Nothing succeeds like Exess

The Buccaneer 685 Exess. Photo / Supplied.

Hamilton-based boatbuilder Gerry Gerrand has been building trailer powerboats for the best part of 40 years. In that time, he has consistently produced models that have found favour with boaties from all over the country.

Spend a summer cruising favourite holiday haunts and, whether in the Bay of Islands, the Coromandel, the central lakes or Nelson's Golden Bay, one of the most common sights you will encounter is a Buccaneer trailer boat.

It is therefore something of a big call to say that Gerrand's latest offering, the new 685 Exess, is his best to date. Yet in making that claim I am not alone. Propeller magazine's Barry Thompson, who has been writing about such things for even longer than Gerrand has been making boats, has no doubts.

After being on board every boat that Buccaneer have released in the last four decades (and having owned a fair few of them), Thompson not only believes the 685 Exess is Buccaneer's best, he also writes, in the just released October/November issue of Propeller, that he can't think of a better hardtop boat or one of a similar size that he would rate higher than the Exess 685.

The 685 has gained other accolades, too. Almost immediately after its release, it won the independently judged Boat of the Show: All Purpose 6-7 Metres Award at this year's Hutchwilco Boat Show. In that most important of contests, the market, the 685 has fared rather well, too. In the three months since its launch (and not the most buoyant three months in history, either), eight have been ordered.

So what is it that makes this latest Buccaneer so good? The short answer is a lot of little things. In this, the fifth member of the Exess family, Gerrand has incorporated several features from the popular flagship Buccaneer 735 and cleverly done so in a substantially smaller package.

The hull is derived from the 735 Exess and its sistership, the Billfisher, but 500mm has been taken off the transom and the sheer has also been lowered forward. To achieve a headroom clearance of 2.3m under the hardtop on the shorter waterline, the cockpit sole has been lowered by 760mm (compared with the 735).

The forward screens are from the 735 but, addressing one of the few complaints I had about the earlier models, sliding side windows have been added. There is also the option of adding a sliding sunroof. A windscreen wiper on the driver's side is standard, with a second one on the passenger side optional.

The hardtop, although retaining some of the shape of the 650 and 735 Billfishers, is new. It is lighter and, most importantly, looks like it is meant to be there (often no easy feat on a boat of this size).

The interior is pretty much a blend of the boats on either side of the 685 in the Exess range. From the forward cockpit bulkhead through to the bow and including the cabin, everything is almost identical to the 635 (although room in the cabin has been increased by 75mm); from the bulkhead back to the transom, it is all 735. In fact the cockpit is only 30mm shorter than a 735's and the layout is identical. Even better, there are improvements in the side shelves with a new liner and space for longer rods.

Although the 685 is clearly a day boat, provision has been made for overnighting. The lockable cabin contains twin 2.1-metre berths and an infill converts these to a large double. A chemical toilet under the centre forward squab is standard and owners can choose to upgrade to an electric head.

One of the reasons Gerrand has been so successful for so long is his willingness to adapt to changing trends. A good example is the redesigned dash, specially configured to take the increasingly popular MFD (multi-function display) style of electronics. In this case, a screen up to 14in will still leave room for trim tab controls, a panel for the windlass, engine displays, a VHF and all the rest.

Another nice touch is the addition of a handy lower shelf, ideal for keys, cellphones, sunglasses and the like.

In the cockpit, the back-to-back seating units are based on separate moulds, with the port unit designed to accommodate an optional 40-litre Engel fridge. Both contain massive storage areas and there's even plenty of space for dive bottles.

For those keen on their fishing, there is a large wet locker under the cockpit sole, the port transom has a kill/bait tank and the starboard storage locker has a wash down pump or fresh water rose. There is also room for a holding tank or fresh water tank and there is a central bait station, too.

For those interested in such things, Buccaneer now uses virtually no timber in their construction with Gerrand preferring a full internal fibreglass liner with fibreglass top-hat section stringers and girders under the sole. There is also a strong focus on weight with the 685, complete with 200 litres of fuel, having a trailerable weight of around 2300kg.

The 685 Exess is rated to 250hp although it also performs well with quite a lot less power. The test boat, fitted with a Yamaha 200hp AETX 3.3 litre 4-stroke outboard and running a 17" three blade stainless prop, boasts a top speed of just under 40 knots.

While the 685 Exess will probably be bought by those keen on their fishing and diving it also seamlessly doubles as a family day boat. What's more, use the option list to add extras such as a shower and this 6.85 metre trailer boat makes a pretty good weekender, too.

Buccaneer 685 Exess

LOA: 6.85m

Beam: 2.48m

Deadrise: 22.5 deg

Construction: GRP

Engine capacity: 175hp-250hp

Trailerable weight: 2300kg

Price: $138,090

Want to know more?Check out Barry Thompson's 685 Exess boat test in the October/November issue of Propeller magazine also available online.