BOAT REVIEW Tristram 691 Offshore Timeless

It’s a smart-looking rig carried on a premium, dual-axle, braked Enduro trailer fitted with a Balex auto-loading system. Called Timeless, this boat is a new model with a raft of new features, many of them carried over from larger models in the Tristram range. This 691 Offshore belongs to the Fink family, the dynasty behind Tristram Marine (see Reflections, p92). The boat will split its time between Whitianga and Lake Taupo.

Spoiler alert: while the 691 Offshore is a completely new model from Tristram Marine, released earlier this year (2024), the 691’s hull has been around since 1997. That’s because the 691, with its 22o deep vee hull and moderately wide chines, is a simply superb design, doing everything asked of it and more. So much so that over the years there have been only minor tweaks to the hull and incremental improvements in its construction methods.

What is completely new for 2024 are the decks – everything above the gunnels and inside the hull. What we see is the third set of new deck mouldings since the original 691’s inception 27 years ago.

The emphasis for the new model is skewed more towards offshore adventures and sportfishing than previous 691 models, as evidenced by the swish new Garmin Kraken electric trolling motor on the bow and the fishing-friendly cockpit layout, including a stainless-steel mounting plate on the starboard side gunwale for a downrigger or craypot hauler (both by Scotty).

The styling is completely up to date too, the 691 Offshore presenting a thoroughly modern profile, which like other Tristram models is unlikely to ever look dated. The 691 hits a bit of a sweet spot in the company’s range: it’s large (and capable) enough to tackle serious offshore boating, but not so large as to be a challenge to handle or tow. Trailerable weight with the V8 Verado is a little over two tonnes, so well within the towing capabilities of a wide variety of vehicles, including larger EVs. 250hp gives the new 691 Offshore sparkling performance, but it gets along very nicely with 225hp.

The 691 Offshore features a canvas Targa top with wrap-around clears, including a rear drop-cover to fully enclose the ‘wheelhouse’ area. Clears – front, side and rear panels are manufactured in-house at Tristram Marine and proved easy to put up and take down. The canvas top is supported by a folding stainless-steel frame which also sports the six-rod rocket launcher. The Targa top folds down into the cockpit for trailering and garaging and a road cover is standard equipment.

The overwhelming impression when you step aboard the 691 Offshore is that everything has been carefully thought about and finely fettled: the attention to detail – always a feature of Tristram Boats – is taken to another level. Things like embossed (not embroidered) Bahama tan vinyl seat upholstery, luxurious Warwick fabric on the v-berths, which references the colour palette in the cockpit and elsewhere onboard, as does the privacy curtain across the bulkhead (there’s a toilet between the v-berths). Hats off to Tristram Marine’s Dominique who came up with the colour scheme and fabrics.

Also keeping faith with the understated but classy colour palette is diamond stitching in the upholstery and the pale Smoke/Storm Grey lines in the teak-coloured, SeaDek flooring. Real teak is used to cap the coamings.

More details catch the eye, such as pop-up cleats and new, larger stainless-steel drains etched with the 691 logo in the cockpit corners and a matt-black windscreen surround, complemented by the textured anti-glare finish of the black Grippa material covering the deep eyebrow that shades the helm console.

The cockpit layout has been reworked with a completely new transom arrangement, including step-throughs with plumbed and aerated live-wells on both sides, a new moulded bait station with a removable cutting board, generous glovebox compartment/shelf, stainless-steel rod holders.

The rear of the bait station is scalloped to allow easy stepping from swimstep to swimstep behind the motor via a moulded mid-transom step – great when you’re chasing a hooked fish around the boat. The boat’s generous underfloor wet/dry cockpit locker is furnished with a split-lid and deep gutters to drain away water to the bilges where it’s dealt with by the automatic bilge pump. Like Tristram’s larger models, the underfloor locker has an insulated lift-out catch bag; a smaller hatch cover between the seats accesses the fuel tank and sender unit.

Still with the cockpit, the moulded side shelves have been raised to provide toe recesses, there are rod racks for four fishing rods either side and the shelves can accommodate gaffs, poles and other long items and relocatable Tallon cupholders. As befits an offshore-oriented vessel, there’s plenty of freeboard and high sides for security when standing in the cockpit. The gunwales are padded too, in the same stitched Bahama tan vinyl as the seats.

Seating is where the 691 really benefits from the legacy of its larger siblings, inheriting its seating arrangement from the Tristram 701 and 741. That means the 691 can offer galley facilities for the first time – Timeless is fitted with a fridge under the helm seat and the front passenger bucket seat hinges forward to reveal a flat worktop or food preparation area. A portable BBQ or a canister cooker are convenient options for heating food.

Tristram Marine has opted for king and queen style seating providing comfort for four, two facing forward and two facing aft. The helm seat is on a slider making it easy to find a comfortable driving position. Both front seats have folding armrests, moulded footrests and there is generous storage in the seat bases, though the 36V 100Ah lithium battery for the Garmin Kraken trolling motor takes up some of the space under the seats on the port side, as does the fridge on the starboard side.

The trolling motor has been a revelation, says Kingsley. Deployment is manual, achieved either by sidling around onto the side deck or by standing up through the hatch in the fore-cabin. The Finks have used the electric in both salt and freshwater – with its spot-lock and anchor facilities, it can hold the boat in position over fish or structure when jig-fishing and it’s perfect for slow-trolling live baits for kingfish. On Lake Taupo it has done jigging duty – spot-lock again – and it allows trolling for trout at a steady 2.8 knots. They get up to two full days of use between charges reports Kingsley.

The new helm console design is very clean with enough space on the dash for a 16-inch MFD, in this case the latest from Garmin. The MFD integrates seamlessly with the Kraken electric motor, which can be controlled from the helm via the MFD or using the remote control. Both the Kraken and the Garmin MFD talk to the Garmin Quatix watch on Kingsley’s wrist. The Garmin MFD also integrates perfectly with the high-powered, four-speaker Garmin Fusion 770 stereo system.

These days there’s not much need for a lot of extra gauges and instruments – on Timeless everything can be controlled via the Garmin MFD with its custom interface, but Tristram Marine has opted for analogue switches for bilge pumps, interior and underwater LED lights, fridge etc., which avoids having to navigate through too many on-screen menus. Controls for the recessed, concealed Maxwell capstan and the Lectrotab trim tabs also find space on the dash, alongside the compact Mercury multi-function display. There is also USB A +C charging with voltmeter and 12VDC power outlets on the helm and passenger sides. Digital switching is an option.

One feature that might seem a little odd in an open boat is the provision of a diesel heater (the small diesel tank is under the passenger seat), but it turned out to be most welcome on a fine but chilly winter day, blasting out warm air from under the passenger seat. With the cockpit enclosed by clears the space becomes warm and cosy, says Kingsley, allowing comfortable year-round boating. It’s perfect for a relaxed evening spent trolling for trout on Lake Taupo.

Unsurprisingly the new Tristram 691 Offshore goes just as well as other 691 models did, which means very well indeed. We were immediately taken with how quietly the boat travelled through the water, thanks in part to the foam-filled buoyancy chambers, foam between the hull and liner and even around the generous storage under the vee-berths. The engine’s V8 growl is exhilarating rather than intrusive, although it was a bit harder to ignore when Mercury’s sport exhaust mode was activated.

The 691 feels very well balanced. The 235- litre fuel tank is located at the centre of the boat, so changes in the fuel level don’t affect the boat’s trim, nor its weight distribution on the trailer, which makes for easier, safer towing.

Tristram Marine opt for a full-length keel on all its boats, and you can feel the benefits when you put the 691 into a hard turn – it goes exactly where it’s pointed with no slippage or hint of washing out. Nor does it show any tendency to broach, feeling predictable and safe at virtually any speed.

As well as quiet, the deep-v hull is soft riding and spray is well controlled. A little bit of trim tab application was helpful in a crosswind, and it was clear the boat liked a bit of engine trim, freeing up the hull to skip across the waves. With three adults on board and a belly full of fuel, we saw a top speed of 42 knots during our review, but slightly more speed could be expected in better conditions (see performance chart). Obviously, less horsepower would lower the top speed a little.

Overall handling is excellent, the boat feeling very responsive to throttle and wheel inputs. Incidentally, I really like the throttle position, the Mercury binnacle being mounted in a specially moulded pocket with a flat, moulded armrest. It falls perfectly to hand and the electric steering is effortless as well.

The new model offers the same high level of craftsmanship and quality Tristram owners have come to expect but adds a host of features previously available only on Tristram’s larger models. Its redesigned cockpit makes it better suited to fishing and diving and the styling inside and out feel fresh and modern, while the heater and wraparound clears invite year-round boating without the expense, extra weight and storage issues of a hardtop.

All in all, the Tristram 691 Offshore is one classy lady.