Northbank 650C with Mercury 250hp V8 Verado

Some would call it the Butter Bean-mobile. We call it the Northbank 650C. Built in South Australia and retailed in Melbourne by Melbourne Marine Centre, this is an impressive craft.

by Steve Morgan •

I’m unsure if I’m allowed to actually call him by his nickname, Butter Bean, but Craigeburn’s Dean Pallone rocked up to the Patto River launching ramp in his pride and joy for this test. Dean’s a customer of Andrew Stephens’ Melbourne Marine Centre and the story of the sale reminded me of a joke that’s probably a little too saucy to delve into here.

Regardless, he went shopping for a repower of his old fibreglass boat and came back with this weapon of a boat on order.

Well, it wasn’t really that simple. Dean’s meticulous about his toys and Andrew was up to the task, even driving out to Dean’s place to see if one would fit in his garage. It took a couple of modifications, but they made it fit and the rest is history.

He now has around 40 hours on a Northbank 650C (cuddy cabin) that’s powered by a V8 Mercury Verado (250hp) and sitting on a custom Mackay trailer. And yes, it even has a pie warmer on board.

Dean’s not afraid to drive this rig, either. He did well for his first boat test. There were no problems ‘sending it’ for the camera. None at all!

As expected, if you drive this big rig hard, it’s fast and less than totally economical. We got it to 86km/h, which is hauling ass for a cabin boat. At that speed, it delivered even money, a kilometre for each litre burned. Back off the stick, though, and you get 50% more distance for your dollars. We achieved 1.5km/L at 57km/h and 4,500rpm.

Like all Northbanks I’ve tested, the hull sounds and feels solid underfoot. We’ve driven these boats in all conditions – from a Port Phillip Bay you could waterski on behind an outboard to a choppy Sydney Harbour with a diesel inboard – and these Rob Cuming designed hulls all ride the same.

In the spectrum of fishing to family boats, this one swings well towards fishing. There’s drop in snapper racks, multiple places to store your rods (in the rocket launchers or upright along the gunwales) and a suite of electronics that lets you find where the fish are.

Radio dialogue. FM: “Righto, give it some this time.” BB: “No worries. Thought you’d never ask!”
All the owners are impressed by their V8 Mercury 4-stroke. This is the first owner of the Verado iteration, with AMS (advanced mid section) which deletes nearly all vibration. They’re ridiculously smooth and quiet.
If you’re serious about live bait nowadays, you need the clear panel to let you connect with your tasty treats at an emotional level before you send them to their death.
These pocket-mounted vertical rod holders take those extra four rods that make all the difference. Anyone who says you have too many fishing rods is dead-set wrong.
The only thing better than a rocket launcher is a second, offset one that lets you get more rods up there. Butter Bean’s definitely one to feed the addiction.
That’s a Mercury Vessel View up top, a big ol’ Simrad below and a digital throttle and shift to the right. The fire extinguisher is within easy reach of the helm and helps you sort out any pie warmer incidents.
It’s like a snapper deck of cards: Spigot, bait board and six rods.
There’s a mountain of space in the cockpit and the SeaDek custom flooring matches perfectly. Dean says that it’s easy to keep clean.
We think that the ruler on the deck is a special touch.
The optional side door lets you bring in fish that surpass your expectations (but not your ability to plan). Or it lets the kids in, your choice.
Underwater LEDs on the hull and LEDs on the trailer, where were boaties without them?
21º of transom deadrise means that you need a special talent to land this rig hard. Specifically, if you can get it launching at a 21º lift to port or starboard you can bang it good. That’s harder than it sounds.
The folding ladder, duckboard and transom door are essential for boarding the boat while it’s on the trailer. They’re pretty handy as well when you’re going for a swim.
You can tell a Verado version of a Mercury from the standard V8 by that silver mid-section. It called an AMS and contains all of the engineering that insulates the boat from engine vibration. Standard V8s are all black.

That’s not to say that there’s a Spartan level of comfort. Shade, a lockable cabin and a neat gunwale door to allow easy ingress, while the boarding ladders and transom door make it easy to load and unload while the rig is on the trailer.

Small luxuries, like the custom SeaDek on the cockpit floor and the suite of LED lights (from underwater on the transom through to the cockpit all add up to make this a really neat looking rig).

“It’s good to get positive feedback from our customers and it’s great to have Dean so happy with his rig,” said Andrew. “We like going the extra mile to make sure that our customers are 100% happy with their rig.”

Packages that are by no means basic for a Northbank 650C and Mercury start from $126,000, ready to go and catch a snapper in the Bay. Dean’s rig with all of the extra fruit came in a lot closer to $150,000.

For more information or to organise a test ride in a Northbank, visit the team at Melbourne Marine Centre at www.melbournemarine.com.au. You can also Like their Facebook Page for updates and boat show appearances, like at the 2019 Melbourne Boat Show. Just search Melbourne Marine Centre on Facebook.

SPECIFICATIONS
Length – 6.5m
Beam – 2.44m
Height on trailer – 2.4m
Capacity – 8 persons
Max HP – 250
Transom Deadrise – 21º

PERFORMANCE
RPM…. Speed (km/h)….. Economy (km/L)

Idle…………………….. 4……………………… 1.6
1000…………………… 8……………………… 1.5
2000…………………. 13……………………… 1.1
3000…………………. 26……………………… 1.0
4000…………………. 47……………………… 1.3
4500…………………. 57……………………… 1.5
5000…………………. 68……………………… 1.3
5900…………………. 86……………………..  1.0