This is our latest factory-built Ripple project for a customer from Queensland. Built from the Duflex foam kit it was kept as light as possible. The owner requested some personalised extras such as an in-built fuel tank under the Port forward seat with deck filler, fore and aft tow fittings, large beach wheels, davit lift fittings, gunnel fender strip and composite rod holders. For more information about this design check out the Ripple page
The standard Spirited 380 design has proven itself as a fast performer however this owner wanted to go next level! You may remember this project that began with the design phase and then the engineering and building of the carbon mast and boom. This Spirited 380 was originally built by Stallion Marine and then bought by the existing owner. It all started with the owner wanting to replace the sails but it didn't stop there, he then approached us to design the larger rig. The boat is fitted with an 18.2m carbon wing mast, custom carbon boom and racing sails incorporating a sizable 'flat top' on the main. The owner gave us this feedback:
"Been on the water for 12mths now and it is all working well. Makes a surprising amount of boat-speed and is really nicely balanced. Reefing is easy… for most conditions short of a gale, we just furl the headsail and sail on the main... easily controllable and it sails really well on main alone."
You may remember this Ripple which was sea-trialled in raw Duflex! Since then the owner has spent a lot of effort fitting this little boat out. There is storage below the helm seat, hydraulic steering, an anchor locker, bilge pump and even nav lights! The engine is a 15hp Mercury with electric start and tilt! All that's missing is the espresso machine! This would have to be the most elaborate fit-out of the smaller sized Ripple's so far.
Congrats go to the owner who has done a great job on the finish!
There is a Youtube video clip of the boat underway for anyone interested: click here
Chris Downing has been enjoying the last few months cruising the East Coast since his departure from
Port Stephens in July. His Spirited 380 Tasha was fitted with a brand new set of North sails for the trip.
Chris recounts some highlights from his trip below:
"My brother Andrew, brother in-law Chris and myself sailed non-stop from Soldiers Point to the Gold Coast in 53 hrs. I don’t think this is any kind of record but it sounds good.
Then my mother Bev, step father Mike, Andrew and myself motored through the GC Seaway to Manly (zero wind).
Andrew and I sailed from Manly to Rosslyn Bay (Yeppon) where Andrew jumped ship. Then its was just me to the Whitsundays.
I’ve had friends visiting and have Andrew, his wife Elizabeth, son Lachlan and myself to sailing back from the Whitsundays to Rosslyn Bay.
Then its myself again (I’m hoping my father Frank will join me) back to Manly where she will have a marina berth at the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club (MBTBC) Marina.
Had mixture of very light to strong (0-25) SW - SE most of the way. Top speed was 16 kts.
A couple of times we averaged 12 kts over several hours.
Tasha has performed very well (overtook several yachts/cats sailing north) and easy as to sail single handed.."
Tasha is now up for sale for anyone wanting a beautifully finished example of this design. Please contact us for further details.
Check out the latest video of the stunning sailing grounds of New Caledonia and also how this design handles the long passages. Roam is now in Fiji so we can't wait to see some footage of this iconic cruising destination.
Apart from a few 4.2m Ripple's this is the first of the smaller models to be built using Duflex balsa. The reason being is that the builder is planning to build his larger live-aboard catamaran from the same product so a perfect way to practice!
We will bring you more about this project as it progresses...
Check out the new video from the Roam crew with footage of the crossing to Middleton Reef!! With water so clear Roam appears to be floating! Click on the image below to view.
The Spirited 480 is featured on the cover of the latest edition of the Australian Multihull World Magazine with comprehensive article coverage within. The feature includes support from contributing key suppliers such as Harken, Allyacht Spars and Lombardini. There is also updates of the Roam crew's adventures and more detailed information on the design. For anyone who hasn't read the article this can be viewed in our Press area of our website, click on the image below to view:
The Roam crew called into Port Stephens for a visit while they were waiting for a weather window for their leg to NZ. It was a great opportunity to catch up with the crew before their exciting adventure into the Pacific.
This Canadian builder is making progress with his Spirited 380. He is resin infusing his foam core panels on a laminating table and is very happy with the results. The savings he made on shipping the kit to Canada he has put into making his own panels. This is now an exciting option for the DIY 'infusion' enthusiast who has a keen interest in this cutting edge building process.
For more information about this option please contact us to find out more.
Roam has made headlines with an in-depth interview as well as an audio segment. The Hoult brothers share their journey to this point and also their dreams of adventure for the future.
'Siva' is a Spirited 380 launched in 2011 near Cairns Qld. The proud new owner, Michael Griffiths is on his way to the Whitsundays with his family and thought he would call in to say hello to us in Port Stephens. Michael has done some upgrades to Siva to streamline systems. Michael has owned several sailing cats prior but chose the Spirited 380 for its excellent sailing performance, and he hasn't been dissapointed. On the delivery trip from Mooloolabah to Sydney Siva never dropped under 10 knots average speed the entire trip. Home for Siva is Botany Bay south of Sydney.
We wish Michael and his family all the best on their trip North! See you on the way back!
Rick and Carol Thomas from South Australia launched their Spirited 380 named 'Zeus' on the 22nd of April. This boat was featured earlier in our news when Rick had just finished the painting.
Rick and Carol have done a beautiful job of finishing this boat with many compliments. 'Zeus' was built in 'the old fire shed' in the little sleepy beach town of Beachport SA. The project was started in July 2007 and was hull#14 to be produced. The rig and sails are next on the list to organize so we can all see this one sailing!
The Viper Cat has done initial sea trials with excellent results. The builder is very happy with the performance and handling with rigorous testing. The ride is very comfortable with good stability as expected from a catamaran design. The single 115hp outboard drives the design well with good top speeds.
We will bring you more news as it comes to hand from the builder...
We were delighted to get a call from Chris inviting us to go out on Tasha for the day. Chris has been doing the last jobs on the boat since the launch. He has been living on Tasha in Port Stephens where he started his new job shortly after the launch. The boat looks good and we were reminded of the very professional and tasteful job Chris did building Tasha, and it is kept in tip top condition.
We set off mid morning with very little wind, in fact we ended up having lunch in the middle of the bay absolutely glassed out with the sails up but doing nothing! After lunch we decided to motor across to Dutchies beach for a swim and a cold beer, while we waited for some wind. As it turned out the breeze picked up gradually as we headed back down the bay towards Soldiers Point where it eventually filled in to a steady 10 knots give or take. We had a nice work back from North Arm Cove with Tasha finding her groove and loving the conditions confirming her pedigree performance.
A big thank you to Chris for a wonderful day out on the water!
We have been following this boat's progress for a few weeks now and D-day is approaching. This is the first model in the "Viper Cat" range. We are waiting for the news of this boat's launch which should be any day now! These builders are gearing up for full production with at least two more larger models in the range. The boats will be available with various options and styles of finish.
This 5m centre console is powered by a 115hp four stroke outboard and is fully engineered to meet ISO standards.
For further information about this range please contact us.
Bush Spirit is now sailing and the owners are ecstatic. Unfortunately these are only on-board photos but you get the idea!! They had some comments for the day:
"We got out last weekend, with winds between 10 and 15 knots. At the end of the day when it was probably 15knots with about 0.75m of sea in Moreton Bay, the GPS said 11knots boat speed with a main and the jib up on a broad reach. We seemed to be passing every boat we encountered all day, even downwind!"
We'll keep working on the owners for some on-water shots of the boat!
This Spirited 230 is the very first boat sold, in fact the original owner/builder of this boat pitched the concept for the design to us and we designed it to suit his brief. In other words this design may have not existed without his input, and what a shame that would have been! The build was started in early 2008 and launched in May 2013. Shortly after this the boat was listed for sale with a local broker due to personal reasons, and the current owner bought the boat in May 2015 almost exactly 2 years after the launch. The new owners are delighted with the boat and sent this photo of the boat while on a trip to the Keppel Islands off Rockhampton where they live. They had this to say about their experience so far:
"All going really well with the boat, even though not been out since before Christmas. Before that we did have several magnificent short trips (three days at a time is enough) around the Keppels. The weather is fairly predictable here in the summer!"
The lines are bold and powerful, and now can be fully appreciated wearing the final paint finish. The engine will be installed next week along with decals to set it off. This prototype is the first of the new range of plate alloy production boats from this company marketed to recreational or professional fisherman, and also commercial applications such as water taxis. This no-nonsense power-cat is set to make an impression.
We will keep everyone up to speed with the imminent launch...
This builder has been steadily progressing in a little beach town called Beachport in South Australia. He is hoping to have the boat launched towards the end of the month. The painting is now done and looks amazing with equipment now being fitted - permanently! This will be number 26 to hit the water for this design and the excitement is building! The owner has promised some high quality photos of the big day as his son is a photographer with all the gear.
The very first Spirited 380 sold has been launched! This project was started in 2005 by the original owners from Belmont NSW in the shed behind their home. They put in an admirable effort for a few years until work took them away from home to WA where they ended up staying. The boat was relocated to Caves Beach where a local boatbuilder worked on it periodically until the project came to a standstill. The new owners Shane and Kate Simpson bought the boat in early 2015 and put a full work force on the project originally hoping to launch prior to Christmas 2015. Shane was very much hands on during the project and now knows every detail of his boat.
Named 'On site', this Spirited 380 was launched in the Swansea channel on Sunday the 28th of February. Although the weather was forecast to be wet and windy, the day was quite the opposite, sunny and still. Everything went very smoothly with the new owners christened the boat with a bottle of bubbly broken over the pulpit!
The rig and sails are on their way so we look forward to seeing 'On site' sailing Lake Macquarie very soon!
Congratulations to Shane and Kate on the launch of their beautiful Spirited 380!
We were contacted recently by the new owner of this Spirited 380 originally named "Bayerdere" hull #20 and launched in 2010. This boat was built by Seattle builder Jim Betts to a very high standard. This is the third owner from Boston and he is enjoying his boat now called 'Necessity' which hasn't seen a lot of use in its life so far. The owner is presently looking into building a Ripple tender to compliment his boat.
We will keep everyone informed of the movements of this boat...
One of our builders in Queensland sent through some photos of his 3.6m Ripple tender which was built from the Dufllex foam kit. This is the same design as the one we built for another client in Qld also built in Duflex foam. This is the widened version of the original 3.6m Ripple as per BSF, the plywood boat in Tassie.
This Ripple is fitted with an in-built fuel tank as well as a few optional extras. The owner couldn't wait and took the boat out for sea-trials unpainted! The raw Duflex boat looks quite unusual but at least he knows it will float!
We will return with more photos when the boat is fully finished...
This Duflex balsa built Spirited 230 is the first of this design to be launched in 2011. The owner has thoroughly enjoyed using his boat and regretfully is selling it to make way for yet another Spirited project! The boat presents as new and is ready to go with trailer and an array of gear.
For those who have been following this design with the interest in building one, this may save you some time!
Things are coming together for the Jones' as they see their Spirited 480 materialize before their eyes. The bridgedeck is up, the inner hull panels are fitted and the forebeam is in! Cause for celebration, this is always an exciting milestone in the assembly because you get to walk around your boat!
It's always nice to get positive feedback from customers, and this comment from Brian was very well received:
"This kit is amazing the way it fits together so well. Everyone that has helped has commented on how fast it goes together!
The design is just brilliant!!"
Below shows work done so far: forebeam installed, chamfer panels and curved decks fitted and some detail on the forestay chainplate fitting on the forebeam.
We mentioned this project earlier in our news, it is now fully welded and structurally complete. This builder is gearing up for production with this being the prototype. The kit made the process so much easier as these builders had limited alloy boatbuilding experience.
We will keep you informed as this project progresses...
The Roam crew have now completed a lap of their home island state of Tasmania! As usual you can follow the last leg of their trip by watching their latest online video. The stunning Tasmanian scenery is breath-taking, see as Roam explores remote river systems. When they said Roam they really meant it!
This can be viewed on their website or by following this link
Larissa has been living aboard Roam from the beginning and has shared some of her experiences of life on the water. Roam has almost completed her circumnavigation of Tasmania so now has done some serious miles. A very interesting read...
The Jones' have put in another stint and have the bulkheads in! From here on things really start to move so we look forward to seeing some really good photos coming soon...
Now for a bit of nostalgia, this is the very first Spirited 380 kit sold in 2005! We mentioned in an earlier post that this owner bought this boat after the original owners moved away from the area. It is now painted with most gear fitted and the interior has a few cosmetics left to go but the owner advises that he is planning to launch in early March. As is the norm at this stage there are tools and gear everywhere, wires and plumbing hanging out of holes, and missing hatches! The boat will call Lake Macquarie home while the new owners learn to sail their new Spirited 380.
Being local we hope to be there for the launch to bring you all news of this exciting day!
Mick fed through some more performance data gathered from Roam. For those interested follow the link to the new segment on the SailSurfRoam website: 'How does it sail'
Michael Hoult is enjoying the performance of his new Spirited 480 'Roam'. He sent through this screen shot of Roam on a reach doing close to wind speed under main and genoa. Imagine the speeds reached when he has his downwind sails!!
We'll keep everyone informed of any other performance data that comes through...
This father and son team have been chipping away at their project since early 2008. The launch was fast-tracked by the sale of the property where the boat was being built. This is the 22nd Spirited 380 launched mid 2014. We have been waiting for photos from the pre-ocupied owners since then! The boat was very light as you can see by how high she is floating! The owners are now sailing and love the way she sails, they report that nothing can come close to them when they are sailing and are extremely happy with the boat (yet to be named). This boat is fitted with electric propulsion to their own design and after a few initial bugs are very happy with the system.
We have been promised some more recent photos which we will share once received...
This design has been specifically designed for aluminium construction. This is the first of a new range of plate alloy production power cats by a Queensland builder. The kit has been refined to suit this medium with a high level of detail. Every detail has been CNC cut including hull drains, service routing, access hatches and all stiffeners. This centre console 5m cat is fully engineered to Iso standards and is rated for a 115hp single engine in a central engine pod.
We are looking forward to seeing this first one on the water and will bring everyone news of this event when it happens.
The Jones family are well into their Spirited 480 project and are starting to see some results. With the shed still being built this didn't stop them starting on the furniture in their garage at home a bit over 18 months ago. Finally at the beginning of last year the shed was ready enough to take delivery of the balance of their kit. Since then there has been plenty of progress as shown in the photos below. Most of the major components are ready for the main assembly. We can't wait to see what the coming weeks hold because they have got until Easter to work full time on their boat. The level of work is impressive for first-time builders. Although this is not entirely accurate because you may remember that these builders tested their skills on a 3.2m Ripple tender before committing to the "mothership"!
Denise had this to say about the experience so far:
"Joining the panels has been fun seeing our jigsaw pieces taking shape. Some are large and some are small with some weird shapes but it all makes sense when I understand the plans.
I am amazed at how simple it all is and once it comes together will be awesome! I look forward to seeing our bulkheads put in to place shortly and our new home taking shape.
I have a whole lot of new skills for my resume!"
We will keep you posted on the progress of this one...
Current stage above, hulls positioned and bridgedeck ready to be raised.
It's all happeneing! Furniture done, tick! Bulkheads done, tick! Bridgedeck done, big tick!!
Bridgedeck being turned with the use of the excavator, and the hulls being towed up the driveway!
We have been talking to Chris for the last couple of months about trying to organize a day out on his beautiful Spirited 380 'Tasha'. As it happened we spotted her out sailing on Port Stephens on New Years day! A rushed snap with the camera was all we got before she dissapeared from view. Chris has been sailing now regularly since stepping the rig in August last year. He has reported that the boat is very easy to handle on his own and he is loving his time aboard. Since launching the boat and moving to Port Stephens he has been a full time live-aboard.
We will bring you better photos when we finally go for a sail with Chris!
