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Print versionTerhi Nordic 6020C
Terhi are a well established boat company based in Rymattylla, Finland, an area with traditional boat building and sea faring at its heart. Since the companies inception they’ve now built 175,000 boats in the last 30 odd years and have become a household name in many countries throughout Europe and overseas.
Over the past few years they’ve been building sales here in the UK at a rapid rate with anglers ranking high in their customer base.
One of the most popular fishing models is the 6020C, an offset console version of the highly popular 6020 which was developed over time from traditional Finnish fishing craft. It was back down to the sunny Solent then to take a C version out on test with the help of BHG Marine Ltd based in Lymington.
PERFORMANCE
Launching the boat is obviously easy, and while one of the BHG lads parked the car and trailer I took the boat out looking to moor her on a nearby pontoon. This boat has a very shallow draft with minimal hull in the water and is a bit lively to handle at low revs in a strong wind. I thought it was me at first, but later watched the BHG lads working hard to get her where they wanted her to go too. You’d get used to this though, and that advantage of a shallow draft hull is that you can sneak in to all those little shallow water hotpsots that produce so many good bass and flatties during the course of the season simply because bigger boats can’t access them.
It was a nice enough day but still blowing a steady force 4 with an occasional gust to 5 as we headed out. I’ve got to know the Solent fairly well of late and realised from the earlier forecast that the sea state would be a short sharp chop with plenty of white caps, and edging out beyond the 4-knot limit line of Lymington Water I discovered I’d got it about right.
I was accompanied by Carl Bush of BHG Marine, a keen boater with loads of experience. In fact he’d only come back a couple of days before from a trek over to Alderney in the Channel Islands and was telling me about the bad seas they’d faced coming home in a RIB. I took the opportunity with Carl at the wheel to wander around a little on deck to check for stability. No problems here, at a sensible speed with normal care you can move around without the boat tipping to one side or coming off course to make the helmsman work that bit harder.
We decided I’d risk the wrath of the authorities and jump aboard one of the moored watch ships using it as a base to gets some photos while he put the boat through her paces.
This is always a useful exercise as you get to see her perform in a different perspective than when you’re at the wheel yourself. She looks good in the water, seemed well balanced and appeared to be quick off the mark when power was applied.
Back aboard it was my turn at the wheel. Taking it steady at first, just to find my feet with her, I pushed at a steady pace towards the oncoming waves. The hull takes the sea well with minimal hull chatter and no sign of spray lifting up and coming back inside the boat.
The sea was too rough to run at full speed, but I built speed up in short bursts working the boat harder through the waves. Again only minimal spray gets back to the helmsman at the console and the boat holds a straight line without deviating when a big lump of water whacks the bow full on.
Easing off the power and pulling the boat around to put the waves stern on, I slipped her into reverse and ran backwards at the oncoming waves. This only creates a low bulb of water rear of the stern and showed no sign of major amounts of water filling the splash well. Only the odd drop or two made it in and that down purely to wind strength whipping water off the top of the bulb as it curled backwards.
Throttling forward it was time to bring the bow to run at a sharp angle across the wave pattern. I was expecting the boat to begin to destabilise a little here, but I was honestly surprised at how stable this boat is when running across the waves.
She’s nimble, quick to reach speed and proved pretty predictable in the confused sea state we were working in.
With two of us sat on the rear seat the bow does obviously ride slightly high, so I found it best to stand, but with one of you on the fish locker seat, this balances the boat better and gives much better all round visibility if you prefer to sit to steer.
The test boat was married to the superb Yamaha 25hp 4-stroke, but in the Terhi catalogue they themselves quote a 15hp motor as being a good choice with the 6020 giving 15-knots. I couldn’t check the speed properly with the 25hp on, but I think certainly a 15hp for estuary fishing or at most a 20hp for inshore and inner coast fishing would suit the boat well enough. Some figures for the 6020 with a 20hp motor suggest 21-knots and with a 30hp you increase the speed potential to 25-knots.
Something to consider if you work a boat on your own a fair bit is that the centre console is offset to the starboard side and the boat will naturally run with a starboard bias. Get another person alongside you and the boat runs a sweet as can be. Its basic trimming required on any boat, but something you need to remember. On the other hand having the console to one side gives greater freedom of movement when walking to the bow.
I felt safe in this boat. The gunnels come up to a good height giving you the feeling you’re “inside” and not on top of the boat. With normal safeguards taken the Nordic is a safe boat to take the kids fishing in.
Looking at her from the fishing viewpoint you have ample room for two even three people to fish with comfort, though for a spin with the family she’s rated to carry 5 people. She’s ideal for lure fishing, estuary fishing, mackerel bashing, and even more serious work a little further offshore when the sea is calm and the weather settled.
BUILD FEATURES
While waiting at BHG that morning I’d watched a DVD of the Terhi boats. In it is a sequence of a smaller 440 model with a person at the bow and one at the stern being cut in half with a chainsaw while afloat. Both halves remained fully afloat and the occupants rowed ashore.
This is achieved by building a sandwich construction using ABS Thermo-Plastic material for both strength and durability. The ABS thermoplastic sheets are thermoformed over cast aluminium moulds to produce the hull and deck parts. The hull and deck are then put in a foaming mould and filled with closed-cell non-absorbing polyurethane foam which glues both pieces together under pressure to produce the sandwich construction.
ABS is UV protected, resists varied weather conditions and is resilient to heavy blows that would normally puncture normal materials. If that doesn’t give you confidence, nothing will!
Starting at the bow both forward gunnels carry a safety rail and you have a T cleat for tying off. The bow seat hides a locker that hinges up to the Starboard side and is surprisingly spacious. Another seat running on the port side hides a fish locker with drainage. Both seats have neat and comfy upholstered cushions in blue and white which are easily washable. There are also two grab handles mounted to the port side gunnel for additional passenger comfort.
The starboard side houses a bait holder moulding and a shelf reaching all the way to the rear seat for storing smaller items of gear. There is an additional shelf area for storage on the port side.
The console carries a tinted windscreen with a grab rail surround. I really liked the round car type wheel, which offers excellent grip having a rubber type covering. The switch panel is on the starboard side of the wheel, with the throttle lever mounted on the starboard gunnel, which is at a good comfortable height. There is also enough room to mount a GPS/Fish Finder unit on the console shelf behind the wheel and you also have room for a console mounted compass. The console moulding actually hinges up to provide a storage locker housing the battery.
The upholstered rear seat runs full length across the transom but gives a comfy position for both helmsman and passengers while travelling. This also hinges upwards for storing the remote fuel tank and additional items. The remote fuel pipe exits the locker through a neat rubber collar mounted in the transom keeping everything neat, tidy and more secure.
There are safety rails positioned at each stern corner, but no T cleats for tying off too on the test boat. I’d personally add cleats.
The deck is raised in the middle, which I thought initially might be awkward when moving around, but in practice it wasn’t and you don’t even notice it. The deck also has grip strips fitted.
Checking out the stern the engine sits on a robust looking alloy stern guard plate, plus there is a dive ladder mounted on the port side.
For the navigation lights there are stem sockets positioned at the starboard corner and at the bow.
Finished in all white with a grey fender and blue logo, the boat looks good both in the water and on the trailer. Certainly the overall finish is excellent with no obvious moulding marks and quality fittings and fixings throughout.
THINGS I MIGHT CHANGE
I do feel, for fishing inside estuaries and tight in coastal fishing, then a 15hp to 20hp motor would be ideal for the 6020. Certainly a 20hp would give you everything you need, plus a little in reserve.
I’d certainly add small cleats at each stern corner for ease of tying up.
I did notice that the upper storage shelf edge running inside the gunnels is easy to find with your foot when you’re getting in to boat and you need to consciously avoid treading on it.
OVERALL CONCLUSION
The 6020C is definitely a top contender for anglers looking for a craft to fish estuaries, but also working a mile or so offshore in good weather for a spot of reef bassing, mackerel fishing or general bottom fishing. With her shallow draft she will access areas other boats can’t reach. And with her easy to work from open lay out she will also appeal to the growing band of saltwater fly fisherman who need non clutter boats for easy casting.
I was really impressed with the thought that has gone in to the layout of the craft, with those neat little features such as the bait holder tray, the fish well, the hinge forward console and the practical touches like feeding the fuel pipe through a protective rubber collar.
I think it’s also significant that Yamaha have also put their faith in the Terhi range by adding their engines to form the package deal. Companies of that calibre don’t put their name to something unless they’ve done their home work.
SPECIFICATION
Length: 15’ 2”
Width: 6’ 2”
Weight: 484lbs
Maximum HP: 30hp
Category: C
Passengers: 5
CONTACTS
BHG Marine Ltd, Website: www.bhg-marine.co.uk
BHG can also advise on alternative Yamaha engine packages as well as optional extras and boat covers for the Terhi 6020C, and other boating essentials, plus organise suitable finance packages.
You can also get information on the Terhi/Yamaha packages wherever you are by ringing the Yamaha brochure hotline on 01932 358121 or at www.yamaha-motor.co.uk.
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