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BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
Image Boats 7.08m Pontoon Alloy review
Check out this review of the impressive 7.08m Pontoon Alloy by Image Boats, which our boat tester to...
Length Over All (M):
7.36
Displacement (M):
2867cc, 147 kw
CONSTRUCTION:
Alloy
Bavaria Cruiser 41
New Zealand’s first Bavaria Cruiser 41, Red Baron, is the latest addition to the German builder’s st...
Length Over All (M):
12.35
Displacement (M):
8680
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.99
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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)
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 519
Two Auckland mates who’ve known each other since primary school have just bought near identical Jean...
Length Over All (M):
15.75
Displacement (M):
13900
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Given 10.8m Econocat
“I didn’t want a planing boat, and I didn’t want outboards, so Ron and I got together and came up wi...
Length Over All (M):
10.8
Displacement (M):
5800
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
10.8
CONSTRUCTION:
Plywood, foam and fibreglass composite
Ultimate 21
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Lazercraft 640 GT Sport
The 640 GT Sport is a soft top model with the Lazercraft DNA of old, but with welcome improvements t...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.4
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Frers 33.8m Superyacht
This 33.8m carbon-fibre sloop’s stately presence would enhance any superyacht marina, but she’s unli...
Length Over All (M):
33.83
Displacement (M):
131000
Construction:
Carbon Fibre
CONSTRUCTION:
Carbon fibre
Tristram 701
The 701 is the latest model release from Hamilton-based Tristram Marine, available in a soft top con...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Length Over All (M):
7.40
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Ultimate Boats 21
Ultimate Boats is a new arrival on the New Zealand boating scene, though the company’s principal Mar...
Length Over All (M):
6.35
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Caribbean 27 Runabout
The world of technology and marine electronics has jumped ahead in leaps and bounds. The famous old ...
Horsepower (HP):
250 (each)
YEAR:
160lt
Length Over All (M):
8.23
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Grand Banks 54 Heritage EU
The Grand Banks 54 Heritage EU may be based on a classic trawler design, but she was nonetheless far...
Length Over All (M):
18.56
Length Over All (M):
14.96
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Kadey Krogen 48
The Kadey-Krogen 48 is a trawler motoryacht made for passagemaking that is finding favour among amon...
Horsepower (HP):
205-225
Length Over All (M):
16.16
YEAR:
2011
Displacement (M):
25,605
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Nereyda 580 Regal
The Nereyda 580 Regal is an economical, all-purpose runaround boat.
Previously known as Sea Nymph...
Horsepower (HP):
90–130
Displacement (M):
1727cc
Length Over All (M):
5.8
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Fi-Glass Warrior Outboard Hardtop
Winter getting you down? Longing to get away from it all? Been too long since you wet a line? This K...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
Construction:
GRP
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Fi-Glass Warrior
The Fi-Glass Warrior has certainly stood the test of time, proving itself as quite the dependable tr...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Salthouse Corsair Euro 49
Black Pearl – the new launch from Dean Salthouse’s Next Generation Boats – uses the same hull as her...
Horsepower (HP):
345
Length Over All (M):
15
YEAR:
2011
Displacement (M):
12000
Length Over All (M):
14
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP/balsa core
Fi-Glass Warrior
Christchurch’s biggest boatbuilder reveals its biggest model, the Fi-Glass 640 Warrior, and Trade-A-...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Bavaria 40 (2008)
Bavaria's new 40 cruising yacht departs from previous models with a different exterior and hull shap...
Length Over All (M):
12.35
Displacement (M):
8500
CONSTRUCTION:
Bavaria Yachts
Rayglass Protector 12.5m
Rayglass' Protector rigid hull inflatables (6.5m to 18m) are designed to handle harsh conditions. Bu...
Fi-Glass Warrior
It was almost 50 years ago, in 1958, that Frank Simpson commenced building a GRP dinghy called the F...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
AMF Express 37
Aluminium Marine Fabricators (AMF) in Te Puke recently launched their first Express 37 for Wellingto...
Length Over All (M):
11.18
YEAR:
2006
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Lazercraft 720 GT Hardtop
Lazercraft have been offering alloy hulls married to fibreglass decks and cabins for a decade. Geoff...
Horsepower (HP):
175-250
YEAR:
Circa 1999
Construction:
5mm 5083 marine grade alloy plate on bottom, 4mm sides and transom
Length Over All (M):
7.2
CONSTRUCTION:
Alloy
Keelow Craft Riverwild 560 XL
After a recent jet-boating expedition in Canada, Christchurch’s Ken Bowmar gained a new respect for ...
Length Over All (M):
5.6
Construction:
Marine grade 5083 alloy
Oliver Royale 370 Sport Fisher
Oliver Twist may have asked for more, but with its Royale 370 Sport Fisher, Oliver Marine has served...
Horsepower (HP):
370hp
Length Over All (M):
12.05
Displacement (M):
11,000
Length Over All (M):
11.45
CONSTRUCTION:
fibreglass
Genesis 400 Open Targa
Genesis recently launched a new model designed to provide el fresco dinning, social appeal and cruis...
Length Over All (M):
12.1
YEAR:
2001
Displacement (M):
8
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Hunter 356
Major US yacht builder Hunter Marine build vessels that are strikingly different to the production n...
Horsepower (HP):
27
YEAR:
2000
Displacement (M):
6318
Construction:
GRP/balsa/Kevlar
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP/balsa/Kevlar
Bavaria Match 42
Boating New Zealand · Review
Boat Review / Racer Cruisers
Bavaria Match 42
Words by...
Sea Nymph 580 Regal
Testing a boat on a choppy seaway can often make it difficult to get a feel for its balance—to find ...
Horsepower (HP):
70–100
Length Over All (M):
5.8
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Fi-Glass Warrior
It has been two years since Fi-Glass Boats has released a new model. It was no surprise, therefore, ...
Length Over All (M):
2.6
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
White Pointer 8m Cruiser
Sophistication and style are qualities not often associated with aluminium trailer boats, but as Tra...
Horsepower (HP):
200 to 400 (outboard) Options: include petrol or diesel sterndrive
Length Over All (M):
8.2
YEAR:
1992
Length Over All (M):
7.6
Rayglass Cruisemaster 700
The term Cruisemaster may evoke images of classic American automobiles on Route 66, but it also desc...
Dixon Performance Cruiser
Liara is a beautiful example of a comfortable performance cruiser endowed with spark and speed throu...
Horsepower (HP):
190
Length Over All (M):
19.8
Displacement (M):
23,500kg
Bols
Building and designing a yacht to smash world speed sailing records requires a big budget, lateral t...
Length Over All (M):
28.3
Displacement (M):
23 tonnes
CONSTRUCTION:
Carbon fibre/Airex
AMF 580 V-Berth (2003)
Every AMF 580 V-Berth displays the builder's mission statement - Guaranteed Tough - across the trans...
Horsepower (HP):
115-150hp
Length Over All (M):
5.8
YEAR:
2003
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
5.33
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Bavaria Yachts 42
It was supposed to be a genteel cruise to assess the Bavaria 42 but Lawrence Schaffler says his test...
Displacement (M):
8400
Length Over All (M):
11.15
CONSTRUCTION:
Bavaria Yachts
Bavaria Yachts 40
The first Bavaria 40 to enter New Zealand was launched at Westhaven in December. It's roomy, comfort...
Length Over All (M):
12.35
Displacement (M):
7,900
Senator 540 Hardtop
Hardtops extend crew comfort and sea keeping but their extra weight and height can compromise small ...
Horsepower (HP):
75
Length Over All (M):
5.58
Displacement (M):
500
Construction:
5mm hull, 3mm pontoons and floor
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium