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BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
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Lagoon 42 Catamaran
The new Lagoon 42 catamaran is a fun, spacious vessel designed for easy sail handling. She’s also ch...
Length Over All (M):
12.8
Displacement (M):
12000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Takacat 260 Sport
If you’re in the market for a new tender, you might consider the new Takacat – a lightweight, robust...
Length Over All (M):
2.6
Displacement (M):
28
Construction:
Inflatable
CONSTRUCTION:
1000 denier PVC
Elan E5
Elan’s E5 is a sharp looker and a smart mover – and perhaps a worthy contender to fill the vacuum le...
Length Over All (M):
11.96
Displacement (M):
7300
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Hull foam core with GRP laminate; deck foam core, vinylester
Dickey Semifly 45
There are sport fishing boats and there are family cruisers, but there aren’t too many family sport ...
Length Over All (M):
14.3
Displacement (M):
12750
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
aluminium, 6mm hull, 6mm sides, 5mm superstructure
Sealine C330
When Carsten and Sabine Mueller went looking for a suitable family boat, they instantly knew they’d ...
Length Over All (M):
10.31
Displacement (M):
7100
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Smuggler Strata 11.2m Coastguard RIB
Boaties on Northland’s east coast will feel safer following the recent launch of the Coastguard’s ne...
Length Over All (M):
11.2
Displacement (M):
4850
Construction:
Inflatable
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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
Length Over All (M):
10.5
Displacement (M):
7300
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Dufour 460
You can pull on another oilskin, sheet in the jib and grit your teeth – or you can ease back and sai...
Length Over All (M):
14.15
Displacement (M):
10760
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP, injected deck
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)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Beneteau Oceanis 41.1
When it comes to creating cruising yachts, you’d expect Beneteau to know their stuff. The new 12.4-m...
Length Over All (M):
11.98
Displacement (M):
8777
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Polyester hull, composite decks
Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht
Riviera’s latest Sport Yacht, the impressive 5400, takes the boating lifestyle very seriously.
Length Over All (M):
17.46
Displacement (M):
24725
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Caribbean 35 Mk III
Proving that there is always room for improvement, the new Caribbean 35 Mk III expands her fishing-f...
Length Over All (M):
12
Displacement (M):
850
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Jeanneau 54
Fortunate indeed is the boatbuilder who announces a proposed, new model and immediately sells out th...
Length Over All (M):
16.5
Displacement (M):
17164
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
14.25
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Roto-moulded PE
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)
Southern XP896
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium with GRP hardtop
Stabicraft 2500 Ultracab XL
Just when you think Stabicraft’s design team has settled into a conventional frame-of-mind, along c...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Length Over All (M):
7.62
Displacement (M):
2500
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
7.62
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
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
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP and Hypalon
Innovision 555
The boat had to be a ‘pure lure-fishing weapon’
Horsepower (HP):
150
Length Over All (M):
5.56
Construction:
Aluminium
Bavaria C45
Beautiful weather doesn’t always equal the best weather for going sailing, but sometimes you just ha...
Length Over All (M):
13.98
Displacement (M):
11935
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
12.87
Bavaria C42
Getting back out on the water after an extended period in lockdown felt so good — especially with ...
Length Over All (M):
12.9
Displacement (M):
9678
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.27
Purekraft 800HT
Purekraft designs and builds custom aluminium boats – but its extraordinary flexibility was particul...
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
8.0
Construction:
Aluminium
McLay 741 Raptor
A boat that can operate on land as well as on water is obviously attractive: amphibious vessels and...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
7.4
Construction:
Aluminium
Marco 750 Sou’wester
If you plan to spend your fishing hours in the turbulent waters of the deep South, you’d better mak...
Length Over All (M):
8.10
Displacement (M):
2300
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
6mm hull plates and transom, 4mm sides and decks
Image Prestige 10.75m
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
Bavaria C50
It used to be that cruising in a yacht – compared to a launch – meant making compromises in terms o...
Length Over All (M):
15.39
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
14.75
DNA 570 XHT
Game On was a special project for Jake, the DNA 570 XHT’s Taupo-based owner, replacing a smaller DN...
Horsepower (HP):
140
Length Over All (M):
5.7
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium pontoon/chamber boat
Aquila 44
The new Aquila 44 power catamaran is a vessel tailor-made for partying in style.
Length Over All (M):
13.34
Displacement (M):
16240
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Elite AT43
Once upon a time, New Zealand had a thriving production boat industry. Now only a few diehards rema...
Length Over All (M):
13.2
Displacement (M):
10500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Maritimo M51 Flybridge
Classic flybridge models like this glorious Maritimo M51 combine luxury with performance, a combina...
Length Over All (M):
13.19
Displacement (M):
21000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass hull, balsa core topsides and superstructure
CSB Huntsman Centurion
The new CSB Huntsman Centurion Carbon Edition debuted at the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show – and...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
6.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Hand-laid fibreglass
Dickey Semifly 36
Dickey Boats’ new Semifly 36 is an expanded version of the Napier builder’s popular 32-foot model. ...
Length Over All (M):
11.2
Displacement (M):
6500
Construction:
Other
Grand Banks 60 Skylounge
Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? The Grand Banks 60 Skylounge is made for enjoying...
Length Over All (M):
19.9
Displacement (M):
28000
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
E-glass and carbon fibre-Corecell laminates
Purekraft 700 HT
Purekraft is a relative newcomer among aluminium trailer boat brands, but the personnel behind it c...
Length Over All (M):
7.2
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
6mm bottom, 5mm sides, 4mm decks
Marco 950 Sou’wester
The award-winning Marco 950 Sou’wester Resolute is the Tauranga company’s third custom aluminium bui...
Length Over All (M):
10
Displacement (M):
4800
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
9.5
CONSTRUCTION:
8mm bottom plates