Boat Reviews: The Fishing Website

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Buccaneer 605 series
Rated 14 time(s).	Email to a friend

Designed by Gerry Gerrand and manufactured by Buccaneer Boats in Hamilton to CPC standards, the 605 is a well-proven hull, first introduced in 1994. The Anniversary Series boats (this one and its smaller sibling the Buccaneer 525) were packaged up by Hamilton’s Rollo's Marine to mark their 40th anniversary. It’s a fully specified turn-key package which represents excellent value family boating.

At a little over 6.4 metres in length, including the bowsprit, it’s a substantial boat weighing approximately 1525kg but still easily towed by a six-cylinder family car. The 22 1/2-degree deadrise means the boat’s got what it takes in the rough and this model has an excellent track record as a blue water craft.

I boarded the boat with the three Rollo’s crew, plus one other passenger making a realistic load of four adults. The 605 featured a Johnson Ocean Runner 115hp outboard — towards the bottom end of the recommended horsepower range. To my surprise, the boat has plenty of get up and go. Top speed is a very respectable 42mph two-up and it’s easy to cruise at 35mph in good conditions.

The interior of the boat is light and airy, helped by Buccaneer’s use of modern, light coloured fabrics inside the front cabin. This is spacious, helped by the open-plan styling with its wide cabin entry. An infill squab provides true overnight ability although there was no galley or toilet fitted to what is essentially a day boat for fishing, diving and family cruising. A generous hatch provides access to the ground tackle and short fibreglass pulpit forward. Stainless rails give support while retrieving working in the bows.

Under the seats are the usual storage spaces and the boat has a wide shelf right around the inside of the cabin. Side windows add to the cabin’s airiness.

The boat’s lines are modern and stylish. This is even more apparent when it’s seen on the water rather than on the trailer. The curved screen, raked at the back, works well with the portafino stern. Inside the cockpit, a similar attention to aesthetics is evident in the curved dash and nicely rounded edges throughout. Like all Buccaneer boats, this one is built to CPC standards and has features like a polyurethane-filled hull, a full year marine warranty and a five year structural hull warranty. There is full-length side shelving with plenty of toe room underneath.

The test boat was extremely well-equipped — a feature of Rollo’s Anniversary Series boats (see features list) and it is a turn-key package in the most generous sense of the term. Canopy and side curtains are standard as is a road cover. I liked the removable padded vinyl cover across the stern of the boat which conceals and protects hoses, filters, batteries and, in this case, the twin 22.5 litre tote tanks. It not only looks tidy, it keeps salt spray and fish slime away from this area.

Across the stern of the boat is a large fish bin, attached to the floor with pins that pull out to remove the box. The box has a drain and a padded top which makes a useful seat. It's designed as a fish box but can be used for any sort of dry storage.

Not that the 605 is a wet boat. Far from it. The hull does an excellent job of turning spray away. Although conditions were benign on the day we tried the boat, there was a bit of swell outside so I was able to get an idea of the boat's behaviour. Running across the wake of the Whangamata charter boat Te Ra (who kindly allowed me aboard to take photos of the Buccaneer), showed that the boat was both soft-riding and dry. That is this hull's reputation, proven in the model's four year life to date.

As the afternoon drew on we made our way back to Whangamata harbour, the wharf and the boat ramp further up the channel where the boat was retrieved. A single-axle DMW trailer with six pairs of rollers a side does the job of launching, retrieving and transporting the boat. All up road weight is approximately 1525kg, according to Buccaneer's literature, probably a little more in fishing or family trim — well within the towing capabilities of a three-litre family car.

The Buccaneer 605-Johnson 115hp Ocean Runner combination work very well together offering good performance and excellent economy. Specification levels are high though fishers can order a slightly down-specced version with vinyl instead of fabric upholstery. For fishers the only real additions necessary are a decent fishfinder and maybe a GPS.