Testimonials & Reviews

We are normally impulse buyers of everything from a pair of slippers to a farm. But not so when we bought our Kiwi Kraft 590 HT. You see this boat had to do the job. And the job was to be ready and able to take us through any sea that the Marlborough Sounds could throw at us. We go to town to do our shopping and meet appointments in our boat. We visited every option and when my partner exclaimed 'this is it' we were visiting a Kiwi Kraft. Well that was all on dry land. We took delivery of our Kiwi Kraft 590 HT and it has done everything and more for us. Out in the Blue Cod territory I like to explore in close — good old Kiwi Kraft is just so very manoeuvrable. Yep, we're sold on Kiwi Kraft.

About four years ago, we took a family holiday to New Zealand. Whilst driving around Hastings on the lower North Island, I spied a boat in a dealership, and just had to stop. It was the sexiest 'tinnie' I had ever seen. I didn't believe that an aluminium boat could look so good. I'd had my first taste of Kiwi Kraft, and instantly fell in love. We were able to narrow our choice down to aluminium, as fibreglass was simply going to be too heavy for us to be towing so far, but we still wanted it to ride like a well-built fibreglass craft. After talking to Rodney Harris at Kiwi Kraft in Invercargill, we chose the standard 5.9 Sports package — a slick-looking, well-appointed craft, with all the craftsmanship and good looks that anyone could want. Practically sight-unseen, we decided that the Kiwi Kraft was going to meet our every need, and some.

The opportunities to use our previous boat were seriously compromised by distance, and when we did make the time the weather was often poor. The idea of keeping a 12 metre yacht at Bluff had little appeal to us and so it was decided that a positive buoyancy trailerable boat was the answer. We wanted our boat to have a diesel engine, a toilet, a shower and a reasonable fuel capacity. We went looking for a boat builder and Kiwi Kraft was chosen for a number of reasons — they came with very high recommendations because of their high quality finish. However, and perhaps most important to us, was Rodney Harris's attitude to us when we outlined our requirements. He was not lukewarm to installing a diesel engine, and did not try to persuade us into installing outboard motors. He listened carefully and his 780 Kiwi Kraft became his first 820 model. It was then widened by 100mm over standard beam.

I spent months researching before committing to a Kiwi Kraft and I'm glad I did the research. The HUSH technology hull design is not just marketing — you genuinely feel the difference from the moment you're on the water. The stability when you stop to fish is outstanding, the kids can move around freely without the boat rocking. Rodney and the team were great to deal with throughout the whole process, nothing was too much trouble. The finish on the boat is exceptional — it looks like a premium product because it is one.

We wanted something we could tow easily, use on the Sounds for family holidays and also fish from. The 535 Cuddy ticks every box. It's light enough for one person to manage on the ramp, stable enough that Sue is completely confident on it, and fast enough that I'm grinning every time we get up on the plane. The pontoon design makes a huge difference at rest — you can move around to fish, swap seats, even have a coffee — without the boat rocking all over the place. We've had it two seasons now and it hasn't missed a beat.

I fish offshore regularly out of Kaikōura and needed something that could handle the conditions out there. The 740 HTE has been absolutely superb. In the rough it's confidence-inspiring — the hull just cuts through and stays dry. The twin engine option gives me the safety margin I need when I'm 20 miles offshore on my own. Build quality is exceptional and Kiwi Kraft have been fantastic with after-sales support. It's a serious boat for serious fishing.