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
Mac Millennium 600
The release of the all-new Mac Millennium 600 has elevated rotationally moulded plastic boats to a n...
Horsepower (HP):
90-135hp
Construction:
polyethylene (PE) thermoplastic
CONSTRUCTION:
polyethylene (PE) thermoplastic
Boat Review
Buccaneer 550 Billfisher
The Buccaneer 550 Billfisher is the smallest in Buccaneer's walk-around range. Geoff Green took one ...
Horsepower (HP):
115-150hp
Length Over All (M):
5.91
Length Over All (M):
5.49
Boat Review
Smartwave 4800 Poly Boat
The biggest boat in the Smartwave lineup, the Smartwave 4800 has a softer, more rounded hull that ha...
Horsepower (HP):
50
Length Over All (M):
4.8
CONSTRUCTION:
Linear medium-density polyethylene with foam-filled voids
Boat Review
Smartwave 4200 Poly Boat
Our Smartwave 4200 centre-console came in a serious-looking but sensible battleship grey, but is ava...
Horsepower (HP):
40
Length Over All (M):
4.2
CONSTRUCTION:
Linear medium-density polyethylene with foam-filled voids
Boat Review
Smartwave 3500 Poly Boat
The Smartwave 3500 E-Fish model was fitted with a Tohatsu 30hp two stroke outboard motor, again with...
Horsepower (HP):
30
Length Over All (M):
3.5
Innovision Explorer 707
Overall, this boat is another example of the high standard that Innovision holds itself to.
Horsepower (HP):
350
Length Over All (M):
11.15
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
6mm bottom, 4mm sides, deck
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
OceanPro 533 Cuddy Cabin
OceanPro is not really a name that springs to mind when thinking about New Zealand-built aluminium t...
Horsepower (HP):
70-100
Length Over All (M):
5.5
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
Pontoon-style aluminium monohull
Length Over All (M):
5.33
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
XO Crossover DFNDR 9 Expedition
The DFNDR’s adventure-ready spirit is reflected in its layout.
Horsepower (HP):
450
Length Over All (M):
8.8
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
2710kg, plus engines
Construction:
Amuminium hull, GRP decks, superstructure
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium/GRP
Boat Review
Buccaneer 605 Exeed
The 605 Exeed impresses with its quiet, dry, and supremely comfortable ride.
Horsepower (HP):
150-200
Length Over All (M):
6.46
YEAR:
2025
Length Over All (M):
6.05
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Superbly Senator
Hawkes Bay’s Senator Boats is best known for its range of strong, capable, trailerable aluminium ‘ch...
Horsepower (HP):
90-115hp
Length Over All (M):
3.9
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
5mm bottom, 3mm chambers, 4mm sides & decks, 3/4mm hardtop
Length Over All (M):
5.65
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Fin Chaser 700HTA
I have always been impressed with the hull performance of FC Boats and a change of name hasn’t alter...
Horsepower (HP):
250/27
Length Over All (M):
9
YEAR:
2025
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Innovision 616 Venture
It is over a decade since we reviewed the first production boat from Innovision, and in many respect...
Horsepower (HP):
200-250
Length Over All (M):
6.27
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
6mm bottom plates, 4mm sides
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Rayglass Legend 2700
Rayglass Boats’ new Legend 2700 is the spiritual (and, eventually, literal) successor to the Legend ...
Horsepower (HP):
270-450
Length Over All (M):
8.8
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
Moulded GRP with integrated liner and foam buoyancy
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Stabicraft 2050 Frontier Profish
Where this model really excels is fishability.
Horsepower (HP):
150-200
Length Over All (M):
6.3
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
875kg (dry, no motor)
Construction:
Arrow pontoons, wide-body hull
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Boat Review
Candela C-8 Hardtop
The Candela C-8 is clearly a much more mature and technologically advanced model than its predecesso...
Horsepower (HP):
45/50kW
Length Over All (M):
8.5
YEAR:
2025
Displacement (M):
1850
Construction:
Vacumm-infused carbon fibre
CONSTRUCTION:
Carbon fibre
Proline Alloy 1860 HT
Mat says the hull is designed to cater for all, with ease of use being one of the main priorities.
Horsepower (HP):
90-115
Length Over All (M):
5.7
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
5mm hull, 4mm sides & decks
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Fi-Glass Viscount
Modern engines are bigger and more efficient. They need bigger platforms to host them. Furthermore, ...
Horsepower (HP):
200-250
Length Over All (M):
6.8
YEAR:
2025
Construction:
Solid GRP, no wood in structure
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Morris Metal Products S.J Seahawk
S.J. Seahawk is a development of the 7.6m Eliminator, which Phil and his team built 26 years ago.
Horsepower (HP):
700
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
Aluminium hull, fibreglass decks, carbon fibre superstructure
Length Over All (M):
9.7
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Kiwi-Kraft 780WA
Pontoon alloy boats are seriously good sea handling vessels. I should know, having fished out of man...
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
7.8
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
6mm hull, 4mm sides, 3mm superstructure
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Radian R27 Nordarc
Overall, this is an impressive boat. The styling is bold and unique and will certainly turn heads. T...
Horsepower (HP):
200hp max
Length Over All (M):
6.67
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
1800
Construction:
5mm bottom, 4mm sides, 3mm superstructure
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Extreme 795 Game King
Performance-wise, the new 350hp Yamaha, plus the Helm Master EX with bow thruster and Seakeeper Ride...
Horsepower (HP):
350
Length Over All (M):
7.93
YEAR:
2024
Construction:
6mm bottom plates
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Rae Line 206
Some boats are good to look at from the outside and some are good to be onboard. Like her sister the...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.45
YEAR:
2024
Displacement (M):
1580
Construction:
Hand-laid GRP
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Sealegs 12RC
‘Behemoth’ is a word which springs to mind or, perhaps more nautically, ‘leviathan’.
Length Over All (M):
12.3
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Alloy RIB, amphibious
Haines Hunter SP635
The hardtop SP635 shares the same underpinnings as the popular SF 635 which was a completely new mod...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.76
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
6.35
Surtees 750 Game Fisher
The Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show prize boat package would be every Kiwi angler’s dream to own.
Horsepower (HP):
300
Length Over All (M):
7.5
Displacement (M):
1590
Construction:
Aluminium
Boat Review
Buccaneer Six Fifteen
Based on the well-known Buccaneer 605 hull, the Buccaneer Six Fifteen has increased the 605’s waterl...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.78
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
6.15
Boat Review
Challenger 720HT
Like the rest of the Challenger range, the 720 HT’s fibreglass hull is designed by Terry Reid, who h...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
7.15
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Senator 500 Side Console
Senator allows owners to spec the boat however they want it, starting with a base, but very comprehe...
Length Over All (M):
5.2
Construction:
Aluminium
Oceanpro 540 GTS
He aimed to produce something that provided the best of both worlds: the tough, rigid hull sides of ...
Horsepower (HP):
115
Length Over All (M):
5.4
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Alloy pontoon type
Boat Review
Caribbean 2300 Hardtop
Straight from the factory, the Caribbean 2300 is ready for fishing action.
Length Over All (M):
7.84
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
7.0
CONSTRUCTION:
Solid hand laid GRP
Stabicraft 1450 Frontier ProFish
Stabicraft boats will need no introduction to anyone with New Zealand boating experience.
Horsepower (HP):
50
Length Over All (M):
4.42
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
4mm hull, 3mm pontoons
Innovision 757 Explorer
The stern of the 757 is a great example of what a fishing boat should be.
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
7.65
Construction:
Aluminium
Boat Review
Caribbean 2400 Hardtop
These vessels will take you a long way out, run all day long, and get you back home safe, sound, and...
Horsepower (HP):
400
Length Over All (M):
8.0
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
7.2
Boat Review
Buccaneer Exess XL
The overwhelming impression I took away from our few hours on Lake Dunstan is how well this boat goe...
Horsepower (HP):
200
Length Over All (M):
6.46
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
6.05
Boat Review
Candela C7
One of the keys to the C7’s impressive performance is its light weight. All up, it weighs just 1.4 t...
Length Over All (M):
7.7
Displacement (M):
1300
Construction:
Carbon Fibre
Dreadnort V5500 CC
Gypsy Rose is a highly-spec’d semi-custom V5500 CC model with several customer-driven features.
Length Over All (M):
5.76
Displacement (M):
1970
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
5.50
Boat Review
Assault Pursuit 8m Amphibious
New Zealanders have led the world in developing amphibious RIBs, and the latest offering from Assaul...
Length Over All (M):
8.6
Displacement (M):
1900
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
8.0
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP composite with Carbon Hypalon tubes
Innovision 616 Explorer
Painted in a striking metallic Brisbane Blue from Superyacht Coatings, this distinctive looking trai...
Length Over All (M):
6.18
Displacement (M):
1950
Construction:
Aluminium
Fatcat 4000 Fisherman
Lightning Marine’s Fatcat 4000 sticks with the ‘simple is best’ small boat ethos.
Length Over All (M):
3.8
Displacement (M):
240
Construction:
Other
CONSTRUCTION:
Roto-moulded PVC
Jeanneau Merry Fisher 795 Marlin
Clark Gayford, host of the Fish of the Day TV programme, has pretty exacting requirements. The press...
Length Over All (M):
7.17
Displacement (M):
1750
Construction:
Fibreglass (GRP)
Length Over All (M):
6.98