A fishing trip to Great Barrier Island is always a grand idea, particularly aboard a couple of state-of-the-art fibreglass vessels.

The backstory

Upon learning the new Rayglass 3000 shares the same underwater profile as the 2800, I knew it was bound to be a winner. I have fond memories of the Rayglass 2800, having cut my teeth as a charter skipper on one, chasing workups at high speed around the Hauraki Gulf. The soft-riding hull was perhaps only bettered by the incredibly frugal fuel economy. If I recall correctly, that Rayglass 2800 – Midnight Rider – sipped a mere 38L/h of diesel at 24 knots with seven POB! 

Rayglass has been developing glass boats since 1985. The Auckland-based outfit is one of New Zealand’s largest fibreglass boatbuilders, with a suite of well-proven Legend hardtop models and Protector centre-console/centre-cabin RIBs. Production is set to increase, too, with a new facility opened this year to handle the end-to-end process including lamination, mould assembly, fit-out, and research and development. 

As the first new legend model for several years, the design brief was to produce the ultimate weekend cruiser that can tick all the boxes, from serious fishing and overnighting to cruising and entertaining the family. With an appropriate tow wagon, the 3000 offers capabilities similar to many docked vessels with the added freedom of going anywhere the weather, fishing, or family dictates!

“Most models we see in the market today are either fully fishing-focused or designed solely for entertaining. The Legend 3000 fits in the hybrid sweet spot, combining comfort, ample space, and customisable options for all-in-one trips,” says Dean Harris, Rayglass President.

Construction

Rayglass’s proven hull formula is based on a deep-vee, 24° deadrise hull with large turndown chines. Keeping true to form, the Legend 3000 has kept these characteristics but added some new adjustments – aimed to further improve the ride and handling. As previously mentioned, it has the same underwater shape as the 2800 but Rayglass has added 300mm of height, width, and length to the bow. 

That extra volume in the bow gives the vessel more freeboard, which Rayglass claims results in improved buoyancy in the bow when cruising and better deflection of water from the chines. The bow flair has also been enlarged, providing more lift and less spray. The extra bow volume and flair have also laid the platform for a noticeably larger and flatter foredeck than that of the Legend 2800, and a larger-volume cabin.

At 9.5 metres long (LOA) with a 2.5-metre beam, the overall proportions are sleek and streamlined from every angle. The hardtop is large, offering plenty of space and headroom, and has been redesigned with fewer curves than other boats in the Legend series, giving the 3000 a contemporary look. Flat panel glass windscreens offer great visibility and full sweeps for wipers when required, and two-way sliding side windows and a large sunroof provide plenty of ventilation.

In the cockpit, you’ll find plenty of deck space that’s safe for the kids, with decent gunwale height, but also easy for adults to enjoy, with simple transom walkthrough access on both port and starboard sides to the large transom platform.

Layout

Rayglass offers three different base layouts, designed to suit different engine configurations. We’ll start with the layout we didn’t get to check out – a single outboard. Rayglass matches this option with a Mercury 400hp V10. The Rayglass crew assured me that the power, large four-bladed prop, and heavy-duty gearbox of the Mercury 400hp V10 push the 3000 along nicely. The single outboard configuration allows more swim platform space than twin-outboard rigging, and also saves a few pennies on maintenance compared to the twin outboard and diesel sterndrive options.

Now, let’s move on to the ‘need for speed’ twin-outboard setup. This configuration opens with a pair of Mercury 200hp V6 engines and maxes out at twin Mercury 300hp V8s. One of the vessels tested sat in the middle ground with a couple of Mercury 225hp V6 four-stroke engines hanging off the stern. Clearly this option would be favoured by anglers who love racing to ‘spot X’ and those who desire high-tech integration such as Skyhook digital anchoring and joystick helming. There’s still plenty of space for a couple of anglers out back with quarter transom platforms either side, but it’s a bit tricky moving around in front of the engines even when they are trimmed down.

Finally, we have the diesel sterndrive option – I assume the most popular configuration and probably my favourite, too. The Mercury 4.2L 350hp diesel engine sits neatly in a watertight, soundproofed engine bay, and offers good fuel efficiency at cruising and trolling speeds. With the engine and leg tucked away, the extra transom platform space provides more room for fishing, socialising, swimming, or diving. With the central D-rail above the stern leg, the duckboard would nicely accommodate a small tender or a large chilly bin. Rayglass also offers a customised, fibreglass, moulded chilly bin that sits securely on the rear of the engine box. Corner rails can be added to the swim platform for added safety and comfort. The final point of difference is a larger livebait tank/sink area (without the space required for trimmed-up outboards), although the outboard models feature a large wet-locker in place of the inboard’s engine bay.   

Moving forward, away from the stern, the various engine configurations no longer matter. There are forward-facing engine box seat squabs at the rear of the cockpit. Despite being closer to the purr of the engine(s), it’s a comfy and calm spot for one or two people to sit as it’s close to the boat’s ‘pivot point’ when making way. Instead of the engine box seat squabs, you can choose to fit a removable fibreglass fishing station complete with two pullout tackle draws, a flat working surface, knife and iki-spike holders, cup holders, three rod holders, and plumbed-in drainage. Rayglass stresses that these boats are built to client requirements and there are plenty of customisable options – trust me, they have the full suite of renders to prove it!

There are convenient steps to enable easy access to the passageway between cockpit and foredeck. There’s good footing width and recessed handholds along the cabin top (also a handy spot to tie off fenders when rafting up, we discovered). All cleats, rails, and rod holders are high-quality stainless steel. The grated deck drainage points and bilge area are very tidy and well concealed. 

You’ll find a huge amount of storage on the 3000. There are the usual underseat and underfloor storage provisions, but also some atypical spaces such as under the side passageways – the steps port and starboard up from the cockpit to the sidedecks have a latch and can be lifted up to reveal extra storage compartments for things like rods and dive tanks. 

Fishability

The fishability on the ‘standard’ models we spent time on was superb. We indulged in a range of fishing styles at our playground over the two days – softbaiting, topwater, straylining, and slow-jigging. Even when lure fishing in 60 metres of water with a decent breeze, the drift on the 3000 was leisurely enough for me to wager that you’d seldom require a drogue when lure fishing. There’s ample cockpit and transom platform space to comfortably accommodate four anglers. Nobody seemed to get in the way when casting, re-rigging, baiting up, or importantly, fighting fish! The cockpit is very dry and the transom platform rests at a decent height above the waterline. In addition, there wasn’t a hint of that nasty pressure spray you get when standing on the transom platforms of some other vessels.

Access right around the boat is superb, and the U-DEK coverage is nice for bare feet and offers plenty of grip. The bow is wide and flat, making it ideal for casting topwater lures or softbaits (or simply for having a break from your pesky fishing mates!). Rod holders aren’t hard to come by and can be found in the rocket launcher, along the gunwales, in the centre of the transom, and (for the inboard model) on the removable baitboard.

The plumbed livie tank in the transom comes as standard and fits enough mackerel or small kahawai for a solid day of livebaiting, and the Maxwell winch takes care of anchoring duties. There’s switching at the edge of the hardtop by the cockpit for various pumps and cockpit accessories – handy when you have a rod in hand or are covered in fishy stuff! 

The helm-station fishing tech includes a Simrad NSO Evo 3 multifunction display and a thru-hull transducer (that provides a very clear sounder reading when under way) as standard. The Simrad offers excellent functionality and integration with the Mercury engines and can be paired with some serious tech including the Simrad S5100 sounder module (a high-performance CHIRP sonar module that features three fully independent sonar channels) and the Simrad Halo radar range (not only effective for safe navigation but also for finding workups with automatic bird mode). 

While we were fishing, the Rayglass crew told me about a recent 3000 build for a serious gamefisher who wanted to “tick all the boxes.” Fish should rightly fear this vessel that sports 19’ carbon fibre outriggers, electric reel outlets, integrated stainless steel tuna tubes, extra rod holders, dual 1kW thru-hull transducers, a Minn Kota Instinct trolling motor with 100” carbon fibre shaft, a removable leaning post on the bow for casting, and dual 70L chilly bins on the duckboard. A Mastervolt lithium battery package includes a 480Ah lithium house battery and three 100Ah 12v lithium batteries which charge off the engine and combine to make 36v. This enables the owner to go away for a week at a time while running the Minn Kota and other electronics. If that’s not enough, it’s also fitted with a Seakeeper 1 gyro stabiliser!

Did we catch anything, though? While we didn’t land any trophies, we accounted for countless respectable snapper and a decent kingie to demonstrate the fishability of the Rayglass 3000s. They also proved nice dive vessels, as we jumped into the drink and nabbed a trio of tasty crays for our seafood banquet at Smokehouse Bay. 

Comfort and entertaining

The tried-and-true layout of the 3000 is perfect for comfortable cruising and entertaining. The cabin benefits from the increased bow volume and offers great headroom, a spacious double v-berth, a decent-sized head with lockable door, and a fully appointed galley opposite with 50L electric fridge/freezer, hot and cold fresh water, sink and tapware, a twin hob gas cooker, plus shelving and storage.

The fully adjustable premium captain seats with soft rider pedestal suspension, flip-up bolsters, and foldable armrests are incredibly comfy, as are the seating options around the cockpit. The removable cockpit table provides the centrepiece for wining and dining al fresco, and Rayglass also offers optional seat configurations such as a sun lounger and fold-out cockpit seats port and starboard to enhance the experience. The 3000 is very generous on the cup holder front – an often overlooked but very important element for nautical folk. I counted a grand total of 10 in the cockpit and under the hardtop on the inboard variation, although the excellent stability at rest should ensure randomly placed drinks shouldn’t tip over, anyway! 

Additional ‘home’ comforts include a hot/cold freshwater stern shower, a Fusion sound system, a 12v socket, and USB ports. Rayglass can also install a 230v inverter to power standard appliances (espresso machine, anyone?).

Performance

Our two-day escapade to Great Barrier Island – covering well over 100 nautical miles and a variety of sea states – provided a true test for the pair of Legend 3000s. I mean, you can only gauge so much about a vessel on a half-day, fair-weather jog around the inner Hauraki Gulf, right?! 

Conditions for our passage over could be described as pretty typical for an October day in the outer Hauraki Gulf. A fresh breeze of 15-20 knots from the southwest delivered some moderate sea states, particularly with an opposing incoming tide through the Craddock Channel. True to the Rayglass billing, the hull length, fine entry, and chines combined to deliver a comfortable and dry ride with minimal pitching and rolling. Normally when you arrive at Port Fitzroy it’s a relief to get into the serene waters, but our crew was full of energy after the effortless trip over and we immediately set about hatching a fishing plan. 

The twin Mercury 225hp V6 outboard-rigged model blasts onto the plane and delivers exhilarating top-end speed, while the Mercury QSD 350hp 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel’s torque offers acceleration and speed not far behind. The marked differences were noise levels and fuel consumption. The Mercury four-stroke outboards are whisper quiet at idle and lower revs, whereas the diesel elicits a satisfying growl. At the higher end of the speed range, however, the decibels are similar on both options. The diesel model burns about 20% less fuel at cruise speeds and much less at trolling speeds of 7-8 knots. Nevertheless, the fuel economy remains very respectable for the petrol Mercs – around 2L of petrol per nautical mile (both engines combined) at 24 knots.

And now we come to my only reservation with the new 3000 model – the 320L fuel tank. For a modern overnighting 9.5m boat with lots of horsepower on the back, it seems a touch underdone. For example, while the diesel-powered vessel got back to Auckland with fuel to spare, the twin-outboard model needed to be refuelled at Great Barrier before our return leg to Auckland. For adventurous anglers who like to venture into seriously remote locations, Rayglass does offer a long-range 420L fuel tank option – the only drawback is the loss of some underfloor storage space. Of course, the diesel sterndrive option would have a much longer range if you were travelling at trolling speeds, anyway. 

In between fishing stints, I really enjoyed helming both models. The helming position is comfortable when sitting or standing, with good visibility and controls positioned in all the right places. With both boats featuring the Mercury Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) system, power steering, and Zipwake automated trim control, I must confess they didn’t require much work from the skipper! Thanks to the twin outboards and the Mercruiser Bravo 3 counter-rotating sternleg, low-speed grip and manoeuvrability are excellent, although bow thrusters are an optional extra to make docking even easier. 

All in all, the new Rayglass 3000 delivers a compelling mix of performance, comfort, and fishability seldom seen in a trailerboat. And let’s be honest, it’s simply hard to beat the ride of a well-designed fibreglass hull!

Specifications

- Words by Nick Jones

- Images by Nick Jones and Grant Blair