AFTER reviewing the Quintrex 420 Dory for the February/March 2005 issue of FLYFISHING, I had complete confidence that my assessment of the craft as a light, sturdy, family- and flyfisher-friendly was spot on. I subsequently asked Greg Bennett of Yamaha if he had a craft that two people could launch easily (as was the case with the 420 Dory), and also didn’t necessarily require a trailer to transport it from A to B. Indeed he did — the Quintrex 350 Traveller.

For those who missed my introduction in the aforementioned magazine, Quintrex are based in Queensland, Australia. Those familiar with the Australian boating market will tell you that the Aussies are boating crazy and boat manufacturers have their work cut out to secure a slice of that market. Quintrex has not only managed to achieve this in the aluminium boat segment, but in fact dominates this market share in Australia.

On the appointed day Greg met me at the Durban Harbour slipway with the 350 Traveller neatly secured to the roof rack of his 4x4. Check the list: no trailer needed. However, Greg says that Yamaha do have a trailer that can accommodate the Traveller if that’s the client’s preference. Greg and I were able to offload the Traveller and drop it in the water with relative ease, so with my second pre-requisite met, I was now interested in what would power the 350 Traveller through the bay for this particular review.

For this exercise, and keeping in line with travelling light, Greg had chosen to go with an 8hp tiller-arm Yamaha outboard motor. The small outboard can easily be stored in one’s vehicle, along with a fuel tank, safety equipment and paddles.

Before I discuss my on-the-water experiences with this craft, I must mention the composition and merits of owning a Quintrex aluminium boat. I will only cover this aspect briefly, though, as similar comments were included in the 420 Dory review.

SAFETY
Usually significant quantities of foam flotation are strategically placed in the sides and underfloor compartments of waterborne craft, but since the 350 Traveller does not have a floorboard or deck configuration, the manufacturers have ingeniously packed foam into the watertight benches. These are sealed by being welded onto the framework of the hull.

Even if the 350 Traveller is totally swamped, she will remain upright and not sink.