Wow!  Smoooth as butter

cac wrote on Feb 28^th, 2020 at 8:57pm:


If you can watch the video on FB you will see just how soft riding these boats can be, even with the bow trimmed up a bit they just don't slam down hard.

The 6.3mt kiwi Kraft was an awesome boat, I have no experience with the newer models, but the one we had was a very much lighter boat than this 7.5mt Osprey.

The Osprey is a much heavier and stronger built boat which equals a much better riding hull when things get unpleasant regardless of  its 23 degree deadrise at the transom with the reverse chine pontoons that help.

I have never experienced such a soft riding hull as this Osprey, Most trailer boats particularly Ally ones all  have a tendency for harsh wave impacts, not this Osprey, mind you its around 2 tonne of boat and motor  which probably needs a wee bit more HP than similar sized but lighter boats, the 300HP G2 Evinrude is an exceptional engine for power , torque and fuel economy. BRP have outstripped all other brands and the world wide reviews and tests done with their peers consistently show their superiority.

cac wrote on Feb 28^th, 2020 at 10:40pm:



Yes, agree 100%  the Kiwi kraft was the best out of those other brands. 

The osprey guys are awesome and very accommodating, They allowed us to make heaps of alterations to suit our fishing requirements and of course their Boats are built to Survey.
They can organize a day for you to go out in one or two of their boats so you can see for your self just how good they are.

Their client base is mostly Commercial which speaks volumes, especially when  these operators keep going back to Osprey and are getting more of their boats added to their fleet. We talked heaps to Rakiura charters who work the Sea between Stewart island and Bluff, they  couldnt say enough about their Ospreys.
Check them out and the Osprey owners group, I have not found one bad comment about them since we began the research process over two years ago.

Got-ya wrote on May 31^st, 2020 at 5:06pm:



Very nice boats.

Rugerman wrote on Jun 3^rd, 2020 at 3:01pm:


yes she can be a treacherous bar.  The best time to cross is certainly not on a quick outgoing tide, and even more so if there has been  some rain inland over the last few days, as this really pushes some water out to meet the sea head on.
You will notice these waves are not moving inwards, but just standing up as the outgoing water meets the sea, often the turbulent water is filled with air bubbles and boats do not float on air which is why they can look unexpectedly lower in the water than usual.

This crossing was on a calm day at sea with very little swell, but it was on a higher tide that was ebbing at its peak flow rate.
If there had been any sort of  swell at sea and if there had been a fresh in the river (rain water from inland) the crossing would have been put on hold for a few hours.

Yeah Ice there was a heap of water in the river and the tide was about 2 hours before low. Maybe 2-2.5m swell running. I would not go out again in those conditions again, but I sure learnt how the boat could cope in that scenario

Rugerman wrote on Jun 7^th, 2020 at 9:58pm:


I think many boats in capable hands are safe and care is taken. But when engines stop without warning whilst crossing, poor decisions or lack of boating skills,  or a boats underpowered things go wrong.
Crossing a bar with an outgoing tide is certainly not a good decision in marginal conditions when just a few hours spent a bit further out to sea can be life saving. I advise all boaties to purchase a drogue so you can at least keep the bow pointing in to the sea if broken down.