A tough, practical, spacious fishing rig with that touch of class   OVERVIEW - This new product from International Marine in Victoria has people-power written all over it. Why build a 2300 when you have the Reef Runner 21 and the Caribbean 2400, both very popular boats. Simple. You demanded it. As a result of customer feedback passed on direct to the guys at Head Office at Scoresby in Melbourne, plus through Caribbean agencies such as Perth’s Mansfield Marine, the designers got to work to come up with a blue-ocean fishing rig that was towable with no restrictions, as long as you have a good sized 4WD. ...

Caribbean's new 27 Flybridge promise to better cater for the budget-conscious boater It was one of those déjà vu moments. There I was floating in the middle of Botany Bay, big bombers winging it overhead to Mascot Airport, rare wading birds from Siberia splodging about in the mud at the Towra wetlands, fishermen drifting nonchalantly across the steely surface in their knockabout tinnies, as Kurnell, the birthplace of the Australian nation, looks on like a forgotten friend in the distance. But you know the really familiar thing? It was the boat underfoot, a surefooted Caribbean flybridge cruiser supplied by Sylvania Marina, one ...

TEST REVIEW: CARIBBEAN REEF RUNNER  The Caribbean Boats brand, sold in this country under the International Marine Pty Ltd banner, has been around Australia for so long that it’s easy to forget it owes its heritage to American designs of the ’70s. But just as we have adopted General Motors Holden as our own, Caribbean has morphed into an Aussie icon. Its boats have a no-nonsense, tough and practical appeal — and the hardtop Reef Runner on test here is no exception. International Marine manufactures a range of boats up to 49ft in its Scoresby (Vic) factory and it has a network ...

The flagship of the range, the Caribbean 49 follows in the footsteps and footprint of her predecessor, the 47, upon which she is modelled. Only the hull and cockpit have been extended, leading to a huge outdoor play-station for anglers, cruising clans and those who covet fresh air while on the water. The supersized cockpit  — at 170ft² or 15.8m² it’s the largest on any boat in her class, boasts Caribbean — will appeal to the WA boating set, which is known for extending the cockpit on conventional production cruisers. Hardly surprising, then, that the first three 49s have headed west. Meantime, the ...

New 35 with tweaks is the best one yet HIGHS Tried-and-tested performance Excellent sea keeping and safety Proven solid-glass construction Big cockpit with improved mouldings Remodelled flybridge with greater room Very good fit and finish Strong resale value Established dealerships and servicing Australian-made for local conditions   LOWS The drum or sound reverberation at trolling speeds Could do with trim tabs for countering crew imbalance and cross winds Noisy electric head Flipside of a few cockpit hatches could be better finished OVERVIEW - The legendary 35 becomes more family friendly The new Caribbean 35 has wet-track form, more sea miles under its hull than any other Australian-made cruiser, almost 40 years of continual production history. But unlike the 750-plus ...