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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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Boat Review
Dickey Boats Semifly 45
It was like a scene from Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Thanks to some COVID rescheduling, Dickey ...
Length Over All (M):
14.20
Displacement (M):
12950
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
12.6
CONSTRUCTION:
5083 marine grade aluminium
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
Marco 750 Sou’wester
If you plan to spend your fishing hours in the turbulent waters of the deep South, you’d better mak...
Length Over All (M):
8.10
Displacement (M):
2300
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
6mm hull plates and transom, 4mm sides and decks
Image Prestige 10.75m
In boatbuilding, as with business, the best clients are the ones that return. You don’t have to con...
Horsepower (HP):
700
Length Over All (M):
10.75
Construction:
Aluminium
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)
Length Over All (M):
14.75
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
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium pontoon/chamber boat
Boat Review
Aquila 44
The new Aquila 44 power catamaran is a vessel tailor-made for partying in style.
Length Over All (M):
13.34
Displacement (M):
16240
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Elite AT43
Once upon a time, New Zealand had a thriving production boat industry. Now only a few diehards rema...
Length Over All (M):
13.2
Displacement (M):
10500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Maritimo M51 Flybridge
Classic flybridge models like this glorious Maritimo M51 combine luxury with performance, a combina...
Length Over All (M):
13.19
Displacement (M):
21000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass hull, balsa core topsides and superstructure
CSB Huntsman Centurion
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)
CONSTRUCTION:
Hand-laid fibreglass
Boat Review
Dickey Semifly 36
Dickey Boats’ new Semifly 36 is an expanded version of the Napier builder’s popular 32-foot model. ...
Length Over All (M):
11.2
Displacement (M):
6500
Construction:
Other
Grand Banks 60 Skylounge
Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? The Grand Banks 60 Skylounge is made for enjoying...
Length Over All (M):
19.9
Displacement (M):
28000
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
E-glass and carbon fibre-Corecell laminates
Purekraft 700 HT
Purekraft is a relative newcomer among aluminium trailer boat brands, but the personnel behind it c...
Length Over All (M):
7.2
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
6mm bottom, 5mm sides, 4mm decks
Marco 950 Sou’wester
The award-winning Marco 950 Sou’wester Resolute is the Tauranga company’s third custom aluminium bui...
Length Over All (M):
10
Displacement (M):
4800
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
9.5
CONSTRUCTION:
8mm bottom plates
Boat Review
Roger Hill 18m Foil-assisted Power Cat
Every new design from catamaran guru Roger Hill contains fascinating innovations. His latest vessel ...
Length Over All (M):
18
Displacement (M):
29500
Construction:
Composite
CONSTRUCTION:
Epoxy composite
Boat Review
Custom Protector 12.5m
This custom Protector 12.5m RIB only just squeaks into her berth at Orams Drystack, but negotiating ...
Length Over All (M):
12.5
Displacement (M):
6500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
RIB
Boat Review
Welsford Navigator
The elegant simplicity of the Navigator design has struck a nerve in a society flooded with high str...
Length Over All (M):
4.5
Displacement (M):
140
Construction:
Wood
CONSTRUCTION:
Plywood planks on frames
Grand Banks 60
The marriage of two high-profile boat yards – Grand Banks and Palm Beach Motor Yachts – has delivere...
Length Over All (M):
19.9
Displacement (M):
29000
Construction:
Composite
Length Over All (M):
18.3
CONSTRUCTION:
coed GRP hull, infused carbon-fiber and composite decks and superstructure
CSB Huntsman Sotalia
CSB Huntsman’s handy 5.85m Sotalia is a conventional cabin-style trailer boat of a type that’s peren...
Horsepower (HP):
180
Length Over All (M):
5.85
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Boat Review
Bavaria S36 HT Sports Cruiser
There comes a time in every yachtie’s life when he/she considers switching to a powerboat. For the ...
Length Over All (M):
11.66
Displacement (M):
6800
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
Vacuum-infused GRP laminate
Boat Review
Bavaria E40 Sedan
Most readers associate Bavaria with performance-cruiser yachts, but the German manufacturer’s stable...
Length Over All (M):
12.29
Displacement (M):
10500
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.99
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Boat Review
Azimut Magellano 43
Aimed at the luxury end of the market, Azimut’s range encompasses 33 models across eight styles in l...
Length Over All (M):
12.96
Displacement (M):
17399
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
11.80
CONSTRUCTION:
Moulded fibreglass
CSB Huntsman Xcalibur
Most of us can only afford one boat and if it is a family asset, the boat has to be multifunctional ...
Horsepower (HP):
300
Length Over All (M):
7.5
Displacement (M):
1650
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Boat Review
Bavaria 37 Cruiser
When you migrate to the Bay of Islands for six months of the year to escape the UK winter, having a ...
Length Over All (M):
11.3
Displacement (M):
7000
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
10.22
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP isopthalic resin
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
Boat Review
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
Boat Review
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
Hanse 385
In less than a year the Hanse 385 has become the German company’s best selling yacht. The 59th boat ...
Length Over All (M):
11.4
Displacement (M):
7600
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
10.4
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
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
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