The Haines Hunter stand at the Hutchwilco Boat Show has three boats on it. The SF485 Sport Fisher, the SP635 Sport Pursuit, and the OP725 Overlander Pursuit—it’s the latter where most of the conversations are happening.
The Overlander is what people are coming to see. Amphibious, fibreglass, and finished to a standard that separates it from the aluminium boats around it. Luke, one of the skilled boat builders from the Haines Hunter factory in Ellerslie builds these boats and sells them. He walks through the interior: the dash, the upholstery, the flush-mounted 16-inch Simrad NSS evo3, the full C-Zone switching system.
The finish is at a level that is difficult to match. Teak capping on the gunwales is standard across the range, except on the SF485. It is a reference back to older Haines Hunter designs, and it is a standard fitting, not a custom addition.
The OP725 Overlander Pursuit has been in the range for around three years. Inquiries came hard at launch, dropped off, and are building again.
The OP725 is 500 kilos heavier than a standard 725 (fair, they are BIG wheels!). On the water it performs comparably, and in some conditions the extra mass helps, adding stability at rest. The one honest concession is spray off the front wheel in a big swell. The boat can also be rigged for water skiing, with a ski hook mounting point on the hardtop. The upholstered dash has demisters. On a cold winter morning on the water, with the screen fogging up, they do their job.
BOATING NEW ZEALAND
The V17L: where the modern Haines Hunter began
Just around the corner from the Haines Hunter pavilion we found the stand showcasing the various standout boats displayed across the 70 years of the Hutchwilco Boat Show. One was the Haines Hunter V17L Cabin Runabout from 1983.
Built by Sea Craft Ltd in Ellerslie, Auckland, the Haines Hunter V17 was produced in two versions: the V17L Low Line Cabin and the V17R runabout. The factory turned out 50 to 60 boats a year for around six years, with more than 300 completed in total, the cabin version accounting for most of them.
The V17L represented a step forward in the Haines Hunter line: a cleaner, more refined inner liner and a layout built for comfort and versatility, still riding on the deep-V hull that had already earned the brand a reputation for handling New Zealand’s unpredictable coastal conditions. Haines Hunter describes it as the model that “helped shape the modern Haines Hunter experience we know today.”
| Make | Haines Hunter |
| Model | V17L (Low Line Cabin) |
| Builder | Sea Craft Ltd, Ellerslie, Auckland |
| Year | 1983 |
| Engine | Yamaha 140 hp AETO 2-stroke (152 hours) |
| Trailer | Home-built |
It was also the direct forerunner to the Haines Hunter 535, of which more than 2,000 were eventually built. The boat on display at the show was commissioned in 1983 for Trevor Geldard, former Chairman of Epiglass NZ and the New Zealand International Yachting Trust, and finished in his own distinctive Epiglass gelcoat colour.
Four decades on, the V17 is still turning up at boat ramps and marinas around the country. Its deep-V lines and the ride quality they deliver have not dated. For a generation of New Zealand boaties, it was the first serious boat they owned.
The SP635 Sport Pursuit alongside is finished in full white, with a 12-inch Simrad NSS evo3, full C-Zone system, upholstered crash pad and dash cover. Luke’s personal pick for looks.
The SF485 Sport Fisher at the other end is the smallest Haines Hunter makes. The cockpit space and fishing room it offers for a boat that size is getting comments on the stand.
All three are fibreglass, hand-laminated.
All boats sold through Haines Hunter HQ leave with Yamaha power, though dealers around the country fit what they prefer.
