Are you looking for a boat to take the family out for a fish in the freshwater chasing a few trout, bass, estuary and golden perch, or in the saltwater targeting bream, flathead and whiting? The Brooker 420R Discovery 2017 with a 30hp 2-stroke Mercury outboard is definitely a rig to have a look at.

It may not be the flashiest boat on the water with all the trimmings, but who cares? It’s a good boat and it will get you outdoors fishing. It’s also a great option for people who aren’t that into fishing and just like getting out on the water; it would be an ideal rig for taking the family out for a picnic. This particular boat doesn’t have an access ladder on the rear pod, but you could certainly get one added to make it easier for everyone to get out of the water.

Up front there are two removable, padded, fold-down pedestal seats that will make driving the 420R Discovery a breeze, while the rest of the family can sit back on the padded rear bench seat.

With two people on board, the 30hp, 2-stroke Mercury outboard pulled the boat up onto the plane very easily and only half throttle was used. Once up on the plane, the boat cruised along at around 21 knots, and when put through its paces going over the wake of other boats it cut through them with ease.

While at rest I tried walking around the boat from side to side to see if the boat lurched over. Surprisingly there was not a lot of movement, even with two people on board. If you prefer to drift rather than anchor when fishing, you would find that you don’t have that feeling of falling out of the boat when netting that fish of a lifetime.

When standing up against the gunwale, the height of 55cm was about a third the way up my thighs. This made it very comfortable to lean against, and the extra-wide gunnels gave the sides of the boat plenty of support. If at a later date, you were to install a sounder/GPS, radio and other electrical items, you would have plenty of room to run the cables up under the wide gunnels, keeping them away from the outside elements.

On the test boat there were no rod holders, but as an angler who owns a boat you would have to have at least two. These could easily be put into the gunwales and used for storing your rods when travelling or waiting for that big fish to jump on.

Even though there was not a lot of storage up front (enough room for four life jackets), the bench seat at the rear made up for that. On either side of the boat you have a narrow side pocket that is about a metre in length where you could also store a few items.

The reinforced, walk-through, aluminium-framed windscreen made dropping and retrieving the anchor easy. The walk-through windscreen would also make using the boat by yourself less complicated, as you could lean over the front of the boat and hook up the strap before getting out.

Driving the boat onto the trailer is very simple: you just line up the bottom roller and slowly power forward and let the skids and rollers do their job. To make it a bit easier I would install a centring roller.

Even though the 30hp, 2-stroke Mercury outboard was very quiet when in use, upgrading to a 40hp 4-stroke ELPT EFI for an extra $3605 may be an option for you. This would give you that bit more power when getting onto the plane, and it would be slightly quieter and more fuel efficient.

The Brooker 420R Discovery Runabout with a Mercury 30hp 2-stroke outboard and Brooker trailer comes with the following: two pedestal seats and positions, rear and front grab rails, carpeted floor, a transom step, bollards, bow eye and roller, rear pod with a grab rail, anchor well, two side pockets, cable steering, wrap around and walk-through windscreen, padded rear storage bench seat, lockable glove box, bilge pump, battery and fuel tank tray, 25L fuel tank, and a three-blade aluminium propeller. It is painted white and has a 3-year warranty.

The drive away package is $12,999, and includes the Brooker 420R Discovery 2017 with a 30hp 2-stroke Mercury outboard with a 3+2-year warranty on a Brooker trailer. The boat and trailer are also registered for 12 months.

If you like you could upgrade this package and include other options, like a larger motor with power tilt and trim, a bimini, navigation lights, bilge pump and a safety kit. All you need to do is ask when you come into Penrith Marine.

And if you want to get a boat licence for a family member, Penrith Marine runs accredited training courses (Maritime & Safety Training NSW RTO #90440).

Call in a see them at 4/133 Coreen Avenue, Penrith, email --e-mail address hidden-- or visit their website at www.penrithmarine.com.au.

• Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.