Surtees Boats Surtees 550 Bowrider

The Surtees Boats Surtees 550 Bowrider is a mid-size bowrider built in welded and pressed marine-grade aluminium by Surtees Boats of New Zealand, a builder trading since 1980s. On our measurements it works out at roughly 18 ft 1 in (5.50 m) of hull with a beam near 7 ft 10 in (2.38 m), which places it squarely in the trailerable family bowrider class: one vehicle, one trailer, one afternoon of prep, and the boat is in the water. New Zealand plate alloy builder with a ballast system and a fearsome offshore reputation.

Layout is classic bowrider and that is the whole point of the boat. Twin lounges run forward of the windscreen with a walk-through to the anchor well, the helm and companion seats sit amidships behind a wrap screen, and a full-width lounge spans the transom for sunbathing and socialising. Around 9 people fit aboard comfortably in sheltered water. Cushions lift out, backrests fold and filler pads convert the cockpit from a conversation pit into one long sun bed in a couple of minutes.

On the water the Surtees 550 Bowrider is easy to like because nothing about it is demanding. Trim it out, settle into a mid-throttle cruise and it holds course with a finger on the wheel. Turns are progressive rather than sharp, wake crossings are soft, and the boat is forgiving of an inexperienced driver — an underrated quality in a family bowrider.

Power is a 115-175 hp four-stroke outboard package, and that suits both the hull and the way these boats are used. Keeping the machinery outside the hull frees up stern storage, simplifies servicing and removes the bellows and gimbal wear items that punish neglected stern drive boats. It also lifts the swim platform clear of the exhaust.

Watersports are well covered. A tow point is standard on almost every boat in this class, and Surtees Boats owners regularly add a pylon or a folding tower for wakeboarding. A healthy outboard package pulls a slalom skier out of the water cleanly and tows children on an inflatable biscuit all day without protest. Skis, ropes and vests live in the under-floor and under-seat lockers so nothing sits underfoot while the boat is loaded.

Anglers do well out of the Surtees 550 Bowrider. The bow converts to a casting deck once the cushions are stowed, there is room to swing a rod without hitting the screen, and lockers swallow tackle, nets and a cooler. It is not a dedicated fishing boat, but it catches fish and it still takes the family out the next morning — which is the entire argument for owning a bowrider.

Build and finish sit where you would expect for a premium boat from New Zealand. Surtees builds heavy plate aluminium boats in Whakatane, New Zealand, for some of the most demanding water on earth — open Pacific swell, exposed bar crossings and long offshore runs. The hulls are known for a fine entry, high deadrise and a manually controlled flooding ballast chamber that lets the skipper settle the boat low and rock-steady when drifting or fishing, then drain it for planing. That combination makes a Surtees notably more comfortable at rest than most alloy boats, which directly benefits families using the boat for swimming and diving. Bowrider and sports configurations sit alongside the better-known hardtops and centre consoles, with plate thicknesses, welding standards and transom construction well beyond recreational norms. Fit-out is practical and robust rather than luxurious, and boats are usually specified to order with the buyer's choice of seating, storage and power. Surtees holds value exceptionally well in New Zealand and Australia, and the brand has a genuinely devoted owner community.

Options worth having on the Surtees 550 Bowrider are the practical ones: a bimini for shade, a decent bow and cockpit cover so the upholstery survives being stored outside, an upgraded sounder if you fish, and a stereo package that can be heard over the engine. Aluminium hulls also reward a good trailer with proper skids, because the plating marks more easily than fibreglass on a poorly set-up trailer.

As a used buy, check the same things you would on any bowrider in this size band: transom firmness, stringer and floor soundness, hours and service history on the engine, steering and trim function, and the state of the upholstery seams, which are the first thing to fail on a boat that lives uncovered. Boats from this builder hold their money well, so a tidy example will not be cheap, and that is usually a sign you are buying the right one.

Our price guide for the Surtees 550 Bowrider is US$48,000 - US$64,000 new, which moves with engine choice, trailer, tower and how recently the boat was refreshed. Judged as a whole, it does what people buy a bowrider for: cruise, tow, swim, fish and entertain in one boat, without asking the family to compromise on any of them. Surtees Boats has been refining that formula since 1980s, and the Surtees 550 Bowrider is a straightforward, well-judged expression of it.