There is an old saying that goes something like, "always compare apples with apples," and it is never more appropriate than when applied to the latest model to come out of Hamilton marine manufacturer Buccaneer Boats.
Unafraid of the 'import' syndrome (he maintains that if it wasn't for them, the NZ buyer wouldn't have the standard of local boats we enjoyed today), and preferring to get on and do his own job properly, managing director Gerry Gerrand decided it still wouldn't do any harm two years ago to take a look at the world's premier boat show in Chicago, just to see what the others were up to - what the trends were.
Catching his eye - the only concept to do so and, really, the only styling he could see a future for back in New Zealand - was a big, high-sided dual-console model. Something along those lines would appeal to most New Zealanders, he thought.
Readers will note I steered clear, on the insistence of Gerrand, of referring to the 635 Esprite model as a bowrider, for it is totally different in layout and concept from what New Zealanders are accustomed to in the way of for'ard layout in this configuration.
So where therefore the 'apples' comparison starts to become obvious is in designer Gerrand's finished product; different from anything else available here, it also is several boats wrapped up into one.

It is a bowrider concept, but the room up front is akin to a launch with the top off, a full-length boat. It is a sport-fisher layout too, with equal room in the cockpit, and it has glitz and glitter but also practicality in the helm area.
But probably its most important attribute of all, because the underwater hull shape is based on the tried and proven 2008 Buccaneer model, it's genuine bluewater capabilities, it is a go-anywhere, anytime, any conditions boat.
The hull and mechanicals.
The hull of the 635 is built in just two moulds; the hull itself, and the deck and cockpit mould which, considering the concept and the configuration, is an absolute work of art. How all the lockers and bends and twists pop out of the mould is anyone's guess.
The Esprite Dual-Console is 6.77 metres in overall length, the hull length is 6.35 metres, the beam is 2.42 metres and the cocpit space is- well - virtually the whole length of the interior; huge !! Displacement is 925kg and the towing weight is a very respectable 1530 kg.
Construction is GRP gun-stocked, with hand-laid 24oz woven roving throughout, weighed to ensure consistency. Integral strength is courtesy of an underfloor grid system of tanalised timber bracing and girders, complemented further by foam sprayed throughout the two buoyancy chambers. Standard on all Buccaneer models, this foam quells hull noise, stiffens it immensely, and also provides the obvious positive flotation- they are virtually unsinkable.

End-grain balsa is used to further strengthen the cockpit floor and 9mm Klegecell and coremat strengthen other areas like the deck.
Recommended power for the 635 is from 115hp though to 200hp - Gerrand's own personal boat, which he prefers to spec and power at the top end of the scale in order to show just what is available, is a 200hp 200FETO 2596cc V6 Saltwater Series Yamaha outboard mounted on what is effectively a 150mm fibreglass bracket on the transom. With maximum revs of 5500rpm and running a 21in stainless steel propeller, the GPS showed a speed of 47 knots.
The steering is SeaStar hydraulic, and the remote controls and instrumentation are standard Yamaha. Also on the dash of the Esprite is the BEP panel for, amongst other things, the bilge pump, washdown pump, lighting, Apelco GPS, depth sounder and VHF,
Maxxima stereo, and the compass.
There is provision for a capstan besidethe bollard on the bowsprit, but surprisingly this example, with all its refinements, does not run one. Gerrand obviously believes in the 'Armstrong' method.

Layout
With its 21.7 degree vee at the transom, and generous beam that is carried well for'ard to give more room as well as buoyancy to the front section, the passenger-carrying potential is quite staggering - five adults up front, three in the king and queen seating at the consoles, and four on the bench seating across the back in front of the portofino.
With the practicality of the layout goes Gerrand's obvious emphasis on the lines of the boat. Slightly less in height on the topsides than its overseas counterparts, items such as the rocket launcher, canopy, and the compound-curved windscreen (the first production vessel in NZ to feature a windscreen curved both across and up and down are kept low and in proportion to greatly enhance the vessel's image of sleekness,despite its bulk in the sides.
Access for visitors is onto the portion pods each side of the Yamaha Mooring cleats, hand-grips, a telescopic boarding ladder on the starboard-side pod, and a ski pole framework in front of the engine complement the impact of this area.
Through the step-through transom into the big cockpit, and perhaps the fast noticeable point is the lack of gear about the boat, even though we had loaded a fair amount on (Gerry loves to fish).

Storage is in fact one of the biggest features about the Buccaneer. Rod racks recessed into each side of the vessel, lockers in the portofino, in each of the consoles, in the huge rod/dive bottle/water ski locker ahead of the 250 litre underfloor fuel tank, a wet locker/tote tank storage locker under the seats in front of the portofino, and more storage under the front seats in the for'ard seating area, hides all your junk.
If you are a diver, it would not be exaggeration to say you could take at least 12 dive bottles with you and still have room for other gear aboard as well - a brilliant feature of this vessel.
The helm area, as I have already eluded, is a work of art. Not all the flashy toys you would never use as long as your bottom points south, but necessary items that are all at your fingertips - user-friendly even down to the moulded recesses for the footrests in each of the consoles. The stainless steel helm wheel, and the personalised Buccaneer logos about here and the rest of the boat, are especially nice touches.
The colour coordinated upholstery and seating is very well done, up-market but again very practical also, and the non-skid floor area of the cockpit is covered with a domed carpet. For the fishing minded, the coaming tops are teak covered for protection, with of course a serious number of rod holders spread throughout the vessel, and there is a fish locker moulded into the floor on the starboard side for all the fish caught. No need to mess the boat with fish scales.
On the bow, the moulded bowsprit houses generous-sized anchor locker which is easily accessed by kneeling on the front part of the wrap-around seating arrangement.
Okay, we've seen enough, let's go boating!

The ride
Sit your bottom in the seat and immediately it fits - everything is indeed in the right place, and there is good visibility without having to stand; of course the seating position is designed around this owner and is not the usual seating arrangement found in a standard Buccaneer.
The 200hp engine is more than adequate for a boat this size, and fair rockets the Esprite up onto the plane. The first thing you then notice is the quietness of the rig. The Yamaha is quiet anyway, but the noise from the hull is virtually non-existent, and actually takes away a lot of the sensation of speed. The other point of note, once we get out into the chop of the harbour is rhe softness of the ride. Gritting my teeth in expectation of a decent bang over some of the waves, there is nothing. Again I think the underfloor foam adds somewhat to the feeling of almost false security as far as speed and performance are concerned, deadening the sound effects; but the fact that it did not leap around confirmed it was doing the job right.
Even though between the two consoles was open to the elements, there was no wind rushing up your kilt here, further adding to the lack of sensation of speed on the water.
The hull is responsive to trim; you can trim it in and out of a porpoise situation - and does it ever put the brakes on when trimmed right in! At 38 knots at 4400rpm, the dials drop back to 4200rpm and 33 knots. Fitted with trim tabs, I got the distant impression while going into and across the sea at three-quarters that you would never need them other than if the load was uneven from side to side. Otherwise, the engine trim does all that is expected of it.

In a wide turn I put her into, the speed and revs stayed constant at 4500rpm and 39 knots, illustrating the efficiency of the hull. Usually boats will scrub some speed off, but not the 635.
Down to one of the most spectacular bays in the gulf, at Garden Cove, it was time to take some piccies, have a leisurely lunch, then let ourselves loose on the fish of the ocean. Sorry team, but I have to report than even with a couple of self-confessed experts like us, along with Gerrand's commercial fisherman son Wade, we never even got a bite, let alone a fish.
With the fishing bad and wind rising in ferocity, we decided to face the elements and head for home. Poking our noses around the corner and into the full intensity, I have to say I wasn't overly looking forward to the ride home. I must be getting soft in my old age.
Anyway, I needn't have worried. Sitting on about 27-28 knots, the Buccaneer handled the one-metre -plus seas with ease. A compliment to the underhull shape was the realisation at the end of the trip back from the bottom end of Waiheke, including the passage through the infamously choppy Motuihe Channel, that not once had the hull leaped out of the water, only once had it banged with any consequence, and only once did water splash onto the front screen.

I have to make the comment that it is one of the best handling hulls in choppy blue water I have had the pleasure of riding aboard.
Once back into the calmer waters of the inner harbour region, we were able to stretch the 635 right out and managed a top speed, on the GPS, of just on 47 knots. As I stated, power to burn; but in a bluewater boat, believe me, it is far better to have too much power than for the rig to be underpowered and struggling over the seas. If you have a vessel that is comfortable for skipper as well as passengers, then why not travel at a reasonable and safe speed, rather then having to tiptoe home?

Conclusion
Gerry Gerrand describes the 635 as a genuine bluewater boat, unashamedly designed for users of the Hauraki Gulf and the like, where it often comes up rough while out at a far-off island- and for the America's Cup. He sees many of his clients way out at sea following the yachts around, not having to worry if it comes up rough, secure in the knowledge that if it does they will always get back home safely.
The 635 appointed well for this owner's passion for fishing, is not a big boat in dimensions, nor is it a heavy boat when towing, but the handling abilities and generally solid feel about the vessel gives you the impression you are in a seven or eight-metre vessel that is bullet-proof.

Specifications
Boat Type: Trailerable dual console sport boat
Designer: Gerry Gerrand
Builder: Buccaneer Boats
Construction: GRP
LOA: 6.765m
Hull length: 6.325m
Beam: 2.420m
Usable cockpit area: Full interior length
Deadrise Aft: 21.7 degrees
Displacement: 925kg
Rec. Power: 115-200hp
Top Speed: 47 knots
Cruising Speed: 35-40 knots
Fuel Capacity: 250 litres
Towing weight: 1530kg
Boat supplied by: Buccaneer Boats.
Engine
Make: Yamaha
Model: 200FETO
Horsepower: 200hp
Cubic Capacity: 2596cc
Max. RPM: 5500rpm
Weight:
Propeller: Yamaha 21 in Stainless Steel.