Boat maker riding the export wave

By ROBIN BAILEY

Two men with skills honed at the drawing board, the boatyard and the marketplace have formed a boatbuilding partnership for a new assault on the export market.

They are Ian Waters, the man behind Wavecrusher Power Cruisers in Warkworth, and Paul Goddard, from Aquapro in West Auckland. They have teamed to join the Wavecrusher hull shape to the proven Aquapro inflatable topside. The result is the Aquapro 665 Wavecrusher, already attracting local and export orders with only the prototype in the water.

As the first production version of the Wavecrusher hull form, the venture will mean international recognition for a design that has proven itself over many years.

The Wavecrusher story starts at Katikati in 1967, with Waters building his unique boats in wood. After three years he moved to Hamilton, continuing to build one-off boats under the banner of Waterways Boats.

By then the labour-intensive, cold-moulded plywood technique was becoming uneconomic as boatbuilding in GRP was dominating the market. In a move to Auckland in 1973, Waters took a production supervisory role with Jim Young Marine, building the Vindex product range.

This association lasted 10 years, until Waters and his wife Pat started Noblecraft, making Vindex boats. Noblecraft developed the Vindex 350, 375 and 470, a successful operation that lasted until 1991, when Waters decided to revert to production in GRP of his Wavecrusher hull design.

He explains: "I had long realised there was a need for a production boat that was sea-kindly and user-friendly. My design is a development of the hull form of a particular Second World War PT boat. The entry was completely redesigned from the traditional shape forward by using a concave each side of the V, this time over the full hull length.

"Those PT boats created a hollow section, but kept the chines narrow, which made for a very wet boat. By determining the optimum point of entry and beam it proved possible to create a shape that gives the lift necessary.

"The design improves the conventional V by turning the water downwards rather than pushing it out, meaning a much softer, drier ride in most conditions. The boat maintains excellent hull speed in any sea. The bigger the sea, the better the ride."

Sounds straightforward and it is. The design has been proved time and again with a rack of Boat Show awards and many water tests. Since 1991, 32 Wavecrushers have been built at the Warkworth yard, ranging from 9m to 18m, with bigger versions on the way.

The best advertisement for the boats can be gauged by the number of owners trading up to a bigger and better Wavecrusher. One, Tokoroa engineer Dave Cochrane, started with a 950 Wavecrusher, moved to the 1040 series and was so impressed that he had a design created that became what is now the Offshore 2000 Series 1300 Sportfisher.

Now he's gone further. He keeps an eye on the construction of an 18m version of the Offshore 2000 design now nearing completion in the Warkworth yard.

His story: "I have a sailing background, starting with a trimaran I built myself and sailed out of Tauranga and Whitianga. I also did a but of blue-water stuff and some fairly serious racing. So when I decided on a powerboat I did a lot of shopping around and test-driving before choosing the Wavecrusher. The quality and finish of my first boat impressed me, but it was the performance that really got me hooked.

"Now, I need a boat that has the excellent sea-keeping and handling qualities of my Wavecrushers. But in this one I want to be able to cruise the South Pacific, even ship it piggyback to Europe or the Mediterranean. I'm looking for a mini super-yacht."

The builder vows that is what he will get.

"This boat is being finished with all the quality of the best of the mega-yachts here for the America's Cup," says Waters. It will be at home anywhere in the world. It is all timber, with American silver ash and teak trim. There are three private cabins with toilets and showers, and the owner's cabin has a full en suite."

Launching will take place early in the New Year. The Aquapro joint venture is an added endorsement of the Wavecrusher hull. Says Paul Goddard: We looked at it because after having used both Tristram and Rayglass hulls, we felt it was time to link with a manufacturer who could give us a range of boats and wasn't in competition with his own operation.

"Wavecrusher was the logical answer. Ian had the design, but hadn't been able to do anything with it in volume production. We have been building our own RIBs here for years using various hulls, and the Wavecrusher is outstanding. It is the softest-riding hull I have experienced."

Aquapro has the Wavecrusher 665 in production and is completing the design of a moulded top cabin that will fit both the 665 and 720 models. Depending on the power plant selected, the company will retail the 665 in the $55,000 to $59,000price range. The 720 will be around $65,000.

Both the open and cabin versions of the Aquapro Wavecrusher will be launched on the lucrative North American market at the Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles boat shows in January and February. Waters and Goddard are confident, geared to produce whatever volume the market wants.

E-mail rbailey@ihug.co.nz