Boat Reviews

It’s a very rare occasion that we manage to get three brand new Bar Crusher 670 Hardtops in the same place at the same time. A couple of weeks ago, the plan came together with the organisation of Rod Elliot from AMC and his staff to take these boats out for a combined water test and review to document their …

Testing – Ocean Craft Posi Lift Hull – Not all boat tests or in this case boat reviews are the same. The main reason this one is a little different is because I tested the boat with an 18hp Tohatsu, even though the Ocean Craft 5900 is rated to 170hp. Ocean Craft Posi Why, you ask? Well, the new owner …

DOES your boat manufacturer offer you the following game-changing warranties? To give you what you paid for your old Ocean Craft trade-in hull (better resale value). Guarantee you to overtake any other boat with the same size outboard (superior performance and fuel economy thanks to a low-friction hull). Never sink lifetime warranty – or your money back. Ocean Craft is …

WHILE probably better known in the commercial dive and fishing segment, Ocean Craft, a Caloundra-based boat builder, is making a few waves in the recreational sector with the Buccaneer. Ocean Craft’s recently redesigned 7.6m Buccaneer   has been purpose-built for recreational anglers who want a vessel that can handle pretty much anything the wind and water can throw at it. I …

YELLOWFIN Plate is hoping to make a big impression with its recent brand relaunch. You may not be familiar with the Yellowfin Plate name, yet the brand has a 35-year history in Australia. Think of the Yellowfin family tree in a similar vein to the Hemsworth family and you’re on the right track. So you’ve got Quintrex (Chris), Stacer (Liam) …

MARINE industry mover and shaker Formosa Marine certainly ruffled some feathers when it released the X Bowrider in 2017. Not conforming to one single design philosophy, the X Bowrider stands out from the pack with sharp lines above the gunwales and a look somewhere between a bowrider, centre cabin and runabout. I had hotly anticipated taking this boat for a …

A RECENT pristine day on Moreton Bay saw me on the water testing a boat I’ve had a soft spot for since a young age: a Formosa Centre Cabin. Specifically, I was commandeering the 580 Centre Cabin in Tomahawk V2 Offshore hull configuration, as supplied by Australian Marine Centre with a 140hp Suzuki fourstroke outboard. Constructed from 4mm plate aluminium …

THE thought of buying a centre console had been on my mind for a couple of years and it wasn’t until I attended the 2018 Brisbane Boat Show that I knew what model my gut was set on. At the time I had absolutely no idea Cruise Craft manufactured a centre console, and seeing this boat for the first time …

THOUGH I had seen plenty of Aquamaster boats over the years at ramps and boat shows, I had not had the pleasure of testing one out, so when Rod from Australian Marine Centre asked the question, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only did a boat test allow me to get out of the office, but we decided to launch …

WHAT do you look for when browsing the market for a tender? Like most, you probably want something small that will easily hoist onto the back of your larger boat, top of your car or at least tow well behind your boat when under way. And like many Aussies, you’ve probably seen the ubiquitous Polycraft Tuff Tender mounted on the …