Trade-A-Boat — 490 2017

W

ith more than 30

years’ success in

boat manufacturing

reflected in more

than 50 ‘Best of’

awards at New Zealand boat shows,

Rayglass Boats is enjoying growing

demand for its purpose-built Legend-

badged boats.

While the local market is strong,

there’s also demand from offshore for

its Protector range, including the likes

of the US Coast Guard and European

police forces.

Rayglass boats also appear at the

America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton

Trophy as on-water umpiring vessels,

so it is hardly surprising that Rayglass

stands proudly at the forefront of

boating in New Zealand.

THE LEGEND

In 2015 the big 2800 won the GRP

Fishing Boat Open, a tough school to

win accolades in, and then scooped the

biggest prize of all, the coveted Boat

of the Show – Overall Winner at the

Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show.

At 8.7m long, this is probably

the biggest legally transportable

trailerboat on the road, meeting

the maximum trailer width of 2.5m

with micrometer accuracy while still

maintaining its delicious lines.

On its trailer in the showroom the

Legend 2800 is impressive, if a little

daunting, dominating the view like

nothing else. I had a good clamber

around, opening everything and

checking out the head and galley areas

for working space. It’s great to do this

before you’re bouncing about in a

seaway, and ergonomically everything

falls well to hand with impressive and

friendly elbow room.

FISHING LEGEND

Although this 2800 is configured

primarily as a big weekender, she is

a seriously capable fishing platform.

There is storage galore under seats,

under bunks, in the transom and

underfloor, while rodholders in the

side walls of the gunwales provide safe

stowage for quality rods and reels away

from weather and salt spray.

The self-draining cockpit is damn

near as big as your average dancefloor.

There are great fishing stations on the

outer boarding platform, where an

Icey-Tek esky can be housed on the

rear engine coaming, and a baitboard

can be mounted off the duckboard if

more fishing space is required.

In the transom is a livebait tank with

lid, and you’ll find a basin and hose-

down tap sitting snugly inside a lidded

compartment opposite.

The battery switches live inside the

engine box that ingeniously forms

part of the transom moulding, with

minimal intrusion into the cockpit.

The engine hatch folds down and

lies flat on the deck when you need

access to the fuel filters or engine.

Clipped with four cam hinges it sits

snugly against the transom leaving the

dancefloor uncluttered. Immediately

48 trade aboat.com.au