Review Buccaneer 735 Sportsman We follow the newest Buccaneer from lay-up to launch in our most extensive boat test yet. Words Lawrence Schäffler Photos Will Calver Classy Boating New Zealand July 2012

his is Buccaneer’s response to customer feedback, elegant, curvy lines, and for my money it presents a much more a boat you can use without worrying about sullying uniform, integrated package. the sumptuous upholstery and finishes. The The beauty is more than skin-deep, although it’s not Sportsman is geared to the boatie who relishes the immediately obvious. Where the Exess used a liner in the front company’s trademark quality but who wants a little half of its hull, the Sportsman is fitted with a full-length liner, more versatility, and I think the Hamilton-based eliminating timber from the...

While the Sportsman is optimised for fishing, it doesn't lack for luxury touches 247 Ti Rakau Drive, Pakuranga, Auckland, N Z. PO Box 51340 Pakuranga. Ph: 09 274 0511 Fx: 09 274 0108 [email protected] www.familyboats.co.nz 32 Boating New Zealand July 2012 Buccaneer Boats have been building exceptional boats for 36 years • Great dry ride • Exceptional resale value • Great looking and finished boats • Come and see them at Family Boats - NZ’s Largest Dealer for Bu

But it's the fishing makeover that stands out. While the Exess is unashamedly a high-end family cruiser which fishers treat nervously (you do NOT want fish guts on that upholstery), the Sportsman is sympathetic to the angler. Instead of the traditional teak or carpet, the cockpit floor is non-skid matting, and where the Exess use padded upholstery against the gunwales, the new boat is unadorned fibreglass (though it still carries teak coamings). There's now a built-in livebait tank in the transom, with a washdown hose tucked under the port gunwale and a large baitboard. For me, the biggest tick...

The Sportsman 735 retains plenty of family comforts, including an electric toilet in its own cubicle, removable cabin table and a small fridge Exess 735s are fitted with a small galley Between them they provide more than serious proposition for bluewater fishing (with a door) inside the cabin, and if you with a healthy dollop of ease thrown into want even more privacy, a sliding door inside the cabin (to port) but the Sportsman enough room for an average family or a separates the cabin from the cockpit. loses this, replacing it with a corner locker group of friends. Helm and passenger Don’t forget...

Intellian SATELLITE TV ANTENNAS -LEADING TECHNOLOGY AT AFFORDABLE PRICES WHAT LIES BENEATH? Assessing the quality of a boat’s construction is difficult when most of its structure is permanently hidden from view. But if you were able to witness the entire build - from start to the finish -well, wouldn’t that give you a better idea? So we elected to do just that (as much for our own as for our readers’ curiosity), with the latest creation from Hamilton’ Buccaneer Boats -the new Sportsman 735 - proving the ideal candidate. Buccaneers have a reputation for solid construction, quality fittings and...

“She’s a large-volume vessel with tonnes of kingie-fighting space in the cockpit.” are sliding side windows to aid ventilation, and it's all topped off by a racing-style steering wheel. When you're sitting at the helm it's easy to forget that this is a 7.35m, 2.5-tonne vessel. Anglers will particularly relish the remodelled dash. It has been extended to accommodate a bigger chartplotter - this boat is fitted with a 12-inch Raymarine unit - so dividing the screen into multiple functions still offers great detail and definition. It's flanked by trim tab and anchor controls, with two panels of BEP...