The conditions during the first test of the Fi-Glass Warrior were bad enough to make any sensible skipper reconsider. The boat went out anyway, and what followed was put on the record:
"We should not have ventured beyond the Westhaven Marina breakwater, but pushed on under the Auckland Harbour Bridge and into the upper-harbour. It was tough going and a case of picking our way through the worst of the seas. The boats, however, handled the conditions well, shouldering aside the worst of the seas in a predictable and comforting way."
That 2006 test was only the beginning. Between 2006 and 2013, the Fi-Glass Warrior featured in these pages on another four occasions, a run of coverage that reflects the model's enduring popularity and the steady stream of reader interest it generated. When a boat keeps selling and people keep asking questions about it, it stays relevant, and the Warrior did exactly that.
At 6.4 metres overall, the Warrior occupies a size bracket that continues to make sense for New Zealand conditions and lifestyles. Watching the river traffic from Whangamatā makes this obvious: boats of roughly that length pass by constantly, and it is not hard to understand why. They are large enough to take the family out comfortably, yet straightforward enough to launch and retrieve without drama.
The hull is a deep-vee planing design, with a fine entry forward and planing strakes to support performance across a range of speeds. Back in 2006, the outboard fitted was modest by current standards, but even so the Warrior climbed onto the plane cleanly, with minimal bow rise and no need for constant trim adjustment to find a settled running attitude. When later reviews were carried out with heavier four-stroke outboards, the running angle and steering feel recorded were much the same.
In turns, the hull tracks without fuss and holds its line when waves arrive at an angle rather than head-on. During the harbour test, threading a careful path through the rougher patches of chop, the Warrior stayed predictable throughout.
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The Fi-Glass Warrior still features on Fi-Glass' website today, and the layout has changed little across the years. The cockpit is open and functional, with working space given priority over fixed furniture. The cabin offers usable vee berths and dry storage, and a forward hatch makes anchor handling straightforward. These are practical boats built to be used.
For anyone weighing up a mid-sized trailer boat, the archive of Warrior tests provides a useful reference point. If the opportunity to drive one on the water comes up, it is worth taking.
Fi-Glass Warrior specifications
LOA: 6.4m
Beam: approx. 2.3m
Hull type: deep vee planing hull
Fuel capacity: 140L
Capacity: up to seven people
Fi-Glass Warrior reviews
