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Stabi-Craft Newsletter
June 2007
Stabi-Craft To The Rescue
Stabi-Craft Marine is making waves among Australian search and rescue groups searching for new boats to help them carry out their life-saving work.
Three Stabi-Craft vessels are currently being built for Australian coastguard and emergency services with the 759 and 859 SC models increasingly being recognised as serious contenders for the job.
After four years of fundraising and research, the Safety Beach flotilla of the Australian Volunteer Coastguard eagerly took possession of a new 859 Super Cab in April.
Commander David Collins said the handling, manoeuvrability and stability of the 859 made it the ideal choice, especially considering the rough conditions encountered in Port Phillip and Bass Strait.
Already impressed by the 759 being used by other rescue organisations, David went out for a trip with Michael Rozakis, of MY Marine, Victoria, on his 859 and there was no turning back.
To meet survey requirements Stabi-Craft are adding a few extras including additional hand railing around the cabin and deck area, upgraded bollards, a life raft, tow post and extra thick side rubber for pulling boats alongside.
Meanwhile, Geoff Swanton, Brett Green Senior Coxswain, Inverloch State Emergency Service, Victoria, said after half a day trialling a Stabi-Craft 859 SC, crew members were “blown away” by what it could do.
“We put 4 or 5 of our most experienced people on it. Some were pretty sceptical to begin with having mostly driven dual hull boats. They were impressed by the boat’s stability, handling and riding capacity, especially its ability to handle bar conditions.
“We can get very big seas with swells up to 4 metres and fairly horrible conditions. Every year we lose boats on the bar – the Stabi-Craft just handled everything thrown at it.”
To make the boat even more suited to their emergency requirements, the Inverloch Unit has requested that the front deck be flattened turning the space into a more workable area.
“As a volunteer organisation we have a lot of new members getting trained up – the fact this boat is so “user-friendly” is a real bonus.”
Heaps of storage space for rescue equipment, which can be locked away securely when the boat is moored, and the fact the boat is easily transportable by trailer were also factors in the unit’s choice.
Michael’s Mornington Peninsula-based company, MY Marine, sold the boats, plus a 759 to Paynesville Coastguard.
Michael said Stabi-Craft are being recognised as a serious contender for search and rescue in Australia.
“Having recently crossed the Bass Strait myself in the Australian Offshore Challenge in a Stabi-Craft, I can honestly say I wouldn’t have felt safe in anything else,” Michael said.
In Safe Hands
When Tony Stama takes family and friends out fishing on his Stabi-Craft 589 Fish’r, he knows they will return home safely.
Firstly, the boat is named after his late father and fishing buddy, George.
“It’s nice to feel he is part of our Stabi – I know we are in safe hands.”
Secondly, after a year of playing on his boat, Tony knows that with common sense “George” can handle even the roughest of conditions.
Living in the seaside town of Mornington on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, Tony takes every opportunity to wet a line, often with his teenage sons Giorgio, 16, and James, 14.
“Our busiest time of the year is when the snapper are running between October and December – we practically live on the water. The annual snapper competition is huge here in Melbourne. The thrill to see your kids bringing up 6kg snapper is awesome.
“Two weeks after taking delivery of the Stabi from MY Marine, we were fishing for snapper one glorious morning and all of a sudden two 6ft blue sharks were sniffing around our berley trail – well, what a buzz to be out there with sharks up close to the boat – the kids just loved it, “ Tony said.
“We have just returned from Lakes Entrance, which is the largest lake system in eastern Victoria. It spills out into Bass Strait through a very dangerous sand bar. Every sand bar crossing must be treated with the utmost care and respect. But let me tell you this Stabi was unreal. Its bow just stayed up and bullied its way over the top of the breaking waves. There where larger glass boats that did not attempt it.
“We have been caught out in some rough stuff in the bay where it can turn very ugly in no time, but I know that with common sense the Stabi will get us home without any fuss.”
Fishing with family and friends is what boating is all about for Tony, whose kids also enjoy snorkelling and spear fishing. Having a tough aluminium alloy boat means everyone can enjoy themselves without having to be careful about damaging the boat.
“I don’t want to keep telling the kids to be careful and to watch the boat. She can take a banging.”
The Stabi 589 Fish’r was optioned with the transom door, full-length side rails, dive ladder and boarding platforms on both sides of the transom.
Tony said the team ay MY Marine were great ambassadors for Stabi-Craft who passed on their real enthusiasm for the boats.
“The 589 eats whatever the Bay dishes up. We have that common half to one metre chop that can make things bounce and bang in your normal tinnie. The Stabi just sits on top and tells the chop to get out of the way.
“I wouldn’t be out there in anything else – even my wife Faye likes coming out because she feels safe.”
Stabi-Craft Goes Where Others Fear To Tread
When Tom Corbishley heard some surfers and a kayaker were in trouble at Campbells Bay, near Oamaru, he didn’t think twice about jumping into his Stabi-Craft 533 and heading out to sea.
While other boats were reluctant to take to the 4.8 metre waves, Tom said he had every confidence in his Stabi-Craft, which stayed “strong and true” as it ploughed through the rough sea with ease.
“We were at the fishing club on a Sunday afternoon when someone came running in saying some surfers and a kayaker had been swept out to sea. My mate Rex Strong and I jumped into gear and launched the boat.”
The only other boat to venture out after Tom and Rex was another Stabi-Craft.
“The guys were in a rip and getting drawn out further and further. Just before we reached them some other surfers managed to get to them and help them back to shore.”
While all ended well for the surfers and kayaker, Tom developed a new found admiration for his boat.
“I have owned boats all my life. When I went to buy a new boat I wasn’t looking for a “tin tub” as such. But at Read Marine they showed me the Stabi 533 and I fell in love with it. Now I wouldn’t ever go past a Stabi-Craft and its reliability, floatability and safety factors.”
Tom is now looking at upgrading to a bigger version.
“Rex, who has a fibreglass boat, said he wouldn’t have taken his boat out in Campbell Bay that day.”
Another major feature, which Tom loves about his boat, is its ability to handle different conditions.
“I use it in the lakes for water skiing and out at sea. It is a great all round boat. I have got a five-year-old son who comes out to sea with me on it because I feel it really is so safe,” Tom said.
Conquering the Coast to Coast
Stabi-Craft Marine’s Australian sales manager Leeon Johnston ticked another thing off his “to do” list when he completed the gruelling Speights Coast-to-Coast multisport event this summer.
Despite battling a sore back during the six-hour kayak leg, Leeon finished the 243km race in 16 hours 23 minutes.
“It was all about the journey to the start line – the day was a bonus and the finish line a dream. I set the goal, I focused on it and I achieved it,” Leeon said.
“For me, taking part was really about completing the race in one day and achieving a goal.”
The Speights Coast to Coast crosses the South Island of New Zealand from Kumara Beach on the West Coast to Sumner Beach, in Christchurch, on the east coast and attracts hundreds of competitors from all over the world.
Competitors cycle 140km (three stages of 55km, 15km and 70km), run 36 km and kayak 67km of the grade two Waimakariri River through the Waimakariri Gorge.
While pleased with his efforts overall, it was the 36km mountain run across the Southern Alps that Leeon rated as a highlight of the race.
Despite being a physically exhausting event, Leeon’s challenge began with a mental battle.
“When I first thought about doing the event I sat there and contemplated all the reasons why I should not do it – like when would I have the time to train, I don’t know how to paddle a kayak, I don’t own a road bike, I travel a lot &,” he said.
“I made excuses to myself and talked myself out of it. Then I woke up one morning and said `bugger it’.
“In my life I have always taken responsibility for my actions and never made excuses or blamed others or the environment for holding me back – and the only thing holding me back from the Coast to Coast was myself.”
Leeon trained for nine months for the event, two to five hours a day, six days a week.
“I couldn’t have made the commitment without the huge support of my family who were great and Paul Adams, (Stabi-Craft Marine’s managing director) who was behind me 100 percent,” Leeon said.
In the end the 5am runs and late night training sessions (both at home in Nelson and in Australia while on business) paid off with Leeon feeling fit enough to actually enjoy the event.
“The high point for me was really just being there and taking part.”
The huge training commitment means Leeon isn’t planning to enter again next year but he hasn’t written off the idea of taking apart again in the future.
“I did it in 16 hours 23 minutes. It makes you think maybe you could do it again and get your time down somewhere around 13 hours!” he said.
But for 2007, Leeon is proud to say “mission complete”.
“Business is no different – set your targets, focus on them, achieve them. Nothing is impossible.”
Courses launched in the south
New two-day practical powerboating courses have been launched in the lower South Island and it’s not just the locals making the most of them.
Southland-based 46South Marine and Adventure Training has started running the RYA Powerboating Level Two courses at Stewart Island and on Central Otago lakes Wakatipu, Wanaka and Dunstan.
Until now only the theory-based Coastguard courses were available in the south, with the nearest on-the-water level two course in Picton.
Principal instructor Chris Musgrave said demand for the overnight Stewart Island course and the two-day lakes-based programme was growing rapidly with boaties as far afield as Auckland keen to head south.
Through his work with the Riverton Coastguard and as a commercial diver, Chris has huge experience of the southern waters he is now teaching in.
As Coastguard Boating Educations New Zealand Outstanding New Tutor of the Year on 2005 and Coastguard Skipper of the Year in 2006, Chris has proved he knows his stuff. Last year he also graduated from the prestigious Rigid Hulled Inflatable Operators Training School in Canada, where the swell rises above 9 metres.
While Chris now runs the whole range of Coastguard Boating Education theory and practical courses, including day skipper, marine radio, GPS and engine maintenance, it is the two-day Powerboating Level Two courses that are drawing Aucklanders south.
“With the Stewart Island course we leave from Riverton Harbour, head across Foveaux Strait and return to Bluff Harbour, which means clients get training and experience in three different harbours.”
The course covers all the basic powerboat handling and seamanship skills, including the effects of wind and tides, high and low speed manoeuvering, anchoring, maintenance checks, rules and regulations and weather forecasts.
Cooking up blue cod and debriefing over beers while overnighting on Stewart Island is luring clients.
To ensure the training is as safe and comfortable as possible, Chris uses a Stabi-Craft Marine 609 Super Cab.
“It is perfect in most conditions and especially if it gets rough. It is safe, manoeuvrable and has a few added extras for comfort such as a diesel heater.”
Powered by a 150hp four-stroke Yamaha outboard, the boat is rated for four adults off-shore or eight inshore or for lake use. The boat, owned by Stabi-Craft, is also available for private hire.
Run over two separate days, the lakes courses can be held either in a group on the Stabi-Craft 609 Super Cab or one-on-one on a client’s own boat.
For more information go to www.46south.co.nz or contact Chris on 0274 378 234.
Stabi-Craft Marine Newsletter
August 2007
Accolade for the boss
Joining the ranks of New Zealand’s elite, Stabi-Craft Marine managing director Paul Adams has been named a member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to business.
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Paul Adams - Managing Director, Stabi-Craft Marine Ltd |
Stabi-Craft, now a household name in New Zealand, was the last moniker standing after a process of elimination where potential company names were jotted on a scrap of paper.
From humble beginnings in a backstreet workshop, equipped with engineering nous and a commitment to sound construction, Paul built the first rigid hulled aluminium pontoon boat – a Stabi-Craft 3.5m dinghy. He gave up his day job and nervously signed up for a $1000 overdraft to embark on the venture.
Paul admits he was a “bit of a land lubber” and new to the boating scene. But that enabled him to enter the marine industry with no preconceptions of what was right or wrong when it came to manufacturing boats.
“The original Stabis were definitely outside the square and we were able to be innovative and try new things,” he says.
The concept worked. Nowadays, our vessels are found in waters worldwide, 600 boats are turned out from our $1 million Invercargill factory every year thanks to a dedicated staff of 67, and our global team features 17 dealers in New Zealand, 10 in Australia, three in the US and one in New Caledonia.
Design innovations have been vital for success and one of the finest came in 1997 when we unveiled the Generation II pontoon which allowed for more streamlined silhouettes for boats, increasing their appeal in the recreational market.
“The success of a product is its ability to continue evolving while still maintaining the innovation that made it stand out in the first place,” Paul says.
Stabi-Craft’s profile globally has been enhanced by association – organisations including the Jean-Michel Cousteau Oceanographic Institute, the United Nations and numerous rescue groups sing the company’s praises.
As the name suggests, stability and safety have been the predominant aim and Stabi-Craft was one of the founding members of CPC, a voluntary code of compliance for New Zealand boat manufacturers, and the first manufacturer to sign up for the Australian Boat Builders Plate.
Stabi-Craft has earned an array of accolades over the years but it’s the endorsement of our clients that ultimately counts the most.
“We pride ourselves on making a boat that enables our clients to embark on adventures with the confidence that, even in the worst conditions, they will get home,” Paul says.
Paul believes there is always something to strive for. Future plans consist of expanding the Bluff Road site to include a full marine service centre.
“It’s about a journey and sometimes you never quite know how well you are doing – if you don’t keep up you get left behind,” he said.
Aba-lon first among many
Burt Munro’s Indian wasn’t the only Southland innovation to win races.
Twenty years ago, Paul Pasco’s rugged Stabi-Craft Marine 3.5m aluminium dingy was trouncing any “copy craft” challengers in races across Bluff Harbour.
“As far as I’m concerned, Stabi-Craft has always been the leader of the pack for that style of craft,” Mr Pasco said.
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Paul Pasco |
“We used to challenge anyone in what we called a “copy craft” to come down to Bluff and race,” he said.
“There were a lot of people that had rubber ducks and hated Stabis – but they actually went much faster than the rubber ducks.”
Mr Pasco, of Bluff, was the proud owner of one of the first Stabi-Craft boats ever produced – and it’s stood the test of time.
“It’s still alive and kicking down in Bluff – a true testament to the original concept.”
Only the most rugged of individuals eke a living from the turbulent waters of Foveaux Strait where necessity once again proved to be the mother of invention.
When, 21-years ago they were unable to find a boat rugged enough to meet their needs, Mr Pasco and fellow paua diver Jeff Mead set about customizing their own.
“We had the odd rough day out there, which initially sparked the idea,” Mr Pasco said.
“We were after a dingy to both paua dive and set-net out of, and we needed something that was versatile and robust.”
They wanted a boat that if flipped could be righted, and if swamped by a freak-wave would not only float but still power away full of water.
The answer? A rigid hulled aluminium pontoon boat with positive buoyancy™ stability. Mr Pasco and Mr Mead supplied the concept and Paul Adams and Bruce Dickens the engineering nous to put it together.
“They had the technology and I had the ideas,” Mr Pasco recalls.
“I’m the laziest so I’ll always find the easiest ways to make something better.”
It was the dawn of a new era in New Zealand’s marine industry. Stabi-Craft, which has now become a household name in New Zealand, was the last moniker standing after a process of elimination where potential company names were jotted on a scrap of paper.
The original vessel – named “Aba-lon” – was constructed using 20 litre pails laid out as a guide to wrap the aluminium sheets around.
“The first one was pretty rough – it used to nose-dive on us.
“But I knew the concept was going to go all right and it ended up 10 times better than I thought.”
The innovation proved a hit.
“Everyone saw it and wanted one. It went from there – they got more and more orders in and were quite busy.”
Twenty years on, the success of that light bulb moment shared by a group of sea-faring mates continues to amaze Mr Pasco.
“It’s surprised me that it hasn’t come to a stagnation,” he said.
“They are good safe boats that continue to be innovative and progress with the times – and that’s the key.”
Brian's on board
Brian Corbin is the latest talent to join the ranks at our Bluff Road factory, taking the helm of the design team.
After 10 years working as a mechanical consultant in Christchurch, Brian has returned to his Southland home to take advantage of the unrivaled lifestyle the province offers.
“The weather is not flash, but there’s a lot of things that make up for it,” he said.
Stabi-Craft Marine’s reputation proved a strong factor in attracting him to the team.
“It’s a company that’s progressed a lot in the short period of time which tells me it’s a go-forward company that’s not afraid to be bold and stand out in the marketplace,” he said.
“We have a fantastic product which I believe strongly in.”
The natural abilities of our designers are further enhanced by the latest
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Brian Corbin |
“Up-to-date technology is absolutely vital – I don’t think you can compete without it, especially in the world market which is where Stabi-Craft is heading,” Brian said.
Twenty years on, Stabi-Craft’s original positive buoyancy innovation remains a key component in boat designs across the range. But it’s the company’s commitment to further enhance the product that makes it a world leader in the marine industry.
“The original concept is still fantastic but one of the exciting things is that there is still room for improvement with our boats,” Brian said.
“As our market gets bigger, so to does our range which must continually evolve to meet the needs of boat owners around the globe.”
Just the challenge Brian was looking for. Not to mention the fishing and diving on offer.
Grant to expand US market
We’re boosting the Stabi-Craft Marine brand in North America with a $100,000 helping hand from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
The business development grant will be used to increase our presence in the US market through the production of marketing materials, attendance at trade shows and market visits.
Managing director Paul Adams said a great deal of work had gone into researching and preparing a business plan aimed at expanding the US market and he was delighted that this had been recognised by NZ Trade and Enterprise.
“It has really given us the boost and added confidence to push ahead with our plans for the American market,” Mr Adams said.
Brochures and promotional material such as DVDs need to be tailor made for the American market which works in feet, inches and pounds rather than metric measurements.
Stabi-Craft Marine has four dealerships in the US.
Alan Richardson, NZ Trade and Enterprise Otago, Southland and Chatham Island Regional Manager, said the grants were designed to help people develop new business opportunities.
“Stabi-Craft have done the ground work through market exploration to establish a demand. They have also done the work in the factory – developing capacity, competitive cost structures and designs that set them apart in the market.
“They have put together a marketing plan they want to roll out over the course of the year. It is great that these opportunities can be exploited far more effectively with the assistance of this government grant,” Mr Richardson said.
NZ Trade and Enterprise is the government’s economic development agency funded by the Ministry of Economic Development.
Curiosity rewarded
Here at Stabi-Craft Marine, we not only create great boats, we also create legends.
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The Stabi-Craft 310s new owner Shane Ollerenshaw (left) and Scott Lacey examine the battered hull that’s been given a new lease of life after it was retrieved from the water |
Many would think the following stories are urban myths, but we can assure you they are true.
Curiosity may have killed the cat but it proved a gift boat for two fishermen who followed their noses to free boats.
Scott Lacey was returning from a fishing trip in the Hauraki Gulf earlier last year when he spotted what they thought was a whale just below the water.
On closer inspection he and his mates were amazed to find a 3.10 metre Stabi-Craft.
“When we came across this boat it had the majority of a three metre trailer hanging off the boat. It was full of water, sand and rock – we were completely flabbergasted that it was floating.”
One of the group sat inside bailing out the sand, water and rocks as they towed the stricken boat back to shore at Whangaparoa.
“The bottom of the boat had lots of dings in it but they were just superficial bumps and scratches – nothing that made it unseaworthy.”
The salvaged Stabi-Craft now has a new motor and a new lease of life.
Astonishing as the story is the Whangaparoa find isn’t the first example of a wayward Stabi-Craft bucking the odds and riding the currents to a new home.
Radio 4BC Brisbane aired an interview with a New South Wales fisherman named Wally whose fishing tale had earlier been verified by Stabi-Craft Marine.
Show host Dave Downie has had 15-years experience as a fishing presenter for radio and TV but had never heard anything like the tale Wally told when he approached the Stabi-Craft stand at the Brisbane Boat Show last winter.
“I wrote down his number and gave him a call,” Mr Downie said.
Wally said he’d been on an unsuccessful fishing expedition off the Central Coast of NSW when the group decided to check out the coordinates of a “shipping hazard” 10 miles from shore that had been radioed in from another boat.
Once there they found an upturned barnacle-covered boat with the rusted remnants of its outboard mounting still attached. They flipped the object right side up and towed it to shore where they chipped two wheelbarrow loads of barnacles from it to unveil a Stabi-Craft.
The 4.2 metre boat turned out to be a tender boat that had been lost overboard during rough weather from a paua boat off the South Coast of New Zealand two years earlier.
The boat had been carried in the southern ocean current from New Zealand via Noumea to New South Wales.
“We turned it upright, put in back in the water and we’ve been fishing out of it ever since,” Wally said.
Stabi-Craft Marine Ltd managing director Paul Adams said the two tales were graphic illustrations of positive buoyancy at work.
“We can tell people how reliable, safe and durable our boats are, but these stories really highlight just how hard it is to try and sink one!
“Even after goodness knows how long out at sea and with most of the trailer tied to it, the 3.1m boat stayed afloat. As a safety test – the story speaks volumes,” Mr Adams said.