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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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X Yachts Xp38
X-Yachts are highly-specced and the company’s been building performance-oriented cruisers in Denmark...
Length Over All (M):
11.58
Displacement (M):
6775
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
10.36
CONSTRUCTION:
Vacuum-infused laminate with carbon
Riviera 64 SMY
The new 64 SMY takes the very best from Riviera’s largest luxury cruising yacht models and incorpor...
Length Over All (M):
21.3
Displacement (M):
42980
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
19.41
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP hull, cored topsides and decks
Merry Fisher 1095
French manufacturer Jeanneau has been building luxury yachts and powerboats since 1957 and owns Euro...
Length Over All (M):
10.5
Displacement (M):
4638
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 ...
Length Over All (M):
13.33
Displacement (M):
9647
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Lagoon 50
She’s already sailed halfway round the world, but for this Lagoon 50 catamaran, the journey’s just ...
Length Over All (M):
14.75
Displacement (M):
20862
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
J Boat 112E
Auckland’s Peter Cunningham is an affable, easy-going sort of sailor – always ready to share a wry ...
Length Over All (M):
11.0
Displacement (M):
5125
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
9.7
CONSTRUCTION:
Vacuum-infused bi-axial and uni-directional fibreglass, vinylester resins, balsa and foam core
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)
Length Over All (M):
8.21
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)
CONSTRUCTION:
Closed cell foam sandwich
Azimut Atlantis 45
A successor to the popular Atlantis 43, the very first Azimut Atlantis 45 in the southern hemispher...
Length Over All (M):
14.61
Displacement (M):
16000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP hull, cored topsides and decks, carbon strengthening
Kinetic 62
Performance catamarans like this carbon 62-footer simply eat up those tradewind miles, while their ...
Length Over All (M):
18.9
Displacement (M):
10350
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
18.4
CONSTRUCTION:
Carbon composite, epoxy resin
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
CONSTRUCTION:
8mm hull and transom, 5mm topsides and decks
Princess V60
With 3200 staff based in Plymouth, Princess Yachts is the largest builder of recreational vessels i...
Length Over All (M):
19.17
Displacement (M):
27200
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
18.92
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
CONSTRUCTION:
6mm hull plates (8mm optional)
Leopard 43
When you have a large, extended family of boaties, the best way to celebrate special occasions is o...
Length Over All (M):
13
Displacement (M):
13891
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
12.44
Saffier Sc800
Sometimes you just need to go for a sail. It is not a recognised cognitive therapy with the Royal A...
Length Over All (M):
8
Displacement (M):
1800
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Riviera 505 SUV
Australia’s Riviera prides itself on manufacturing boaters’ boats – capable, stylish, well-built mo...
Length Over All (M):
17.01
Displacement (M):
21800
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
13.43
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid GRP hull, cored topsides and decks
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
Length Over All (M):
5.5
Displacement (M):
550
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Alloy hull, PVC tubes
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
CONSTRUCTION:
High-pressure moulded NanoXcel2 lightweight composite
Stryda 600C Amphibious
New Zealand’s marine industry often delivers great innovation. Some ideas are radical, others an ev...
Length Over All (M):
6
Displacement (M):
2000
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium catamaran with Orion amphibious technology
Beneteau Swift 35 Trawler
When it came to choosing Brendan and Vicki’s first launch, it was Vicki who did the heavy lifting. ...
Length Over All (M):
11.29
Displacement (M):
8252
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
10.81
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Dufour 360 Grand Large
Ten-metre cruiser/racers been a staple of many major production boatbuilders for over four decades ...
Length Over All (M):
10.73
Displacement (M):
5775
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
9.05
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
Length Over All (M):
8.10
Displacement (M):
2500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass hull and liner, Hypalon tubes
Prestige 630S
The pride and joy of an Auckland couple whose last boat was a Prestige 500, the Prestige 630S Seren...
Length Over All (M):
19.03
Displacement (M):
32796
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
16.83
Solaris 50
‘Built for sailors’ is the mission statement on the plaque at Italy’s Solaris yard and after a day ...
Length Over All (M):
15.4
Displacement (M):
14200
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
14.25
Bali 4.1 catamaran
When you’re cruising, time becomes irrelevant and space is everything. The Bali 4.1 catamaran provi...
Length Over All (M):
12.12
Displacement (M):
8900
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.88
Marex 310 Sun Cruiser
Peter and Judy only took delivery of their first launch – a new Marex 310 SC (Sun Cruiser) – the da...
Length Over All (M):
9.46
Displacement (M):
4500
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
CONSTRUCTION:
5mm hull and transom, 4mm sides and decks
Silent Yacht 55
The solar-powered Silent 55 catamaran is successfully pioneering renewable power in a quality and s...
Length Over All (M):
13.4
Displacement (M):
11000
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
Vacuum-bagged resin infusion glass sandwich composite
Palm Beach GT50
Luxury lobster style boats like this accomplished Palm Beach GT50 are the catch-of-the-day when it ...
Length Over All (M):
16.8
Displacement (M):
16600
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
14.8
CONSTRUCTION:
E-glass and Corecell foam hull with carbon decks and superstructure
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...
Length Over All (M):
17.46
Displacement (M):
24752
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
14.93
CONSTRUCTION:
Hand-laid GRP
Maritimo X50
With its combination of size, style and versatility, the X50 sport yacht may have even broader appea...
Length Over All (M):
16
Displacement (M):
19000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
15.17
Buccaneer 550 Enforcer, Zodiac Open 5.5
Rigid hull inflatables (RIBs) used to be the preserve of serious sailing coaches and Optimist mums b...
Length Over All (M):
5.5
Displacement (M):
595
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
RIB with fibreglass hull, PVC or Duotex tubes
FarEast 28R
It seems modern yacht design is full of ratios and formulas. Without a doubt the most important of t...
Length Over All (M):
9.07
Displacement (M):
1360
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
8.55
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass/foam core
Riviera 545 SUV
Fashion and function combine in Riviera’s new 545 SUV – essential ingredients in the competitive spo...
Length Over All (M):
17.6
Displacement (M):
23885
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
16.15
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid lamintaed GRP hull, cored laminate topsides, decks and superstructure
Merry Fisher 895 Marlin
Sportfishing, along with freediving, was very much on the agenda for the Merry Fisher 895 Marlin’s i...
Length Over All (M):
8.83
Displacement (M):
3899
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
5.98
Beneteau GT50
Translated from Spanish, ‘Viva La Vida’ means ‘long live life’ — a philosophy the owners of this new...
Length Over All (M):
15.78
Displacement (M):
13640
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
14.98
CONSTRUCTION:
Infusion moulded GRP-balsa sandwich hull, decks and superstructure
Hanse 548
Debuting in late 2017, Hanse’s handsome 548 quickly became a hit in our waters. Three are now owned ...
Length Over All (M):
16.22
Displacement (M):
19600
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)
CONSTRUCTION:
RIB with fibreglass hull, Hypalon tibes
Jeanneau NC37
Jeanneau’s new 37-foot NC37 is a lively, sophisticated vessel with bold lines, great living spaces a...
Length Over All (M):
11.48
Displacement (M):
6444
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)