BOAT REVIEWS
Discover New Zealand’s best boats with expert reviews, specs, and local insights—sailboats, powerboats, and yachts covered.
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
Construction:
2008
Nereyda 580 Regal
The Nereyda 580 Regal is an economical, all-purpose runaround boat.
Previously known as Sea Nymph...
Horsepower (HP):
90–130
Displacement (M):
1727cc
Length Over All (M):
5.8
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Fi-Glass Warrior Outboard Hardtop
Winter getting you down? Longing to get away from it all? Been too long since you wet a line? This K...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
Construction:
GRP
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Fi-Glass Warrior
The Fi-Glass Warrior has certainly stood the test of time, proving itself as quite the dependable tr...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Fi-Glass Warrior
Christchurch’s biggest boatbuilder reveals its biggest model, the Fi-Glass 640 Warrior, and Trade-A-...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Fi-Glass Warrior
It was almost 50 years ago, in 1958, that Frank Simpson commenced building a GRP dinghy called the F...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Waverunner FX140 (2006)
With the impressive Yamaha R1 engine powering the WaveRunner FX140, Mark Bracks in 2006 discovers th...
Senator 860
Chasing big fish in deep water requires a strong, sea-kindly boat. The custom-built Senator 860 pont...
Horsepower (HP):
Twin Yamaha 150hp HPDI
YEAR:
2006
Length Over All (M):
8.6
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Sea Ray 235 Express Cruiser
Sea Ray's 235 Express Cruiser is the latest New Zealand-built, American-designed cabin cruiser to ca...
Horsepower (HP):
240
Length Over All (M):
7.10
Displacement (M):
1724
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Breezecraft Sports Catamaran 4.1m
Breezecraft have added a 4.1m sports catamaran to their range of moulded polyethylene boats. Geoff G...
Length Over All (M):
7.1
Displacement (M):
22
Sea Nymph 580 Regal
Testing a boat on a choppy seaway can often make it difficult to get a feel for its balance—to find ...
Horsepower (HP):
70–100
Length Over All (M):
5.8
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Fi-Glass Warrior
It has been two years since Fi-Glass Boats has released a new model. It was no surprise, therefore, ...
Length Over All (M):
6.4
YEAR:
1998
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
White Pointer 8m Cruiser
Sophistication and style are qualities not often associated with aluminium trailer boats, but as Tra...
Horsepower (HP):
200 to 400 (outboard) Options: include petrol or diesel sterndrive
Length Over All (M):
8.2
YEAR:
1992
Length Over All (M):
7.6
Rayglass Cruisemaster 700
The term Cruisemaster may evoke images of classic American automobiles on Route 66, but it also desc...
AMF 580 V-Berth (2003)
Every AMF 580 V-Berth displays the builder's mission statement - Guaranteed Tough - across the trans...
Horsepower (HP):
115-150hp
Length Over All (M):
5.8
YEAR:
2003
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
5.33
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Senator 540 Hardtop
Hardtops extend crew comfort and sea keeping but their extra weight and height can compromise small ...
Horsepower (HP):
75
Length Over All (M):
5.58
Displacement (M):
500
Construction:
5mm hull, 3mm pontoons and floor
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Challenger 618 Platinum
Occasionally a trailer boat will stand out as being exceptional. The Challenger 618 Platinum is just...
Horsepower (HP):
140 – 180
Length Over All (M):
6.5
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Breeze 4.9m Dory
The commercial and contracting sectors have embraced the Breeze dory because it is virtually indestr...
Horsepower (HP):
30-40 (max 50)
YEAR:
2005
Displacement (M):
280
Length Over All (M):
4.9
CONSTRUCTION:
Polyethylene
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
YEAR:
2004
Length Over All (M):
5.49
Southernsportz 720 HT
Introducing the newest addition to the Trade-A-Boat team, the Southernsportz 720 HT - a versatile al...
Length Over All (M):
7.7
YEAR:
2000
Construction:
Topsides: 5 mm marine-grade alloy. Deck & Cabin: 4 mm marine-grade alloy
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Turbocraft 600
The Turbocraft 600 combines the ample power of a 5.7l V8 with the operational safety of a jet unit t...
Horsepower (HP):
300
YEAR:
Early 2000s
Construction:
Fibreglass
Length Over All (M):
6
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP/Polyester, solid timber full-length girders
Reflex Ribs 5500 Offshore
Inflatable boat manufacturers are getting a big slice of the new-boat pie as buyers weigh up the adv...
Horsepower (HP):
90
Length Over All (M):
5.50
Displacement (M):
350
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Roger Hill Black Cat 8.9m
The very capable 8.9m Black Cat fills a gap in the market, has the ability to travel fast and offers...
Horsepower (HP):
Twin 90-150hp
Length Over All (M):
8.9
YEAR:
2001
Displacement (M):
3.5
Length Over All (M):
7
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
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
YEAR:
early 2000s
Construction:
polyethylene (PE) thermoplastic
CONSTRUCTION:
polyethylene (PE) thermoplastic
Buccaneer 635 Exess
Buccaneer Pleasure Craft has released the 17th model in its Buccaneer range. Geoff Green says the fa...
Horsepower (HP):
150-225
Length Over All (M):
6.77
YEAR:
2002
Construction:
fibreglass
Length Over All (M):
6.33
CONSTRUCTION:
fibreglass
Alexcraft 4.9
When I first reviewed the Alexcraft 4.9 back in February 1998, I made the analogy that if this boat ...
Horsepower (HP):
360 @ 5200 rpm
Length Over All (M):
4.9
Construction:
10mm centre, 5mm outer bottoms, 3mm transom and sides.
CONSTRUCTION:
Alloy
Stabicraft 593HT
All Stabicraft (originally Stabi-Craft) hardtop models are selling well and the 593HT is the most po...
Horsepower (HP):
130-175
Length Over All (M):
6.5
YEAR:
2001
Construction:
Marine-grade plate aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
The hull has a thickness of 4 mm, while the pontoon sections are 3 mm thick.
Surtees 6.1 Bar Crusher
Surtees Boats has grown steadily from a hobby operation 15 years ago and is now a significant player...
Horsepower (HP):
100-150
Length Over All (M):
0.1
YEAR:
1994
Displacement (M):
1,100+
Construction:
5mm and 4mm aluminium
Ramco 680 Patrol
Aluminium production builder Ramco Boats has diversified into pontoon craft with a difference. Geoff...
Horsepower (HP):
150 hp to 225 hp
Length Over All (M):
6.8
YEAR:
2002
Construction:
Aluminium
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
HamiltonJet Vortex XL
The Vortex XL will do all the jet boat things - race across shallows and adventure up rocky rivers -...
Horsepower (HP):
300hp at 4,600rpm
Length Over All (M):
5.80
Construction:
10mm 5083 marine grade alloy plate centre section, 5mm outer bottoms, 3 mm transom, 2.5mm sides, GRP deck.
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Ramco Sportsman 850 Hardtop
Moderation is the new model Ramco 8.5m (26ft) Sportsman Hardtop, released at the 2001 New Zealand Bo...
Horsepower (HP):
350
Length Over All (M):
8.55
YEAR:
2001
Construction:
Bottom thickness: 6mm; Side thickness: 5mm
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Fi-Glass Senator Excell
For more than 40 years Fi-Glass Boats have put boats and boating within the reach of ordinary New Ze...
Horsepower (HP):
70-130
Length Over All (M):
5.50
Length Over All (M):
5.25
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Tristram Millennium 691
Tristram Marine's Millennium 691 was introduced at the 1997 Auckland Boat Show, where it won the Tra...
Horsepower (HP):
Twin 175-275hp
Length Over All (M):
6.9
YEAR:
1997
Displacement (M):
2050
Construction:
multi-mould fibreglass process
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Fi-Glass Firestar
The Fi-Glass Firestar is constructed to meet a certain price-point, but it's also built to perform a...
Horsepower (HP):
70-130
Length Over All (M):
5.35
Construction:
Fibreglass
Length Over All (M):
5.25
CONSTRUCTION:
Fibreglass
Southern Boats 670 Cuddy Cabin
Sleek lines and dazzling looks set the SouthernSportz 670 Cuddy apart from its peers and proves agai...
Horsepower (HP):
250
Length Over All (M):
7.9
Construction:
Hull Thickness: 5mm; Alloy Transom: 5mm; Alloy Sides: 3mm Alloy
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium
Impala 4.5 S
Paul Smith tests the Impala 4.5 S - the subject of jet boat racing folklore in the deep South.
Th...
Horsepower (HP):
260hp @ 5600rpm
Length Over All (M):
4.5
Construction:
Polyester resin, chopped strand mat, timber bearers, plywood floors glassed in.
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP
Aqualite 601RV
Our staff writer had no intention of writing a boat review when he stepped aboard the Aqualite 601RV...
Horsepower (HP):
90-135
Length Over All (M):
6.03
YEAR:
1998
Construction:
Aluminium
Length Over All (M):
5.49
CONSTRUCTION:
Aluminium, hull 5mm, pontoons 3mm
Rayglass 850 Legend (1998)
A Rayglass 850 Legend won the Overall Winner prize at the 2000 New Zealand Boat Show and the same bo...
Horsepower (HP):
260-500hp
YEAR:
1998
Construction:
Glass-reinforced plastic
CONSTRUCTION:
Glass-reinforced plastic