BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
Image 7.08 Pontoon
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
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
McLay Premier Hardtop 801
The McLay Premier Hardtop 801 is a magnificent aluminium fishing boat and weekender. It comes at a p...
Horsepower (HP):
150
Length Over All (M):
8.05
Displacement (M):
3400
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
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
Smartwave 4800 Poly Boat
The biggest boat in the Smartwave lineup, the Smartwave 4800 has a softer, more rounded hull that ha...
Horsepower (HP):
50
Length Over All (M):
4.8
CONSTRUCTION:
Linear medium-density polyethylene with foam-filled voids
Smartwave 4200 Poly Boat
Our Smartwave 4200 centre-console came in a serious-looking but sensible battleship grey, but is ava...
Horsepower (HP):
40
Length Over All (M):
4.2
CONSTRUCTION:
Linear medium-density polyethylene with foam-filled voids
Smartwave 3500 Poly Boat
The Smartwave 3500 E-Fish model was fitted with a Tohatsu 30hp two stroke outboard motor, again with...
Horsepower (HP):
30
Length Over All (M):
3.5
Construction:
2008
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
Stabicraft 2100 Supercab
Not only is Stabicraft’s 2100 Supercab safe, stable and a fisherman’s dream, it was also the gate pr...
Horsepower (HP):
130hp (200hp max)
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
2013
Displacement (M):
800
Construction:
Pontoon thickness 3mm; Hull plate thickness 5mm
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium pontoon
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
Dehler 41
There is no shortage of race yachts that will cruise comfortably, but is it really feasible to have ...
Horsepower (HP):
39 HP
Length Over All (M):
7.4
YEAR:
2010
Displacement (M):
8,195
Construction:
GRP/Fiberglass
Length Over All (M):
11.50
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP/Fiberglass
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
Waverunner FX140 (2006)
With the impressive Yamaha R1 engine powering the WaveRunner FX140, Mark Bracks in 2006 discovers th...
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
Hanse 400e
Race-winning performance is not generally associated with production-built yachts. Most production y...
Construction:
2006-2014
Sea Nymph Stargazer 2.8m
Hamilton's Seanymph Boats has enjoyed a resurgence in recent months and is prepared to look outside ...
Length Over All (M):
2.8
YEAR:
2006
Bavaria Match 42
Bavaria overhauled its range three years ago, and introduced three new racer/cruisers – the Match Se...
Horsepower (HP):
55
Length Over All (M):
12.46
YEAR:
2004
Displacement (M):
7384
CONSTRUCTION:
fibreglass
Sea Ranger 8500
From small-town beginnings in Havelock, Newman Marine's Sea Ranger 8500 makes a splash in Alaska.
...
Length Over All (M):
8.5
YEAR:
Early 2000s
Construction:
5mm aluminium plate hull and 4mm topsides
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminiunm
Senator 860
Chasing big fish in deep water requires a strong, sea-kindly boat. The custom-built Senator 860 pont...
Horsepower (HP):
Twin Yamaha 150hp HPDI
YEAR:
2006
Length Over All (M):
8.6
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
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
Sea Ray 235 Express Cruiser
Sea Ray's 235 Express Cruiser is the latest New Zealand-built, American-designed cabin cruiser to ca...
Horsepower (HP):
240
Length Over All (M):
7.10
Displacement (M):
1724
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP