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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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Merry Fisher 1095
French manufacturer Jeanneau has been building luxury yachts and powerboats since 1957 and owns Euro...
Displacement (M):
4638
Length Over All (M):
10.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Nimbus 405 Coupé
We like to think of ourselves as a nation of boaties but let’s be honest – for a large part of the ...
Displacement (M):
9647
Length Over All (M):
13.33
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Lagoon 50
She’s already sailed halfway round the world, but for this Lagoon 50 catamaran, the journey’s just ...
Displacement (M):
20862
Length Over All (M):
14.75
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
J Boat 112E
Auckland’s Peter Cunningham is an affable, easy-going sort of sailor – always ready to share a wry ...
Displacement (M):
5125
Length Over All (M):
11.0
Construction:
Composite
Tristram 821 Offshore
A new release from Tristram Marine is always significant, but the 821 Offshore is more so than most...
Horsepower (HP):
600
Length Over All (M):
8.77
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Boston Whaler 230 Vantage
If you were to have one boat to keep your beer-swilling, fishing mates happy, your teenage kids and...
Length Over All (M):
7.51
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Azimut Atlantis 45
A successor to the popular Atlantis 43, the very first Azimut Atlantis 45 in the southern hemispher...
Displacement (M):
16000
Length Over All (M):
14.61
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Kinetic 62
Performance catamarans like this carbon 62-footer simply eat up those tradewind miles, while their ...
Displacement (M):
10350
Length Over All (M):
18.9
Construction:
Composite
Offshore 650 Pro Dive
Jonathan Barlow and the crew at Offshore Boats NZ gave boat designer Alan Walker a very specific br...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.5
Construction:
Aluminium
Princess V60
With 3200 staff based in Plymouth, Princess Yachts is the largest builder of recreational vessels i...
Displacement (M):
27200
Length Over All (M):
19.17
Construction:
Composite
Extreme 915
Because every boatie’s notion of perfection is different, having options when buying a new boat is ...
Horsepower (HP):
450
Length Over All (M):
9.15
Construction:
Aluminium
Leopard 43
When you have a large, extended family of boaties, the best way to celebrate special occasions is o...
Displacement (M):
13891
Length Over All (M):
13
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Saffier Sc800
Sometimes you just need to go for a sail. It is not a recognised cognitive therapy with the Royal A...
Displacement (M):
1800
Length Over All (M):
8
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Riviera 505 SUV
Australia’s Riviera prides itself on manufacturing boaters’ boats – capable, stylish, well-built mo...
Displacement (M):
21800
Length Over All (M):
17.01
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
King Watercraft Custom 5.5 RIB
Rigid hull inflatables (RIBs) used to be the preserve of serious sailing coaches and Optimist mums ...
Horsepower (HP):
115
Displacement (M):
550
Length Over All (M):
5.5
Construction:
Aluminium
Waverunner FX Series
Topping Yamaha’s Waverunner 2020 range of personal watercraft is the FX series, available in two po...
Length Over All (M):
3.58
Construction:
Composite
Stryda 600C Amphibious
New Zealand’s marine industry often delivers great innovation. Some ideas are radical, others an ev...
Displacement (M):
2000
Length Over All (M):
6
Construction:
Aluminium
Beneteau Swift 35 Trawler
When it came to choosing Brendan and Vicki’s first launch, it was Vicki who did the heavy lifting. ...
Displacement (M):
8252
Length Over All (M):
11.29
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Dufour 360 Grand Large
Ten-metre cruiser/racers been a staple of many major production boatbuilders for over four decades ...
Displacement (M):
5775
Length Over All (M):
10.73
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Smuggler Strata 800 Amphibious Mid-cabin
Boats with wheels are extremely popular for owners with a bach at the beach, or anywhere without a ...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Displacement (M):
2500
Length Over All (M):
8.10
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Prestige 630S
The pride and joy of an Auckland couple whose last boat was a Prestige 500, the Prestige 630S Seren...
Displacement (M):
32796
Length Over All (M):
19.03
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Solaris 50
‘Built for sailors’ is the mission statement on the plaque at Italy’s Solaris yard and after a day ...
Displacement (M):
14200
Length Over All (M):
15.4
Construction:
Composite
Bali 4.1 catamaran
When you’re cruising, time becomes irrelevant and space is everything. The Bali 4.1 catamaran provi...
Displacement (M):
8900
Length Over All (M):
12.12
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Marex 310 Sun Cruiser
Peter and Judy only took delivery of their first launch – a new Marex 310 SC (Sun Cruiser) – the da...
Displacement (M):
4500
Length Over All (M):
9.46
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Senator 650 HT jet
Spectacular Waimarama Beach, 32km southeast of Hastings, is much loved by residents, holidaymakers,...
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
6.5
Construction:
Aluminium
Silent Yacht 55
The solar-powered Silent 55 catamaran is successfully pioneering renewable power in a quality and s...
Displacement (M):
11000
Length Over All (M):
13.4
Construction:
Composite
Palm Beach GT50
Luxury lobster style boats like this accomplished Palm Beach GT50 are the catch-of-the-day when it ...
Displacement (M):
16600
Length Over All (M):
16.8
Construction:
Composite
Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition
On a windy day in Sydney I experienced three Platinum Edition Sport Yachts back to back, all of them...
Displacement (M):
24752
Length Over All (M):
17.46
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Maritimo X50
With its combination of size, style and versatility, the X50 sport yacht may have even broader appea...
Displacement (M):
19000
Length Over All (M):
16
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Buccaneer 550 Enforcer, Zodiac Open 5.5
Rigid hull inflatables (RIBs) used to be the preserve of serious sailing coaches and Optimist mums b...
Displacement (M):
595
Length Over All (M):
5.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
FarEast 28R
It seems modern yacht design is full of ratios and formulas. Without a doubt the most important of t...
Displacement (M):
1360
Length Over All (M):
9.07
Construction:
Composite
Riviera 545 SUV
Fashion and function combine in Riviera’s new 545 SUV – essential ingredients in the competitive spo...
Displacement (M):
23885
Length Over All (M):
17.6
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Merry Fisher 895 Marlin
Sportfishing, along with freediving, was very much on the agenda for the Merry Fisher 895 Marlin’s i...
Displacement (M):
3899
Length Over All (M):
8.83
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Beneteau GT50
Translated from Spanish, ‘Viva La Vida’ means ‘long live life’ — a philosophy the owners of this new...
Displacement (M):
13640
Length Over All (M):
15.78
Construction:
Composite
Hanse 548
Debuting in late 2017, Hanse’s handsome 548 quickly became a hit in our waters. Three are now owned ...
Displacement (M):
19600
Length Over All (M):
16.22
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Smuggler Strata 780 SS/750 CC
The latest line-up of Smuggler Marine’s popular Strata 750 range includes full cabin, mid-cabin, cen...
Horsepower (HP):
350
Length Over All (M):
7.5
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Jeanneau NC37
Jeanneau’s new 37-foot NC37 is a lively, sophisticated vessel with bold lines, great living spaces a...
Displacement (M):
6444
Length Over All (M):
11.48
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
LSB custom Superyacht Tender
In recent years, custom boat builders Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders (LSB) has carved quite a niche fo...
Displacement (M):
9324
Length Over All (M):
12.257
Construction:
Composite
Palm Beach 65
Elegance never goes out of fashion, as this timeless hull from Palm Beach attests.
Displacement (M):
30000
Length Over All (M):
21.3
Construction:
Composite
