Aluminium Boats Australia News

Brisbane-based shipbuilders Aluminium Boats Australia Pty Ltd has been placed into voluntary administration after a shipyard fire in August has set the company toward financial instability. The fire, which occurred at the company’s Hemmant dockyard 11 weeks ago, started on board a Royal Australian Navy patrol boat undergoing maintenance at the yard, and subsequently destroyed the vessel. Though an investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing, and an insurance claim has been lodged, the builder said the incident has made voluntary administration necessary.

Armidale Class Patrol Boat HMAS Bundaberg suffered significant damage due to a fire which occurred on Monday, August 11, 2014 in Brisbane. The boat was undergoing routine maintenance at the Aluminium Boats Australia commercial facility when the fire started. Since then, an environmental assessment of the site has been completed, allowing officials access to conduct a structural safety assessment. Once the safety assessment is completed, a full assessment of the extent of damage can then be undertaken. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The future employment of the vessel is uncertain.

The Armidale Class Patrol Boat, HMAS Bundaberg, has suffered extensive damage following Monday’s fire in Brisbane while undergoing routine maintenance at Aluminium Boats Australia (ABA). The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service was quickly in attendance to deal with the incident. The intensity of the fire and difficulty of access was such that the fire was not extinguished until around 5pm. Early indications are that the fire started in the forward part of vessel and made it to the aft section, causing extensive damage throughout.

Inter-Island Boats who operate under the Cat Coco’s brand have placed an order with Aluminium Boats Australia  for a One2three designed 35m catamaran, for use on their ferry runs between Male, Praslin and La Digue islands. One2three have optimised the hull to suit the additional passengers and cargo resulting in significant fuel savings over their existing fleet. The new hull has a shape that is also suitable for the offshore nature of the route, and it will be fitted with a Humphree interceptor ride control system to further enhance the sea keeping and passenger comfort.

Aluminum Boats Australia’s (ABA) latest vessel, for Chinese Owners, was launched at a ceremony at the shipyard on Thursday 23 September. The vessel was named Carrie by Miss Madeline Whitewood, daughter of ABA’s Roy and Karen Whitewood. Also present for the traditional breaking of a champagne bottle on the bow of the vessel was Pan Hengli, Vice President, Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Ltd, the Hon. Paul Lucas, Queensland Deputy Premier and Queensland government’s Special Trade Representative to China, the Hon. Steve Bredhauer.

Aluminium Boats Australia (ABA) announced that General Manager Stuart Pascoe won the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Leaders of Innovation 2010 award. Selected for his individual ability to enable innovation and create commercial value, Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman announced Stuart as winner of the award for the product innovation category. In 2009 Aluminium Boats Australia delivered the first of its Eco Jet waterbus catamarans to Transit Systems for operation around the south Moreton Bay islands. Eco Jet concept that ABA is now building its fifth vessel for the customer.

Bass & Flinders Cruise’s first charter boat was (65 ft) was powered by Cat 3208 marine engines and has since logged over 20,000 hours. When it came time to select the engines to power Ocean Dreaming II Bass & Fliners turned to Caterpillar again. “After consultation with One2Three Naval Architects and the builder, Aluminium Boats Australia,” chief executive Richard Ford Ford noted, “we settled on twin 12-cylinder, 1,044 bkW, Cat C32 diesel engines primarily due to our combined experience – us with our original Bass & Flinders and One2Three and Aluminium Boats Australia’s previous four or five Cat-powered vessels.” www.marine.cat.com

Aluminum Boats Australia (ABA) has broken into the Asian market with an order for a passenger ferry for Chinese owners. The vessel is designed as a catamaran platform for crew transfer operations in Papua New Guinea. With capacity for 52 passengers plus 2 crew the 19 metre craft will operate at a service speed of 22 knots with a full load deadweight of 6.95 tonnes. ABA International Sales Manager Justin Merrigan commented, “The entire ABA team is delighted to win this important order from China.

Aluminium Boats Australia (ABA) has delivered its latest high speed ferry, a 98.4 ft catamaran designed by Sydney-based One2three Naval Architects. Sunferries of Townsville, Queensland, accepted delivery of the Fantome Cat from the Brisbane builder on 26 March. Fantome Cat is a near sistership to Palm Cat, and takes the total number of ABA-built vessels in its fleet to two and the number of One2three designed vessels in the Sunferries fleet to four. Delivered a full two months ahead of schedule due to operator requirements, the Fantome Cat is a real example of understanding the needs of the customer explained Roy Whitewood, director and founder of ABA. The new catamaran is well appointed, being built with improvements adopted through the operational experience gained with Palm Cat.

Incat Crowther was selected to design a 78.7 ft. Catamaran Dinner Cruise Boat for the Sydney Harbor operator, VC Cruises. The vessel will be a low speed catamaran capable of carrying 400 passengers at a service speed of 10 knots fully loaded. The main deck cabin will contain loose seating for approx 176 passengers in various configurations to suit the desired function. The main cabin will also incorporate a fully stocked bar, food servery, DJ booth and dance floor plus a removable raised stage. A fully equipped galley and cool room has been arranged in the port hull capable of providing food service for the full compliment of 400 passengers.