Alloy Starcraft Plate Dive/crab Boat- 8.3 Mtrs Includes Integral Full Width Pod

HiUp for auction here is a old school Star Alloy plate Dive/Crab boat.This particular boat was a registered commercial dive boat from WA and one of the first made by StarThese boats have some very good pedigree. A bit of history on Star boats for those who want to know about them.-----( cut and pasted ) Star boats were based on initial designs by a fairly famous naval architect Hermann Boro.Designed on the lines of the Canadian offshore alloy fishing boats.John Rothwell owned an engineering company in WA and he purposely set up to make alloy boats rather than fibreglass.He went on to become the driving force behind Austal. The results of his convictions are only too apparent. Austal Limited started with $200 thousand and five people. Today, it employs more than 1,800 personnel, is capitalised at $153 million and operates four international brands, with a current contract order book of over $455 million.At age 24 he founded a small structural engineering business.

This became the platform for Star Boats, a boat building company, launched in response to demand from supportive family and friends in 1972“The strong and light boat quickly found a market in the Australian cray fishing industry,” says Rothwell. “In our first year, we built 29 boats, and this gave us what we needed to expand nationally.”By the time he sold the business to the Quintex Group in 1984, then partly owned by Christopher Skase, Star Boats had three operating facilities in Australia, two in Western Australia and one in Queensland. Rothwell identified China as the next big market for high-speed ferries and with four ex-Star Boat employees set up Austal Ships.“Star Boats and the decision to build strong aluminium hulls was a matter of opportunity rather than planning. It was a hobby that I turned into a business. But it created the time needed to develop the vision and strategy to create the fast ferry business,” says Rothwell.“We were a young group.

Apart from me, the oldest in the team was 28. The youngest was 24. We had very little capital. Only two of us were able to underwrite our ownership.“Our objective and the reason for the structure we chose was to build and sell high speed, aluminium passenger catamarans to the world market with the initial focus on China.”High ambitions were met by solid interest. Negotiations with the Chinese Government took 11 days and a contract was signed for a 40-metre ferry for approximately $4 million US dollars.This boat is 8.3 mtrs LOA including the integral dive ingress/egress pod.There is an alloy swing down ladder which comes with the boat but is not shown as is the 32 mm alloy piping for fabrication for the gunnel railings and bow rail.The boat is integrally and structurally awesomeBeam is 2.5 mtrs.Freeboard is very generous as can be seen in picture number 9Photo 4 shows the very large sub floor fuel tankPhotos 1, 2 and 3 show the hull after being sodablasted then primed with 3 coats of 2 pack epoxy marine primerPhoto 6 shows a small section of damage on the starboard side just below the gunnels which can be quite easily repaired by replating.Photos 7 and 8 show the very substantial sub floor framing-you dont get that these days !!

Photo 10 shows the pod strength Photo number 5 shows a couple of 200 hp 2 stroke Mercruisers with approx 320 hours each which I planned on fitting but have decided not to as some may want to fit a single 250-300 hp and or 4 stroke motors.They are available to sell if someone wants some good low hour 2 strokes. I also have 2 x225 VX XXL shaft Yamahas ( ex Dept of Fisheries Queensland so serviced well ) available with 600 hours ( matched pair )These were to be fitted to a 26 ft Cougar Cat soon but I have also decided against fitting these to the cat for the same reasons.Will be first in best dressed on either of these pairs of motors. The hull is currently now sitting on a large heavy duty 9.5 mtr dual axle galvanized FELK boat trailer. This trailer fits to the boat like a glove and has fore and aft rails either side containing it.This trailer is simply a haul out/ launch trailer. It is not and has never been registered although it is in as new condition.It could be registered with a little work.We will upload a current photo the trailer soonThe trailer is NOT included in this auction but if required we will consider selling to the new owner if necessary.Boat is located at Woy Woy on the Central Coast, NSW.

Listing price is reserve. Will not reply to lowball timewasters. Inspections are welcomed but only by appointment.All items we are selling are within a 24 hour electronically gated industrial complex.Please call Sharon on phone during business hours for any inquiries or further information.The owner is currently unable to attend on site inspections due to an accident.Part of an extensive sell off of Marine/Industrial/ Commercial and Domestic items commencing soon prior to retirement. Items are also listed on other sites and can be removed at any time if sold prior.