Pacific PowerBoat Magazine - McLay 690HT Fishing Boat

"The main difference is that it is slightly wider, higher in the topsides and has a raised cockpit sole. This has allowed for a larger fuel tank up from 170 litres to 200 litres, an underfloor 'kill' tank and provision for a fresh water tank, plus still allowing for sufficient buoyancy. This would all have been impossible in the 680 as there would not have been enough buoyancy capacity retained under the sole.

These changes were very much customer driven, says McLay Boats MD, Steve McLay. While the 680 has been around in various versions for over ten years and has been our best seller it was time for a fresh new model.
However, in a sense the 690 has already been preceded by the 735S, a boat I tested last year. Big difference is the 735S is the inboard/stern drive version of the new 690, so just about everything from the cockpit forward is the same.

Under water the hull is very similar, albeit 80mm wider and the two pressed
strakes either side of the hull have been reduced by 50% in profile to provide a softer ride at speed. With the raised floor there is also an extra internal stringer either side of the 5mm hull and the weight has increased over the 680 by around 200kg.

Winner of the Aluminium Fishing Boat, 6 - 7 metres category, in the 2011 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat show, the McLay 690 Cruiser Hardtop is one of nine boats in the McLay Hardtop CruiserSeries, which ranges from the 6.1m 600 through to the 8.1m 775..."