What Pål Solli and Goldfish won't tell you.

The models we track

An overview of the models covered on this site, with the most frequently reported problem areas per model. See the register for case details.

Goldfish 43 Ocean

Hull #006 · Listed as model year 2024 · Currently for sale on FINN.no

• The boat was in use during the summers of 2023 and 2024 — strictly speaking, this makes it a 2023 model
• Both engines suffered total failure (seized) — one in August 2024 and one in September 2024
• One engine was replaced; the other was repaired
• The factory-rated output of the Mercury engines is not sufficient to bring the boat onto plane and up to speed
• To compensate, Goldfish has re-tuned the engines beyond Mercury's original factory specification
• In the owner's assessment, this tuning is the direct cause of both engine failures — and the replacement and repaired engines remain exposed to the same risk
• The engines produce heavy soot, consistent with running beyond factory specification
• Actual top speed is approximately 59–60 knots — not the 65 knots stated in the listing
• The boat must be driven in circles in order to get onto plane and reach top speed

Goldfish 40 Supersport

Hull #004 · Delivered new May 2026 · Twin Mercury Racing 400

• Used for only a few hours, exclusively in the Oslofjord in calm to moderate sea conditions
• Major structural damage to the hull — both internal and external — at the step strake and stern, including delamination, sustained in moderate seas
• The boat was declared a total loss at the end of May 2026, within weeks of delivery
• In the owner's assessment, this points to a fundamental design flaw: the hull structure is under-dimensioned for the boat's performance envelope
• Open question to the manufacturer: are Goldfish hulls reviewed or certified by any independent external expert? The owner has found no indication that they are
• Goldfish builds extreme performance boats capable of well over 100 knots; in the owner's view, a hull that fails structurally in moderate seas represents a safety risk at these speeds
• Historical context: a test pilot died in 2010 during trials of Goldfish's 36-ft RIB, the 40's predecessor; the official investigation attributed that accident to a high-speed turning manoeuvre, not a structural failure
• The owner's position: Goldfish should consider withdrawing the 40 Supersport from the market pending an independent structural review

Goldfish 43 Ocean

Hull #011 · Twin Marinediesel 550 hp · M6 stern drives

• In use during the summer of 2025
• Six separate, independent engine failures, plus 21 other manufacturing quality faults — electrical and otherwise — between late May and August 2025; during this period the boat sat idle at Goldfish for four weeks for repairs:
• Turbocharger failure
• Repeated failures of the cooling system
• Salt water leak in the engine room — both engines were submerged in salt water
• Diesel heater failure
• Limited functionality in the integration between the engines, the M6 stern drives, the chartplotter and the helm
• To the owner's knowledge, this is the only boat in the world combining Marinediesel engines with M6 stern drives — a one-off configuration that severely limits serviceability and access to parts and expertise

Documented cases

Every case is logged with model, model year and status. Cases are marked as resolved once the manufacturer or a yard has confirmed a fix.

"Drive it as hard as you like"

Why this site exists

Goldfish is one of the smallest RIB manufacturers in Europe, delivering roughly 5–25 boats per year. Each boat is a low-volume, high-performance product sold at a premium price.

Across the three boats documented on this site — three hulls, three seasons — the owner has experienced two total engine failures, a structural hull failure resulting in a total loss within weeks of delivery, six engine failures and 21 other manufacturing faults on a single boat. In the owner's view, this failure rate is impossible to reconcile with the price point and the safety demands of boats built for extreme speed.

For context: at least five people have died in accidents involving Goldfish boats — a test pilot in 2010, three people in 2011, and one in 2019 (the latter two accidents involving the same Goldfish 29 hull). Official investigations attributed these accidents to high-speed manoeuvres and found no technical faults with the boats. They are noted here for one reason: boats in this performance class leave no margin for manufacturing defects.

Submit your experience

Do you own a boat from Goldfish Boat with quality issues? Send us the details. The better the documentation, the stronger the case.