Buccaneer vs Haineshunter.
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: General Forums
Forum Name: The Boat Shed
Forum Description: Discuss all things boating.
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27320
Printed Date: 29 May 2026 at 7:24am
Topic: Buccaneer vs Haineshunter.
Posted By: GAZRAE
Subject: Buccaneer vs Haineshunter.
Date Posted: 25 Feb 2008 at 1:01pm
| Hi guys, thinking of getting a bigger boat. narrowed it down to a buccaneer 605 escape or haineshunter sf600. Would appreciate any comments on these boats.eg is one a dryer boat than the other? ,softer riding ,any niggly faults.thanks. |
Replies:
Posted By: otter
Date Posted: 25 Feb 2008 at 1:07pm
| I went for the buccaneer 550 clasic wide body very dry ride stable at anchor ( and drift anchor) boat does have trim tabs witch are a big help for stable comftable ride with uneven people on board. But very happy if you look at the second hand market both brands do quite well so it comes down to personal preference a bit like holden and ford |
Posted By: wetdream
Date Posted: 25 Feb 2008 at 1:26pm
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Never been on the Buccaneer, but they do look like they are build well, as for the 600SF have been on those in 25kts gusting 35 to the back of the Mere and back and I was well impressed with the ride, very dry and very soft riding for any boat in those conditions IMO. I think the 600SF like all Haines are pretty basic compaired with the later model Buccaneers, Haines still don't have f-glass inersoles and some of the flash bits of the other Glass boats but thats part of the attraction I spos. Like said above, both these boats are proven to stand the test and both have good reasale, this one will more than likely come down to who gives you the best service when it comes time to buy. If you are buying new go see Lionel at Miler Moyes you won't get a nicer guy to deal with, he may even have a second hand one he can put his hands on you never know....... ------------- Like us on: facebook/stanleysigns.com |
Posted By: Goneburger
Date Posted: 25 Feb 2008 at 8:37pm
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Wetdream is on the money. I've owned a HH SF 535 and reckon was the best boat in it's class and size I've ever ridden in but have also owned a 605 Escape and they are really magic boats as well. In fact, probably one of the best hulls Buccaneer have made in terms of stability, ride, storage and all round usablility. Very dry and very soft rider. At the end of the day though, there's probably not much between a HH SF600 and the Bucc 605 Escape other than personal preference of look, finish and interior layout/storage/design. Both boats would be top performers and hold their value very well. |
Posted By: GAZRAE
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2008 at 11:26am
Thanks for the feedback guys, I like both boats ,the buccaneer seems to be a bit more modern in the layout compared to the haines which just may be the decideing factor.
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Posted By: El_Robbo
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2008 at 8:02pm
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Yep. I agree gazrae. Having the glass liner in my billfisher is bliss just hose everything out. I looked at SF600 /650 etc when I bought my boat. Decided that the haines layout wasn't very fisher friendly for gamefishing. Some of the gunwales can be a little high and they tend to have strange sticky out things in the transom that just take up room and make it further to reach around the motor. But go look in Orams and you will see a bludy lot of em so resale will be grand and that many buyers can't be wrong. |
Posted By: Waihime
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2022 at 5:25pm
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An old post I know, but as I own a Buccaneer 605 and have recently been out for a days fishing on a HH SF600 I thought others might find my opinion useful. Both boats have 150 4 stroke motors. The Buccaneer is definitely a nicer finished boat and as far as cleaning is more practical than the HH. Things like Seadeck flooring, waterproof uhpolstery in the cabin, no carpet up the sides in the cockpit to me make the Buccaneer more practical for fishing. The dash layout was nicer in the Buccaneer plus the added strength of the inner fibreglass liner on the Buccaneer, which I understand is a more modern and stronger way of building glass boats now compared to the older design of the HH. The bait board on the HH was useless and the outboard hit it when it was fully tilted up.. The HH houses the batteries in compartments off the floor where the Buccaneer has them on the floor which I don’t like, however that allows the buccaneer to have a live bait tank and sink which the HH doesn’t. Personally I’d rather not have the tank and sink and have batteries up off the floor. Stability at rest I think is identical. Lastly the ride. I have to admit the HH beats the Buccaneer. It didn’t matter which direction we went in the swells, the HH out performs the Buccaneer in every way. Not by a huge margin and the Buccaneer is still a great riding boat, but the Haines definitely is better. “The Secret Is In The Ride” - Haines motto is certainly bang on the money. However the differences in the two boats would not be enough to swing you one way or another but if I was buying again I’d be seriously thinking about switching to the HH just for the ride. It would be a tough decision between the two. They are both great boats. I hope others find this useful |
Posted By: Reel Deal
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2022 at 8:45pm
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Waihime it’s great to get such a summary from someone who has experienced both. 👍 appreciate the review ! ------------- The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2022 at 9:32am
I thought others might find my opinion useful. Excellent and practical objective assessment. I Havnt been a fan of the smaller Buccaneers (or rayglass) under the 6m compare to other hulls.. eg HH, SN in short and bigger chop etc. Been in the 635.. maybe because bit more heavy, thu still not up with the HH. Been looking around for 6m hull for a while for west coast and slightly longer water line than currently have...and more deck/fishing space currently have. Also considering alloy, later (thicker plate) fryans and ramco. Whatever will also be well powered for the bar. |
Posted By: Waihime
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2022 at 6:39pm
| I understand the HH SF600 is no longer in production and has been replaced with a new model SF635. I read a not too old report on this boat and apparently the build process using an inner hull liner has been used on this model and the ride is a significant improvement on the old SF600. That would make it one awesome boat in my book. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2022 at 6:50pm
Check out Barmaid Steps, s good as you will get for the money. ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Steps wrote:Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2022 at 8:39am
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Check out Barmaid ???? |
Posted By: Schampy
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2022 at 4:05pm
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Buccaneers etc just seem too pretty to be used as a serious fishing and diving boat. Im well aware that they do though. All that soft upholstery, fake walnut dash, and glossy gel coat everywhere-just seems like a shame to chuck spear guns and weight belts in it. Let alone bleed out a king on the floor.
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Posted By: Troutzilla
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2022 at 6:31pm
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Schampy I have a Buccanneer now having moved from an ali centre console and totally agree. First serious fishing trip resulted in a treble stuck in the upholstery, a large blood stain in the carpet and the anchor light getting knocked off its pole by a stray stickbait  Anyway they are beaut boats and the missus loves it! ------------- It aint no use if it aint chartreuse! |
Posted By: OneWayTraffic
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2022 at 11:56am
| That's why my plywood epoxy glass build will have very little bling and flash upholstery. Painted wooden benches may not look as nice, but will last. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2022 at 4:24pm
I'm the same, I just couldn't treat a pretty boat the way it deserves to be treated. I once guided a forum member across the Manukau bar and his boat was a pearler. For a tinny it was a very pretty boat and very well appointed Southern 646 from memory and it had enough power to even make Steps drool. But I kept visualising gaffs and game hooks going through the upholstery in the cockpit and pools of blood on the carpet. Lovely boat but not for me.  ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2022 at 7:17pm
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Hmmm I have carpets.. I have cloth, not vinyl side panels and cloth seats in the cabin. We seriously fish, bait, into the carpets blood goes everywhere definately no care when out there.. all about hooks in the water forget the rest. Yep last drop the washdown pump comes out, get most. Get home, while motor runs in the tank , unload. Then big foam up with super cheap GT 18 in a gone in 30 sec hose clip on sprayer... 2 /3 mins most. Usually next day, another foam up, then good blast down with hose.. outside, inside, carpets everything.. No brush , no scrubbing...and everything clean as.. Son had a rayglass , same thing as buccaneers except on steroids when comes to add on BS ... same thing.. clean down minimal, easy no scrub and quick.. No more than a washdown on an alloy hull. Very good acquaintance had a buccaneer 635 for yrs .. lot diving weekends away used at least every week maybe more...again routine in the clean down nps |
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2022 at 7:38pm
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Son had a rayglass , same thing as buccaneers except on steroids I wouldn’t call a rayglass a buccaneer on steroids, I’ve been out on both many times and I by far prefer the buccaneer. The 6.0 buccaneer is an iconic boat in NZ in my opinion. |
Posted By: Apex Predator
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2022 at 10:47am
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I owned a HH SF650 Great boat, a bit dated, 23 deg V so performed really well but a bit tippy at rest. The biggest problem I had with it was the amount of water that came through the transom walk through into the boat at rest in a sloppy sea, especially if there was a heavy person standing in that corner, so I sold that boat after a year and bought a Buccaneer 720. My Billfisher was a truely great boat and outperformed the HH in every respect. So much easier to clean up with the internal fibreglass liner and deck. They have scuppers so any water that does get in drains overboard. A feature of the hull design that I particularly like is the ski plank along the keel, similar deadrise to the HH but a lot more fuel efficient. I owned that boat for 8 years and would buy another one tomorrow if I was looking for a fibreglass boat in that size range. A friend of mine had a HH 720 when I had my Buccaneer and that boat performed just as well as the Billfisher but was a lot thirstier, carpet on the cockpit floor etc, only had 200l fuel tank compared to 350.
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Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2022 at 12:55pm
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