revs towards the 3000 mark and the boat starts to struggle to stay on the plain. Fuel efficiency wise, at this stage it's better to go either slower or faster to maintain planing speed - depending on weather conditions, of course.

This particular OMC powerplant has not only been chosen for its performance and reliability. It also has a history of offering good fuel economy on boats around this size. It's an excellent choice.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
One of the most attractive features of this rig is its simple, effective, yet versatile cabin/cockpit layout.

Comfortable swivel seats for the driver and a passenger are a must with this type of boat. In the case of the 530C the swivel seats are padded and mounted on storage boxes. The driver's seat slides back and forward to suit different people and there is more than enough room to stand and drive. (In any sort of seaway, being crammed in between the seat and the steering wheel can be a real pain).

Being of average height, I'm often confronted with the frame of the windscreen at eye level, which is awkward at times. This wasn't the case with the 530C.

Though its upper edge was below my eyeline, the design of the windscreen saw the wind deflected up and away. So I had no worries about eyes watering on a cold morning or trying to keep a hat on in the wind.

The under-seat storage boxes are an excellent idea, as this space is otherwise unusable. Here, there's enough room for tackle, tools and ropes. There's also additional storage for larger items under the V-berth in the cabin.

The 530C's dash display is conventional with a centrally-located space for a flush or bracket-mounted sounder.

A small underfloor esky or storage box is found between the seats, with sufficient room for the day's meals, drinks and ice.

The remaining two seats are found in each corner of the transom. These are only small cushioned squabs that slot into the corners but they are sufficient and quite comfortable. They are also easily removed when not required.

LIGHT AND AIRY
The Classic's cabin area provides a surprising amount of room. A recessed section of the dash delivers a large opening into this area, which means there's plenty of light and fresh air. Such an arrangement typically makes the available space feel bigger and more inviting.

The ubiquitous infill is available to enlarge the V-berth. When fitted it delivers a useable double bed to snuggle up on. Single bunks are available for those nights when your partner catches more fish than you!

Access to the anchor well is via the cabin hatch or by walking around the outside of the cabin. The small walkway is adequate, though you will need to hang onto the canopy as you walk around.

A few other handy items include the long aft deck sidepockets, a lockable glovebox and large bait wells in both corners of the transom.

Though the Classic is aimed at the 'value for money' end of the market, Haines Hunter has not scrimped on the finishes. Striping and colour-matched carpet and upholstery means the rig looks rather smart.

Because the 530 Classic is factory pre-rigged, you'll find it's priced consistently around the country.

Our testboat, from Sundown Marine at Redcliffe (Qld), was fitted with optional extras including bimini, sounder, GME 27meg radio, safety gear and stainless propeller (and a spare alloy prop).

With all on-water costs included, it is still $100 shy of $30,000.

That's top value in our book.

Box Story: OMC's COMPACT PERFORMER

Evinrude's 90/115hp V-four engines are some of the most popular in OMC's range.

The 60° V-four two-stroke displaces 1726cc and breathes through twin dual-throat carbs. As with the majority of two-stroke outboards these days, it's oil-injected and loop-charged.

The move to a smaller capacity 60° vee (earlier midrange OMC V-fours were 90° vees and displaced around 2000cc) has made the engines considerably more compact.

Weighing a respectable 145kg, the 90/115s lend themselves to a wide variety of craft. As a single engine they are regularly matched to boats from 5.0-5.5m, and as twin set-ups on larger craft they have won favour with many offshore boaties.

The recent arrival of FICHT fuel-injected versions of the powerplants have only widened their appeal.

Recognised as efficient and economical, the 90/115 powerplants are fitted standard with a 17-inch alloy prop. However, these days, stainless models are the choice of many and the 530C on test was no exception.

The 90 usually revs out between 5400-5600rpm. In the case of the test rig, we registered a peak of 5300rpm. Experimentation with optional props may have found the 'lost' revs, but nevertheless, this seemed a most efficient set-up.