Anyone live in Gore? Who's into boats!

[Swoop]

...small enough for me to manage on my own

Really? I thought that would be a bit of a challenge launching that with only one person?

A yacht would give me alot more for the money but I've been there and done that, I like the convenience of having it on my driveway sat on a trailer ready to go (costing nothing) rather than sat on a mooring sometimes for weeks at a time and having all the hassle of going and getting it and bringing it back for the whanau to board.

Yes. I hear where you are coming from on that one.
Nice once up-up-and away, but a bugger to get everything aboard unless on a marina (and being bled dry)!

Best of luck with the negotiations!!!

[Crisis management]

I hope you know your boat handling...thats a big boat for single handing but do-able as long as you are proficient and launch off a ramp with a dock attached.
My suggestions are to contact Rayglass in Auckland and pick their brains about the boat, I don't know the new sales manager but you can always ask for Tony Henbrow (the owner) and he may be able to talk to you.
Buying...agree a price subject to your inspection and on water test....you aren't going to lay out that much without a test are you! Hint, bloody big hint!!!
I had a 225 on my 620 and that was overpowered but it's probably a tonne (or more) lighter than the 6.9 but i would check what the 6.9's are rated for and what motor size is best suited to them, my 225 would consume 25 litres an hour at cruise and you don't want to know how much at 50 knots!

Last bit, how you going to tow it?

Good luck.

[Kiwi Graham:Me]

I hope you know your boat handling...thats a big boat for single handing but do-able as long as you are proficient and launch off a ramp with a dock attached.
My suggestions are to contact Rayglass in Auckland and pick their brains about the boat, I don't know the new sales manager but you can always ask for Tony Henbrow (the owner) and he may be able to talk to you.
Buying...agree a price subject to your inspection and on water test....you aren't going to lay out that much without a test are you! Hint, bloody big hint!!!
I had a 225 on my 620 and that was overpowered but it's probably a tonne (or more) lighter than the 6.9 but i would check what the 6.9's are rated for and what motor size is best suited to them, my 225 would consume 25 litres an hour at cruise and you don't want to know how much at 50 knots!

Last bit, how you going to tow it?

Good luck.

All good advise.

Have agreed price subject to sea trial, Only try and launch of a concrete ramp with a pontoon and have done it before with a bigger boat on my own in the past. Ive bored the pants of Tony and others at Rayglass about the 690 and this boat in particular. The dealer I'm buying from is a Rayglass dealers too. Its rated upto 300hp and the cost of feeding all that HP is a price I'm happy to pay.......untill it hits $2.20/ltr again!!
Oh and tow with a series 100 landcruiser 4.2 turbo charged ltrs

It cost fukinnear $1000 to get across & back cook strait with a 8mtr trailer FFS!!!!!

[Crisis management]

Sounds like you've got it covered then, you've certainly been talking to all the people I would and as long as you know the boat type well, then the rest is only finding a good one.
My comments were because I was a bit unsure about how well the 225 would get that out of the hole and whether it would be working too hard when the boats fully loaded, you know, when there's 300 kgs of fuel, 100 kgs of water, 200kgs of food & stuff and 500kgs of people on board!
Good luck with the purchase and may fuel prices stay low!