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
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
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
Riviera 505 SUV
Launch
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
Beneteau Swift 35 Trawler
Launch
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
Silent Yacht 55
Launch
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
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition
Launch
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)
BOAT REVIEW
Maritimo X50
Launch
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)
BOAT REVIEW
Buccaneer 550 Enforcer, Zodiac Open 5.5
Trailer Boat
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
Riviera 545 SUV
Launch
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)
BOAT REVIEW
Merry Fisher 895 Marlin
Launch
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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)
BOAT REVIEW
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
BOAT REVIEW
CSB Huntsman Centurion
Launch
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)
BOAT REVIEW
Palm Beach 65
Launch
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
BOAT REVIEW
Sealegs 8.5 Alloy Cabin
Launch
Sealegs’ new 8.5m Alloy Cabin take’s the company’s aluminium recreational range up another notch, a...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Displacement (M):
2230
Length Over All (M):
8.5
Construction:
Aluminium
BOAT REVIEW
Upfold Elite 13.2m Sports Sedan
They say ‘you can’t always get what you want’ – but happily that proved incorrect for the owners of...
Length Over All (M):
13.2
Construction:
Wood
BOAT REVIEW
Dynamic Composites 5.3m RIB
I knew something was up when Milton Bloomfield, managing director of Dynamic Composites turned up f...
Horsepower (HP):
60
Displacement (M):
360
Length Over All (M):
5.2
Construction:
Composite
BOAT REVIEW
Dickey Semifly 36
Dickey Boats’ new Semifly 36 is an expanded version of the Napier builder’s popular 32-foot model. ...
Displacement (M):
6500
Length Over All (M):
11.2
Construction:
Other
BOAT REVIEW
Solaris 47
The Italian Solaris 47 is intended to meet both sides of the performance-cruiser equation – and rew...
Displacement (M):
12800
Length Over All (M):
14.35
Construction:
Composite