Big Boat Review – Senator 13.5m Offshore Custom

The boat review this month is a departure from the usual ‘Trailerboat Trial’, but the 13.5m launch Ai Toa Lua, built by Senator Boats, is also a departure from the norm.

Wayne McKinley’s Napier-based Senator Boats is a well-established builder known for its range of aluminium pontoon and monohull trailerboats – but the company also turns its hand to larger craft. A 17m cat is currently in build, and the most recent large craft to hit the water is the 13.5m flybridge cruiser Ai Toa Lua, built for local business- man David Smith.

The owner is not scared to embrace new ideas, and the latest boat is very much a showcase for some interesting designs and the latest in engine drives and electronic technology, packaged up as an elegant, but practical fishing craft.

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