|
|
LeisureCat 7000 Gamefisher By Ian Berry
LeisureCat has made its name worldwide with the offshore qualities of its power catamarans.
more »
|
|
|
Lou Sloot, board and ski wakes and Malibus
Lou Sloot talks about board and ski wakes – and shows off his new Malibus
more »
|
|
|
Matrix Expression MVS By Mike Brown
A wakeboard-ski boat for the beginner or the hard core
more »
|
|
|
Catalina 320 Mk 2 By Mike Brown
The Catalina 320 is a good example of how current cruising yacht design manages to put a lot of volume into hulls and still give them good sailing qualities.
more »
|
|
|
Given Power Catamarans Glass Tiger T11 By Ian Berry
More space than you thought possible in 11 metres
more »
|
|
|
Haines Signature 620F By Mike Brown
It is a new model but instantly recognisable as a Signature, especially when sitting on its trailer.
more »
|
|
|
Fairline 48
Boat reviews are handy aids for dreamers, a source of ideas, and most of all are useful in serious boat comparisons. They really come into their own when the owners take part in the review, giving us insights into how the boat fits their needs, into the way the boat is actually used.
more »
|
|
|
Whittley Clearwater 2100 Walkaround By Michael Jeffrey
Whittley’s name is almost synonymous with the cruisers that have won more awards than the builder has shelves for, so it is understandable that for their non-cruising boats he would choose a distinctive name. They are called Clearwaters, but they are still Whittleys.
more »
|
|
|
Doral 260 Venezia Express Cruiser
The 260 in the Doral Venezia’s name implies a length of 26ft, and that’s partly true; it’s the hull length. Overall, though, is 29ft or 8.8m, and the difference is all useful extra space.
more »
|
|
|
Caribbean 35 By Mike Brown
Of all Australian builders, Caribbean is probably the most traditional, the most reluctant to change models, and the most conservative in its building methods.
more »
|
|
|
Bavaria 40 Cruiser By Mike Brown
More than most other boats, Bavaria cruisers have a strong family resemblance; nothing wrong with that, they have an attractive profile.
more »
|
|
|
Gold Star 6200 Excalibur Centre Cab By Ian Berry
The centre cab, or walk around, seems to be the style of the moment in aluminium boats over six metres. In a way, of course, it is what centre consoles naturally become when the boat grows big enough.
more »
|
|
|
Jackson 47 Convertible Sportscruiser By Ian Berry
What a pleasure to be in at the birth of a new WA boat. To talk to a bunch of people brave enough to make the enormous investment in the moulds of a 47-footer at a time of industry uncertainty.
more »
|
|
|
Glacier Bay 2270 Isle Runner By Ian Berry
The name Glacier Bay makes more sense when you learn that these boats were designed for the northern Pacific coast of America.
more »
|
|
|
The Whittley CR2600 Cruiser Makes its Debut
The Victorian-built Whittley 2800 cruiser has been the Australian (and USA) benchmark in trailable cruisers for over a year (it was an Australian Boat of the Year winner), but now the brand-new 2600 is snapping at its heels.
more »
|
|
|
Doral Elegante By Ian Berry
Kailis Marine’s Doral Elegante
Whatever attractions boats from the USA have, you can seldom accuse the individual model’s name of being one of them. Doral, one of the newcomers on the block, however, has chosen to go with evocative Italian names that are also probably geographically appropriate.
more »
|
|
|
Bella 420 Flybridge By Ian Berry
It is not true to say that the Bella 420 is the first large Chinese-built leisure boat to come my way. But the ones in my memory are Cheoy Lees, with an international name for quality then and now, and built in Hong Kong, which officially was not Chinese at the time.
more »
|
|
|
Spirited 380 By Mike Brown
When you do your sailing in the Kimberley you develop a special want list, and somewhere near the top of it is a boat that will dry out with the tide and not fall over.
more »
|
|
|
Larsen Senza 186 By Ian Berry
Mark Purslowe said he had never had a Larsen Senza 186 afloat before, and the sight of him reversing his cap and scrunching himself down into his seat suggested this was a debut we would both remember.
more »
|
|
|
Coraline’s 750 Outsider
Coraline’s 750 Outsider is accurately named. Its hull length is indeed 7.5 metres, and its natural environment is offshore or outside.
more »
|
|
|
Northern Star 35 Evolution
Northern Star is not the best known of WA leisure boat builders, but it is definitely one of the biggest, perhaps the biggest of the fiberglass specialists.
more »
|
|
|
Evolution 5.2 Outsider
Evolution Boat Builders won the WA Boat of the Year, Trailerable Fishing Under 6m category, with their 5.2m Outsider, which was also a finalist in the Custom Vessel category.
more »
|
|
|
Trailcraft 760 Hard Top By Mike Brown
The surge in big boat sales over the last couple of years sowed the seeds of its own end: they soaked up all the available moorings and pens. As a result, one of the current trends is for buyers who might otherwise have bought a big boat to buy a boat of maximum trailable size.
more »
|
|
|
New Sea Ray 290 Sundeck
For people who like to have fun in a big way, the new Sea Ray 290 Sundeck is the ideal boat.
more »
|
|
|
Bavaria 50
Bavaria is about as far from the North Sea as you can get before you start getting closer to the Mediterranean. It’s where they build BMWs - and Bavaria Yachts, in huge numbers.
more »
|
|
|
Sunrunners, proudly Australian
Why would you give up a fascinating, very well paid job that takes you all over the world at your employer’s expense? Ask Geoff Marsh, long-term Warriors and test cricketer and Australia’s ex-coach, and he’ll tell you it’s to give him time to introduce people to his other passion, boating
more »
|
|
|
Caribbean 24 Fly Bridge SF
Caribbean is one of Australias senior leisure boat builders. They were in on the early days of fibreglass and they still use the material better than most.
more »
|
|
|
Dolphin Gold
Gold represents wealth, class and quality and, as Barry Wiseman discovered, that’s what you get in the latest 6.1 Centre Console from Dolphin Boats.
more »
|
|
|
Hanse 37e
I grew up in the days when cruising in yachts, other than gin palaces, meant essentially an expensive way of living in squalor. They were dark, dank, had low headroom, the toilet encouraged you to use a bucket instead, and the shower was a bucket.
more »
|
|
|
Venom Prowler 2800
Boat reviews are always more realistic when they include the opinions of a knowledgeable owner. Mike Smith of Darlington and Mandurah (the best of both worlds?) has not only used his Venom Prowler 2800 for eight months but also had the advantage of watching his boat being built.
more »
|
|
|
Whittleys new CR 2800 Cruiser
Whittley build what are probably Australia’s – let’s draw a longer bow and say possibly the world’s – best small cruisers. Certainly the rest of the world would be scratching to beat Whittley for trailable boats that combine genuine live-aboard accommodation with the kind of open space Aussies want.
more »
|
|
|
Leisurecat 350 Deepwater
The WA Boating Industry Boat of the Year Award was limited to an exclusive field: candidates had to be built in this state. It is a fairly safe bet that Leisurecat’s 350 Deepwater would have won the non-trailerable fishing boat award even if it had been available to all comers. By Mike Brown
more »
|
|
|
Meridian 550 Barra Classic
Remember when we used to snigger at the pictures of American bass boats we saw in magazines? With the astonishing rise in popularity of bream fishing contests, we now have our own version in the bream boat and nobody is laughing. By Mike Brown
more »
|
|
|
Hunter 25 Trailer Sailer
The late 70s and early 80s were the heyday of trailer-sailers, but although they are still around, there are not too many new ones joining their ranks. It is a pleasant type of boat that logic says should have a bigger piece of the boating scene, so it is good to welcome a newcomer.
more »
|
|
|
Powercat 2500 Sports Fisherman
Introducing the soon to be released 2500 Sports Fisherman. The first of a new generation of Powercat Sports fishing boats, designed with the serious fisherman in mind.
more »
|
|
|
Is this the future in trailerable boats?
Purslowe Marine are proud to introduce another U.S. import to hit our shores, Triumph Boats from North Carolina. Triumph Boats are a little out of the ordinary. They are a rotationally moulded boat with the features of a top shelf fibreglass boat.
more »
|
|
|
CruiseCraft’s All New Explorer 685
The much anticipated arrival of CruiseCraft’s All New Explorer 685 has come with the stylish new family fishing boat ready for a glistening initiation across Australia
more »
|
|
|
North Shore 650 CR Cabin Runabout
North Shore Boats were winners of the 2006 WA Boat of the Year Trailerable Cruiser award for their 650 Cabin Runabout. A curious name for a boat, but understandable after looking at the boat itself.
Within its six metre hull length (6.5 overall) the 650 manages to combine a generous cabin with a more-than-useful sized cockpit – a pretty good trick, and very much in tune with how WA people think of cruising.
more »
|
|
|
Commodore Attitude 7000 Centre Console
Commodore’s 670 has proved itself a highly competent and commercially successful all-rounder. Which justifies the rest of the name Commodore gave to it: the All-Rounder.
more »
|
|
|
Dolphin 6.1 Cuddy
It’s been a while now since young shipwright Jason Lyons took over the helm at Dolphin Boats in the northern Perth suburb of Wangara, and as Barry Wiseman reports he’s taken the product to new heights.
more »
|
|
|
Retro look comeback: the Alucraft 8000 Sports
The retro look has been quietly finding itself a place in the boating scene, and is probably well enough established to be a style of its own rather than just an interesting throwback.
more »
|
|
|
Commodore Abrolhos 8000
A quiet beer during a casual conversation at the yacht club bar…and the next thing you know production of a new West Australian 8 metre fibreglass vessel, the Abrolhos 8000, is underway. Barry Wiseman reports
more »
|
|
|
Innovative touches to Fury 27
Without quite being a centre cabin, the Fury 27 Centre Console is a lot more than your average centre console – how many of them contain not only a toilet but also a double bed? I am guessing at none.
more »
|
|
|
Polycraft 530 Warrior
The name does not quite say it all – but it goes close. In a sense, fibreglass boats are polycraft, because they are built mainly of polyester. But in most people’s minds ‘poly’ means thermoplastic, and plastic, specifically polyethylene, is what Polycraft are made of.
more »
|
|
|
Bavaria 37 Cruiser
The sailing yacht market in WA seems mostly to be a rotation of used boats through the brokers, plus a small stream of new product that makes up for attrition and perhaps slowly increases total numbers.
more »
|
|
|
Dolphin 7.6m Cabin Cruiser
A quick glance around as you step aboard tells you straightaway this boat is stacked up for serious business – fishing or live-aboard nights in the quiet get-away-from-it-all bays at Rottnest Island. Barry Wiseman reports
more »
|
|
|
Northern Star's Evolution 3300
The Western Australian-built Evolution 3300 – literally raised from the ashes, as Barry Wiseman reports.
more »
|
|
|
Swiss Cat 18
I am generally a believer in less-is-more in boats. Or, more exactly, don’t have more in them than you need. And whoever designed the new arrival on the WA boating scene, the Swiss Cat 18, shares that opinion. There is a lot of open space here - or a lack of clutter, depending on your point of view.
more »
|
|
|
Commodore Marine Allrounder 670 Executive
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. As the clouds rolled in and the nor’ westerly picked up we put one of Western Australia’s latest craft, the Commodore Marine Allrounder 670 Executive, to the test. Barry Wiseman reports.
more »
|
|
|
Scout 242 Centre Console
It’s not often a young man’s dream turns into reality, but in the case of Steve Potts of Charleston, South Carolina, his teenage tinkering in small-boat building has developed into the production of 1,400 high quality boats a year. Barry Wiseman reports.
more »
|
|
|
The Quicksilver 640 Warrior
The boating conditions off New Zealand and Western Australia have a lot in common. So when the opportunity came up to review a Kiwi import we jumped at the chance. Barry Wiseman reports.
more »
|
