BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
Extreme 696 Xpedition
Extreme Boats has earned an enviable reputation building quality aluminium boats for more than two d...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
7.07
YEAR:
2026
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Transom thickness: 8mm; Side & deck thickness: 4mm.
Bonito 635 Kingfisher
The 635 Bonito Kingfisher was released in June 2001 and Geoff Green drove two examples, one on placi...
Horsepower (HP):
90-150
Length Over All (M):
12.65
YEAR:
2001
Construction:
Fibreglass
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Bluefix Boatwork NorthCape custom craft
“There are plenty of big sportfishers that can go backwards fast, but few marques have the manoeuvra...
Horsepower (HP):
600
Length Over All (M):
13.6
YEAR:
2026
Prestige F4.3
Prestige’s new F4.3 is a meaningful upgrade on earlier models, and with interesting design features ...
Horsepower (HP):
880
Length Over All (M):
13.07
YEAR:
2026
Displacement (M):
15415 (heavy)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Wright 52 Flybridge
Father and son team Kelvin and Amos Kay have built six Wright 15m powercats, originally designed by ...
Horsepower (HP):
880
Length Over All (M):
16
YEAR:
2026
Displacement (M):
20,000
Length Over All (M):
14
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Nick Peal 10.6m
With her plumb bow and traditional lines, Malolō could easily be mistaken for a meticulously restore...
Horsepower (HP):
315
Length Over All (M):
10.6
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
5000
Construction:
Fibreglass over Gaboon ply laminate
CONSTRUCTION:
Timber
Elotri
With the confronting reality of climate change and the climbing cost of fuel, electric vehicles are ...
Horsepower (HP):
3kW
Length Over All (M):
6.1
YEAR:
2026
Displacement (M):
1200kg (four adults onboard)
Construction:
Foam, fibreglass and some carbon
Length Over All (M):
5.84
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Bill Townson 11.4m
Underway, Songbird has a light, gentle motion, easily nodding to the light headwinds. She felt very ...
Horsepower (HP):
110
Length Over All (M):
11.4
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
5,800
Construction:
Triple diagonal glued yellow cedar and kauri
Length Over All (M):
10
CONSTRUCTION:
Timber
Riviera 4300 Sports Express
Building large, multimillion-dollar bluewater motoryachts for a global market is a serious business,...
Length Over All (M):
13.88
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
15,500
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Viknes 10
Now headed to our shores, is this clever new family cruiser the ultimate all-rounder?
Very few bo...
Length Over All (M):
10.60
Displacement (M):
6,300
Construction:
Fibreglass (GPR)
Prestige M48
Showing your hand too early in poker, or indeed in any emerging market, is a gamble, so the Beneteau...
Length Over All (M):
14.79
Displacement (M):
17.5
Maritimo M50
Maritimo’s new M50 is the result of a lot of intensity, born out of a singular purpose – namely, to ...
Horsepower (HP):
1600
Length Over All (M):
15.69
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
26,500 (dry)
Construction:
Solid GRP hull
Length Over All (M):
15.2
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Elite 13.8m Sedan Kaeā
The vessel will be Wellington-based but is destined to spend much of her cruising life in the Marlbo...
Horsepower (HP):
960hp
Length Over All (M):
13.8
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
13,900
Construction:
Three layers marine ply, glued, vacuum-bagged for the hull; ply, foam, ply sandwich decks
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Axopar 29 XC Cross Cabin
The ultimate multi-purpose craft for boaters who demand more from their vessel.
Horsepower (HP):
350
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
3220 (including engine)
Length Over All (M):
9.31
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Sargo 33
This is a cleverly designed boat with great space for a 33-footer.
Horsepower (HP):
680
Length Over All (M):
10.99
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
7400
CONSTRUCTION:
GRO
Maritimo M600 Black Edition
The Black Edition of Maritimo’s M600 Offshore Flybridge Motor Yacht is no mere badge-engineering sol...
Horsepower (HP):
1600 (std)
Length Over All (M):
17.31
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
31,700
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Elite 16m Mid Pilothouse Te Whara V
In another stellar example of a successful collaboration, boatbuilder Lloyd Stevenson and designer B...
Horsepower (HP):
1,100
Length Over All (M):
16
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
22,500
Construction:
End-grain balsa epoxy composite
Length Over All (M):
14
CONSTRUCTION:
Composite
Powerplay 60
The Powerplay 60 power cat is a boat that can be handled and lived in by two – or one that offers en...
Horsepower (HP):
2 x 315
Length Over All (M):
18.28
YEAR:
2012
Displacement (M):
26000
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Omikron OT-60
Stepping on board the yacht, it’s obvious everything centres on cruising in luxury.
Horsepower (HP):
300/500
Length Over All (M):
18.41
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
18500
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Riviera 6800 Sport Yacht
The vessel’s low centre of gravity, combined with the Humphree fin stabilisers, gave us a comfortabl...
Horsepower (HP):
2000
Length Over All (M):
22.18
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
34,000
Length Over All (M):
19.87
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Sasga Menorquin 55FB – Carajillo
She makes a wonderful ship for coastal adventures and holidays, promising easy passage-making and pl...
Horsepower (HP):
960
Length Over All (M):
16.88
Displacement (M):
18.5
Length Over All (M):
14.98
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Maritimo M75
The Maritimo M75 is a boat you will use, and that is the name of the game.
Horsepower (HP):
3250
Length Over All (M):
23.07
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
55,600 (dry)
Length Over All (M):
22.86
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP, composite
Caribbean 27 Flybridge Sport Fisher
Fuel consumption for a vessel this size is pretty good, as you might expect from a modern common-rai...
Horsepower (HP):
380
Length Over All (M):
9.0
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
dry, 3,140
Construction:
Solid GRP
Length Over All (M):
8.3
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Vindex 350 S
When the itch for another boat project required scratching a little over two years ago, de Fluiter d...
Length Over All (M):
10.8
Displacement (M):
5500
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP foam sandwich. Custom sedan conversion
Elite 15.8m Sport Sedan
The pride and joy of a multi-generational family, Bliss resides on a pier that’s home to a couple of...
Length Over All (M):
15.8
Displacement (M):
16200
Construction:
Composite
Sargo 31 Explorer
The Sargo 31’s exterior looks like it means business – in a cool way.
Length Over All (M):
9.96
Displacement (M):
5400
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Caribbean 32 FB
With classic styling, good performance and class-leading ride and handling, there’s a lot to like ab...
Length Over All (M):
10.385
Displacement (M):
6500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Sessa Yacht Line C47
Sessa vessels have a CE CLASS B rating – certified offshore to 200 miles, for winds up to force 8, a...
Length Over All (M):
14.27
Displacement (M):
14500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
12.54
Legacy Marine L45
The L45 is intended to fulfil the role of a luxury motoryacht capable of operating in typical New Ze...
Length Over All (M):
13.8
Displacement (M):
20000
Construction:
Aluminium
Boston Whaler 405 Conquest
Step aboard and the 405’s roomy cockpit certainly makes a strong first impression.
Length Over All (M):
12.6
Displacement (M):
17853
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Sargo 36
It packs more features and equipment inside its modest 36 feet (11.80m) than do many much bigger boa...
Displacement (M):
8400
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.8
Iliad 53 S
Compared to the range’s flybridge models, the 53 S has much less windage and greater stability, so ...
Length Over All (M):
16.35
Displacement (M):
24000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Vinylester above and below the waterline; monolithic or solid glass around the keel line and other key areas; vacuum-infused PVC closed-cell sandwich elesewhere
Quarken 27 Cabin
This size is notably popular in New Zealand, being small enough to be trailered, yet spacious enough...
Length Over All (M):
8.35
Displacement (M):
2700
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Sea Ray Sundancer 265
The Sea Ray Sundancer 265 is an impressive example of all that is good about American production boa...
Length Over All (M):
8.07
Displacement (M):
3200
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Maritimo S75
My first impression of the S75 was its striking and sleek profile, thanks to nearly 75 feet (23m) of...
Length Over All (M):
23.07
Displacement (M):
48000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
22.86
Grand Banks 54 Laughalot
The Grand Banks 54 delivers traditional styling with timeless good looks, comfortable accommodations...
Length Over All (M):
18.41
Displacement (M):
25000
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
16.4
CONSTRUCTION:
Resin-infused carbon fibre decks and reinforcing
Pescador 35
In a market that can sometimes confuse bling with ease of use and reliability, it is refreshing to s...
Length Over All (M):
10.8
Displacement (M):
7500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
9.15
Legacy Marine L35 Awatea
The Legacy 35 was designed by the world-famous, New Zealand-based LOMOcean team.
Length Over All (M):
10.58
Displacement (M):
6000
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
10
Wright 52 Powercat
The Wright 52’s interior exudes sheer comfort, usability, and Kiwi boat-building craft.
Length Over All (M):
15.4
Displacement (M):
16000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid fibreglass and composite
Artnautica 60 Sportfisher
The hull and IPS 800s make for a happy marriage. Matuku cruises at 23-24 knots, consuming about 155 ...
Length Over All (M):
18
Displacement (M):
22000
Construction:
Carbon Fibre
CONSTRUCTION:
100% resin-infused carbon