Signature 485SF wins Modern Boating Fishing Boat of the Year

Signature 485SF wins ‘Modern Boating Fishing Boat of the Year’

It was revealed on Wednesday night that The Haines Group’s Signature 485SF has won the title of Modern Boating Fishing Boat of the Year 2009.  In the eyes of the Haines group this new model is a winner in many ways.

The 485SF is the first of its kind, the fibreglass dinghy weighs just 320kgs, can carry five passengers and can be ‘customised’ with numerous alternative configurations including casting decks, kill tanks, live bait tanks, rod locker, side console and much more.

According to Greg Haines (managing director (sales and marketing)) “After two years of research and development, The Haines Group created an amazingly versatile 4.85m dinghy using our RIVALE™ technology”.

RIVALE™ technology utilised the same traditional fibreglass and gel coat materials, but it is  brought together through a process which made boats produced using the technology better than anything else on the market.   

The result of a $2M investment by the Haines Group coupled with Federal Government funding, the unique RIVALE™ closed moulding technique consists of filling a rigid, closed mould cavity by injecting a resin through several points.

As for the results the 485SF has a ride which is soft, quiet and it’s an ideal fisher with a flat wash-down floor and has loads of options. There is space to move around, an ice chest, dry storage lockers and heaps of other useful places for your fishing gear. With a hull that planes with minimum effort from your outboard and an optional console set up you have got the best of all worlds in one package.

The company is already on the way to producing hundreds of the 485SF each year and is  increasing production in response to demand. 

The 485SF is the only boat manufactured by The Haines Group which is available as a Signature (485SF), Traveller (TD157) and Seafarer (Vantage).  If you ask John and Greg Haines why this break from the norm? They reply “It’s because it is that good”.  The critics seem to think so too.

Available in all Signature (Traveller and Seafarer) dealerships Australia wide, The 485SF RIVALE™ dinghy will retail from a starting price of approximately $17,999 including boat, motor and trailer.