Thread: Show us your boat

Great to see people asking for advice about boats – let’s build a thread to store information and opinions from members.
Maybe a bit about your boating and fishing experiences, past and present.
The boat market is huge in New Zealand. Spare cash that was spent on overseas trips is now going into luxury items like boats.
It looks like boat prices continue to increase as demand outstrips supply of new boats and equipment – amazing to have long waiting lists to get a new boat.
Just post a few pictures and details of your boat and what you use it for – brand, type, motor, electronics, trailer, kayaks etc – if it floats – it will be interesting.
We could develop a database of valuable knowledge so anyone looking at buying a boat can refer to it as part of their decision-making process – there are lots of old boats around, many are solid and in great condition.
It's not a pissing contest, just ongoing information from members for all of us to absorb and enjoy.
I will start from my 47 years of owning boats – two more to follow if it gets any traction.

Boat 1 - 4.6m Fleetline Saphire 1974 – 65HP Merc – a solid boat made by Fibre Glass Moulders - it was a great setup – used it heaps at Taupo, Wanganui and round Kapiti Island. An easy boat to launch off the beach at Paraparaumu. Pic of my Wife and a close fishing and hunting friend – also the first of my many Labradors that always came fishing.

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Boat 2 - 5.5m Fleetline Solitaire – 1978 – 115HP and 7.5 HP Mercs - used it heaps at Taupo and Wanganui. She was a great setup, a solid boat made by Fibre Glass Moulders who also made Haines Hunters , heaps of power from the straight 6 motor – it performed well in the sea off Wanganui. It had a Marlin chart plotter that was great for finding fish and reefs off Wanganui. We ran a few long lines and caught plenty of blue cod and gurnard. A handy size in a domestic garage with a removable dodger. Got involved in lifestyle block developments so put it in a shed for about five years. Got it out and ready to start up then noticed the alloy cooling circuits on the side of the motor were corroding – had a new cooling side installed and it was fine. We changed to a larger boat and this one spent many years as a family ski boat.

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Boat 3 - McLay 5.95 Fisherman – 1996 – 115 and 15 HP Mercs – used it heaps at Taupo, Wanganui, and South coast off Makara – launching at Plimmerton. A great setup for sea fishing but very bouncy in rough water heading home – just about jar your teeth out. We used to look across Cook Strait and wonder if it was feasible with a larger boat. So decided to go bigger and back to fibreglass.

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Two more to follow – if there is interest.