Boat Reviews & Insights Menu
BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
BOAT REVIEW
Lagoon 42 Catamaran
The new Lagoon 42 catamaran is a fun, spacious vessel designed for easy sail handling. She’s also ch...
Displacement (M):
12000
Length Over All (M):
12.8
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Takacat 260 Sport
If you’re in the market for a new tender, you might consider the new Takacat – a lightweight, robust...
Displacement (M):
28
Length Over All (M):
2.6
Construction:
Inflatable
BOAT REVIEW
Elan E5
Elan’s E5 is a sharp looker and a smart mover – and perhaps a worthy contender to fill the vacuum le...
Displacement (M):
7300
Length Over All (M):
11.96
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
CSB Huntsman Xcalibur
Launch
Most of us can only afford one boat and if it is a family asset, the boat has to be multifunctional ...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Displacement (M):
1650
Length Over All (M):
7.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Dickey Semifly 45
There are sport fishing boats and there are family cruisers, but there aren’t too many family sport ...
Displacement (M):
12750
Length Over All (M):
14.3
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Bavaria 37 Cruiser
When you migrate to the Bay of Islands for six months of the year to escape the UK winter, having a ...
Displacement (M):
7000
Length Over All (M):
11.3
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Sealine C330
When Carsten and Sabine Mueller went looking for a suitable family boat, they instantly knew they’d ...
Displacement (M):
7100
Length Over All (M):
10.31
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Southern XP726
Developed from the successful XP676, Southern’s latest model is longer with subtle hull tweaks for b...
Length Over All (M):
7.3
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Smuggler Strata 11.2m Coastguard RIB
Boaties on Northland’s east coast will feel safer following the recent launch of the Coastguard’s ne...
Displacement (M):
4850
Length Over All (M):
11.2
Construction:
Inflatable
BOAT REVIEW
Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695
A trailerable launch, Jeanneau’s 695 Merry Fisher is billed as multi-use, family-oriented vessel. Th...
Length Over All (M):
6.55
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
White Pointer 1050 Custom
The new White Pointer 1050 Custom Oona is the first vessel Honda Marine New Zealand has fitted with ...
Horsepower (HP):
750
Displacement (M):
7300
Length Over All (M):
10.5
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Dufour 460
You can pull on another oilskin, sheet in the jib and grit your teeth – or you can ease back and sai...
Displacement (M):
10760
Length Over All (M):
14.15
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Whittley CW 1600 Cuddy
Australia’s Whittley Boats is best known for its cruisers – family-sized cabin boats with sterndrive...
Length Over All (M):
5.0
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Senator RH770
Napier aluminium boatbuilder Senator Boats is happy to customise any model in its extensive range to...
Length Over All (M):
7.93
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Beneteau Oceanis 41.1
When it comes to creating cruising yachts, you’d expect Beneteau to know their stuff. The new 12.4-m...
Displacement (M):
8777
Length Over All (M):
11.98
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht
Riviera’s latest Sport Yacht, the impressive 5400, takes the boating lifestyle very seriously.
Displacement (M):
24725
Length Over All (M):
17.46
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Tristram 701 Vanquish
The 701 is the latest model release from Hamilton-based Tristram Marine, available in a soft top con...
Horsepower (HP):
225
Length Over All (M):
7.1
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Aquila 44
The new Aquila 44 power catamaran is a vessel tailor-made for partying in style.
Displacement (M):
16240
Length Over All (M):
13.34
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Caribbean 35 Mk III
Proving that there is always room for improvement, the new Caribbean 35 Mk III expands her fishing-f...
Displacement (M):
850
Length Over All (M):
12
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Jeanneau 54
Fortunate indeed is the boatbuilder who announces a proposed, new model and immediately sells out th...
Displacement (M):
17164
Length Over All (M):
16.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Mac 470 Sportfisher
The newest model from Mac Boats is a versatile family runabout that lends itself equally easily to f...
Horsepower (HP):
70
Length Over All (M):
4.7
Construction:
Other
BOAT REVIEW
Bavaria Cruiser 41
New Zealand’s first Bavaria Cruiser 41, Red Baron, is the latest addition to the German builder’s st...
Displacement (M):
8680
Length Over All (M):
12.35
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Whittley FF2100
A hardcore angler embraces his softer side with the new Whittley FF2100 – an Aussie “crossover” boat...
Length Over All (M):
6.13
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Southern XP896
Launch
Smart looking, nicely finished and boasting great performance and handling, the top of the range twi...
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
9.43
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Stabicraft 2500 Ultracab XL
Launch
Just when you think Stabicraft’s design team has settled into a conventional frame-of-mind, along c...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Displacement (M):
2500
Length Over All (M):
7.62
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Smuggler Strata 750 RIB
With a tight deadline to review the new Smuggler Strata 750 Cabin, the weather wasn’t playing ball. ...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
7.5
Construction:
Inflatable
BOAT REVIEW
Broadbill 8m Walk-around
It’s amazing what can be achieved when passion meets know-how – and it’s superbly demonstrated in th...
Horsepower (HP):
500
Length Over All (M):
8.250
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 519
Launch
Two Auckland mates who’ve known each other since primary school have just bought near identical Jean...
Displacement (M):
13900
Length Over All (M):
15.75
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Hanse 385
In less than a year the Hanse 385 has become the German company’s best selling yacht. The 59th boat ...
Displacement (M):
7600
Length Over All (M):
11.4
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Innovision 555
Trailer Boat
The boat had to be a ‘pure lure-fishing weapon’
Horsepower (HP):
150
Length Over All (M):
5.56
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Marco 750 Sou’wester
Launch
If you plan to spend your fishing hours in the turbulent waters of the deep South, you’d better mak...
Displacement (M):
2300
Length Over All (M):
8.10
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Image Prestige 10.75m
Launch
In boatbuilding, as with business, the best clients are the ones that return. You don’t have to con...
Horsepower (HP):
700
Length Over All (M):
10.75
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Elite AT43
Launch
Once upon a time, New Zealand had a thriving production boat industry. Now only a few diehards rema...
Displacement (M):
10500
Length Over All (M):
13.2
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Maritimo M51 Flybridge
Launch
Classic flybridge models like this glorious Maritimo M51 combine luxury with performance, a combina...
Displacement (M):
21000
Length Over All (M):
13.19
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Marco 950 Sou’wester
Launch
The award-winning Marco 950 Sou’wester Resolute is the Tauranga company’s third custom aluminium bui...
Displacement (M):
4800
Length Over All (M):
10
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Azimut Magellano 43
Launch
Aimed at the luxury end of the market, Azimut’s range encompasses 33 models across eight styles in l...
Displacement (M):
17399
Length Over All (M):
12.96
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
BOAT REVIEW
Image 7.08 Pontoon
Launch
The Image Pontoon 7.08 is the latest addition to the now 15-strong Image Boats range and marks a dis...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
7.36
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Given 10.8m Econocat
Launch
“I didn’t want a planing boat, and I didn’t want outboards, so Ron and I got together and came up wi...
Displacement (M):
5800
Length Over All (M):
10.8
Construction:
Composite
BOAT REVIEW
Ultimate 21
Launch
When launching his first boat-building venture, Mark Presnall drew on his experience with aluminium ...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.35
Construction:
Aluminium