At the end of week #8 and the cabin exterior, fly bridge and cabin bulkheads have been installed. Interior stairs down to the forward cabin and cabin floor plates are fitted. Almost all interior welding has been completed.
Now into week #3 and the hull plating is being fitted. We can now clearly see the asymmetric hull shape as the 6 mm bottom plate and 5 mm side plating is tacked into place. Engine girders have been fitted and fully welded. With the twin 286 Steyr engines and Q-SPD surface drives this boat should achieve 35 knots top speed. [click the links for more information on engines and drives].
We are in to week 1 of this build and yesterday had the Buddhist blessing ceremony for the boat. According to local Thai tradition this will ensure a smooth build process with safety for the workers. I guess that they feel happy in their hearts after each ceremony and to date all of our alloy builds have gone relatively smoothly with no work related accidents. This vessel will be powered by 286 HP Steyr inboard diesels coupled to Q-SPD surface drives…
This 30′ monohull came as a hull only design from Specmar Design USA and we built the superstructure from scratch, no plan or cut parts. The brief was for a vessel to handle passengers or loads of copra so the aft cover is removable and breaks down into single parts which can be easily stored in the shelves built into the hull sides. A full walk-around cabin was required so to maximize cabin space and keep passengers and odors outside…
Due to its’ somewhat awkward dimensions for shipping and the fact that we had to wait a considerable time for the shipping agent to come up with an 80cm high MAFI trailer the ferry loading was somewhat delayed. However, the vessel has now been commissioned in Brisbane, Australia with twin Yamaha 300 HP engines installed.
This project has suffered some delays, however, completion date is getting nearer and we will shortly start to build the shipping cradle. The hull and superstructure has been rotary buffed as the boat is not being painted. Many small practicable additions have been made to the base design for ease of servicing in the future and we think the boat looks great!
All fabrication apart from handrails and a few small jobs is now complete and full welding of superstructure will be finished next week. The bow ramp, side door, stairs to upper deck and deck hatches fit well with the look and purpose of this vessel.
Now into week 11 work on the ferry for Pumpkin Island in Australia is progressing smoothly. Full welding of hull and decks is complete and fabrication of the superstructure and upper deck is well underway.Windows and doors have been ordered and should arrive by the end of this month. Engines for this boat will be fitted in Australia so sea trials will also be done there.