Renowned boat manufacturer Extreme Boats has just released its Proline Alloy range, targeted at budget-conscious anglers and divers who don’t want to compromise on performance and functionality. We took an exclusive look at the first two models to hit the water – the Proline 1860 Hardtop and the Proline 1860 Sport Fisher.

The backstory

Kiwi boaters will be very familiar with the pedigree of Extreme Boats, manufacturer of the Proline Alloy vessels. The Proline Alloy boats are not simply ‘no frills’ Extremes, however, sporting substantially different hull shapes and layouts from Extreme’s established models. Hence when Extreme’s Marketing Manager Mat Cranswick gave us a bell and asked us if we would be keen to head down the East Cape with a couple of Prolines in tow for a spot of fishing and diving, we simply had to say yes!

The ride and handling immediately instilled plenty of confidence, even with 25-knot gusts from the south whipping the water up.

Glenn Shaw, Extreme Boats head honcho, shared the rationale for making these boats.

“Proline Alloy was established to offer the fishing community a more affordable option for experienced and novice boaties alike. The design brief was simple – create a safe, capable, predictable hull which catered for all.”

Construction

The Proline 1860 Hardtop and Proline 1860 Sport Fisher both feature a 5.7m LOA and 2.0m beam and run through the same production line as other Extreme models, ensuring they are built and finished to Extreme’s usual high standards. 

The in-house hull design varies from Extreme’s ever-popular Game King models, with a focus on performance and a simple yet functional layout for fishing and diving day trips. With ease of use being one of the main priorities, the hull was created to run very flat, be very predictable, and need no trimming aids. 

The cabin space and simple dash offer protection from the elements and plenty of dry storage.

“The flat running attitude has been paired with a fine entry, offering a soft ride with minimal bow lift in a heading sea, while wide flat chines deflect spray and give the bow lift when needed in a following sea. This all equates to a soft, predictable, and safe feeling ride,” says Glenn. 

The design affords a large cockpit area and great headroom for 5.7m vessels. For example, anglers taller than 6’ can stand up straight under both the hardtop and softtop variations without worrying about bumping noggins. 

The 1860 Prolines are rated for modest horsepower, with our review models powered by the ever-reliable Yamaha F90 four-stroke fitted with cable steering. With no underfloor fuel tanks, the engines are fed by two 45L tote tanks with twin lines and a single filter. The tanks fit neatly and securely port and starboard under the transom locker, ensuring even weight distribution and a clear cockpit area.   

To go with the Proline theme, the trailers are unsophisticated yet solid. The single-axle, un-braked KiwiAz trailers are constructed from galvanised steel, fitted with quality components, and come with a five-year structural warranty. They also feature a spare wheel and washdown hose fittings near the pointy end of the framing to allow internal chassis flushing after a day on the briny.

Layout and fishability

While the Proline 1860 is designed with affordability in mind, it still provides plenty of comfort for a day out on the water. The helm station is ergonomically laid out, with a clear view and accessible controls. Helming visibility is excellent on both models, with large, toughened glass panels. Although wipers could be fitted to the hardtop model, a regular application of Rainex to shed water would more than suffice. The softtop’s windscreen comes up to a decent height to provide spray protection, while the canvas top easily folds out to provide the same surface area as the hardtop’s roof section and tucks away in the rocket launcher for those long tows. 

The dash is simple, demonstrated by a four-way switch panel that controls the essentials like the bilge pump and anchor/navigation lights. The base package electronics include the user-friendly Garmin 95sv fishfinder/chartplotter and a Garmin VHF. Above the dash is a convenient area to place items, bordered by a raised lip to ensure no valuables slide off. There are two in-built drinks holders for skipper and passenger here, too.

Mat Cranswick hooked up to his kingfish that turned into a bronze whaler shark!

The cabin space, while reasonably compact to maximise cockpit volume, offers protection from the elements and plenty of dry storage. Without squabs, it is the perfect place to safely stow all the fishing paraphernalia you’ll need for the day.

For a reasonably bare-bones vessel, there are still plenty of other handy storage compartments on offer. Gear can be stored under both seats, in the large passenger side pocket, and along the under-gunwale pockets that come complete with rod racking. There are even built-in dive bottle racks on the aft side of both seats. 

The cockpit is spacious and has a flat floor, allowing you to set up your gear, cast, and catch fish without feeling cramped. Additionally, the practical layout and simple design ensures minimal maintenance and maximum convenience when it comes to cleaning up. 

Extra seating is cleverly provided by a squabbed bench seat that drops down when you open the full-width transom locker. This is a comfortable spot for extra passengers to use when underway or at rest. Inside the transom locker is a single battery and further storage space.

Access to the bow is easiest through the large bonnet hatch up front, although you can make it around the side and fish from the bow if you’re nimble enough.

Treadplate floors come standard, although softer decking products are, of course, an optional extra. There are six rod holders in the respective rocket launchers on both models, two gunwale rod holders per side, and a further three above the removable baitboard. 

The cockpit is roomy and uncluttered, and the transom locker entry doubles as a handy squabbed drop-down bench seat.

Performance

Although there was an ominous forecast for our planned two-day review, the saving grace was that the wind was blowing offshore, so we made the call to box on and see what the Prolines could handle. After a simple tow down the coast to Waihau Bay from Extreme’s Whakatane premises, we wasted no time getting the Proline 1860 Sport Fisher in the drink. We cruised along the coast to set some craypots, with 25-knot gusts from the south whipping the water up around us. The ride immediately instilled plenty of confidence, providing a nice mix of stability and agility. Like any powerboat this size, the Prolines do lean into a strong beam-on wind slightly. However, if you move your gear and crew around to ‘trim’ them, it’s not a concern. 

After successfully picking up a couple of crays from the pots the next morning, we headed east down the coastal road to Te Kaha. The convenient size of the Prolines meant the beach launch here was hassle-free and we were quickly away for a crack at the local snapper population. Conditions were much the same as the previous day, with strong squalls coming through that churned the water not far offshore into a steep chop. When we ventured further out, a strong 2-3 knot current made the sea state even more unsettled. 

With a slow bite on the snapper, we had plenty of opportunity to test out all sea angles as we shifted between locations. The Prolines proved capable vessels, cutting through the chop nicely and offering smooth handling. Turning at speed was particularly impressive, and I must admit I may have gotten a bit carried away doing high-speed U-turns because it was so much fun! The chines did a solid job of deflecting spray away from the topsides, and the crew stayed dry on both the softtop and hardtop models.

Chuck your gear on and go – the Prolines are perfect for hassle-free fishing and diving missions.

With conviction in the hulls’ abilities (and still no luck on the snapper front), we decided to head further from the coast to one of Mat’s kingfish spots. Mat jigged away ferociously in the choppy conditions for about 45 minutes, clearly with his heart set on a fishy hero pic to accompany the review! On his final throw of the dice, he hooked up to a solid kingie. Unfortunately, after a few minutes of give and take, the rod doubled over with the dreaded pull of a bronze whaler shark.

Giving up on the kingies, we cruised back to the coast and donned the dive gear in an effort to redeem ourselves with a different species. Fortunately, there were crays hanging around the shallows and we managed to nab a few to ensure we saved some face on the kaimoana front.

In conjunction with their seaworthiness, the Prolines offered excellent economy with the Yamaha F90s. We barely used 20L of gas on each boat for the day, averaging a fuel burn of around 0.6L/NM. The Prolines cruised comfortably in the 21-24 knot range, with the Sport Fisher giving slightly better acceleration and WOT speed than the Hardtop variant. At a trolling speed of 7 knots, the fuel burn was a mere 5L/hour – now that’s some affordable gamefishing!

Final thoughts

The Proline 1860 is a brilliant choice for anglers who want a reliable, well-built boat that doesn’t cost a fortune. With durable construction, a fishing-friendly layout, and solid performance, Extreme Boats has managed to create a very affordable package without compromising on the essentials.

I envisage these two Proline models proving popular with experienced and novice boaters alike. Despite their modest size, salty seadogs could happily take them offshore for big missions, yet their ease of use means they would not overwhelm those with less experience on the water. Sometimes simple is best, and let’s be honest – often the fish don’t care for all the bells and whistles!

Specifications

- Images by Nick Jones & Mat Cranswick