Australian suspension catamaran innovator Nauti-Craft Pty Ltd has signed a new deal with a long-term partner and German based vessel operator, designer and boat building group.
The move gives Offcon GmbH and Wallaby Boats GmbH first right of refusal to global exclusivity to nauti-craft™ patented marine suspension technology for the range of boats in their license. This means that Offcon and Wallaby investors now have security around the license, and as a result, financing to build the first Wallaby boat.
Nauti-Craft’s technology was first put to the test in rough seas at Dunsborough in the south of Western Australia in 2015. Soon after this, Wallaby Boats GmbH’s Harald Hübner and Steffen Staudenmaier took a test ride on Nauti-Craft’s demonstrator 2 Play. The performance of Nauti-Craft’s 8.5m boat enabled them to punch headlong into 1.2m choppy waves at over 30 knots effortlessly.
Nauti-Craft’s patented suspension technology was a winner at the Seawork Awards (Now the European Commercial Marine Awards) vessel design category in 2016.
Wallaby Boats GmbH will be the first original equipment manufacturer globally to produce commercial boats using the Nauti-Craft suspension system with exclusive rights to the Nauti-Craft patent. The deal accelerates production of the first Wallaby boats and ensures further headway is made with the planned production of a full range of small commercial craft. These include high performance daughter craft, crew transfer vessels, pilot boats and small workboats.
The Wallaby-18 is being produced in Germany and composite parts produced for the Wallaby-16 and the Wallaby-14 by Tuco Marine in Denmark.
By Jake Frith
